Vehicle seat

Abstract

This vehicle seat is provided with: a first seat that has a first seat cushion and a first seat back; and a second seat that has a second seat cushion and a second seat back, and is disposed diagonally rearward of the first seat. The rear end part of the first seat cushion is positioned rearward of the front end part of the second seat cushion. The first seat cushion and the second seat cushion each have a pair of left and right side end parts. The end surface of a first side end part on one side in the left-right direction, which is the second seat side, between the pair of left and right side end parts of the first seat cushion, is positioned farther to one side in the left-right direction than the end surface of a second side end part on the other side in the left-right direction, which is the first seat side, between the pair of left and right side end parts of the second seat cushion. A recess part is provided on at least one of the rear end part of the first side end part and the front end part of the second side end part so as to prevent interference between the first side end part and the second side end part.

Description

Vehicle seats

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

[0002] A seat disposed behind a driver's seat has been known in the past that has a recess formed in the front center of the seat cushion, which is recessed toward the rear (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the seat described in Patent Document 1, a pair of left and right seat cushion portions are provided on both left and right sides of the recess in the seat cushion so that a passenger can be seated.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-149823

[0004] However, in cases where a person frequently sits alone in the driver's seat but may occasionally sit with a passenger in the passenger seat, there is a need to design a compact vehicle that ensures sufficient seating space for both occupants while minimizing the lateral dimension as much as possible. However, the seat design described in Patent Document 1 cannot meet this need.

[0005] One aspect of the present invention is a vehicle seat having a seat cushion and a seat back and to be mounted on a vehicle, the vehicle seat including a first seat having a first seat cushion and a first seat back, and a second seat having a second seat cushion and a second seat back and disposed diagonally rearward of the first seat, wherein a rear end of the first seat cushion is located rearward of a front end of the second seat cushion, the first and second seat cushions each have a pair of left and right side ends, a first end face of the pair of left and right side ends of the first seat cushion that is located on one side in the left-right direction, i.e., a second end face of the pair of left and right side ends of the second seat cushion that is located on the other side in the left-right direction, i.e., the first seat cushion has a rear end portion and a front end portion of the second seat cushion that is located on the other side in the left-right direction, i.e., a relief portion is provided in at least one of the rear end of the first end face and the front end of the second end face to prevent interference between the first end face and the second end face.

[0006] According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the size of the vehicle in the left-right direction while ensuring sufficient seating space for left and right seat occupants.

[0007] 6A is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a small vehicle on which a vehicle seat according to an embodiment of the present invention is mounted; FIG. 7A is a side view showing a schematic configuration of a small vehicle on which a vehicle seat according to an embodiment of the present invention is mounted; FIG. 8A is a perspective view of the passenger seat of FIG. 1 as seen from diagonally forward left; FIG. 8B is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a small vehicle in a state in which the auxiliary seat of FIG. 1 is stowed; FIG. 9A is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a small vehicle that is a modification of FIG. 1A; FIG. 19 is a view showing another modification of FIG. 1A; FIG. 19B is a block diagram showing a control configuration related to the sliding operation of a vehicle seat according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 19C is a plan view showing an example of a relief portion provided in a vehicle seat according to an embodiment of the present invention, the relief portion being different from that of FIG. 6A; FIG. 6A is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI of FIG. 6A; FIG. 7A is a side view showing a schematic overall configuration of a swivel seat as a vehicle seat according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing a use position of the swivel seat; FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII of FIG. 7A; FIG. 7B is a side view showing a non-use position of the swivel seat of FIG. 7A; FIG. 7B is a plan view showing a non-use position of the swivel seat of FIG. 7B. 16A . A plan view showing the arrangement of a seat in a vehicle equipped with a rotating seat. 16B is a perspective view schematically showing the overall configuration of a vibrator-equipped seat as a vehicle seat according to an embodiment of the present invention. 16C is a view taken along the arrow XII in FIG. 11 . 16D is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XIII-XIII in FIG. 12 . 16E is a diagram showing an example of the operation of the vibrator-equipped seat of FIG. 11 . 16F is a diagram schematically showing an example of the operation when a magnetic mount having impact hardening properties is used. 16G is a plan view showing the configuration of a passenger transport mode of an aircraft to which a vehicle seat according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. 16H is a side view showing the configuration of a passenger transport mode of an aircraft to which a vehicle seat according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. 16H is an enlarged view showing the configuration of a main part of the tip of the rotating frame of FIG. 16A . 16G is a front view showing the flight attitude of the aircraft. 16H is a front view showing the landing attitude of the aircraft. 16G is a plan view showing the configuration of a cargo transport mode of the aircraft. 16H is a side view showing the configuration of a cargo transport mode of the aircraft. 16H is a diagram showing the configuration of a cargo transport mode of the aircraft. 16H is a block diagram showing the configuration of a main part of an aircraft control device included in the management system of FIG. 16A . 16I is a diagram showing the configuration of an example of the operation of an aircraft. 23 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 23.

[0042] FIG. 23 is a front view showing a schematic configuration of a ventilation adjustable vehicle seat according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0043] FIG.28A. A front view of the front panel of FIG. 24. A cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 25A. A front view of the rear panel of FIG. 24. A cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 26A. A front view of the rear portion of the seat back when the linear members constituting the vehicle seat of FIG. 23 are in an unheated state. A cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 27A. A front view of the rear portion of the seat back when the linear members constituting the vehicle seat of FIG. 23 are in a heated state. A cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 28A. A flowchart showing an example of processing executed by the ECU of FIG. 24. A side view showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle seat configured to be able to change the height and inclination angle of the seat cushion. A plan view showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle seat configured to be able to change the height and inclination angle of the seat cushion. An enlarged view of a main portion of FIG. 31. A cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 31. A block diagram showing the configuration of a control device that controls the operation of the support section of FIG. 1. A side view showing the hip-up position of the vehicle seat of FIG. 30. A side view showing the relaxed position of the vehicle seat of FIG. 30. 45A , 45B, 45C, 45D, 45E, 45F, 45G, 45H, 45I, 45IQ ... 50B is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control device that controls the seat mode of the seat installed in the vehicle of Figures 40 and 41. A side view of a vehicle showing a state during a change in seat position from a normal position to a immersed position. A side view of a vehicle showing the immersed position. A plan view of a vehicle showing the immersed position. A plan view of a vehicle showing a modified example of Figure 50B. A side view of a vehicle showing a state in which a B-pillar has been added to Figure 40.56A 。 56A is a side view of a vehicle showing a state in which a B-pillar has been added to the vehicle shown in FIG. 49 . 56B is a side view of a vehicle showing a state in which a B-pillar has been added to the vehicle shown in FIG. 50A . 56C is a side view showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle seat that allows the seat position to be changed without using a link mechanism. 56D is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 53 . 56E is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a main part of a lower slide mechanism included in the support section of FIG. 53 . 56F is a side view showing a schematic configuration of the support section of FIG. 53 . 56F is a diagram showing a modified example of FIG. 56A . 56C is a side view showing a schematic configuration in which a pair of inclined surfaces of the support section slope upward toward the rear. 56D is a side view showing a schematic configuration in which a pair of inclined surfaces of the support section slope downward toward the rear. 56F is a block diagram showing a configuration of a seat control device that controls the operation of the vehicle seat of FIG. 53 . 56D is a side view showing an example of a vehicle seat in a raised position. 56F is a side view showing an example of a vehicle seat in a lowered position. 56F is a side view showing an example of a vehicle seat in a forward position. 56F is a side view showing an example of a vehicle seat in a relaxed position. 65 and 66. A side view showing an example of a vehicle seat in an example where two rows of vehicle seats are arranged, front and rear, with each row in a normal position. A side view showing an example of a vehicle seat in an example where two rows of vehicle seats are arranged, front and rear, with each row in a relaxed position. A side view showing a schematic configuration of a main part of a vehicle in which the vehicle seat of Figure 53 is installed. A front view showing a schematic configuration of a main part of a vehicle in which the vehicle seat of Figure 53 is installed. A plan view showing an example of a lid that covers the opening of the recess of Figure 62. A view showing a modified example of Figure 62. A view showing a modified example of Figure 63. A view showing a state in which the cyber angle of the vehicle seat of Figures 65 and 66 is increased.

[0008] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The vehicle seat according to the present invention can be applied to various types of vehicles, but the following describes an example in which the vehicle seat is applied to a vehicle, particularly a small vehicle that is required to be compact.

[0009] Fig. 1A is a plan view showing the schematic configuration of a small vehicle 10 on which a vehicle seat 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is mounted, and Fig. 1B is a side view. In the following, the front-rear direction, left-right direction, and up-down direction are defined as shown in the figure, and the configuration of each part will be described in accordance with these definitions. The front-rear direction, left-right direction, and up-down direction in the figure correspond to the front-rear direction (length direction), left-right direction (width direction), and up-down direction (height direction) of the small vehicle 10, respectively.

[0010] 1A and 1B, the vehicle seat 100 includes a driver's seat 101 disposed on the right side of the vehicle interior, a passenger seat 102 disposed diagonally rearward and to the left of the driver's seat 101, and a booster seat 103 disposed rearward of the driver's seat 101 and to the right of the passenger seat 102 (diagonally rearward and to the right of the passenger seat 102). Also shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B are a pair of left and right front wheels 11, a pair of left and right rear wheels 12, and a steering wheel 131 installed facing the driver's seat 101, as components of the small vehicle 10. Hereinafter, the vehicle seat 100 may be simply referred to as the seat 100.

[0011] FIG. 2 is a perspective view (viewed diagonally from the front left) showing the configuration of the passenger seat 102. The driver's seat 101 and the passenger seat 102 have generally the same configuration. Therefore, the configuration of a single seat 100 (driver's seat 101 and passenger seat 102) will be described using FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the seat 100 includes a seat cushion 110 that supports the buttocks of the occupant, a seat back 120 that supports the back of the occupant, and a headrest 130 that is provided on top of the seat back 120 and supports the head of the occupant.

[0012] The seat cushion 110 has a seat cushion frame 111 (only a portion of which is shown) that forms the framework of the seat cushion 110. Although not shown in detail, the seat cushion frame 111 has, for example, a pair of left and right vertical frames extending in the front-to-rear direction and a pair of front and rear horizontal frames that also extend in the left-to-right direction and connect the front ends and rear ends of the pair of left and right vertical frames, respectively, and has a generally rectangular frame shape in a plan view. A generally plate-shaped pressure-receiving member (not shown) is disposed inside the seat cushion frame 111. A resilient cushion pad 112 made of, for example, urethane foam material is provided around the periphery of the seat cushion frame 111, and the surface of the cushion pad 112 is covered with a cover 113.

[0013] The seat back 120 has a seat back frame 121 (only a portion of which is shown) that forms the framework of the seat back 120. Although not shown in detail, the seat back frame 121 has, for example, a pair of left and right vertical frames extending generally up and down, and a pair of upper and lower horizontal frames extending generally left and right that connect the upper ends and lower ends of the pair of left and right vertical frames, respectively, and has a generally rectangular frame shape as a whole when viewed from the front. A generally plate-shaped pressure-receiving member (not shown) is disposed inside the seat back frame 121. A resilient back pad 122 made of, for example, urethane foam material is provided around the periphery of the seat back frame 121, and the surface of the back pad 122 is covered with a cover 123.

[0014] The lower end of the seat back 120 is pivotally supported on the rear end of the seat cushion frame 111 via a reclining mechanism 140 so as to be rotatable in the front-rear direction around a shaft 140a extending in the left-right direction as a fulcrum. Although not shown in detail, the headrest 130, like the seat back 120, has a headrest frame that forms the framework of the headrest 130, a resilient headrest pad provided around the periphery of the headrest frame, and a skin that covers the surface of the headrest pad.

[0015] A pair of left and right lower rails 115L extending in the front-rear direction are installed on the upper surface of the floor inside the cabin of the compact vehicle 10. A pair of left and right upper rails 115U extending in the front-rear direction are provided on the bottom of the seat cushion frame 111. The upper rails 115U engage with the lower rails 115L, allowing the seat cushion 110 to slide in the front-rear direction along the lower rails 115L. The upper rails 115U and lower rails 115L are meshed with each other via gears at their engagement portions.

[0016] Although not shown in detail, a slide motor 116 is disposed below the seat cushion 110. Rotation of the motor 116 is transmitted, for example, via a shaft, to a screw shaft extending along the lower rail 115L. Rotation of the screw shaft moves a nut along the screw shaft in the fore-and-aft direction, thereby moving the seat cushion 110 in the fore-and-aft direction together with the nut. An operating unit (e.g., a switch) 117 operated by a seated occupant is provided on the side of the seat cushion 110. The seated occupant is also sometimes referred to as a user. The motor 116 is driven in response to a command to move the seat 100 forward or backward input via the operating unit 117. The slide motor 116, the screw shaft, and the like may be omitted, and the user may manually move the seat cushion 110 in the fore-and-aft direction.

[0017] The upper surface of the seat cushion 110 is provided with a seating portion 118 on which the occupant sits, and a pair of left and right banks 119 that bulge upward from the seating portion 118 on both left and right sides of the seating portion 118 and extend in the front-to-rear direction. The buttocks and thighs of the occupant seated on the seat 100 come into contact with the seating portion 118, and the weight of the occupant is mainly supported by the seating portion 118. Similarly, the front surface of the seat back 120 is provided with a seating portion 128 on which the occupant sits, and a pair of left and right banks 129 that bulge forward from the seating portion 128 on both left and right sides of the seating portion 128 and extend in the up-down direction. The seating position of the occupant is regulated by the banks 119, 129.

[0018] 1A and 1B , a front end surface 102a of the passenger seat 102 is located rearward of a front end surface 101a of the driver's seat 101 and forward of a rear end surface 101b of the driver's seat 101. A rear end surface 102b of the passenger seat 102 is located rearward of a front end surface 103a of the auxiliary seat 103. In other words, the passenger seat 102 is located rearward of the driver's seat 101 and forward of the auxiliary seat 103. The auxiliary seat 103 is a simple seat and includes a seat cushion 110 and a seat back 120, but does not include a headrest 130. The auxiliary seat 103 may be provided with a headrest that can be stored compactly, for example, a teardrop-shaped headrest that is generally L-shaped.

[0019] 1A, the length from the left end surface SF1 to the right end surface SF2 of the seat cushion 110 of the driver's seat 101 is defined as the width of the driver's seat 101. The length from the left end surface SF3 to the right end surface SF4 of the seat cushion 110 of the passenger seat 102 is defined as the width of the passenger seat 102. The length from the left end surface SF5 to the right end surface SF6 of the seat cushion 110 of the auxiliary seat 103 is defined as the width of the auxiliary seat 103. In this case, the width of the passenger seat 102 is equal to the width of the driver's seat 101, and the width of the auxiliary seat 103 is narrower than the width of the driver's seat 101. Specifically, the width of the auxiliary seat 103 is about 0.8 times the width of the driver's seat 101.

[0020] The left end surface SF5 of the seat cushion 110 of the auxiliary seat 103 is located to the right of the right end surface SF4 of the seat cushion 110 of the passenger seat 102. On the other hand, the left end surface SF1 of the seat cushion 110 of the driver's seat 101 is located to the left of the right end surface SF4 of the seat cushion 110 of the passenger seat 102. A cutout 114 that is generally rectangular in plan view is provided in the right end surface SF4 of the seat cushion 110 of the passenger seat 110B, and extends a predetermined length rearward from the front end surface 11b. The cutout 114 is provided so as to cut the entire right front corner of the passenger seat 110B (including the seat cushion frame 111 and cushion pad 112) in the vertical direction. The right end surface SF4 of the seat cushion 110 where the cutout 114 is provided, i.e., the cutout surface 114a, is located to the left of the left end surface SF1 of the seat cushion 110 of the driver's seat 101. This makes it possible to avoid interference between the driver's seat 101 and the passenger seat 102.

[0021] As shown in Figure 2, the cutout 114 is provided in the area of ​​the bank portion 119 at the right front corner of the seat cushion 110. Note that in Figure 2, the shape of the seat cushion 110 without the cutout 114 is shown by a virtual line (two-dot chain line). Because the cutout 114 is provided in the area in front of the bank portion 119, the seating area 118 does not become narrow, and sufficient seating space for the occupant of the passenger seat 102 can be ensured.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 1A , three lower rails 115L are installed on the upper surface of the floor at equal intervals in the left-right direction. The driver's seat 101 is supported slidably along the right-end lower rail 115L and the central lower rail 115L. The passenger's seat 102 is supported slidably along the central lower rail 115L and the left-end lower rail 115L. In other words, the central lower rail 115L is used as the lower rail 115L for both the driver's seat 101 and the passenger's seat 102. This allows the number of lower rails 115L to be reduced, thereby saving installation space for the lower rails 115L.

[0023] The driver's seat 101 slides further forward than the passenger seat 102. Therefore, the front ends of the right and center lower rails 115L, 115L are positioned further forward than the front end of the left lower rail 115L. The passenger seat 102 slides further rearward than the driver's seat 101. Therefore, the rear ends of the center and left lower rails 115L, 115L are positioned further rearward than the rear end of the right lower rail 115L. Therefore, there is no need to install a lower rail 115L to the right of the auxiliary seat 103, and the auxiliary seat 103 can be easily positioned without interfering with the lower rail 115L.

[0024] 1A and 1B , a recess 135, which is generally rectangular in plan view and has a predetermined depth and is open at the top, is provided in the floor behind the auxiliary seat 103. The auxiliary seat 103 can be folded entirely by tilting its seat back 120 forward until it abuts the upper surface of the seat cushion 110, and the entire seat in the folded state can be moved diagonally toward the space behind and below (recess 135). Alternatively, the entire seat in the folded state can be rotated backward toward the recess 135. The recess 135 has a generally box shape corresponding to the shape of the auxiliary seat 103 in the folded state. This allows the auxiliary seat 103 to be stored below the floor.

[0025] Fig. 3 is a plan view showing the schematic configuration of the compact vehicle 10 with the auxiliary seat 103 stored in the recess 135. As shown in Fig. 3, when the auxiliary seat 103 is stored under the floor, a relatively large, approximately box-shaped space is formed above the upper surface of the floor, behind the driver's seat 101 and to the right of the passenger seat 102. This makes it possible to easily load large luggage and the like into the compact vehicle 10.

[0026] A compact vehicle 10 having a vehicle seat 100 according to this embodiment is used for relatively short-distance travel, such as commuting to work or shopping. During this type of travel, the passenger often rides alone in the compact vehicle 10 and does not carry much luggage. Therefore, it is desirable to reduce the overall vehicle size rather than increasing the interior space. In this regard, in this embodiment, the passenger seat 102 is positioned diagonally rearward of the driver's seat 101, and the right end (right end surface SF4) of the passenger seat 102 is positioned to the right of the left end (left end surface SF1) of the driver's seat 101, thereby narrowing the vehicle width of the compact vehicle 10. As a result, the interior space can be minimized, resulting in a compact vehicle 10 that is convenient and suitable for passengers who often ride alone.

[0027] A notch 114 is provided at the right end of the passenger seat 102 of the compact vehicle 10 to prevent interference with the driver's seat 101. The notch 114 is provided only at the right front corner of the seat cushion 110 of the passenger seat 102, so there is little restriction on the passenger space of the passenger seat 102. Therefore, although it is not frequent, the comfort of the passenger can be sufficiently ensured when a passenger sits in the passenger seat 102.

[0028] Using the auxiliary seat 103, three people can ride in the compact vehicle 10. The auxiliary seat 103 is configured more simply and compactly than the other seats 101 and 102, but this is not a problem because the auxiliary seat 103 is used even less frequently than the passenger seat 102 and the compact vehicle 10 is often used for short-distance travel. Because the auxiliary seat 103 can be stored under the floor, when one or two people are riding in the compact vehicle 10, the auxiliary seat 103 can be stored to easily transport large luggage.

[0029] In the above, the seat cushion 110 of the passenger seat 102 is provided with the cutout 114. However, instead of or in addition to this, the seat cushion 110 of the driver's seat 101 may be provided with a cutout. FIG. 4A is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a compact vehicle 10 as an example. As shown in FIG. 4A, the left end surface SF1 of the seat cushion 110 of the driver's seat 101 is provided with the cutout 114, which is generally rectangular in plan view, extending from the rear end surface to the front. In other words, the cutout 114 is provided in the left rear corner of the seat cushion 110 of the driver's seat 101. This makes it possible to prevent interference between the driver's seat 101 and the passenger seat 102.

[0030] In this embodiment, the drive of motors 116 (FIG. 2) provided on the driver's seat 101 and passenger's seat 102 is controlled in response to the operation of operating units 117 (FIG. 2) provided on the driver's seat 101 and passenger's seat 102, respectively, thereby causing each seat 101, 102 to slide in the front-rear direction. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a control configuration related to the sliding operation of the seat 100. In FIG. 5, the operating units 117 for the driver's seat and passenger's seat are indicated by reference numerals 117A and 117B, respectively, and the motors 116 for the driver's seat and passenger's seat are indicated by reference numerals 116A and 116B, respectively.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 5 , signals from operation units 117A and 117B and signals from position sensors 151A and 151B that detect the slide positions of driver seat 101 and passenger seat 102, respectively, are input to ECU 150 (controller), which is comprised of a microprocessor, memory, etc. Various types of position sensors 151A and 151B can be used, such as a linear encoder, a magnetic sensor (Hall sensor), an optical encoder, a potentiometer (variable resistor), a limit switch, and an inclination sensor. Sensors that detect the rotation amount of motors 116A and 116B can also be used as position sensors. Operation units 117A and 117B are, for example, push-type switches. When operation units 117A and 117B are pressed, a forward command or a reverse command for seats 101 and 102 is output. When the operation is stopped, the output of the forward command or the reverse command is stopped.

[0032] When an operating unit 117A outputs a command to move the driver's seat 101 forward or backward, the ECU 150 outputs a control signal to the motor 116A to move the driver's seat 101 forward or backward. Furthermore, when an operating unit 117B outputs a command to move the passenger's seat 102 forward or backward, the ECU 150 outputs a control signal to the motor 116B to move the passenger's seat 102 forward or backward. At this time, the ECU 150 detects the positions of the driver's seat 101 and the passenger's seat 102 based on signals from the position sensors 151A, 151B, and limits the driving of the motors 116A, 116B in accordance with the detected positions.

[0033] Specifically, when a command to move the driver's seat 101 forward is output, the ECU 150 determines whether the driver's seat 110A is in a predetermined forward end position, and if it is determined that the driver's seat 110A is in the forward end position, the ECU 150 stops the forward movement of the driver's seat 101. Similarly, when a command to move the passenger's seat 102 backward is output, the ECU 150 determines whether the passenger's seat 102 is in a predetermined reverse position, and if it is determined that the passenger's seat 102 is in the reverse position, the ECU 150 stops the reverse movement of the passenger's seat 102. Furthermore, when a command to move the driver's seat 101 backward or a command to move the passenger's seat 102 forward is output, the ECU 150 calculates the distance between the driver's seat 101 and the passenger's seat 102, more specifically, the distance between the rear end surface 101b of the driver's seat 101 and the end surface 114b ( FIG. 1A ) of the cutout 114 of the passenger's seat 102 (seat-to-seat distance). The system then determines whether the distance between the seats is equal to or less than a predetermined distance, and if it is determined that the distance is equal to or less than the predetermined distance, stops the driver's seat 101 from moving backward or the passenger's seat 102 from moving forward. This makes it possible to prevent interference between the driver's seat 101 and the passenger's seat 102.

[0034] The present embodiment can achieve the following advantageous effects: (1) A vehicle seat 100 includes a driver's seat 101 having a seat cushion 110 and a seat back 120, and a passenger seat 102 having the seat cushion 110 and the seat back 120 and disposed diagonally rearward and to the left of the driver's seat 101 ( FIGS. 1A and 1B ). A rear end surface 12a of the seat cushion 110 of the driver's seat 101 is positioned rearward of a front end surface 11b of the seat cushion 110 of the passenger seat 102 ( FIG. 1B ). The seat cushion 110 of the driver's seat 101 and the seat cushion 110 of the passenger seat 102 each have a pair of left and right side end surfaces, i.e., a left end surface SF1 and a right end surface SF2, and a left end surface SF3 and a right end surface SF4 ( FIG. 2 ). The left end surface SF1 of the seat cushion 110 of the driver's seat 101 is located to the left of the right end surface SF4 of the seat cushion 110 of the passenger seat 102 (FIG. 1A). The right end surface SF4 of the seat cushion 110 of the passenger seat 102 is provided with a notch 114 to prevent interference between the driver's seat 101 and the passenger seat 102 (FIGS. 1A and 1B).

[0035] According to this configuration, the rear left corner of the driver's seat 101 is positioned within the notch 114 at the front right of the passenger seat 102, thereby shortening the length from the right end surface SF2 of the driver's seat 101 to the left end surface SF3 of the passenger seat 102. This allows for the construction of a compact vehicle 10 that is short in the left-right dimension while ensuring sufficient seating space for both left and right seat occupants.

[0036] (2) The vehicle further includes an auxiliary seat 103 disposed behind the driver's seat 101 and to the right of the right end surface SF4 of the passenger seat 102 (FIG. 1A). This allows the vehicle to accommodate three people despite being a small vehicle 10.

[0037] (3) The width of the auxiliary seat 103 in the left-right direction is narrower than the width of the driver's seat 101 in the left-right direction (FIG. 1A). By narrowing the width of the auxiliary seat 103, which is used less frequently, the auxiliary seat 103 can be properly positioned so as not to interfere with the driver's seat 101 and the passenger seat 102.

[0038] (4) A recess 135 is provided in the floor of the compact vehicle 10 in which the booster seat 103 is installed, allowing the booster seat 103 to be stored when not in use ( FIGS. 1A and 1B ). This allows the booster seat 103 to be stored under the floor, creating a large space behind the driver's seat 101 and to the right of the passenger seat 102.

[0039] (5) The vehicle seat 100 further includes a pair of left and right lower rails 115L that extend in the front-rear direction on the upper surface of the floor of the small vehicle 10 and support the driver's seat 101 so that it can move in the front-rear direction, and a pair of left and right lower rails 115L that extend in the front-rear direction on the upper surface of the floor and support the passenger's seat 102 so that it can move in the front-rear direction ( FIGS. 1A and 2 ). The left lower rail 115L for the driver's seat and the right lower rail 115L for the passenger's seat are the same, and the lower rails 115L are shared ( FIG. 1A ). This allows the number of lower rails 115L to be reduced, which in turn allows the width of the small vehicle 10 in the front-rear direction to be narrowed and reduces costs.

[0040] In the above embodiment ( FIG. 1A ), the driver's seat 101 is configured as a first seat having a seat cushion 110 (first seat cushion) and a seat back 120 (first seat back), and the passenger's seat 102 is configured as a second seat having a seat cushion 110 (second seat cushion) and a seat back 120 (second seat back). However, the first seat may be other than the driver's seat, and the second seat may be other than the passenger's seat. The second seat may be disposed diagonally rearward to the right instead of diagonally rearward to the left of the first seat.

[0041] In the above embodiment, the driver's seat 101 and the passenger's seat 102 are slid in the front-rear direction by driving the motor 116, but the motor 116 may be omitted and the driver's seat 101 and the passenger's seat 102 may be moved forward and backward manually. In this case, a stopper that limits the movement of the driver's seat 101 rearward from a predetermined position (e.g., the position in FIG. 1A ) and a stopper that limits the movement of the passenger's seat 102 forward from a predetermined position (e.g., the position in FIG. 1A ) may be provided on the lower rail 115L or the like, thereby preventing interference between the seats 101 and 102 when the driver's seat 101 is moved backward and the passenger's seat 102 is moved forward.

[0042] In the above embodiment, the notch 114 is provided in the front end portion of the right end surface SF4 (second side end portion) of the passenger seat 102 ( FIG. 1A ) or the rear end portion of the left end surface SF1 (first side end portion) of the driver seat 101 ( FIG. 4A ). However, other relief portions may be provided to prevent interference between the first side end portion and the second side end portion. FIG. 6A is a plan view showing another example of the relief portion, and FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 6A . FIG. 6A shows a left rear corner CR1 of the seat cushion 110 of the driver seat 101 and a right front corner CR2 of the seat cushion 110 of the passenger seat 102.

[0043] 6A and 6B , a generally rectangular recess 1141 of a predetermined depth is provided on the bottom surface of the left rear corner CR1 of the driver's seat 101. Meanwhile, a generally rectangular recess 1142 of a predetermined depth is provided on the top surface of the right front corner CR2 of the passenger seat 102. As a result, the lower corner CR2 of the recess 1142 of the passenger seat 102 is positioned in the recess 1141 of the driver's seat 101, and the upper corner CR1 of the recess 1141 of the driver's seat 101 is positioned in the recess 1142 of the passenger seat 102. As a result, interference between the driver's seat 101 and the passenger seat 102 can be prevented without providing notches 114 in the corners CR1 and CR2. The recess 1141 may be provided on the top surface of the corner CR1 and the recess 1142 may be provided on the bottom surface of the corner CR2, reversing the up-down relationship of the corners CR1 and CR2. Instead of providing recesses 1141, 1142 of a predetermined depth at the corners CR1, CR2 of the seats 101, 102, the seats 101, 102 may be positioned so that the left end (first side end) of the driver's seat 101 is positioned above or below the right end (second side end) of the passenger seat 102, thereby forming a relief portion.

[0044] In the above embodiment ( FIG. 1A ), the booster seat 103 is disposed as a third seat behind the driver's seat 101 and to the right of the passenger seat 102, but the configuration of the third seat is not limited to the above. The third seat may be a net seat in which a resilient net material is stretched over the seat surface and the cushion pad 112 and back pad 122 are omitted. In the above embodiment ( FIG. 3 ), the booster seat 103 can be stored in the recess 135 in the floor, but the recessed storage portion need not be provided. The third seat may be a flip-up type seat that can be stored by flipping it up to the right, for example.

[0045] In the above embodiment ( FIG. 1A ), the driver's seat 101 is slidably supported by a pair of left and right lower rails 115L (rails for the first seat) provided at the right end and center of the small vehicle 10, and the passenger's seat 102 is slidably supported by a pair of left and right lower rails 115L (rails for the second seat) provided at the left end and center. That is, a portion of the plurality of lower rails 115L (the left lower rail 115L) supporting the driver's seat 101 and a portion of the plurality of lower rails 115L (the right lower rail 115L) supporting the passenger's seat 102 are shared. However, the driver's seat 101 and the passenger's seat 102 may each be supported by separate rails. For example, as shown in FIG. 4B , which is another modification of FIG. 1A , the pair of left and right lower rails 115L supporting the driver's seat 101 and the pair of left and right lower rails 115L supporting the passenger's seat 102 may be provided separately. 4B, instead of the seat cushion 110 of the passenger seat 102, a notch 114 may be provided in the seat cushion 110 of the driver's seat 101 as shown in FIG. 4A. Each of the seats 101 and 102 may be supported by three or more rails.

[0046] In the above, the vehicle seat 100 is configured to include a driver's seat 101 (first seat) and a passenger seat 102 (second seat), but the present invention can also be configured as a small vehicle including a first seat and a second seat. Therefore, the configuration can be rewritten from a vehicle seat to a small vehicle.

[0047] Incidentally, when comparing a vehicle seat (seat) when in use with an occupant seated and when not in use, it is preferable to narrow the seat width when not in use compared to when in use in order to expand the effective space within the vehicle cabin. It is even more preferable to narrow the seat width and configure the entire seat to be rotatable around an axis extending vertically, since this allows the orientation of the seat to be easily changed without interfering with other components around the seat or other occupants. Taking this into consideration, in this embodiment, the seat is further configured as follows. Note that hereinafter, the seat may also be referred to as a swivel seat.

[0048] Fig. 7A is a side view that schematically shows the overall configuration of swivel seat 200, and Fig. 7B is a plan view. Rotating seat 200 is mounted on a vehicle (not shown). The vehicle may be the above-mentioned compact vehicle 10, or may be a vehicle other than a compact vehicle. Rotating seat 200 can also be mounted on a vehicle other than a vehicle. Figs. 7A and 7B show a usage position of swivel seat 200 in which an occupant can be seated.

[0049] 7A and 7B , the swivel seat 200 includes a seat cushion 210 that supports the buttocks of the occupant PS, a seat back 220 that supports the back of the occupant PS, and a support frame 230 that supports the seat cushion 210 and the seat back 220. The support frame 230 is supported by a base member 250 that is a generally rectangular plate in a plan view, via a rotation device 240. A pair of left and right upper rails 251 are provided on the bottom of the base member 250. The upper rails 251 are slidably engaged with a pair of left and right lower rails 260 that are installed on the upper surface of the vehicle floor and extend in the front-to-rear direction.

[0050] The rotation device 240 has an outer cylinder portion 241 that is fixed to the upper surface of the base member 250 and has a generally cylindrical shape centered on an axis line CL1 that extends in the vertical direction, and an inner cylinder portion 242 that is generally cylindrical and has its center on the axis line CL1 and is disposed inside the outer cylinder portion 241. The inner cylinder portion 242 is supported by the outer cylinder portion 241 so as to be rotatable about the axis line CL1.

[0051] The support frame 230 has a rod- or pipe-shaped horizontal frame 231 that extends in the front-rear direction through the center (axis line CL1) of the rotation device 240, and a rod- or pipe-shaped vertical frame 232 that rises from the rear end of the horizontal frame 231. Therefore, the entire support frame 230 has a generally L-shape in side view. The horizontal frame 231 is fixed to an inner cylindrical portion 242 of the rotation device 240 and rotates integrally with the inner cylindrical portion 242. Both front-rear end portions of the horizontal frame 231 are located further inward in the front-rear direction than both front-rear end portions of the base member 250.

[0052] 7B , the seat back 220 has a generally pipe-shaped central frame 221 extending vertically in the left-right center thereof, and a pair of left and right split seat backs 222 disposed on the left and right sides of the central frame 221. The split seat back 222 has a rotating frame 220a that forms the framework of the split seat back 222. The inner left-right end of the rotating frame 220a is rotatably supported by the central frame 221. A back pad 220b is provided around the rotating frame 220a, and the surface of the back pad 220b is covered with a skin 220c.

[0053] 7B shows a state in which the split seat backs 222 have been rotated to their maximum extent outward (rearward) in the left-right direction, with the central frame 221 as a fulcrum. The rear surfaces 226 of the left and right split seat backs 222 are formed in a generally arc-like shape in a plan view so that the split seat backs 222 assume a generally semicircular shape overall when rotated inward in the left-right direction from the state of FIG. 7B (see FIG. 9B). In the state of FIG. 7B, the seating surface 224 on the front of the seat back 220 extends in a generally straight line in the left-right direction. At this time, the rear surfaces 226 of the seat backs 220 protrude rearward beyond the central frame 221. A bank portion 225 is provided at the outer left-right end of the seat back 220.

[0054] As shown in Fig. 7A, the lower end of the central frame 221 of the seat back 220 is supported on the upper end of the support frame 230 so as to be rotatable in the front-rear direction around a rotation shaft 235 extending in the left-right direction. Fig. 7A shows a reclining position in which the seat back 220 is tilted backward by a predetermined tilt angle θ. On the other hand, Fig. 7B shows a state in which the tilt angle θ is 0°. When the tilt angle θ is 0°, the seating surface 224 extends along a vertical plane.

[0055] Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in Figure 7A. As shown in Figure 8, the seat cushion 210 has a seat cushion frame 210a that forms the skeleton of the seat cushion 210. A cushion pad 210b is provided around the seat cushion frame 210a, and the surface of the cushion pad 210b is covered with a cover 210c. A substantially horizontal seating surface 214 is formed on the upper surface of the seat cushion 210. Bank portions 215 are provided on the outer left and right ends of the seat cushion 210. A bottom surface 216 of the seat cushion 210 is substantially semicircular and protrudes downward.

[0056] 7A and 8 , the center portion of the bottom surface 216 of the seat cushion 210 in the left-right direction is mounted on the upper surface of a horizontal frame 231. The seat cushion 210 has a pair of left and right support pillars 217 extending upward from its rear end. The front end of a vertical frame 232 is interposed between the left and right support pillars 217. The upper end of the support pillar 217 is supported on the upper end of the vertical frame 232 so as to be rotatable in the up-down direction around a rotation shaft 236 extending in the left-right direction.

[0057] The swivel seat 200 can be changed from a use position (FIGS. 7A and 7B) in which an occupant can sit to a non-use position in which an occupant cannot sit. As shown in FIG. 7B , in the use position, both left and right ends of the seat back 220 protrude outward in the left and right direction beyond both left and right ends of the base member 250. This allows the left and right width of the seating surface 224 of the seat back 220 to be increased. Meanwhile, both left and right ends of the seat cushion 210 are located laterally inward in the left and right direction beyond both left and right ends of the base member 250.

[0058] FIG. 9A is a side view of the swivel seat 200 in the non-use position, and FIG. 9B is a plan view. As shown in FIG. 9A , in the non-use position, the tilt angle θ ( FIG. 7B ) of the seat back 220 is 0°, and the rear end surface of the central frame 221 is positioned on an extension of the rear end surface of the vertical frame 232. In the non-use position, the seat cushion 210 is rotated upward by 90° around the pivot shaft 236, and the bottom surface 216 of the seat cushion 210 extends vertically. The seat back 220 is constantly biased to the non-use position by, for example, the biasing force of a spring. Furthermore, the seat back 220 has a locking mechanism that holds the seat back 220 in the use position against the biasing force of the spring. Therefore, when the locking mechanism is released in the use position, the seat back 220 is biased to the non-use position by the biasing force of the spring.

[0059] 9B , in the non-use position, the pair of left and right split seat backs 222 are rotated inward in the left-right direction, and the right end surface 222c of the left split seat back 222 and the left end surface 222c of the right split seat back 222 abut against each other. This limits the maximum rotation amount of the split seat backs 222. When the split seat backs 222 are rotated inward in the left-right direction to the maximum extent, the rear surface 226 of the seat back 220 has a substantially semicircular shape centered on the axis CL1. The bottom surface 216 of the seat cushion 210 also has a substantially semicircular shape that is shaped along the axis CL1.

[0060] At this time, the front end surface of the bank portion 225 of the seat back 220 and the rear end surface of the bank portion 215 of the seat cushion 210 come into contact with each other. As a result, the rear surface 226 of the seat back 220 and the bottom surface 216 of the seat cushion 210 form a generally cylindrical shape centered on the axis CL1 in a plan view. The diameter of the cylindrical surface centered on the axis CL1 is approximately equal to the length of the horizontal frame 231 in the front-rear direction, and the entire cylindrical surface is located inside both left-right and front-rear end portions of the base member 250. Therefore, the entire seat cushion 210 and the seat back 220 can be efficiently arranged in the inner space of the predetermined cylindrical surface centered on the axis CL1.

[0061] Rotation of the swivel seat 200 is prevented by a locking mechanism (not shown). This allows the swivel seat 200 to be fixed in the use position shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B . To rotate the swivel seat 200, for example, 180° from the use position via the rotation device 240, the user (occupant) first releases the locking mechanism. Then, the user rotates the seat back 220 forward around the rotation shaft 235 as a fulcrum, setting the tilt angle θ to 0° to raise the seat back 220, and then rotates the pair of left and right split seat backs 222 inward in the left-right direction via the central frame 221. Furthermore, the user rotates the seat cushion 210 upward around the rotation shaft 236 as a fulcrum to raise the seat cushion 210.

[0062] In this state, the user rotates the swivel seat 200 180 degrees via the rotation device 240 to activate the locking mechanism. The entire seat cushion 210 and seat back 220 of the swivel seat 200 are positioned inside a cylindrical surface of a predetermined radius centered on the axis CL1. Therefore, the swivel seat 200 protrudes only slightly outward in the radial direction, allowing the user to easily rotate the swivel seat 200 without interfering with surrounding components or occupants. The space required for rotation of the swivel seat 200 is determined by the distance from the axis CL1 to its outermost radial position. In this embodiment, the outermost radial positions (the bottom surface 216 of the seat cushion 210 and the rear surface 226 of the seat back 220) are located on a cylindrical surface centered on the axis CL1, thereby shortening the distance from the axis CL1 to the outermost radial position. After rotating the swivel seat 200, the user rotates the left and right split seat backs 222 outward in the lateral direction and rotates the seat cushion 210 downward. This allows the swivel seat 200 to be placed in a use position facing rearward.

[0063] Activation and release of the locking mechanism, rotation of the seat cushion 210 about the rotation axis 236, rotation of the seat back 220 about the rotation axis 235, rotation of the divided seat back 222 about the central frame 221 as a fulcrum, and rotation of the swivel seat 200 about the axis CL1 can each be performed manually. Any one, more than one, or all of these operations may be performed by driving an actuator such as a motor. For example, the actuator may be driven in response to a switch operation by the user.

[0064] This embodiment further provides the following advantageous effects: (1) The swivel seat 200 as a vehicle seat can be transformed from a usable position where an occupant can sit to a non-used position where an occupant cannot sit ( FIGS. 7A and 9A ). The seat back 220 is configured so that the width of the seat back 220 in the non-used position is narrower than the width of the seat back 220 in the usable position ( FIGS. 7B and 9B ). This increases the available space in the vehicle cabin when the swivel seat 200 is not in use.

[0065] (2) The seat cushion 210 is further provided with a rotation device 240 that supports the seat cushion 210 so that the seat cushion 210 can rotate about an axis CL1 that extends vertically (FIG. 7A). This allows the orientation of the swivel seat 200 to be easily changed even when the width of the seat back 220 is narrowed.

[0066] (3) The swivel seat 200 further includes a support frame 230 that rotatably supports the seat cushion 210 so that the seat cushion 210 stands upright in the non-use position ( FIGS. 7A and 9A ). The seat cushion 210 and the seat back 220 each have seating surfaces 214, 224 on which an occupant sits and rear surfaces (bottom surface 216 and rear surface 226) opposite the seating surfaces 214, 224 ( FIGS. 7B and 8 ). In the non-use position, the distance from the axis CL1 to the rear surface 226 of the seat back 220 is approximately equal to the distance from the axis CL1 to the bottom surface 216 of the seat cushion 210 ( FIG. 9B ). This allows the diameter of the swivel seat 200 about the axis CL1 to be reduced in the non-use position, enabling the swivel seat 200 to rotate in a narrow space.

[0067] (4) The rear surface 226 of the seat back 220 and the bottom surface 216 of the seat cushion 210 are configured in a generally arcuate shape so as to extend along a cylindrical surface centered on the axis CL1 in the non-use position ( FIG. 9B ). This minimizes the diameter of the swivel seat 200 centered on the axis CL1 in the non-use position, thereby minimizing the space required for rotation of the swivel seat 200.

[0068] (5) The seat back 220 has a central frame 221 that extends substantially vertically and a pair of widthwise split seat backs 222 that are rotatable inward in the width direction around the central frame 221 ( FIG. 9B ). This allows the width of the seat back 220 to be easily narrowed when the swivel seat 200 is not in use.

[0069] (6) The support frame 230 has a vertical frame 232 extending in the up-down direction near the rear end of the seat cushion 210 and a rotation shaft 236 provided at the upper end of the vertical frame 232 ( FIGS. 7A and 9A ). The seat cushion 210 is supported so as to be rotatable in the up-down direction via the rotation shaft 236 ( FIGS. 7A and 9A ). This allows the seat cushion 210 to stand upright, and the distance from the axis CL1 to the end of the seat cushion 210 can be shortened.

[0070] In the above embodiment ( FIGS. 7A to 9B ), the seat back 220 is configured with a central frame 221 (rotation axis) and a pair of left and right split seat backs 222 (back rotation portions). However, the configuration of the seat back 220 is not limited to the above. That is, the seat back 220 may have any configuration as long as the width of the seat back 220 in the non-use position is narrower than the width of the seat back 220 in the use position. In the above embodiment, both left and right end portions of the seat back 220 are configured to be rotatable in the left and right direction. However, both left and right end portions of the seat cushion 210 may also be configured to be rotatable in the left and right direction. In this case, for example, when the seat cushion 210 is rotated outward in the left and right direction, the seating surface 214 of the seat cushion 210 is configured to be substantially horizontal, and when the seat cushion 210 is rotated inward in the left and right direction, the bottom surface 216 of the seat cushion 210 is configured to be substantially arc-shaped ( FIG. 8 ).

[0071] In the above embodiment ( FIG. 7A ), the seat cushion 210 is rotatably supported by a support frame 230 serving as a seat cushion support portion. Specifically, the seat cushion 210 is rotatably supported in the vertical direction via a horizontally extending rotation shaft 236 (horizontal shaft) at the upper end of a vertical frame 232 (vertical portion) extending in the up-down direction near the rear end of the seat cushion 210. However, the seat cushion support portion may have any configuration as long as it rotatably supports the seat cushion so that the seat cushion 210 stands upright in the non-use position. In the above embodiment ( FIG. 7B ), the horizontal frame 231 is configured to be elongated in the front-rear direction. However, the horizontal frame may be extended in the left-right direction, and seat belt attachment portions may be provided at the left and right ends of the horizontal frame.

[0072] In the above embodiment ( FIGS. 9A and 9B ), in the non-use position, the distance from the axis CL1 to the bottom surface 216 (back surface) of the seat cushion 210 on the opposite side of the sitting surface 214 is equal to the distance to the rear surface 226 (back surface) of the seat back 220 on the opposite side of the sitting surface 224. More specifically, the back surfaces of the seat cushion 210 and the seat back 220 extend along cylindrical surfaces centered on the axis CL1, but the distance from the axis CL1 to the back surface of the seat cushion 210 and the distance to the back surface of the seat back 220 may be different.

[0073] In the above embodiment, the swivel seat 200 is rotated 180° around the axis CL1. However, the rotation angle of the swivel seat 200 is not limited to 180°, and may be 90°, 270°, or another angle. The swivel seat 200 described above can be used not only in the compact vehicle 10 of FIG. 1A but also in various vehicles and non-vehicle vehicles. FIG. 10 is a plan view showing an example of a vehicle 10A equipped with the swivel seat 200. The vehicle 10A of FIG. 10 has three rows of seats in the front-to-rear direction. The swivel seat 200 is applied to, for example, the second-row seats, with regular seats 100 (non-swivel seats) arranged in the first and third rows. This allows occupants in the second-row seats and the third-row seats to sit facing each other.

[0074] The swivel seat 200 may be changed from the in-use position to the out-of-use position not only when changing the orientation of the swivel seat 200 but also when loading luggage into the vehicle cabin. This increases the space for loading luggage inside the vehicle cabin, making it easier to load luggage. The swivel seat 200 may be changed from the in-use position to the out-of-use position when an occupant enters the vehicle to sit in the seat behind the swivel seat 200 (the third-row seat 100 in FIG. 10 ). This makes it easier for an occupant to get into the rear seat. In the out-of-use position, if necessary, the seat cushion 210 of the swivel seat 200 may not be rotated upward, and only the seat back 220 may be rotated inward.

[0075] The vehicle seat according to this embodiment can be configured to have a function of notifying an occupant of information without using voice or the like. Specifically, the vehicle seat can be configured to notify the occupant of predetermined information by applying vibrations to the occupant via the seat. If information is notified by voice or the like, communication with fellow passengers in the vehicle may be interrupted. In this regard, by notifying information by applying vibrations, the occupant (e.g., the driver) can recognize the predetermined information without interrupting communication with the fellow passengers.

[0076] Examples of the predetermined information include approach information indicating that an approaching vehicle has been detected while driving, erroneous operation information indicating that the driver has performed an erroneous operation while driving, a charging completion notification indicating that charging of the battery in EV driving mode has been completed, and attention alert information to alert the driver when driving through an intersection or crosswalk. The vibration may be given to the driver for purposes other than providing information, such as waking the driver from drowsiness, or the vibration may be given to a passenger other than the driver. Below, a seat configured to give vibration to a passenger will be described.

[0077] The seat has a vibrator. Such a seat may be referred to as a vibrator-equipped seat hereinafter. The vibrator-equipped seat can be installed in a vehicle or a non-vehicle. An example of installing a vibrator-equipped seat in a vehicle will be described below. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a vibrator-equipped seat 300 as a vehicle seat according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 11, the vibrator-equipped seat 300 includes a seat cushion 310 that supports the buttocks of an occupant, a seat back 320 that supports the back of the occupant, and a headrest 330 that is provided on top of the seat back 320 and supports the head of the occupant.

[0078] The vibrator-equipped seat 300 has the same configuration as the seat 100 shown in Fig. 2. That is, the seat cushion 310 has a seat cushion frame 311 (only a part of which is shown) that forms the skeleton of the seat cushion 310, a cushion pad 312 provided around the seat cushion frame 311, and a skin 313 that covers the surface of the cushion pad 312. The seat back 320 has a seat back frame 321 (only a part of which is shown) that forms the skeleton of the seat back 320, a back pad 322 provided around the seat back frame 321, and a skin 323 that covers the surface of the back pad 322. Similarly, the headrest 330 has a headrest frame that forms the skeleton of the headrest 330, a resilient headrest pad provided around the headrest frame, and a skin that covers the surface of the headrest pad.

[0079] The seat back 320 is provided with a plurality of vibration units 350 each having a vibrator. Specifically, a pair of left and right vibration units 350 is provided above and below the seating portion 328, which is located inside the left and right bank portions 329 of the seat back 320. The pair of upper left and right vibration units 350 is disposed laterally outward of the pair of lower left and right vibration units 350. The vibration units 350 are provided, for example, in correspondence with the position of the occupant's latissimus dorsi muscles. The number and installation positions of the vibration units 350 are not limited to those shown in the figure, as long as they are provided in positions where the seated occupant can easily feel vibrations. The vibration units 350 may be provided in the seat cushion 310 instead of or in addition to the seat back 320.

[0080] FIG. 12 is a front view (view along arrow XII in FIG. 11 ) of the portion of the seating portion 328 of the seat back 320 where the vibration unit 350 is provided, as viewed from the front. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XIII-XIII in FIG. 12 . For convenience, FIG. 12 illustrates a portion of the skin 323 cut into a generally circular shape (area AR10). As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 , the front surface of the back pad 322 is provided with a recess 324 that is generally rectangular in front view and has a predetermined depth. Further, a recess 325 that is generally rectangular in front view and has a predetermined depth is provided at the back of the recess 324. That is, the front surface of the back pad 322 is provided with stepped recesses 324, 325. The recess 325 is provided inside the recess 324, and a bottom surface 324a of the recess 324 extends vertically around the entire periphery of the recess 325.

[0081] As shown in Fig. 13, a vibration unit 350 is disposed in the recess 325. The vibration unit 350 has a vibration unit case 351 (shown by a thick line for convenience) formed in a substantially box shape corresponding to the shape of the recess 325, and a vibration actuator 352 and a vibrator 353 disposed inside the vibration unit case 351. The vibrator 353 is fixed to the front surface of the vibration actuator 352. The vibration actuator 352 is a linear vibration actuator that receives an electric signal and causes the vibrator 353 to reciprocate up and down (in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 13).

[0082] A pair of upper and lower permanent magnets 356 are fixed to the front surface of the vibrator 353. The front and rear surfaces of the permanent magnets 356 are, for example, north and south poles. The front surfaces of the permanent magnets 356 are arranged with a gap between them and the opposing vibration unit case 351 so that the permanent magnets 356 can move smoothly within the vibration unit case 351. The front surface of the vibration unit case 351 may be open.

[0083] 12 and 13 show the state before vibrator 353 vibrates, with vibrator 353 positioned at the center in the up-down direction. As shown in Figures 12 and 13, a lid pad 326, which is part of back pad 322, is placed in recess 324. Lid pad 326 has a generally rectangular plate shape and is made of the same material as back pad 322 (e.g., urethane foam). The overall thickness (length in the front-to-rear direction) of lid pad 326 is the same as the depth of recess 324, and lid pad 326 is interposed between skin 323 and bottom surface 324a of recess 324 of back pad 322.

[0084] The lid pad 326 is foam-molded integrally with a magnetic mount 357 to which a pair of upper and lower permanent magnets 327 are fixed. The magnetic mount 357 is made of a material that hardens reversibly upon impact, specifically, a sheet-like material with impact hardening properties in which molecules bond with each other and harden when an impact is received, and then return from the hardened state to its original state when the impact is removed.

[0085] The vibrator-side permanent magnet 356 and the skin-side permanent magnet 327 have substantially the same shape in a plan view. The skin-side permanent magnet 327 is located at the same position in the front-to-back and left-to-right directions as the vibrator-side permanent magnet 356, and is positioned a predetermined distance (e.g., approximately 10 mm) forward from the permanent magnet 356, at the intermediate position in Figures 12 and 13. The front and rear surfaces of the skin-side permanent magnet 327 are, for example, north and south poles corresponding to the vibrator-side permanent magnet 356. The magnetic force (attraction force) between the permanent magnets 356 and 327 is strongest when the vibrator 353 is located at the intermediate position, and the attraction force decreases as the vibrator 353 moves up and down from the intermediate position.

[0086] As shown in Fig. 13, an ECU 370 having a microcomputer and a memory is connected to the vibration actuator 352. Signals are input to the ECU 370 from various sensors 371 (cameras, radar, lidar, etc.) that detect or sense, for example, the conditions around the vehicle and the conditions inside the vehicle cabin. Based on the signals from the sensors 371, the ECU 370 determines whether or not it is necessary to notify an occupant (e.g., the driver) of predetermined information (e.g., the approach of another vehicle). If it is determined that it is necessary to notify the occupant of the vehicle (e.g., the driver), the ECU 370 outputs a control signal to the vibration actuator 352, causing the vibrator 353 to vibrate.

[0087] The ECU 370 outputs a control signal to the vibration actuator 352 to vibrate the vibrator 353 until it is determined that it is no longer necessary to notify the predetermined information (for example, until it is determined that the driver has recognized the approach of another vehicle). When it is determined that it is no longer necessary to notify the predetermined information, the ECU 370 stops the vibration of the vibrator 353. Note that when it is determined that it is necessary to notify the predetermined information, the ECU 370 may vibrate the vibrator 353 for only a predetermined time.

[0088] 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of the operation of the vibrator-equipped sheet 300. As shown in FIG. 14 , when the vibrator 353 is located at the intermediate position, the permanent magnet 327 on the surface side is attracted to the permanent magnet 356 on the vibrator side. This causes the magnetic mount 357 and the lid pad 326 to elastically deform, and the permanent magnet 327 moves backward. When the vibrator 353 is lowered from this state by driving the vibration actuator 352, a downward attractive force acts on the permanent magnet 327 on the surface side. This attractive force decreases as the distance between the permanent magnets 356 and 327 increases. As a result, when the vibrator 353 is at its lowest position, the permanent magnet 327 on the surface side moves further forward than when the vibrator 353 is located at the intermediate position due to the elastic force of the magnetic mount 357 and the lid pad 326 attempting to return to their original positions.

[0089] On the other hand, when the vibrator 353 rises from the lowered position to the neutral position, the attractive force acting on the skin-side permanent magnet 327 gradually increases as the distance between the permanent magnets 356 and 327 decreases. Then, when the vibrator 353 rises to the neutral position, the attractive force reaches its maximum, and the skin-side permanent magnet 327 moves backward. When the vibrator 353 further rises from the neutral position, an upward attractive force acts on the skin-side permanent magnet 327. This attractive force decreases as the distance between the permanent magnets 356 and 327 increases. As a result, at the raised position where the vibrator 353 has risen to its maximum, the skin-side permanent magnet 327 moves further forward than when the vibrator 353 is in the neutral position.

[0090] In this way, the permanent magnet 327 on the seat surface side reciprocates in the front-to-rear direction as the vibrator 353 moves up and down. This causes vibrations to be applied to the occupant via the magnet mount 357 and the seat surface 323. If the permanent magnet 327 were placed on the seat surface, the occupant would feel uncomfortable as if there was a foreign object on the seat surface, but by placing the permanent magnet 327 on the back side of the seat surface 323, the occupant is less likely to feel uncomfortable. Furthermore, if the permanent magnet 327 were placed further back than the back side of the seat surface 323, the occupant would be less likely to feel the vibrations, but because the permanent magnet 327 is fixed to the magnet mount 357 on the back side of the seat surface 323, the occupant can easily feel the vibrations, and information can be transmitted to the occupant effectively.

[0091] The magnet mount 357 is made of a material having impact hardening properties. Therefore, as shown schematically in FIG. 15 , when the vibrator 353 is in the neutral position, the region of elastic deformation of the magnet mount 357 increases. That is, when the magnet mount 357 is made of a material without impact hardening properties, the magnet mount 357 deforms locally, as shown by the dotted line in FIG. 15 . However, when the magnet mount 357 is made of a material with impact hardening properties, the range of deformation of the magnet mount 357 is larger, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 15 . That is, when the magnet mount 357 is made of a material with impact hardening properties, the deformation region AR11 (solid line) is larger than the deformation region AR12 (dotted line) when the magnet mount 357 is made of a material without impact hardening properties. As a result, the passenger is more likely to feel the vibration.

[0092] According to this embodiment, the following additional effects can be achieved: (1) A seat 300 with a vibrator as a vehicle seat includes a vibration actuator 352 that drives a vibrator 353 built into a seat back 320, a cover 323 that forms the seating surface on which a user sits, a permanent magnet 327 that is disposed on the back side of the cover 323, and a permanent magnet 356 that is attached to the surface of the vibrator 353 and vibrates when driven by the vibration actuator 352 (FIGS. 11 to 13). The permanent magnet 356 on the vibrator side is disposed within a range where it interacts with the permanent magnet 327 on the cover side (FIG. 14).

[0093] This allows passengers to receive predetermined information through vibrations without interrupting communication between passengers. Furthermore, because the permanent magnet 327 is located on the back side of the seat cushion, rather than on the surface, passengers can reliably feel the vibrations without feeling any discomfort due to the presence of a foreign object.

[0094] (2) The vibrator-equipped sheet 300 further includes a back pad 322 provided on the back side of the surface 323 ( FIG. 11 ). The back pad 322 has a recess 325 recessed from the surface of the back pad 322 facing the surface 323, and a lid pad 326 covering the recess 325 ( FIG. 13 ). The vibration actuator 352 and a permanent magnet 356 on the vibrator side are disposed in the recess 325, and the permanent magnet 327 on the surface side is disposed on the lid pad 326 ( FIG. 13 ). This allows the permanent magnet 356 to easily reciprocate up and down within the recess 325, and the reciprocating movement of the permanent magnet 356 can effectively vibrate the permanent magnet 327 on the surface side.

[0095] (3) The cover pad 326 has a sheet-like magnetic mount 357 made of a material that hardens reversibly when subjected to vibration, and the permanent magnet 327 on the surface side is placed on the magnetic mount 357 ( FIG. 13 ). As a result, the magnetic mount 357 hardens when the permanent magnet 327 is vibrated, widening the vibration range and making it easier to transmit the vibration to the occupant.

[0096] (4) The vibrator-equipped seat 300 further includes an ECU 370 (FIG. 13) as a control unit that controls the vibration actuator 352. When notifying the user of predetermined information, the ECU 370 outputs a control signal to drive the vibration actuator 352. This allows the information to be properly notified to the user by applying vibrations.

[0097] In the above embodiment ( FIG. 13 ), a pair of upper and lower permanent magnets 327 (first permanent magnets) are arranged on the back side of the skin 323, but the number and arrangement of the first permanent magnets are not limited to those described above. For example, one first permanent magnet may be used. However, having multiple first permanent magnets makes it easier to transmit vibrations to the occupant. In the above embodiment ( FIG. 13 ), the same number of permanent magnets 356 (second permanent magnets) as the permanent magnets 327 are arranged inside the back pad 322 to correspond to the permanent magnets 327 on the skin side. However, the number and arrangement of the second permanent magnets are not limited to those described above. The number of first permanent magnets and the number of second permanent magnets do not have to be the same. In other words, the second permanent magnets may be arranged in any manner as long as they are arranged within a range where they interact with the first permanent magnets.

[0098] In the above embodiment (FIG. 13), the recess 325 and the lid pad 326 (lid portion) that covers the recess 325 are provided in the back pad 322 (seat pad) provided on the back side of the skin 323 of the seat back 320, but these may also be provided in the cushion pad 312 provided on the back side of the skin 313 of the seat cushion 310. In the above embodiment (FIG. 13), the linear vibration actuator 352 that moves the vibrator 353 back and forth in the up and down direction is provided as the vibration actuator, but the configuration of the vibration actuator is not limited to this.

[0099] In the above embodiment ( FIG. 13 ), the magnetic mount 357 (planar structure) made of a material that hardens reversibly when subjected to vibration is provided on the cover pad 326, but the material of the planar structure is not limited to this. In the above embodiment ( FIG. 13 ), when notifying the user of predetermined information, the ECU 370 serving as the control unit outputs a control signal to drive the vibration actuator 352. However, the predetermined information includes various pieces of information to be notified to the driver and passengers other than the driver. The vibration pattern may be changed depending on the type of information to be notified to the passengers.

[0100] The vehicle seats 100, 200, and 300 described above can be applied not only to vehicles but also to vehicles other than vehicles, such as aircraft and ships. The vehicle seats 200, 300 can be modified to become the vehicle seat 100 shown in FIG. 1A . That is, of the pair of left and right side ends of a pair of left and right vehicle seats 200, 200, an end face of a side end (first side end) on the other side (e.g., left side) in the left-right direction of the seat cushion 210 of the seat 200 on one side (e.g., the right side) in the left-right direction may be positioned to one side (e.g., the left side) of an end face of a side end (second side end) on one side (e.g., the right side) in the left-right direction of the seat cushion 210 of the seat 200 on the other side (e.g., the left side), and a relief portion may be provided in at least one of a rear end of the first side end and a front end of the second side end to prevent interference between the first side end and the second side end. Furthermore, of the pair of left and right side ends of a pair of left and right vehicle seats 300, 300, the end face of the side end (first side end) on the other side in the left-right direction (e.g., left side) of the seat cushion 310 of the seat 300 on one side in the left-right direction (e.g., right side) may be located to the one side in the left-right direction (e.g., left side) of the end face of the side end (second side end) on one side in the left-right direction (e.g., right side) of the seat cushion 310 of the seat 300 on the other side in the left-right direction (e.g., left side), and a relief portion may be provided at at least one of the rear end of the first side end and the front end of the second side end to prevent interference between the first side end and the second side end.

[0101] The vehicle seat according to the embodiment of the present invention can also be applied to an aircraft. Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 16A to 22B , an aircraft to which the vehicle seat according to the embodiment of the present invention can be applied will be described. The aircraft according to the embodiment can fly unmanned without a pilot on board, receiving commands from outside via a communication unit. This aircraft is configured to be able to change its interior space between a people transport mode for transporting people and a cargo transport mode for transporting cargo. People transported in the people transport mode, i.e., passengers, include passengers who pay a fare and crew members who board without paying a fare. Hereinafter, for convenience, it will be assumed that passengers are transported in the people transport mode.

[0102] Fig. 16A is a plan view and Fig. 16B is a side view showing the configuration of an aircraft 50 to which a vehicle seat according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. Hereinafter, the three mutually orthogonal axial directions shown in the figure are defined as the front-to-rear direction (length direction), the left-to-right direction (width direction), and the up-to-down direction (height direction) of the aircraft 50, and the configuration of each part will be described according to these definitions. The height direction corresponds to the direction of gravity. Figs. 16A and 16B show the aircraft 50 flying in a passenger transport mode.

[0103] 16A and 16B, the aircraft 50 has an aircraft main body 500 constituting a cabin 500a, and multiple propulsion units 520 provided around the aircraft main body 500. The aircraft main body 500 has a bottom surface 501, a top surface 502, a front surface 503, a rear surface 504, and a pair of left and right side surfaces 505, with the cabin 500a having a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape being formed inside these surfaces 501 to 505. The front surface 503, the rear surface 504, and the side surfaces 505 may be partially or entirely made of transparent glass. Although not shown, an openable door is provided on the side surface 505 for passengers to board the aircraft main body 500.

[0104] The aircraft main body 500 includes frame members that form the framework of the aircraft main body 500 and cover members that surround the frame members. Batteries 506 are mounted at the front and rear of the cabin 500a. The batteries 506 are used as a power source for driving the propulsion device 520. The aircraft main body 500 is equipped with a plurality of vehicle seats 510 (seats). Specifically, a pair of seats 510 (left and right) are installed at the front and rear of the cabin 500a, respectively. Each seat 510 includes a seat cushion 511 that supports the buttocks of a passenger (shown only in FIG. 16B ), a seat back 512 that supports the back of the passenger, and a headrest 513 that is mounted on the upper part of the seat back 512 and supports the passenger's head.

[0105] Although not shown, the seat cushion 511 has a seat cushion frame that forms the skeleton of the seat cushion 511. The seat cushion frame has, for example, a pair of left and right vertical frames extending in the front-to-rear direction, and a pair of front and rear horizontal frames that also extend in the left-to-right direction and connect the front ends and rear ends of the pair of left and right vertical frames, and the entire seat cushion frame has a generally rectangular frame shape in a plan view. A resilient cushion pad is provided around the seat cushion frame, and the surface of the cushion pad is covered with a skin.

[0106] The seat back 512 has a seat back frame that forms the framework of the seat back 512. The seat back frame has, for example, a pair of left and right vertical frames that extend substantially vertically, and a pair of upper and lower horizontal frames that also extend horizontally and connect the upper ends and lower ends of the pair of left and right vertical frames, respectively, and the entire seat back frame has a substantially rectangular frame shape when viewed from the front. A resilient back pad is provided around the seat back frame, and the surface of the back pad is covered with a skin.

[0107] The lower end of the seat back 512 is pivotally supported via a reclining mechanism on the rear end of the seat cushion 511 so as to be rotatable in the front-to-rear direction around a shaft (not shown) extending in the left-to-right direction. The reclining mechanism has a locking mechanism that holds the tilt angle of the seat back 512 at a predetermined angle. When the locking mechanism is released, the seat back 512 is tilted forward by the biasing force of a spring, for example, and the seat 510 can be folded so that the seating surface of the seat back 512 faces the seating surface of the seat cushion 511.

[0108] A floor 515 is formed on the bottom surface of the cabin 500a in a substantially horizontal plane. Vertical frames 516 extending in the front-to-rear direction are provided at the left end, right end, and center of the floor 515. As shown in FIG. 16B , the vertical frames 516 are provided to bulge upward from the floor 515. The upper ends of a pair of front and rear support frames 517 are rotatably supported by the seat cushion frame of the seat 510 around a rotation shaft (not shown) extending in the left-to-right direction. The lower ends of the pair of front and rear support frames 517 are rotatably supported by the left and right vertical frames 516 of the seat 510 around a rotation shaft (not shown) extending in the left-to-right direction. The floor 515 and the vertical frames 516 are included in the bottom 507 of the aircraft main body 500.

[0109] A fixing portion is provided at the lower end of the support frame 517 to fix the support frame 517 in an upright position in the passenger transport mode. When the support frame 517 is upright, the seat cushion 511 is positioned above the upper surface of the vertical frame 516. At this time, the seat back 512 is upright, and the seat 510 is in a seating position in which a passenger can sit.

[0110] A recess 518 is provided below the seat cushion 511 of each seat 510, below the floor 515. The recess 518 has a generally rectangular shape in plan view corresponding to the shape of the seat, and defines a storage space for the seat 510. The recesses 518 are provided in the floor 515 at predetermined intervals in the front-to-rear and left-to-right directions, and the bottom 507 of the aircraft main body 500 is formed with an uneven shape. A shock absorbing member 519 is provided in the space below the floor 515. A shock absorbing member can also be provided below the recess 518. In other words, shock absorbing members can be arranged on the entire bottom surface of the aircraft main body 500.

[0111] A pair of left and right rotating frames 530 are supported on the front end surface of the aircraft body 500 so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction, with axles 531 extending in the front-to-rear direction as fulcrums. A pair of left and right rotating frames 530 are also supported on the rear end surface of the aircraft body 500 so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction, with axles 531 extending in the front-to-rear direction as fulcrums. The rotating frames 530 extend outward in the horizontal direction beyond the left and right side surfaces of the aircraft body 500. The left and right ends of the front rotating frame 530 are bent backward, and the left and right ends of the rear rotating frame 530 are bent forward.

[0112] A propulsion unit 520 is supported at the tip of the rotating frame 530. The propulsion unit 520 has a rotor 521 (a so-called Schneider propeller) that is generally cylindrical in shape and centered on an axis CL10 that extends in the front-to-rear direction. The multiple propulsion units 520 are arranged on the outside in the left-to-right direction of the aircraft main body 500. That is, the propulsion units 520 are arranged diagonally forward to the right, diagonally forward to the left, diagonally rearward to the right, and diagonally rearward to the left of the cabin 500a.

[0113] 17 is an enlarged view showing a schematic configuration of the main components at the tip of the rotating frame 530. As shown in FIG. 17, the rotating body 521 has a plurality of circumferential blades 522 extending in the front-rear direction along the cylindrical surface, and is supported at the tip of the rotating frame 530 so as to be rotatable about an axis CL10. The plurality of blades 522 are configured so that their mounting angle can be changed via a link mechanism 524 while rotating about the axis CL10 by driving an electric motor 523 provided at the tip of the rotating frame 530. This allows the propulsion unit 520 to generate lift and thrust based on the principle of a Schneider propeller, enabling vertical takeoff and horizontal flight of the flying body 50.

[0114] A substantially circular disk portion 525 centered on the axis CL10 is fixed to the rotating frame 530. The disk portion 525 is a non-rotating body having a larger diameter than the rotating body 521 and protrudes radially outward from the rotating body 521. The rotating body 521 and the disk portion 525 are included in the propulsion device 520. Note that the disk portion 525 is not shown in FIGS. 16A and 16B . The disk portions 525 can also be provided on both sides of the rotating body 521 in the front-to-rear direction so as to sandwich the rotating body 521. As shown in FIG. 16A , an electric motor 526 that rotates the rotating frame 530 in the up-and-down direction is provided on a shaft portion 531 of the rotating frame 530.

[0115] 18A and 18B are front views (views seen from the front) showing the main components of the aircraft 50. FIG. 18A shows the flight attitude of the aircraft 50, and FIG. 18B shows the landing attitude. As shown in FIG. 18A , during flight, the electric motor 526 drives the rotating frame 530 to rotate upward by a predetermined angle around the shaft 531 as a fulcrum. At this time, the propulsion device 520 reaches a predetermined ascending position P1. At the ascending position P1, the rotating frame 530 is approximately horizontal, and the lower end of the propulsion device 520 (rotating body 521) is positioned above the bottom surface 501 of the aircraft main body 500. Note that at the ascending position P1, the lower end of the propulsion device 520 may also be positioned above the bottom surface 501.

[0116] As shown in Figure 18B, during landing, the electric motor 526 drives the rotating frame 530 to rotate downward by a predetermined angle around the shaft 531 as a fulcrum. At this time, the propulsion device 520 reaches a predetermined lowered position P2. In the lowered position P2, the rotating frame 530 extends diagonally downward and outward in the left-right direction, and the lower end of the propulsion device 520 (rotating body 521) is located below the bottom surface 501 of the aircraft main body 500. At this time, the lower end of the disc portion 525 is at the bottom of the aircraft 50. As a result, the disc portion 525 contacts the ground GR, and the four disc portions 525 around the aircraft main body 500 can stably hold the aircraft 50 in the landing attitude.

[0117] The aircraft 50 according to this embodiment can change the cabin configuration from passenger transport mode to cargo transport mode. Fig. 19A is a plan view showing the aircraft 50 flying in cargo transport mode, and Fig. 19B is a side view. The posture of the seat 510 in the cabin 500a differs between passenger transport mode and cargo transport mode.

[0118] 19A and 19B, in cargo transport mode, the seat back 512 is tilted forward to the maximum extent, so that the seating surface of the seat cushion 511 faces the seating surface of the seat back 512. Furthermore, the locking portion of the support frame 517 is released, and the support frame 517 rotates rearward around the shaft portion at the lower end of the support frame 517 as a fulcrum. The position of the seat 510 in this case is called the stored position. As a result, the seat cushion 511 moves rearward and downward together with the seat back 512, and the seat 510 is stored in the recess 518.

[0119] When the seat 510 is stored in the recess 518, the upper surface of the seat 510 is horizontal and at approximately the same height as the upper surfaces of the vertical frames 516. Therefore, the seat 510 does not protrude above the vertical frames 516, and the available space inside the cabin 500a is expanded. This makes it possible to create sufficient space inside the cabin for loading cargo, making it easy to load large or large quantities of cargo.

[0120] The flight of the aircraft 50 is managed by a management system. FIG. 20 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the management system 60. As shown in FIG. 20, the management system 60 includes an aircraft control device 61 mounted on the aircraft 50, a user terminal 62 carried by a user 62a (passenger), a business entity terminal 63 carried by a business entity 63a (e.g., a transportation company), and a server device 64. The server device 64 is, for example, a server of the business entity that owns the aircraft 50. The aircraft control device 61, the user terminal 62, the business entity terminal 63, and the server device 64 are each connected to a communication network 65, such as a wireless communication network, the Internet network, or a telephone line network, via a communication unit.

[0121] 21 is a block diagram showing the main components of the aircraft control device 61. As shown in FIG. 21, the aircraft control device 61 includes an ECU 160, a communication unit 166, a sensor group 167, and electric motors 523 and 526, each connected to the ECU 160. The ECU 160 includes a CPU and a memory. The ECU 160 reads flight commands received via the communication unit 166. The flight commands include information such as cabin mode setting information, passenger or cargo information, departure and destination information, scheduled flight start date and time, target arrival date and time, and flight route.

[0122] The sensor group 167 includes a position detection sensor 168 that detects the position information of the flying vehicle 50, and an altimeter 169 that detects the altitude of the flying vehicle 50. The position detection sensor 168 can be configured, for example, by a GPS sensor that detects the position based on signals from GPS satellites. The electric motor 523 is a drive motor for the propulsion device 520 (FIG. 17), and the electric motor 526 is a drive motor for the rotating frame 530 (FIG. 16A).

[0123] ECU 160 outputs control signals to electric motors 523, 526 based on flight commands read via communication unit 166 and detection values ​​detected by sensor group 167. That is, ECU 160 controls electric motor 523 so that flying object 50 takes off from a departure point at the scheduled time to start flight, flies along a predetermined flight path toward a destination, and lands at the destination at a scheduled target time. ECU 160 also controls electric motor 526 so that flying object 50 assumes a flight attitude ( FIG. 18A ) when it ascends to a predetermined altitude after takeoff, and assumes a landing attitude ( FIG. 18B ) when it descends to a predetermined altitude before landing.

[0124] ECU 160 functions as a fall detection unit that detects the fall (crash) of flying object 50. Specifically, it detects the descent speed of flying object 50 based on a signal from altimeter 169, and determines that flying object 50 is falling when the descent speed is equal to or greater than a predetermined speed even though a command to descend at or above the predetermined speed has not been issued. In this case, when the altitude measured by altimeter 169 reaches a predetermined value, ECU 160 outputs a control signal to electric motor 526, causing rotating frame 530 to rotate downward so that propulsion device 520 is positioned at a predetermined shock absorbing position.

[0125] The shock absorbing position is a position where the lower end surface of the propulsion unit 520 is lower than the bottom surface 501 of the aircraft main body 500, and corresponds to, for example, the descent position P2 ( FIG. 18B ) of the propulsion unit 520 in the landing attitude. The shock absorbing position may be higher or lower than the descent position P2. The height of the propulsion unit 520 during descent may be changed depending on the topography of the landing point. The height of the propulsion unit 520 during descent may be changed between the passenger transport mode and the cargo transport mode.

[0126] When the aircraft 50 falls, the propulsion device 520 is lowered to a predetermined impact-absorbing position, so that when the aircraft 50 crashes, the propulsion device 520 hits the ground before the aircraft main body 500. As a result, the propulsion device 520 deforms and is able to absorb the impact of the fall. After the impact is absorbed by the propulsion device 520, the aircraft main body 500 hits the ground. At this time, the bottom 507 of the aircraft main body 500, which is configured with an uneven surface, deforms, thereby absorbing the impact of the fall. That is, according to this embodiment, the propulsion device 520 can function as a first crushable zone, and the bottom 507 of the aircraft main body 500 can function as a second crushable zone. This allows the passengers and cargo in the cabin 500a to be well protected in the event of a crash of the aircraft 50.

[0127] 20 has a communication unit, an input unit through which a user (passenger) 62a inputs reservation information for the aircraft 50, and an output unit that notifies the user 62a of information corresponding to the reservation information (such as reservation confirmation information). The reservation information includes user information such as the name and contact information of the user 62a, information about the departure point and destination, and the scheduled boarding date and time. The reservation information is confirmed through communication with the server device 64.

[0128] The business entity terminal 63 has a communication unit, an input unit through which the business entity (transportation company) 63a inputs reservation information for the aircraft 50, and an output unit that notifies the business entity 63a of information corresponding to the reservation information (such as reservation confirmation information). The reservation information includes business entity information such as the name and contact information of the business entity 63a, cargo information such as the type, quantity, size, and weight of the cargo, information on the departure and destination points, and the scheduled date and time of transportation. The reservation information is confirmed through communication with the server device 64.

[0129] The server device 64 has a communication unit and a CPU that executes various processes based on information (such as reservation information) received via the communication unit. The CPU accepts reservation information transmitted from the user terminal 62 and the business entity terminal 63 and determines a flight schedule for the aircraft 50 based on the reservation information. The flight schedule includes information on the departure point and scheduled departure date and time of the aircraft 50, information on the destination and scheduled arrival date and time, information on the flight route, information on the usage fee, etc. The CPU transmits the flight schedule to the user terminal 62 or the business entity terminal 63 via the communication unit, and then confirms the flight schedule once the flight schedule is accepted by the user 62a or the business entity 63a.

[0130] Once the flight schedule is determined, the server device 64 transmits the flight schedule information to the aircraft control device 61 via the communication unit. The aircraft control device 61 stores the received flight schedule in memory. After that, when the aircraft control device 61 receives the flight command transmitted from the server device 64, the ECU 160 controls the electric motors 523, 526 in accordance with the flight schedule, and the aircraft 50 begins flying.

[0131] 22A and 22B are diagrams each schematically illustrating an example of the operation of the flying vehicle 50. FIG. 22A illustrates an example in which a flight schedule is determined to transport a user 62a from point A to point B in the human transportation mode, and then transport another user 62b from point B to point C. At point B, the battery 506 installed in the flying vehicle 50 is charged. The flight schedule may be determined to transport the user 62b from point B to point A. The flight schedule may also be determined to transport the same user 62a from point B to point C or point A. In FIG. 22A , the seat 510 remains in a seated position.

[0132] 22B shows an example in which a flight schedule is determined such that a user 62a is transported from point A to point B in the people transport mode, and then cargo 63b is transported from point B to point C in the cargo transport mode. The flight schedule may also be determined such that cargo 63b is transported from point B to point A. In FIG. 22B, the seat 510 is placed in a stowed position at point B. The flight schedule may also be determined such that other cargo is transported from point A to point B. As shown in FIG. 22A, the server device 64 determines a flight schedule such that multiple users 62a, 62b are transported consecutively, or the server device 64 determines a flight schedule such that the user 62a and cargo 63b are transported consecutively, thereby enabling efficient operation of the air vehicle 50.

[0133] This embodiment can further achieve the following advantageous effects. (1) The aircraft 50 includes an aircraft main body 500 having a cabin 500a equipped with a plurality of vehicle seats 510 on which passengers can sit, and a propulsion device 520 for generating thrust (FIG. 16A). The seats 510 are rotatably supported on the bottom 507 (more specifically, the vertical frame 516) of the aircraft main body 500 so as to be able to change their position between a seated position corresponding to a passenger transport mode for transporting passengers and a stowed position corresponding to a cargo transport mode for transporting cargo (FIGS. 16B and 19B). In the seated position, the seats 510 are erected on the upper surface of a floor 515 of the cabin 500a, and in the stowed position, the seats 510 are stowed below the floor 515 (FIGS. 16B and 19B). By stowing the seats 510 below the floor 515 in this stowed position, the space occupied by the seats 510 inside the cabin 500a can be reduced. As a result, sufficient space for loading cargo can be created in the cabin 500a.

[0134] (2) The bottom 507 of the vehicle seat 510 is configured with an uneven shape to store the seat 510 in the stowed position (FIGS. 16B and 19B). This allows the vehicle seat to be stored below the floor 515. The uneven bottom 507 can also function as a crushable zone that absorbs impact when the flying vehicle 50 falls.

[0135] (3) The aircraft 50 further includes a pivoting frame 530 that supports the propulsion device 520 so that it can move up and down from the aircraft main body 500 (FIG. 16B). The pivoting frame 530 supports the propulsion device 520 so that it can move up to a descended position P2 that is below the bottom surface 501 of the aircraft main body 500 (FIG. 18B). This allows the attitude of the aircraft 50 to be changed from a flight attitude to a landing attitude.

[0136] (4) The aircraft 50 further includes an ECU 160 that controls the operation of the rotating frame 530 ( FIG. 21 ). The propulsion device 520 includes a rotating body 521 and a disk portion 525 that protrudes downward from the rotating body 521 at the descending position P2 ( FIG. 17 ). The ECU 160 moves the propulsion device 520 to the ascending position P1, which is higher than the descending position P2, when the aircraft 50 is flying, and moves the propulsion device 520 to the descending position P2 when the aircraft 50 lands ( FIGS. 18A and 18B ). This allows the aircraft 50 to be stably held in the landing attitude via the disk portion 525.

[0137] (5) The flying vehicle 50 further includes an altimeter 169 and an ECU 160 as a fall detection unit that detects the fall of the flying vehicle 50, and the ECU 160 that controls the operation of the rotating frame 530 ( FIG. 21 ). When the fall detection unit detects the fall of the flying vehicle 50, the ECU 160 moves the propulsion device 520 to the descending position. This allows the propulsion device 520 to function as a crushable zone, protecting passengers and cargo in the cabin 500a.

[0138] (6) The propulsion device 520 is configured with a Schneider propeller that rotates around an axis CL10 that extends substantially horizontally. This allows the aircraft 50 to be made smaller than one that has blades that rotate around an axis that extends vertically.

[0139] In the above-described embodiments (FIGS. 16A to 22B), the flying vehicle 50 is configured to be capable of unmanned flight, but the flying vehicle may also be operated by a crew member who is on board and controls the flying vehicle. In the above-described embodiments (FIGS. 16A to 22B), the vehicle seat 510 is rotatably mounted on the vertical frame 516 via the support frame 517 so as to be positionally changeable between a seated position (first position) corresponding to the passenger transport mode (first mode) and a stowed position (second position) corresponding to the cargo transport mode (second mode). However, the vehicle seat may have any configuration as long as it is rotatably supported on the bottom of the flying vehicle body so as to be positionally changeable between the first position and the second position.

[0140] In the above-described embodiments (FIGS. 16A to 22B), the bottom 507 of the aircraft 50 is configured with an uneven surface so as to accommodate the vehicle seat 510 in the stowed position, but the configuration of the bottom is not limited to that described above. In the above-described embodiments (FIGS. 16A to 22B), a Schneider propeller is used as the propulsion device 520, but the configuration of the propulsion device is not limited to this. In the above-described embodiments (FIGS. 16A to 22B), the pivoting frame 530 supports the propulsion device 520 so that it can move up and down from the aircraft body 500. However, the support structure may be of any configuration as long as it supports the propulsion device 520 so that it can move to a predetermined position (lowered position) below the bottom surface of the aircraft body.

[0141] In the above embodiment (FIGS. 16A to 22B), electric motor 526 is used as the actuator that drives rotating frame 530, but actuators other than electric motors may also be used. In the above embodiment (FIGS. 16A to 22B), ECU 160 as a control unit controls electric motor 526 to move propulsion device 520 to ascending position P1 (second predetermined position), which is higher than descending position P2 (first predetermined position), when flying vehicle 50 is in flight, and to move propulsion device 520 to descending position P2 when flying vehicle 50 lands, but the configuration of the control unit is not limited to this.

[0142] In the above embodiments (FIGS. 16A to 22B), the propulsion device 520 has the rotor 521 (rotating portion) and the disk portion 525 (non-rotating portion), but the non-rotating portion can also be provided outside the propulsion device. In the above embodiments (FIGS. 16A to 22B), the disk portion 525 is configured as the non-rotating portion, but the non-rotating portion does not have to be disk-shaped as long as it protrudes downward below the rotor 521 when the propulsion device 520 is located in the descending position P2. In the above embodiments (FIGS. 16A to 22B), the ECU 160 detects the fall of the flying object 50 based on a signal from the altimeter 169, but the configuration of the fall detection portion is not limited to this.

[0143] The vehicle seat 510 described above is not limited to the aircraft 50, but can also be applied to vehicles such as cars and ships. The vehicle seat 510 can be modified to become the vehicle seat 100 shown in FIG. 1A . That is, of the pair of left and right side ends of a pair of left and right vehicle seats 510, 510, an end face of a side end (first side end) on the other side in the left-right direction (e.g., left side) of the seat cushion 511 of the seat 510 on one side in the left-right direction (e.g., right side) may be located to one side in the left-right direction (e.g., left side) of an end face of a side end (second side end) on one side in the left-right direction (e.g., right side) of the seat cushion 511 of the seat 510 on the other side in the left-right direction (e.g., left side), and a relief portion may be provided in at least one of the rear end of the first side end and the front end of the second side end to prevent interference between the first side end and the second side end.

[0144] The seating surface of a vehicle seat is sometimes formed using a mesh material with good breathability. Using a mesh material can increase the breathability of the seat, thereby reducing the need for air conditioning during hot summer months and improving the comfort of the occupant sitting in the seat. However, when the temperature is low, such as in winter, if the breathability of the seat is high, the occupant sitting in the seat is likely to feel cold, reducing the occupant's comfort. Considering this, it is preferable to configure a vehicle seat with adjustable breathability so that the breathability is increased when the temperature is high and decreased when the temperature is low.

[0145] The configuration of a vehicle seat with adjustable breathability (referred to as a ventilation adjusting sheet) will be described below with reference to FIGS. 23 to 29. FIG. 23 is a front view showing the schematic configuration of the ventilation adjusting sheet 400 according to this embodiment, and FIG. 24 is a side view taken along line A-A in FIG. 23. Below, the front-to-rear direction (length direction), left-to-right direction (width direction), and up-to-down direction (height direction) are defined as shown, and the configuration of each part will be described according to these definitions. The ventilation adjusting sheet 400 according to this embodiment can be mounted on the vehicle 10, 10A, and aircraft 50 described above. The ventilation adjusting sheet 400 can also be mounted on vehicles other than vehicles and aircraft. Below, an example of mounting the ventilation adjusting sheet 400 on a vehicle will be described.

[0146] 23 and 24 , the ventilation adjusting seat 400 includes a seat cushion 410 that supports the buttocks of the occupant, a seat back 420 that supports the back of the occupant, and a headrest 430 that is provided on top of the seat back 420 and supports the head of the occupant. The ventilation adjusting seat 400 is characterized by the configuration of the seat back 420. For this reason, FIG. 24 shows the cross-sectional shape of the seat back 420, while for convenience, only the external shapes of the seat cushion 410 and the headrest 430 are shown. A slide mechanism that slides the seat cushion 410 in the front-rear direction, a height adjustment mechanism that adjusts the height of the seat cushion 410, and the like are provided at the bottom of the seat cushion 410, but these are also not shown in the drawings.

[0147] The seat cushion 410 has a generally rectangular shape in a plan view. Although not shown, the seat cushion 410 includes a seat cushion frame having a generally rectangular frame shape in a plan view, a pressure-receiving member disposed inside the seat cushion frame, a resilient pad member disposed around the seat cushion frame, and a cover covering the pad member. A seating surface 411 on which an occupant sits is formed on the upper surface of the seat cushion 410. Bank portions that bulge above the seating surface 411 may be provided on both the left and right sides of the seating surface 411 of the seat cushion 410.

[0148] The seat back 420 has a generally rectangular shape when viewed from the front. The seat back 420 includes a seat back frame 421 having a generally rectangular frame shape when viewed from the front, a front portion 420F that forms the front surface of the seat back 420, and a rear portion 420R that forms the rear surface of the seat back 420. More specifically, the seat back frame 421 includes a pair of left and right vertical frames 422, 422 that extend in the up-down direction, and a pair of upper and lower horizontal frames 423, 423 that extend in the left-right direction and connect the upper ends and lower ends of the pair of vertical frames 422, 422. The upper, lower, left, and right peripheral portions of the front portion 420F are supported by the front ends of the vertical frames 422 and the front ends of the horizontal frames 423. The upper, lower, left, and right peripheral portions of the rear portion 420R are supported by the rear ends of the vertical frames 422 and the rear ends of the horizontal frames 423.

[0149] The front surface portion 420F is formed by a mesh member 425 made of a mesh or net-like fiber material, and the entire front surface of the seat back 420 is covered by the mesh member 425. The mesh member 425 may be made of a resilient fiber material. The mesh member 425 may also be called a net material. The front surface portion 420F and the rear surface portion 420R are disposed a predetermined distance apart in the front-to-rear direction. Pads and pressure-receiving members are omitted from the seat back 420, and a cavity (internal space SP1) is formed between the front surface portion 420F and the rear surface portion 420R. A seating surface 424 on which an occupant sits is formed in front of the mesh member 425. Because the mesh member 425 is net-like, it is highly breathable, and the internal space SP1 communicates with the external space SP2 in front of the seating surface 424 via the mesh member 425.

[0150] The rear surface portion 420R has a pair of front and rear plate members 440, 450 that are generally rectangular in plan view and are arranged inside the seatback frame 421, i.e., a front plate 440 and a rear plate 450, and a linear member 460 that is arranged in front of the front plate 440. The front plate 440 is arranged to overlap the rear plate 450. The rear plate 450 is arranged at the rearmost part of the seatback 420 facing the external space SP3 behind the seatback 420, and the rear surface of the rear plate 450 forms the rear surface of the seatback 420.

[0151] Fig. 25A is a front view (viewed from the front) of the front plate 440, and Fig. 25B is a cross-sectional view of the front plate 440 taken along line A-A in Fig. 25A. Fig. 26A is a front view (viewed from the front) of the rear plate 450, and Fig. 26B is a cross-sectional view of the rear plate 450 taken along line A-A in Fig. 26A.

[0152] 25A and 25B , the front plate 440 has a generally rectangular flat plate portion 441 of a predetermined thickness, and an end plate portion 442 provided on the right end surface of the flat plate portion 441 and protruding forward. The flat plate portion 441 is provided with a plurality of slit holes 443 penetrating the flat plate portion 441 in the front-to-rear direction. The plurality of slit holes 443 are identical in shape, are provided at equal intervals in the left-to-right direction, and each extends elongatedly in the up-to-down direction. More specifically, the slit holes 443 have a predetermined width W1, and are formed in a predetermined number at a predetermined pitch p1, starting from a position a predetermined distance d1 to the right of the left end surface of the flat plate portion 441.

[0153] 26A and 26B , the rear panel 450 has a generally rectangular flat panel 451 with a predetermined thickness, and an end panel 452 that is provided on the left end surface of the flat panel 451 and protrudes forward. The outer dimensions (thickness, front-to-rear length, and left-to-right length) of the flat panel 451 are the same as the outer dimensions of the flat panel 441. The front-to-rear length of the end panel 452 is longer than the front-to-rear length of the end panel 442. In other words, the amount of protrusion of the end panel 452 is set so that when the front panel 440 is placed on the front surface of the rear panel 450, the front end surfaces of the end panel 442 and the end panel 452 are flush with each other.

[0154] The flat plate portion 451 is provided with a plurality of slit holes 453 penetrating the flat plate portion 451 in the front-rear direction. The plurality of slit holes 453 are identical in shape, are spaced equally apart in the left-right direction, and are elongated in the up-down direction. More specifically, the slit holes 453 have a predetermined width W1, and are formed at a predetermined pitch p2, the same number as the slit holes 443, from a position a predetermined distance d2 to the right of the left end face of the flat plate portion 451. The pitch p2 of the slit holes 453 is equal to the pitch p1 of the slit holes 443. The width W2 of the slit holes 453 is equal to the width W1 of the slit holes 443. Note that the width W2 may be narrower or wider than the width W1. The distance d2 is equal to the sum of the distance d1 and the width W1.

[0155] Figure 27A is a front view (view from the front) of rear portion 420R (Figure 24) of seat back 420, and Figure 27B is a cross-sectional view of rear portion 420R taken along line A-A in Figure 27A. In Figure 27A, the vertical frames 422 and horizontal frames 423 around rear portion 420R are omitted from illustration. As shown in Figures 27A and 27B, a plurality of conductive linear members 460 are arranged at equal intervals in the vertical direction in front of front panel 440.

[0156] The linear member 460 is an actuator made of a shape memory alloy that generates heat and contracts when current is applied, and returns to its original length when current is stopped, and can be made of, for example, BioMetal (registered trademark). The right end of the linear member 460 is fixed to the left end surface of the end plate portion 442 of the front plate 440, and the left end is fixed to the right end surface of the end plate portion 452 of the rear plate 450.

[0157] 27B , a guide 426 having a generally C-shaped cross section is fixed to the inner surface of the vertical frame 422 in the left-right direction. The guide 426 has a base 428 fixed to the vertical frame 422 and a pair of front and rear protrusions 427, 427 that protrude inward in the left-right direction from the front and rear ends of the base 428. The pair of protrusions 427, 427 are arranged behind the rear panel 450 and in front of the linear member 460 so as to cover both left and right ends of the rear panel 450 and both left and right ends of the linear member 460. As a result, the front panel 440 and the rear panel 450 are restricted in their positions in the front-to-rear direction by the pair of protrusions 427, 427, and are supported so as to be movable in the left-to-right direction.

[0158] As shown in FIG. 27A , one end of a tension spring 461 is fixed to the right end surface of the end plate portion 442 of the front plate 440 and the left end surface of the end plate portion 452 of the rear plate 450. Although not shown in FIG. 27B , the other end of the tension spring 461 is fixed to the base portion 428 of the guide 426. In this manner, the tension spring 461 is interposed between the guide 426 and the end plate portions 442, 452, and the spring force of the tension spring 461 constantly acts on the front plate 440 and the rear plate 450, biasing the front plate 440 and the rear plate 450 outward in the left-right direction. Note that a biasing member other than the tension spring 461 may be used as long as it provides a spring force sufficient to maintain the linear member 460 in its initial state before heating by energization. One end of the biasing member may be connected to the linear member 460.

[0159] 27A and 27B correspond to the initial state before the linear member 460 is heated by energization. In the initial state, the linear member 460 is at its initial length, the front plate 440 is at its rightmost position, having moved as far right as possible, and the rear plate 450 is at its leftmost position, having moved as far left as possible. At this time, the positions of the multiple slit holes 443 in the front plate 440 and the multiple slit holes 453 in the rear plate 450 are aligned. This allows the internal space SP1 in front of the rear surface portion 420R to communicate with the external space SP3 behind it via the slit holes 443, 453. The position of the front plate 440 and the rear plate 450 in FIG. 27B is referred to as the communication position P10.

[0160] Figure 28A is a front view of the rear surface portion 420R of the seat back 420 in a heated state after the linear member 460 has been heated by electrical current, and Figure 28B is a cross-sectional view of the rear surface portion 420R taken along line A-A in Figure 28A. As shown in Figures 28A and 28B, in the heated state, the linear member 460 contracts, causing the front panel 440 and the rear panel 450 to move inward in the left-right direction along the guide 426 against the spring force of the tension spring 461. When the front panel 440 and the rear panel 450 have moved a predetermined distance, the left end surface of the front panel 440 abuts against the right end surface of the end panel portion 452. This limits the left-right inward movement of the front panel 440 and the rear panel 450.

[0161] At this time, the position of the slit hole 443 in the front plate 440 is offset in the left-right direction from the position of the slit hole 453 in the rear plate 450 by an amount corresponding to the width W1 of the slit hole 443 or the width W2 of the slit hole 453. As a result, the front of the slit hole 453 in the rear plate 450 is blocked by the front plate 440, and communication between the internal space SP1 and the external space SP3 via the slit holes 443, 453 is blocked. The positions of the front plate 440 and the rear plate 450 in FIG. 28B are referred to as a blocking position P20.

[0162] 24 , an ECU 465 is connected to the linear member 460. Signals are input to the ECU 465 from an operation unit 466 and a temperature sensor 467. The operation unit 466 includes various switches that are operated by an occupant seated in the ventilation adjusting seat 400. For example, the operation unit 466 includes a manual switch 466 a that inputs an operation command for the linear member 460, and an automatic mode selection switch 466 b that selects an automatic mode in which the linear member 460 is automatically operated. The temperature sensor 467 detects the temperature inside the vehicle cabin.

[0163] The ECU 465 includes a CPU and a memory. The ECU (CPU) 465 executes processing according to a predetermined program based on signals from the operation unit 466 and the temperature sensor 467, and outputs a control signal to the linear member 460. Figure 29 is a flowchart showing an example of processing executed by the ECU 465. The processing shown in this flowchart is started, for example, when the vehicle's power key switch is turned on, and is repeated at a predetermined interval.

[0164] As shown in Figure 29, first, in step S1, signals from the operation unit 466 and the temperature sensor 467 are read. Next, in step S2, it is determined whether the manual switch 466a is on, i.e., whether an operation command for the linear member 460 has been input. If the result in step S2 is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S5, and if the result is negative, the process proceeds to step S3. In step S5, a predetermined current is passed through the linear member 460, operating the linear member 460 as an actuator. This causes the linear member 460 to generate heat. In other words, the linear member 460 is heated by the current passing through it.

[0165] In step S3, it is determined whether the automatic mode has been selected by the automatic mode selection switch 466b. If the result in step S3 is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S4; if the result in step S3 is negative, the process proceeds to step S6. In step S6, no current flows through the linear member 460, deactivating the linear member 460 as an actuator. This prevents the temperature of the linear member 460 from rising. On the other hand, in step S4, it is determined based on a signal from the temperature sensor 467 whether the temperature inside the vehicle cabin is below a predetermined value. The predetermined value corresponds to, for example, a threshold value for determining whether heating is required. If the result in step S4 is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S5; if the result in step S4 is negative, the process proceeds to step S6.

[0166] The operation of the ventilation adjusting sheet 400 can be summarized as follows. When the temperature is high, such as in summer, and the temperature inside the vehicle cabin is high, the occupant turns off the manual switch 466a. This deactivates the linear member 460 (step S2 → step S3 → step S6), and as shown in FIG. 27B , the front panel 440 and the rear panel 450 are pulled outward in the left-right direction by the tension spring 461. As a result, the positions of the slits 443 and 453 are aligned, and the internal space SP1 and the external space SP3 of the ventilation adjusting sheet 400 are connected via the slits 443 and 453. This improves the breathability of the rear surface 420R of the seat back 420, allowing air to pass through the entire seat, improving occupant comfort.

[0167] On the other hand, when the temperature is low, such as in winter, the occupant turns on the manual switch 466a. This activates the linear member 460 to contract (step S2 → step S5), and as shown in FIG. 28B , the front panel 440 and the rear panel 450 move inward in the left-right direction against the spring force of the tension spring 461. As a result, the positions of the slits 443, 453 are offset from each other, blocking communication between the internal space SP1 and the external space SP3 via the slits 443, 453. This blocks the flow of air from the internal space SP1 to the external space SP3 or from the external space SP3 to the internal space SP1.

[0168] At this time, the heat generated by the linear member 460 increases the temperature of the interior space SP1. Therefore, warm air can be guided to the back of the occupant through the front portion 420F, alleviating the coldness of the occupant and improving the comfort of the occupant. By moving the front panel 440 and the rear panel 450, the interior space SP1 becomes a closed space with the rear portion 420R closed. Therefore, the heat generated by the linear member 460 can efficiently increase the temperature of the interior space SP1.

[0169] On the other hand, when the automatic mode is set by the automatic mode selection switch 466b, the linear member 460 operates automatically without the need for operation of the manual switch 466a. That is, when the temperature inside the vehicle cabin falls below a predetermined value while the automatic mode is set, the linear member 460 operates (step S3 → step S4 → step S5). Furthermore, after the linear member 460 operates, if the temperature inside the vehicle cabin rises above a predetermined value due to the use of a heater or the like, the linear member 460 is deactivated (step S3 → step S4 → step S6). In this way, the linear member 460 automatically operates or deactivates depending on the temperature inside the vehicle cabin, allowing the linear member 460 to operate at an optimal timing without the need for the occupant to operate the manual switch 466a.

[0170] This embodiment can further achieve the following advantageous effects. (1) The ventilation adjusting seat 400 as a vehicle seat includes a seat cushion 410 and a seat back 420 ( FIGS. 23 and 24 ). The seat back 420 includes a front portion 420F having a seating surface 424 on which an occupant sits, a rear portion 420R on the opposite side of the seating surface 424, and a seat back frame 421 that supports the edges of the front portion 420F and the rear portion 420R so that the front portion 420F and the rear portion 420R face each other across an internal space SP1 ( FIGS. 23 and 24 ). The front portion 420F includes a mesh member (mesh member 425) that forms the seating surface 424 ( FIG. 23 ). The rear portion 420R has a front plate 440 and a rear plate 450 that operate to establish or block communication between the internal space SP1 and an external space SP3 outside the rear portion 420R (FIGS. 27B and 28B).

[0171] This allows the communication between the internal space SP1 and the external space SP3 to be established or blocked. Therefore, in hot summer seasons, etc., by establishing communication between the internal space SP1 and the external space SP3, the breathability of the seat is improved, and the comfort of the occupants can be improved while suppressing the operation of the air conditioning device. Also, in cold winter seasons, etc., by blocking the communication between the internal space SP1 and the external space SP3, the breathability of the seat is reduced, making the occupants less likely to feel cold, and improving the comfort of the occupants.

[0172] (2) The rear surface portion 420R further includes a linear member 460 that moves the front panel 440 and the rear panel 450 from a communication position P10, which connects the interior space SP1 and the exterior space SP3, to a blocking position P20, which blocks communication between the interior space SP1 and the exterior space SP3 ( FIG. 24 ). The linear member 460 is a heating element that is disposed facing the interior space SP1 and generates heat while moving the front panel 440 and the rear panel 450 to the blocking position P20 ( FIG. 28B ). This allows the interior space SP1 and the exterior space SP3 to be connected or disconnected by activating or deactivating the linear member 460. Furthermore, because the linear member 460 is a heating element, it can efficiently raise the temperature of the interior space SP1 even when the interior space SP1 and the exterior space SP3 are not connected, thereby directing warm air toward the back of the occupant.

[0173] (3) The linear member (heat generating element) 460 is made of an expandable member that contracts as heat is generated. This eliminates the need to separately provide an actuator that moves the front panel 440 and the rear panel 450 and a heat source that heats the internal space SP1, thereby simplifying the configuration.

[0174] (4) The ventilation adjusting sheet 400 further includes a temperature sensor 467 that detects the temperature of a space outside the interior space (e.g., the exterior space), and an ECU 465 that controls the operation of the linear members 460 based on the value detected by the temperature sensor 467 ( FIG. 24 ). In the automatic mode, when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 467 falls below a predetermined value, the ECU 465 controls the operation of the linear members 460 so that the front panel 440 and the rear panel 450 move to the blocking position P20 while generating heat ( FIG. 29 ). This allows optimal control of the operation of the linear members 460.

[0175] (5) The rear plate 450 is disposed on top of the front plate 440 and is movable relative to the front plate 440 so that the slit holes 443 and 453 overlap each other or are misaligned ( FIGS. 27A and 28A ). This allows the internal space SP1 and the external space SP3 to be easily connected or disconnected via the slit holes 443 and 453.

[0176] (6) The guides 426, which are part of the seat back frame 421, support the front panel 440 and the rear panel 450 so that they can move in the width direction (left-right direction) of the ventilation adjusting sheet 400 ( FIGS. 27B and 28B ). This allows the front panel 440 and the rear panel 450 to move smoothly in the left-right direction.

[0177] (7) The slits 443 are multiple slits extending in the vertical direction and provided in the front panel 440, and the slits 453 are multiple slits extending in the vertical direction and provided in the rear panel 450 ( FIGS. 25A and 26A ). This increases the communication area between the internal space SP1 and the external space SP3, thereby providing high breathability for the seat 400.

[0178] In the above embodiment (FIGS. 23 to 29), the rear surface 420R of the seat back 420, which has a front surface 420F (surface portion) and a rear surface 420R (back surface portion), is configured so that the internal space SP1 and the external space SP3 can communicate with each other and can be blocked off. However, the bottom surface of the seat cushion 410, which has a top surface (surface portion) and a bottom surface (back surface portion), may also be configured so that the internal space and the external space can communicate with each other and can be blocked off. In other words, either or both of the seat cushion 410 and the seat back 420 may be configured so that the internal space and the space outside the back surface portion can communicate with each other.

[0179] In the above embodiment (FIG. 24), the seat back frame 421 supports the edges of the front surface 420F and the rear surface 420R. However, any configuration of the support may be used as long as the support supports the front surface and the rear surface so that they face each other across the internal space. A fan or the like may be disposed in the internal space to generate airflow in the internal space. In the above embodiment (FIG. 23), the seating surface 424 is formed using a mesh member 425, but the configuration of the mesh surface member is not limited to the above. For example, a mesh surface member may be provided on only a portion of the seating surface.

[0180] In the above embodiment (FIGS. 27B and 28B), the front plate 440 and the rear plate 450 are provided so as to be movable in the left-right direction, thereby connecting or blocking communication between the internal space SP1 and the external space SP3, but the configuration of the movable members is not limited to that described above. For example, one of a pair of front and rear plate members may be fixed and the other may be provided so as to be movable, thereby connecting or blocking communication between the internal space and the space outside the rear portion.

[0181] In the above embodiment ( FIGS. 27B and 28B ), the linear member 460 is used as an actuator (drive unit) to move the front plate 440 and the rear plate 450 from a communication position P10 (first position) where the internal space SP1 and the external space SP3 communicate with each other to a blocking position P20 (second position) where the communication between the internal space SP1 and the external space SP2 is blocked, but the configuration of the drive unit is not limited to the above. However, it is preferable to configure the drive unit as a heating element that is disposed facing the internal space and generates heat to move the movable member to the second position.

[0182] In the above embodiment (Figures 27B and 28B), the front panel 440 and rear panel 450 as movable members are moved using a linear member 460 that shrinks as heat is generated, but it is also possible to configure an expandable member to expand as heat is generated, and to move the movable member so that the expansion of the expandable member blocks communication between the internal space and the space outside the rear portion.

[0183] In the above embodiment ( FIG. 29 ), the ECU 465 as a control unit controls the operation of the linear member 460 based on a signal from the temperature sensor 467 (temperature detection unit) that detects the temperature inside the vehicle cabin. However, the configuration of the control unit is not limited to the above. Furthermore, the temperature detection unit may have any configuration as long as it detects the temperature of the space outside the rear portion. In this case, the space outside the rear portion is not limited to the external space SP3, and may be any space inside the vehicle cabin from which a temperature detection value correlating with the temperature detection value of the external space SP3 can be obtained.

[0184] In the above embodiment (FIGS. 23 to 29), the front plate 440 (first plate) is provided with a plurality of widthwise slits 443 (first slits) and the rear plate 450 (second plate) is provided with a plurality of widthwise slits 453 (second slits) so as to extend in the length direction perpendicular to the width direction of the vehicle seat (ventilation adjusting sheet 400). However, the first holes opened in the first plate and the second holes opened in the second plate may have a shape other than slits. That is, the first holes and the second holes may have any configuration as long as the first holes and the second holes overlap or are misaligned with each other when the second plate moves relative to the first plate.

[0185] The above-described vehicle seat (ventilation adjusting seat) 400 can be modified and used to become the vehicle seat 100 of Fig. 1A. That is, of the pair of left and right side ends of a pair of left and right vehicle seats 400, 400, an end face of a side end (first side end) on the other side in the left-right direction (e.g., left side) of the seat cushion 410 of the seat 400 on one side in the left-right direction (e.g., right side) may be located to one side in the left-right direction (e.g., left side) of an end face of a side end (second side end) on one side in the left-right direction (e.g., right side) of the seat cushion 410 of the seat 400 on the other side in the left-right direction (e.g., left side), and a relief portion may be provided in at least one of a rear end of the first side end and a front end of the second side end to prevent interference between the first side end and the second side end.

[0186] It is preferable that a vehicle seat have a simple configuration and be able to change the height and inclination angle of the seat cushion. A vehicle seat configured from this perspective will be described below with reference to Figures 30 to 39. While this vehicle seat can be applied to various types of vehicles, the following describes an example in which the vehicle seat is applied to a vehicle as a vehicle seat. A vehicle seat may also be simply referred to as a seat.

[0187] Figure 30 is a side view showing the schematic configuration of a vehicle seat (seat) 700 according to this embodiment, and Figure 31 is a front view. Below, the front-to-rear direction (length direction), left-to-right direction (width direction), and up-to-down direction (height direction) are defined as shown, and the configuration of each part will be described according to these definitions. The "forward" direction in Figures 30 and 31 refers to the direction in which the face of an occupant seated in seat 700 faces. The front-to-rear direction of seat 700 normally coincides with the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle, but may differ from the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle when, for example, the orientation of seat 700 is changed.

[0188] As shown in Figures 30 and 31, the seat 700 includes a seat cushion 710 that supports the occupant's buttocks, a seat back 720 that supports the occupant's back, a headrest 730 that is provided on the upper part of the seat back 720 and supports the occupant's head, and a support part 20 that supports the seat cushion 710 so that it can move up and down and back and forth from the floor 1.

[0189] The seat cushion 710 extends in the front-rear and left-right directions, i.e., extends substantially horizontally, and has a generally rectangular shape in a plan view. The seat cushion 710 has a seat cushion frame 711 (only a portion of which is shown) that forms the skeleton of the seat cushion 710. Although detailed illustration is omitted, the seat cushion frame 711 has, for example, a pair of left and right vertical frames that extend in the front-rear direction, and a pair of front and rear horizontal frames that also extend in the left-right direction and connect the front ends and rear ends of the pair of left and right vertical frames, respectively, and the entire seat cushion frame has a generally rectangular frame shape in a plan view.

[0190] A substantially plate-shaped pressure-receiving member (not shown) is disposed inside (inside the frame) of the seat cushion frame 711. A resilient cushion pad 712 made of, for example, urethane foam is provided around the periphery of the seat cushion frame 711, and the surface of the cushion pad 712 is covered with a cover 713. A seating surface 714 on which an occupant sits is formed on the upper surface of the seat cushion 710. Although not shown, an ottoman may also be provided at the front end of the seat cushion 710 so as to be rotatable up and down around a shaft extending in the left-right direction as a fulcrum.

[0191] The seat back 720 has a seat back frame 721 (only a part of which is shown) that forms the framework of the seat back 720. Although detailed illustration is omitted, the seat back frame 721 has, for example, a pair of left and right vertical frames that extend in a substantially vertical direction, and a pair of upper and lower horizontal frames that also extend in the left and right direction and connect the upper ends and lower ends of the pair of left and right vertical frames, respectively, and has an overall substantially rectangular frame shape when viewed from the front.

[0192] A substantially plate-shaped pressure-receiving member (not shown) is disposed inside (inside the frame of) seatback frame 721. A resilient back pad 722 made of, for example, urethane foam material is provided around the periphery of seatback frame 721, and the surface of back pad 722 is covered with a skin 723. A seating surface 724 on which an occupant sits is formed on the front of seatback 720.

[0193] The lower end of the seat back 720 is pivotally supported on the rear end of the seat cushion frame 711 via a reclining mechanism 780 so as to be rotatable in the front-rear direction around a shaft (not shown) extending in the left-right direction as a fulcrum. The reclining mechanism 780 has an electric motor 18, and the seat back 720 is rotated in the front-rear direction by driving the electric motor 18. The electric motor 18 may be omitted, and the seat back 720 may be rotated in the front-rear direction manually.

[0194] A pair of left and right lower rails 14, 14 extend in the front-rear direction below the seat 700, i.e., on the upper surface of the floor 1. A pair of front and rear upper rails 25, 25 are slidably engaged with each lower rail 14. For convenience, the shapes of the lower rails 14 and the upper rails 25 are shown schematically in Figures 30 and 31.

[0195] Figure 32 is an enlarged view of a main portion of Figure 31 (an enlarged view of the left end portion of the support portion 20). As shown in Figure 32, the lower rail 14 is formed by bending a metal plate so as to have a generally U-shape in front view, with an opening on the upper surface. More specifically, the lower rail 14 has a bottom surface portion 141 fixed to the floor 1, a pair of left and right side wall portions 142, 142 rising from both left and right end portions of the bottom surface portion 141, top surface portions 143, 143 extending inward in the left and right direction from upper ends of the side wall portions 142, 142, and generally L-shaped bent portions 144, 144 extending downward from both left and right end portions of the top surface portions 143, 143 and further extending outward in the left and right direction.

[0196] Similarly, the upper rail 25 is formed by bending a metal plate so as to have a generally U-shape in front view, with an opening at the bottom. More specifically, the upper rail 25 has a top surface portion 255 extending generally horizontally, a pair of left and right side wall portions 256, 256 hanging down from both left and right ends of the top surface portion 255, bottom surface portions 257, 257 extending outward in the left and right direction from the lower ends of the side wall portions 256, 256, and generally L-shaped bent portions 258, 258 extending upward from both left and right ends of the bottom surface portions 257, 257 and further extending inward in the left and right direction. The left and right side wall portions 256, 256 are disposed inside the left and right bent portions 144, 144 of the lower rail 14. The bent portion 258 of the upper rail 25 engages with the bent portion 144 of the lower rail 14 , whereby the upper rail 25 is slidably supported on the lower rail 14 .

[0197] 30 and 31 , the support portion 20 has a pair of left and right front links 21, 21 and a pair of left and right rear links 22, 22, each extending substantially in the vertical direction. The upper end of the front link 21 is pivotally supported by the seat cushion frame 711 so as to be rotatable in the front-rear direction, with a shaft 21a extending outward in the left-right direction from the front end of the seat cushion frame 711 as a fulcrum. The lower end of the front link 21 is pivotally supported by the front upper rail 25 (front upper rail 25F) so as to be rotatable in the front-rear direction, with a shaft 21b extending outward in the left-right direction from the front upper rail 25 as a fulcrum. The shafts 21a, 21b are fixed to the front link 21, and the front link 21 rotates integrally with the shafts 21a, 21b.

[0198] The upper end of the rear link 22 is pivotally supported by the seat cushion frame 711 so as to be rotatable in the front-rear direction, with a shaft 22a extending outward in the left-right direction from the rear end of the seat cushion frame 711 as a fulcrum. The lower end of the rear link 22 is pivotally supported by the rear upper rail 25 (rear upper rail 25R) so as to be rotatable in the front-rear direction, with a shaft 22b extending outward in the left-right direction from the rear upper rail 25 as a fulcrum. The shafts 22a, 22b are fixed to the rear link 22, and the rear link 22 rotates integrally with the shafts 22a, 22b.

[0199] The left and right front links 21, 21 may be joined to both left and right ends of a link connection frame extending in the left-right direction. The left and right rear links 22, 22 may be joined to both left and right ends of a link connection frame extending in the left-right direction. In other words, the left and right front links 21, 21 may be integrated via the link connection frame. The left and right rear links 22, 22 may be integrated via the link connection frame.

[0200] The pair of left and right front upper rails 25F, 25F are fixed to both left and right ends of a connecting frame 26 extending in the left and right direction. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 32 , the connecting frame 26 extends in the left and right direction above the lower rails 14, and its left and right ends are fixed by welding or the like to inner side wall portions 256 of the upper rails 25. In this way, the left and right front upper rails 25F, 25F are integrated via the connecting frame 26. The pair of left and right rear upper rails 25R, 25R are also fixed to both left and right ends of a connecting frame 28 ( FIG. 33 ) extending in the left and right direction. In this way, the left and right rear upper rails 25R, 25R are integrated via the connecting frame 28.

[0201] As shown in Figures 30 and 31, a lead screw 15 having a generally cylindrical shape and elongated in the front-rear direction is disposed inside the lower rail 14. Figure 33 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in Figure 30. As shown in Figures 32 and 33, a threaded portion 15a is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the lead screw 15 over substantially the entire length thereof.

[0202] Brackets 151 are fixed to the upper surface of the bottom surface portion 141 of the lower rail 14 near the front and rear ends of the lower rail 14. The brackets 151 rise upward from the upper surface of the bottom surface portion 141 and support the front and rear ends of the lead screw 15 while raising the lead screw 15 a predetermined height above the bottom surface portion 141. In this way, the lead screw 15 is fixed to the lower rail 14 via the brackets 151 so as not to be rotatable.

[0203] A reversible electric motor 27 is attached to the front surface of the front connecting frame 26. The electric motor 27 has a pair of output shafts, one protruding to the left and one protruding to the right. A shaft 27a extending in the left-right direction is connected to the output shafts, and when driven by the electric motor 27, the shaft 27a rotates about an axis extending in the left-right direction.

[0204] As shown in Figure 32, the gear box 30, which is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped case member, is attached to the top surface 255 of the front upper rail 25F. For example, the gear box 30 is fixed by a pair of front and rear bolts 30a that penetrate the top surface 255. The bottom surface of the gear box 30 is located below the bottom surface of the lead screw 15 and above the bottom surface 141 of the lower rail 14. The lead screw 15 extends through the gear box 30 in the front-to-rear direction.

[0205] Although not shown, a rotating body that screws onto the threaded portion 15a of the lead screw 15 is provided inside the gear box 30. The rotating body is, for example, a nut, and the nut is rotatably supported inside the gear box 30 around the axis of the lead screw 15. As the nut rotates in one direction or the opposite direction, the gear box 30 moves in the front-to-rear direction along the lead screw 15 together with the front upper rail 25F. Note that the rotating body may be something other than a nut as long as it screws onto the threaded portion 15a of the lead screw 15.

[0206] The shaft 27a of the electric motor 27 penetrates the side wall portion 256 of the front upper rail 25F and enters the gear box 30. The interior of the gear box 30, particularly the space above the lead screw 15, houses one or more gear units (e.g., worm gears or bevel gears) that convert rotation about a left-right axis into rotation about a front-rear axis. The tip of the shaft 27a meshes with the gear unit, and the rotation of the electric motor 27 is transmitted via the shaft 27a and the gear unit to a gear provided on the outer peripheral surface of a nut, for example. As a result, when the electric motor 27 is driven, the gear box 30 moves forward and backward together with the front upper rail 25F, and the lower end of the front link 21 moves forward and backward accordingly.

[0207] As shown in Figure 33, an electric motor 29 is attached to the front surface of the connecting frame 28, which is disposed inside the left and right rear links 22. The electric motor 29 has a configuration similar to that of the electric motor 27. A gear box 30, similar to that of the front upper rail 25F, is attached to the rear upper rail 25R. Rotation of the electric motor 29 is transmitted to the gear box 30 via a shaft 29a. As a result, when driven by the electric motor 29, the rear upper rail 25R moves in the front-rear direction along the lead screw 15, and the lower end of the rear link 22 moves in the front-rear direction accordingly.

[0208] A reversible electric motor 35 is attached to the rear surface and left end of the front connecting frame 26. The output shaft of the electric motor 35 protrudes to the left, and one end of a shaft 35a extending in the left-right direction is connected to this output shaft. The shaft 35a penetrates the left and right side wall portions 256 of the front upper rail 25F and extends to the left of the front upper rail 25F, and a pinion 36 is fixed to the other end of the shaft 35a. As a result, the pinion 36 rotates about its left-right axis when driven by the electric motor 35. Note that a reducer may be interposed between the electric motor 35 and the pinion 36 so that the rotation of the electric motor 35 is reduced in speed by the reducer before being transmitted to the pinion 36.

[0209] The shaft portion 21b of the left front link 21 protrudes a predetermined amount beyond the left end surface of the front link 21, and a gear 37 is coupled to this protrusion so as to rotate integrally with the shaft portion 21b. For example, the gear 37 is fitted to the outer peripheral surface of the shaft portion 21b by a spline connection. The gear 37 meshes with the pinion 36, and as the pinion 36 rotates, the front link 21 rotates in the front-rear direction via the gear 37. Note that while the gear 37 is configured in a substantially circular shape in FIG. 30 , the gear 37 is not limited to a circular shape and may be semicircular or fan-shaped as long as it is integral with the front link 21. While the gear 37 is centered on the shaft portion 21b in FIG. 30 , it may be positioned offset from the shaft portion 21b (for example, offset rearward). Instead of providing the gear 37 as a separate component of the front link 21, a gear portion may be provided on the front link itself. In the above-described configuration of the support part 20, if there is a risk that the support part 20 will get stuck when the links 21 and 22 are rotated, a stopper may be provided to limit the rotation of the links 21 and 22 in order to prevent the support part 20 from getting stuck.

[0210] As described above, in this embodiment (FIGS. 30 to 33), the electric motor 27 for driving the front upper rail, the electric motor 29 for driving the rear upper rail, and the electric motor 35 for driving the front link are provided below the seat 700 as actuators for driving the support portion 20 of the seat 700. These electric motors 27, 29, and 35 are located below the upper surface portion 255 of the upper rail 25. Therefore, the seat cushion 710 can be lowered to the lowest position (FIG. 37) without contact between the seat cushion 710 and the electric motors 27, 29, and 35. Note that, as shown in FIG. 31, a recess 710a may be provided in the bottom surface of the seat cushion 710 to prevent the bottom surface of the seat cushion 710 from interfering with the motors, etc.

[0211] At least one of the front link 21 and the rear link 22 is provided with a spring to prevent rattle between the links 21 and 22. While detailed illustration is omitted, for example, as shown in FIG. 30 , a spring 24 is provided on the upper shaft 22a of the rear link 22, i.e., at a diagonal position of the shaft 21b driven via the gear 37. The spring 24 is, for example, a torsion spring. This allows the biasing force of the spring 24 to act on the shaft 22a of the rear link 22, which rotates freely, preventing rattle from occurring in the shaft 22a. Not only the shaft 22a but also the shafts 21a and 21b rotate freely. Therefore, the rattle prevention spring 24 may be provided not only on the shaft 22a but also on the shaft 21a. Furthermore, the rattle prevention spring 24 may be provided on the shaft 22b, or all of the shafts 21a, 21b, 22a, and 22b may have rattle prevention springs 24.

[0212] 34 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control device 75 that controls the operation of the support unit 20. As shown in FIG. 34 , the control device 75 has an ECU 751, an operation unit 752, a position sensor 753, a camera 754, the electric motors 18, 27, 29, and 35, and an alarm unit 755. Signals from the operation unit 752, the position sensor 753, and the camera 754 are input to the ECU 751. Based on these input signals, the ECU 751 executes predetermined processing in accordance with a pre-stored program and outputs control signals to the electric motors 18, 27, 29, and 35 and the alarm unit 755.

[0213] The operation unit 752 is provided, for example, on the side of the seat 700 so that it can be operated by an occupant seated in the seat 700. The operation unit 752 includes a forward / backward movement switch that commands movement of the seat 700 in the forward / backward direction, an up / down movement switch that commands movement in the up / down direction, and a mode selection switch that selects a desired seat mode from a plurality of seat modes (seat postures).

[0214] The position sensor 753 includes a plurality of sensors that detect the current longitudinal position and vertical position of the seat 700, as well as the tilt angle of the seat cushion 710. Various sensors can be used as the position sensor 753, such as a linear encoder, a magnetic sensor (Hall sensor), an optical encoder, a potentiometer (variable resistor), a limit switch, and an inclination sensor. A sensor that detects the amount of rotation of the electric motors 18, 27, 29, and 35 can also be used as the position sensor 753.

[0215] The camera 754 is installed inside the vehicle cabin and captures images of obstacles or people around the seat 700 that may impede the movement of the seat 700. For example, the camera 754 captures images of other seats 700 or occupants seated in other seats 700. These may be referred to as image capture targets.

[0216] The notification unit 755 is configured with a display unit and a speaker that notify the occupant of information by display or sound. The notification unit 755 may include a built-in vibration actuator that generates vibrations in the seat 700, and notify the occupant of information via the vibration actuator.

[0217] FIG. 30 shows the seat 700 in a normal position (normal mode). In this embodiment, the seat 700 can be moved in the front-to-rear and up-to-down directions by driving the electric motors 18, 27, and 29 without changing the tilt angle of the seating surface 714 of the seat cushion 710. For example, when a command to move the seat 700 forward is issued from the operation unit 752, the ECU 751 outputs control signals to the electric motors 27 and 29 in response to the command from the operation unit 752, thereby moving the front upper rail 25F and the rear upper rail 25R forward by the same amount. When a command to move the seat 700 rearward is issued from the operation unit 752, the ECU 751 outputs control signals to the electric motors 27 and 29 in response to the command from the operation unit 752, thereby moving the front upper rail 25F and the rear upper rail 25R rearward by the same amount.

[0218] When a command to lower the seat 700 is issued from the operation unit 752, the ECU 751 outputs control signals to the electric motors 27, 29, and 35 in response to the command from the operation unit 752, causing the front link 21 to rotate forward by a predetermined amount. At this time, the distance from the front upper rail 25F to the rear upper rail 25R is reduced to a predetermined distance so as not to change the inclination angle of the seating surface 714 of the seat cushion 710. Furthermore, while maintaining the distance from the front upper rail 25F to the rear upper rail 25R at the predetermined distance, the front upper rail 25F and the rear upper rail 25R are simultaneously moved rearward so as not to change the position of the seat cushion 710 in the fore-aft direction.

[0219] This allows the seat cushion 710 to be lowered. In this case, the ECU 751 controls the electric motors 27, 29, 35 so that the seat cushion 710 is lowered while maintaining a constant position in the front-to-rear direction, and adjusts the drive amount and drive timing of each of the electric motors 27, 29, 35. When a command to raise the seat 700 is received from the operation unit 752, the ECU 751 controls the electric motors 27, 29, 35 so that the operation is the opposite of that during the above-mentioned lowering, and adjusts the drive amount and drive timing of each of the electric motors 27, 29, 35.

[0220] In this embodiment, the seat 700 can be moved not only in the front-rear and up-down directions but also from the normal position to various other positions, such as by changing the tilt angle of the seating surface of the seat cushion 710, by driving the electric motors 18, 27, 29, and 35. Some of the positions that the seat 700 can assume are described below.

[0221] 35 is a side view of the seat 700 in the hip-up position. When a hip-up mode command is issued via the operation unit 752, or when a command to raise the rear end of the seat cushion 710 is issued, the seat 700 changes from the normal position to the hip-up position. In this case, the rear upper rail 25R moves forward by a predetermined amount due to the drive of the electric motor 29. As a result, the rear link 22 rises while rotating around the shafts 22a and 22b. As a result, the rear end of the seat cushion 710 rises around the shaft 21a of the front link 21, and the seat 700 assumes the hip-up position.

[0222] FIG. 36 is a side view of the seat 700 in the relaxed position. When a command to switch to the relaxed mode is issued via the operating unit 752, or when a command to lower the rear end of the seat cushion 710 and rotate the seat back 720 rearward is issued, the seat 700 transitions from the normal position to the relaxed position. In this case, the electric motor 29 drives the rear upper rail 25R to move rearward by a predetermined amount. This causes the rear link 22 to tilt while rotating around the shafts 22a and 22b. As a result, the rear end of the seat cushion 710 descends around the shaft 21a of the front link 21. Furthermore, the electric motor 18 drives the seat back 720 to rotate rearward by a predetermined amount, and the seat 700 transitions to the relaxed position.

[0223] 37 is a side view of seat 700 showing the dive-down position. In the dive-down position, the entire seat is tilted forward to create a flat space above seat 700. When the dive-down mode is commanded via operation unit 752, or when a command is given to move seat cushion 710 forward and downward and to rotate seat back 720 forward, seat 700 transitions from the normal position to the dive-down position.

[0224] In this case, the front link 21 is rotated forward by the drive of the electric motor 35 until the seat cushion 710 reaches its maximum lowered position. The maximum lowered position is, for example, a position where the bottom surface of the seat cushion 710 abuts against the upper surface of the upper rail 25. The rear upper rail 25R is then moved forward a predetermined amount by the drive of the electric motor 29. As a result, the rear link 22 is tilted while rotating around the shafts 22a and 22b, and the seat cushion 710 becomes approximately horizontal. The seat back 720 is then rotated forward a predetermined amount by the drive of the electric motor 18, and the seat 700 assumes a dive-down position.

[0225] The seat 700 can be changed to various positions other than those described above. If there is a risk of the seat 700 becoming stuck while changing the position of the seat 700 to a predetermined position, the ECU 751 controls the electric motors 27, 29, and 35 to prevent the seat 700 from becoming stuck. For example, if there is a risk of the seat 700 becoming stuck if the upper rail 25 slides before the front link 21 rotates, the ECU 751 controls the electric motors 27, 29, and 35 to rotate the upper rail 25 before the front link 21 rotates or simultaneously with the front link 21. A stopper that restricts the rotation angle of the links 21 and 22 may be provided to prevent the seat 700 from becoming stuck.

[0226] When a command is issued to change the seat 700 to a predetermined position, the ECU 751 may automatically temporarily suspend the operation of the seat 700 to avoid interference with an obstacle or a person. Figure 38 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing performed by the ECU 751 in this case. The processing shown in this flowchart is started when, for example, the relaxation mode of Figure 36 is commanded in the normal position. Note that even when a mode other than the relaxation mode is commanded, the same processing as that shown in Figure 38 is executed when a command is issued to lower the seat cushion 710.

[0227] As shown in Figure 38, first, in step S11, the ECU 751 outputs a control signal to the electric motor 29 to move the rear upper rail 25R rearward. This causes the rear end of the seat cushion 710 to lower. In step S12, the ECU 751 detects the height of the seat cushion 710 based on a signal from the position sensor 753, and determines whether the height of the seat cushion 710 has reached a predetermined height. In other words, it determines whether the height of the seat cushion 710 is equal to or less than the predetermined height. If the result in step S12 is negative, the process returns to step S11, and the same process is repeated. If the result in step S12 is positive, the process proceeds to step S13.

[0228] In step S13, the ECU 751 outputs a control signal to the electric motor 29 to stop driving the electric motor 29. This stops the lowering of the seat cushion 710. Next, in step S14, the ECU 751 outputs a control signal to the notification unit 755 to notify that the lowering of the seat cushion 710 has been temporarily stopped and that a command to lower the seat cushion 710 needs to be issued again to continue the lowering of the seat cushion 710. The command to lower the seat cushion 710 again is, for example, a command for the relaxation mode issued by again operating the operation unit 752. Note that instead of issuing a command via the operation unit 752, a command to lower the seat cushion 710 again may be issued in another manner, for example, by voice command, gesture command, or the like.

[0229] Next, in step S15, the ECU 751 determines whether a command to lower the seat cushion 710 has been issued again. If the result in step S15 is negative, the process returns to step S13, and the same processing is repeated. If the result in step S15 is positive, the process proceeds to step S16, and the ECU 751 outputs a control signal to the electric motor 29 to lower the seat cushion 710, as in step S11.

[0230] According to the processing in Figure 38, when the height of the seat cushion 710 reaches a predetermined height in response to a command to lower the seat cushion 710, the lowering operation of the seat cushion 710 is temporarily stopped, and information about the temporary stop is displayed to the occupant. This prompts the occupant to check for the presence of an obstacle or person (for example, the legs of a rear seat occupant) below the seat 700, and to issue a command to lower the seat again after checking. This makes it possible to prevent the seat 700 from accidentally trapping an obstacle or person (which may be collectively referred to as an object).

[0231] When changing the position or posture of the seat 700, the ECU 751 may determine whether or not there is a risk of the seat 700 coming into contact with a surrounding object based on an image from the camera 754. Fig. 39 is a flowchart showing an example of processing executed by the ECU 751 in this case. The processing in Fig. 39 is started when a command to move the seat 700 is issued from the operation unit 752.

[0232] 39 , first, in step S21, control signals are output to the electric motors 18, 27, 29, and 35 so that the seat 700 moves in response to commands from the operation unit 752. Next, in step S22, the distance between the seat 700 and an object in its vicinity is calculated based on an image captured by the camera 754. Note that the distance between the seat 700 and the object may also be calculated based on an image other than that captured by the camera 754.

[0233] Next, in step S23, it is determined whether the distance calculated in step S22 is equal to or less than a predetermined distance. That is, it is determined whether there is a risk of collision between the seat 700 and the object. If the result of step S23 is negative, the process returns to step S21, and the same processing is repeated. If the result of step S23 is positive, the process proceeds to step S24, and a control signal is output to the electric motors 18, 27, 29, and 35 to stop the approaching operation of the seat 700. In this case, the drive of all the electric motors 18, 27, 29, and 35 may be stopped, or the drive of only the specified electric motors involved in the approaching operation to the object may be stopped.

[0234] Next, in step S25, the occupant is notified via the notification unit 755 that the approaching movement of the seat 700 has stopped. This makes it possible to avoid a collision between the seat 700 and the object. After step S25, the occupant moves the object away from the seat 700. In this state, if the occupant again commands movement of the seat 700 via the operation unit 752, the seat 700 resumes movement. Instead of stopping the approaching movement in step S24, a control signal may be output to the electric motors 18, 27, 29, 35 so that the seat 700 moves away from the object.

[0235] The present embodiment can further achieve the following advantageous effects. (1) A vehicle seat (seat) 700 includes a seat cushion 710 disposed above a floor 1, a seat back 720 supported on a rear end of the seat cushion 710 so as to be rotatable in the front-rear direction, and a support portion 20 that supports the seat cushion 710 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction and up-down from the floor 1 ( FIG. 30 ). The support portion 20 includes a front upper rail 25F that is slidable in the front-rear direction relative to the floor 1, a rear upper rail 25R that is slidable in the front-rear direction relative to the floor 1 and is provided behind the front upper rail 25F so as to be movable in the front-rear direction relative to the front upper rail 25F, a front link 21 whose one end and the other end are supported by the front upper rail 25F and the seat cushion 710 so as to be rotatable in the front-rear direction, respectively, and a rear link 22 that is supported behind the front link 21 so as to be rotatable in the front-rear direction by the rear upper rail 25R and the seat cushion 710, respectively ( FIG. 30 ).

[0236] With this configuration, the front link 21, the pair of front and rear upper rails 25F, 25R, the rear link 22, and the seat cushion 710 form a so-called four-joint link. Here, the pair of front and rear upper rails 25F, 25R are provided so as to be able to move independently in the front-to-rear direction. Therefore, the distance between the front and rear upper rails 25F, 25R can be changed as needed, thereby moving the seat cushion 710 in the front-to-rear and up-to-down directions and further changing the tilt angle of the seat cushion 710.

[0237] (2) The support portion 20 further includes lower rails 14 extending in the front-rear direction on the floor 1 ( FIGS. 30 and 31 ). The front upper rail 25 extends in the front-rear direction so as to engage with the lower rail 14, and the rear upper rail 25 extends in the front-rear direction spaced apart from the front upper rail 25 so as to engage with the lower rail 14 ( FIGS. 32 and 33 ). By providing the front and rear upper rails 25, 25, to which different links 21, 22 are connected, spaced apart from each other in this manner, various movements of the seat cushion 710 can be easily achieved.

[0238] (3) The front link 21 is configured as a drive link that is driven to rotate in the fore-and-aft direction ( FIG. 30 ). The support portion 20 further includes an electric motor 27 that generates a drive force to move the front upper rail 25F in the fore-and-aft direction, an electric motor 29 that generates a drive force to move the rear upper rail 25R in the fore-and-aft direction, an electric motor 35 that generates a drive force to rotate the front link 21, and an ECU 751 that controls the electric motors 27, 29, and 35 ( FIG. 34 ). As a result, the seat cushion 710 can be operated in a variety of ways by the ECU 751 controlling the three electric motors 27, 29, and 35.

[0239] (4) The front upper rails 25F are provided on the left and right sides, and the rear upper rails 25R are provided on the left and right sides ( FIG. 33 ). The support portion 20 further includes a connecting frame 26 extending in the left-right direction and connecting the pair of left and right front upper rails 25F, 25F, and a connecting frame 28 extending in the left-right direction and connecting the pair of left and right rear upper rails 25R, 25R ( FIG. 33 ). The electric motor 27 is attached to the connecting frame 26, the electric motor 29 is attached to the connecting frame 28, and the electric motor 35 is attached to the connecting frame 26. As a result, the electric motors 27, 29, and 35 are all disposed on the upper rail 25 side, making it easy to provide a space below the seat cushion 710 to allow the seat cushion 710 to move.

[0240] (5) The seat 700 further includes an operating unit 752 that commands the raising and lowering of the seat cushion 710 in response to a command from the occupant, and a position sensor 753 that detects the height of the rear end of the seat cushion 710 ( FIG. 34 ). When a command to lower the seat cushion 710 is issued by the operating unit 752, the ECU 751 stops the lowering operation when the height detected by the position sensor 753 reaches a predetermined height. Thereafter, when a command to lower the seat cushion 710 is issued again by the operating unit 752, the ECU 751 controls the electric motors 27, 29, and 35 to continue the lowering operation ( FIG. 38 ). This prevents the rear end of the seat 700 from coming into contact with the feet, etc., of a rear seat occupant as the seat cushion 710 lowers.

[0241] (6) The seat 700 further includes a camera 754 that detects the degree of proximity between the seat 700 and an object (object or person) around the seat 700 ( FIG. 34 ). When the camera 754 detects that the seat 700 is approaching an object to a predetermined degree or greater (the distance to the object is equal to or shorter than a predetermined distance), the ECU 751 controls the electric motors 27, 29, and 35 to prevent the approach ( FIG. 39 ). This prevents contact between the seat 700 and the object around it.

[0242] (7) The seat 700 further includes a spring 24 that biases at least one of the front link 21 and the rear link 22 (e.g., the rear link 22) in a predetermined rotational direction ( FIG. 30 ). This prevents the links 21 and 22 from rattling, providing a comfortable seating experience for the occupant sitting in the seat 700.

[0243] In the above-described embodiments (FIGS. 30 to 39), one end and the other end of the front link 21 serving as the first link member are supported by the seat cushion 710 and the front upper rail 25F to be rotatable in the fore-and-aft direction. However, the first movable body may be any other than the front upper rail 25F as long as it is slidable in the fore-and-aft direction relative to the floor 1 (base). In other words, the first movable body may have any configuration as long as it is movable integrally with the front upper rail 25F (first upper rail). In the above-described embodiments (FIGS. 30 to 39), one end and the other end of the rear link 22 serving as the second link member are supported by the seat cushion 710 and the rear upper rail 25R to be rotatable in the fore-and-aft direction. However, the second movable body may be any other configuration as long as it is slidable in the fore-and-aft direction relative to the floor 1. In other words, the second movable body may have any configuration as long as it is movable integrally with the rear upper rail 25R (second upper rail).

[0244] In the above-described embodiments (FIGS. 30 to 39), the front upper rail 25F and the rear upper rail 25R are each configured to have a generally U-shaped cross section and engage with the lower rail 14, but the configuration of the first upper rail and the second upper rail is not limited to the above. In the above-described embodiments (FIGS. 30 to 39), the front link 21 is configured as a driving link member and is rotated by the electric motor 35, but the rear link 22 may be configured as a driving link member and driven by an electric motor. In the above-described embodiments (FIGS. 30 to 39), the front upper rail 25F is driven by the electric motor 27 (first actuator), the rear upper rail 25R is driven by the electric motor 29 (second actuator), and the front link 21 is driven by the electric motor 35 (third actuator), but the first actuator, the second actuator, and the third actuator may be other than electric motors.

[0245] In the above-described embodiments (FIGS. 30-39), the electric motors 27, 35 are attached to the connecting frame 26 (first connecting portion) connecting the pair of left and right front upper rails 25F, 25F. However, the electric motors 27, 35 may be attached to other members. In the above-described embodiments (FIGS. 30-39), the electric motor 29 is attached to the connecting frame 28 (second connecting portion) connecting the pair of left and right rear upper rails 25R, 25R. However, the electric motor 29 may be attached to other members. In the above-described embodiments (FIGS. 30-39), the operation unit 752 is used to issue a command to raise or lower the seat cushion 710. However, the configuration of the command unit is not limited to the above. In the above-described embodiments (FIGS. 30-39), the position sensor 753 detects the height of the rear end of the seat cushion 710. However, the height detection unit may have any configuration.

[0246] In the above-described embodiments (FIGS. 30 to 39), the distance from the seat 700 to surrounding objects is calculated based on images captured by the camera 754. However, a device other than a camera may be used as a proximity detector that detects the degree of proximity between the vehicle seat and surrounding objects or people. Therefore, when the proximity detector detects an approaching movement of the vehicle seat that is greater than or equal to a predetermined degree, the ECU 751 serving as a control unit controls the actuator to avoid the approaching movement (to stop the approach or to move in a direction away from the object or person). In the above-described embodiments (FIGS. 30 to 39), the shaft portion 22a of the rear link 22 is provided with the spring 24 for preventing rattle. However, the biasing member may be provided elsewhere than on the shaft portion, and the configuration of the biasing member is not limited to that described above.

[0247] In the above embodiment (FIGS. 30 to 39), a single lead screw 15 is supported non-rotatably from the lower rail 14. However, a pair of front and rear lead screws 15, 15 may be rotatably supported from the lower rail 14, and a pair of front and rear nuts may be threadedly engaged with the pair of front and rear lead screws 15, 15 so as to be non-rotatable but slidable, and the pair of front and rear nuts may be supported from a pair of front and rear upper rails 25, 25. In this case, the pair of front and rear lead screws 15, 15 may be rotationally driven by an actuator such as an electric motor. A nut may be disposed on the lower rail side, and a rotatable lead screw may be provided on the upper rail side.

[0248] The vehicle seat 700 described above can be modified and used to become the vehicle seat 100 of Fig. 1A. That is, of the pair of left and right side ends of a pair of left and right vehicle seats 700, 700, an end face of a side end (first side end) on the other side in the left-right direction (e.g., left side) of the seat cushion 710 of the seat 700 on one side in the left-right direction (e.g., right side) may be located to one side in the left-right direction (e.g., left side) of an end face of a side end (second side end) on one side in the left-right direction (e.g., right side) of the seat cushion 710 of the seat 700 on the other side in the left-right direction (e.g., left side), and a relief portion may be provided in at least one of a rear end of the first side end and a front end of the second side end to prevent interference between the first side end and the second side end.

[0249] Vehicle seats can be reclined by tilting the seat back backward, but if a large amount of space is required behind the seat to reclined, the vehicle becomes larger. Therefore, it is preferable to make it possible to change the position of a vehicle seat without increasing the size of the vehicle. Below, a vehicle configured from this perspective will be described with reference to Figures 40 to 52C.

[0250] Fig. 40 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle 10B on which a vehicle seat according to an embodiment of the present invention is mounted, and Fig. 41 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of the main parts of the front side of the vehicle 10B. Below, the front-rear direction, left-right direction, and up-down direction are defined as shown in the figure, and the configuration of each part will be described in accordance with these definitions. The front-rear direction, left-right direction, and up-down direction in the figure correspond to the length direction, width direction, and height direction of the vehicle 10B, respectively. The vehicle 10B is a four-wheel vehicle having a pair of left and right front wheels 11 and a pair of left and right rear wheels 12.

[0251] The vehicle 10B is configured as a vehicle with an automatic driving function, i.e., an automatic driving vehicle. The vehicle 10B can run not only in an automatic driving mode in which no driving operation by a driver is required, but also in a manual driving mode in which the driver operates the vehicle. Furthermore, the vehicle 10B is an electric vehicle that runs by driving a traction motor.

[0252] 40 and 41 , a vehicle 10B is equipped with a pair of vehicle seats 800, i.e., a driver's seat 800D and a passenger's seat 800P, mounted on a floor 1. The driver's seat 800D and the passenger's seat 800P have the same configuration, and these vehicle seats 800 are sometimes simply referred to as seats. The seat 800 includes a seat cushion 810 that supports the buttocks of an occupant, a seat back 820 that supports the back of the occupant, a headrest 830 that is provided on the upper part of the seat back 820 and supports the head of the occupant, and a support part 20 that supports the seat cushion 810 so that it can move up and down and in the front-to-rear directions from the floor 1.

[0253] The seat cushion 810 extends in the front-rear and left-right directions, i.e., extends substantially horizontally, and has a generally rectangular shape in a plan view. The seat cushion 810 has a seat cushion frame 811 (only a part of which is shown in FIG. 41 ) that forms the skeleton of the seat cushion 810. Although not shown in detail, the seat cushion frame 811 has, for example, a pair of left and right vertical frames that extend in the front-rear direction, and a pair of front and rear horizontal frames that also extend in the left-right direction and connect the front ends and rear ends of the pair of left and right vertical frames, respectively, and the entire seat cushion frame has a generally rectangular frame shape in a plan view.

[0254] A substantially plate-shaped pressure-receiving member (not shown) is disposed inside (inside the frame) of the seat cushion frame 811. A resilient cushion pad 812 made of, for example, urethane foam is provided around the periphery of the seat cushion frame 811, and the surface of the cushion pad 812 is covered with a cover 813. A seating surface 814 on which an occupant sits is formed on the upper surface of the seat cushion 810. An ottoman 840 is provided at the front end of the seat cushion 810 so as to be rotatable up and down around a shaft extending in the left-right direction as a fulcrum.

[0255] The seat back 820 has a seat back frame 821 (only a part of which is shown in FIG. 41 ) that forms the framework of the seat back 820. Although detailed illustration is omitted, the seat back frame 821 has, for example, a pair of left and right vertical frames that extend in a substantially vertical direction, and a pair of upper and lower horizontal frames that also extend in the left and right direction and connect the upper ends and lower ends of the pair of left and right vertical frames, respectively, and has an overall substantially rectangular frame shape when viewed from the front.

[0256] A substantially plate-shaped pressure-receiving member (not shown) is disposed inside (inside the frame of) seatback frame 821. A resilient back pad 822 made of, for example, urethane foam material is provided around the periphery of seatback frame 821, and the surface of back pad 822 is covered with a skin 823. A seating surface 824 on which an occupant sits is formed on the front of seatback 820.

[0257] A pair of left and right lower rails 14, 14 extending in the front-to-rear direction are provided below the seat 800, i.e., on the upper surface of the floor 1. A pair of left and right upper rails 25, 25 extending in the front-to-rear direction are provided at the bottom of the support portion 20, and the left and right upper rails 25, 25 are slidably engaged with the left and right lower rails 14. Note that detailed illustration of the support portion 20 is omitted in Figures 40 and 41.

[0258] The support portion 20 may have any configuration as long as it supports the seat cushion 810 so that it can move in the front-to-rear and up-down directions relative to the floor 1. Figure 42 is a side view showing an example of the support portion 20. The configuration of this support portion 20 is the same as the configuration of the support portion 20 shown in Figures 30 to 33.

[0259] As shown in Figure 42, the lower end of the seat back 820 is pivotally supported on the rear end of the seat cushion frame 811 via a reclining mechanism 880 so as to be rotatable in the front-rear direction around a shaft (not shown) extending in the left-right direction as a fulcrum. The reclining mechanism 880 has an electric motor 18 supported on the seat cushion frame 811, and the seat back 820 is rotated in the front-rear direction by driving the electric motor 18. The electric motor 18 may be omitted, and the seat back 820 may be rotated in the front-rear direction manually. An electric motor 19 is provided on the front end of the seat cushion frame 811. The ottoman 840 is moved up and down by driving the electric motor 19.

[0260] Figure 42 shows the normal position (normal mode) of the seat 800. In this embodiment, by configuring the support portion 20 in the same manner as shown in Figures 30 to 33, the seat 800 can be changed from the normal position to various positions. The seat position is changed in response to a command from the occupant to change the seat position. The command to change the seat position is input, for example, by operating a seat switch provided on the side of the seat 800. The seat switch includes an up / down movement command switch that commands up / down movement of the seat, a forward / backward movement command switch that commands forward / backward movement, and a mode switch that commands switching of the seat mode.

[0261] Figure 43 is a side view of the seat 800 showing a hip-up position (hip-up mode), which is an example of a position change. The hip-up mode is commanded, for example, by operating a mode selector switch. When changing the seat position from the normal position to the hip-up position, the rear upper rail 25R moves forward a predetermined amount by driving the electric motor 29. This causes the rear link 22 to rise while rotating around the shafts 22a and 22b as a fulcrum. As a result, the rear end of the seat cushion 810 rises around the shaft 21a of the front link 21 as a fulcrum, and the seat 800 assumes the hip-up position.

[0262] FIG. 44 is a side view of the seat 800 showing a relaxed position (relaxation mode), which is another example of a position change. The relaxed mode is commanded, for example, by operating a mode selector switch. When changing the seat position from the normal position to the relaxed position, the electric motor 29 drives the rear upper rail 25R to move rearward by a predetermined amount. This causes the rear link 22 to tilt while rotating around the axles 22a and 22b. As a result, the rear end of the seat cushion 810 descends around the axle 21a of the front link 21. Furthermore, the electric motor 19 drives the ottoman 840 to rotate upward by a predetermined amount, and the electric motor 18 drives the seat back 820 to rotate rearward by a predetermined amount, thereby placing the seat 800 in the relaxed position.

[0263] As shown in Figure 40, a steering wheel 131 is disposed in front of the seat 800 (driver's seat 800D). The steering wheel 131 is rotatably supported by a steering shaft 132 extending in the front-to-rear direction. Operation of the steering wheel 131 issues a command to steer the vehicle 10B (front wheels 11). The operation of the steering wheel 131, i.e., the amount and direction of operation, is detected by a steering sensor 138 (Figure 46A).

[0264] The front end of the steering shaft 132 extends into a space SP10 provided in front of an instrument panel 133. The steering shaft 132 is supported within the space SP10 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction. The steering shaft 132 moves in the front-rear direction by being driven by an actuator 134 (e.g., an electric motor). As the steering shaft 132 moves forward and backward, the steering wheel 131 moves forward and backward together with the steering shaft 132, allowing the steering wheel 131 to be stored near the instrument panel 133.

[0265] A generally rectangular display 136 is also disposed in the space SP10 with its display screen 136a facing downward. Although not shown, the display 136 is housed in a generally box-shaped display case installed in the space SP10. A narrow opening extending in the left-right direction is provided at the rear end face of the display case, and the display 136 can be removed from the display case through the opening. More specifically, an actuator 137 (e.g., an electric motor) for moving the display is provided within the display case, and the display 136 is supported so that it can be moved in the front-rear direction by driving the actuator 137.

[0266] The display 136 is supported by the display case so that the display screen 136a gradually rises as the display 136 moves rearward, i.e., so that the angle of inclination of the display screen 136a relative to the horizontal plane gradually increases. When the entire display 136 is removed from the display case, the angle of inclination of the display 136 is approximately the same as the angle of inclination of the windshield 2, and the windshield 2 is covered by the display 136 (see FIG. 50A). In particular, the lower side of the windshield 2 is covered by the display 136.

[0267] The display 136 may not be stored inside the instrument panel (dashboard) but may be stored facing the ceiling. That is, instead of being an in-dash display, it may be a flip-down display that can be rotated forward from near the ceiling surface via a shaft extending in the left-right direction. In this case, when the display 136 is rotated downward, the upper side of the windshield 2 is covered by the display 136.

[0268] As shown in Figures 40 and 41 , the lower rails 14 extend forward between the left and right front wheels 11. A pair of left and right side walls 161 extending in the front-to-rear direction are erected from the floor 1 between the right-most lower rail 14 and the right front wheel 11, and between the left-most lower rail 14 and the left front wheel 11. The lower rails 14 extend forward beyond an axis CL11 passing through the rotation centers of the front wheels 11, and a front wall 162 extending in the left-to-right direction is erected from the floor 1 in front of the lower rails 14. An upper wall 163 is disposed at the upper ends of the side walls 161 and the front wall 162. The upper wall 163 extends substantially horizontally below the space SP10, or more strictly, extends at a gentle upward slope toward the rear. As a result, a substantially box-shaped space SP20 with an open rear surface is formed between the left and right front wheels 11, 11 by the side wall 161, front wall 162 and top wall 163.

[0269] The height of the space SP20 is set so that the lower body of a relaxed occupant can move into the space SP20 (see FIG. 50A). The side walls 161 and front wall 162 that form the space SP20 are preferably made of high-strength members. For example, they are preferably made of the body frame that forms the skeleton of the vehicle body, or of strong members fixed to the body frame. An airbag may be positioned so that it deploys toward the space SP20 when a predetermined impact is applied to the vehicle 10B.

[0270] As shown in Figure 40, a pair of left and right operation pedals 17, 17 that can be depressed by the driver are provided on the upper surface of the floor 1 in front of the driver's seat 800D in the normal position (see Figure 46A). The right operation pedal 17 is an accelerator pedal that commands the acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle 10B depending on the amount of depression, and the left operation pedal 17 is a brake pedal that commands the braking of the vehicle 10B. The operation pedals 17 are disposed between the pair of left and right lower rails 14, 14 of the driver's seat 800D.

[0271] Figure 45A is a plan view of the operation pedal 17, and Figure 45B is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in Figure 45A. As shown in Figures 45A and 45B, the operation pedal 17 extends forward and upward from the floor 1 at a predetermined angle, and is supported so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction around a shaft 171 that is provided on the floor 1 and extends in the left-right direction. Although not shown, the shaft 171 is provided with a spring that urges the operation pedal 17 upward, and a stopper that limits the amount of upward rotation of the operation pedal 17. As a result, the operation pedal 17 is held in an upright position at a predetermined angle of inclination, as shown by the solid line in Figure 45B.

[0272] When the driver depresses the operation pedal 17, the operation pedal 17 rotates downward around a shaft 171 as a fulcrum. The operation amount (rotation amount) of the operation pedal 17 (accelerator pedal, brake pedal) is detected by a pedal sensor 174 ( FIG. 46A ). An actuator 172, such as an electric motor, is provided on the shaft 171 to rotate the operation pedal 17 forward against the biasing force of a spring. In a predetermined seat mode (an immersion mode, described later), the operation pedal 17 is rotated forward to its maximum extent by the drive of the actuator 172. As a result, as shown by the dotted line in FIG. 45B , the operation pedal 17 is positioned inside a substantially rectangular opening 1c in the floor 1 and stored in the floor 1. When the operation pedal 17 is stored, the operation pedal 17 abuts against the upper surface of a retaining plate 173 provided on the bottom surface of the floor 1 so as to cover the opening 1c. At this time, the upper surface of the operation pedal 17 is positioned substantially flush with the upper surface of the floor 1.

[0273] FIG. 46A is a plan view schematically illustrating a configuration related to the driving operation of a vehicle 10B. A seat 800 is not shown in FIG. 46A . As shown in FIG. 46A , a traction motor 66 is mounted on the vehicle 10B between the left and right rear wheels 12, 12. Rotation of the traction motor 66 is transmitted to the left and right rear wheels 12 via axles 67 extending in the left-right direction, with or without a speed reducer. Therefore, the vehicle 10B is a rear-wheel drive vehicle. In manual driving mode, the traction motor 66 is controlled by the ECU 170 in response to a signal from a pedal sensor 174. Specifically, the traction motor 66 is controlled by a power control unit (not shown) that receives commands from the ECU 170. Suspensions 68 are provided on the insides of the left and right rear wheels 12 in the left-right direction.

[0274] A generally plate-shaped arm 125 extending in the front-rear and up-down directions is disposed between the wheel 11W of the front wheel 11 and the side wall 161. The arm 125 is fixed to the body frame. A shaft 147 protrudes from the arm 125 outward in the left-right direction. FIG. 46B is a side view of the right front wheel 11 as viewed from the inside (left) in the left-right direction. As shown in FIGS. 46A and 46B , a hub 148 is disposed on the left-right outer side of the arm 125. A long, narrow hole 148a extending in the front-rear direction is opened in the hub 148. The shaft 147 is inserted into the long hole 148a, thereby supporting the hub 148 from the arm 125 so that it can swing left-right relative to the shaft 147. The wheel 11W of the front wheel 11 is rotatably supported on the hub 148.

[0275] A steering actuator 149 (e.g., an electric motor) for steering the front wheels 11 is attached to the arm 125, and a rod 149a extends and retracts when the actuator 149 is driven. The tip of the rod 149a is connected to a hub 148, and when the actuator 149 is driven, the hub 148 is swung left and right, thereby changing the turning angle of the front wheels 11. In manual driving mode, the actuator 149 is controlled by the ECU 170 in response to a signal from the steering sensor 138. A bracket 145 fixed to the arm 125 is disposed behind the front wheels 11. A suspension 146 is supported on the upper surface of the bracket 145.

[0276] An in-wheel motor can be used instead of or in addition to the travel motor 66 in Figure 46A. Figure 47A is a plan view of a front wheel 11 showing an example. As shown in Figure 47A, an in-wheel motor is attached to an arm 125 as a travel motor 69. The in-wheel motor is placed inside the wheel 11W and rotates integrally with the wheel 11W. Figure 47B is a diagram showing a modification of Figure 47A. Unlike Figure 47A, in Figure 47B, an arm 125A extends in the left-right direction rather than the front-rear direction. As in Figure 47A, an in-wheel motor is attached to the arm 125A as a travel motor 69, and a suspension 146 is supported on the upper surface of the arm 125A.

[0277] 47A and 47B, in Fig. 47A, the suspension 146 is disposed behind the front wheels 11, so the space SP20 (Fig. 46A) inside the left and right front wheels 11, 11 can be enlarged compared to Fig. 47B. On the other hand, in the example of Fig. 47B, the arm 125A extends in the left-right direction, so the front wheels 11 can be supported via a kingpin or the like so as to be steerable.

[0278] In this embodiment, the driving operation of the vehicle 10B is controlled by a vehicle control system. The vehicle control system controls the driving operation of the vehicle 10B in both a manual driving mode and an autonomous driving mode. Although not shown, the vehicle control system includes external sensors (radar, lidar, camera, etc.) that detect external conditions, i.e., information about the surroundings of the vehicle 10B, internal sensors (vehicle speed sensor, acceleration sensor, etc.) that detect the driving state of the vehicle 10B, input units (steering sensor 138, pedal sensor 174, driving mode selector switch, etc.) to which the driver inputs various commands related to the driving operation of the vehicle 10B, a position detection sensor (GPS receiver, etc.) that detects the current position of the vehicle 10B, a map database, a navigation device that sets a driving route to a destination, an ECU, and driving actuators (driving motor 66, steering actuator 149, braking actuator, etc.).

[0279] The ECU of the vehicle control system includes ECU 170 shown in FIG. 46A. This ECU reads signals from external sensors, internal sensors, an input unit, a position detection sensor, a map database, and a navigation device, executes predetermined processing, and controls the driving actuators. That is, in manual driving mode, the ECU controls the driving actuators in response to commands from the input unit. In autonomous driving mode, the ECU sets a target route to the destination and controls the driving actuators so that vehicle 10B drives along the target route while avoiding contact with surrounding obstacles.

[0280] Fig. 48 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control device 85 that controls the seat mode. As shown in Fig. 48, the control device 85 has an ECU 851, and a seat switch 852, a driving mode selector switch 853, a seat actuator 20a, a steering actuator 134 (Fig. 40), a display actuator 137 (Fig. 40), and a pedal actuator 172 (Fig. 45B), which are all connected to the ECU 851.

[0281] The seat actuator 20a is a collective term for a plurality of electric motors for driving the seats, and includes an electric motor 18 for rotating the seatback (FIG. 42), an electric motor 19 for rotating the ottoman (FIG. 42), an electric motor 27 for sliding the front upper rail (FIG. 33), an electric motor 29 for sliding the rear upper rail (FIG. 33), and an electric motor 35 for rotating the front upper rail (FIG. 33).

[0282] The seat switch 852 includes a vertical movement command switch for commanding vertical movement of the seat 800, a forward / backward movement command switch for commanding forward / backward movement, and a mode change switch for commanding switching of the seat mode. The seat modes include a normal mode (FIG. 40), a hip-up mode (FIG. 43), a relax mode (FIG. 44), and an immersion mode, which will be described later.

[0283] The driving mode changeover switch 853 includes a manual / automatic changeover switch that commands either the automatic driving mode or the manual driving mode, and a driving level command switch that commands the automatic driving level. The manual / automatic changeover switch is configured as a switch that can be manually operated by the driver, and outputs a command to switch to the automatic driving mode in which the automatic driving function is enabled or the manual driving mode in which the automatic driving function is disabled, depending on the switch operation. The vehicle control system can also command switching from the manual driving mode to the automatic driving mode or from the automatic driving mode to the manual driving mode when a predetermined driving condition is met, without operating the manual / automatic changeover switch.

[0284] The driving level command switch is configured as, for example, a switch that can be manually operated by the driver, and the autonomous driving level is commanded in response to switch operation. The autonomous driving level is an index of the degree to which driving is automated. The autonomous driving levels are classified into levels 0 to 5 based on, for example, SAE J3016 established by SAE International. Specifically, level 0 is a driving level with no automation, and at level 0, all driving operations are performed by a human (driver).

[0285] Level 1 is a driving level (driving assistance) in which the vehicle control system performs one of the following operations: acceleration, steering, and braking. Level 2 is a driving level (partial driving automation) in which the vehicle control system performs multiple operations of acceleration, steering, and braking at the same time. Up to level 2, humans are responsible for monitoring the surroundings. Level 3 is a driving level (conditional automation) in which the vehicle control system performs all acceleration, steering, and braking, and the driver only responds when requested by the vehicle control system. From level 3 onwards, the vehicle control system monitors the surroundings, and humans are not responsible for monitoring the surroundings. Level 4 is a driving level (highly automated driving) in which the vehicle control system performs all driving operations in certain situations, and humans do not need to take over even if the vehicle control system cannot continue driving. Therefore, from level 4 onwards, the vehicle control system responds even in emergencies. Level 5 is a driving level (fully automated driving) in which the vehicle control system autonomously drives under all conditions.

[0286] The driving level command switch commands one of the autonomous driving levels, from level 0 to 5, depending on the driver's switch operation. The vehicle control system can also be configured to determine whether the conditions for autonomous driving are met based on the surrounding conditions, etc., and automatically switch the driving level command switch depending on the determination result, commanding one of levels 0 to 5.

[0287] When the driving mode selector switch 853 commands level 4 or level 5 autonomous driving mode and the seat switch 852 commands immersion mode, the ECU 851 outputs a control signal to the seat actuator 20a and changes the seat position to the immersion position as follows: Note that when the driving mode selector switch 853 commands manual driving mode or an autonomous driving mode of level 3 or lower, the immersion mode command from the seat switch 852 is invalidated.

[0288] Figure 49 is a side view of vehicle 10B showing a state in the middle of changing the seat position from the normal position to the immersed position. When the immersion mode is commanded in the normal position of Figure 40, ECU 851 outputs a control signal to seat actuator 2a, and as shown in Figure 49, seat cushion 810 is lowered, seat back 820 is rotated rearward, ottoman 840 is rotated upward, and seat 800 is moved forward. As a result, the occupant's feet enter space SP20.

[0289] Furthermore, the ECU 851 outputs a control signal to the steering actuator 134, which moves the steering shaft 132 forward together with the steering wheel 131, and moves it away from the front of the seat 800. This increases the space in front of the occupant sitting in the seat 800, allowing the occupant to easily move the seat 800 forward without coming into contact with the steering wheel 131. The ECU 851 also outputs a control signal to the pedal actuator 172, which rotates the operation pedal 17 downward and stores it in the floor 1 (dotted line in FIG. 45B). This allows the seat 800 to easily move forward without interfering with the operation pedal 17. The ECU 851 also outputs a control signal to the display actuator 137, which moves the display 136 rearward through the opening in the display case.

[0290] Fig. 50A is a side view of vehicle 10B showing the immersion posture, and Fig. 50B is a plan view. As shown in Fig. 50A, in the immersion posture, seat cushion 810 descends further than in the state of Fig. 49, seat back 820 pivots rearward, ottoman 840 pivots upward, and seat 800 moves forward. At this time, the front end of seat 800 is positioned forward of the lower end of windshield 2, or more specifically, forward of center axis CL11 of front wheel 11, as shown in Fig. 50B. In Fig. 50B, only driver's seat 800D is in the immersion posture, and passenger seat 800P remains in the normal posture.

[0291] 50A, the immersion posture differs from the relaxation posture of FIG. 44 only in the position of the seat 800 in the front-to-rear direction, and the height of the seat cushion 810, the tilt angle of the seat back 820, and the tilt angle of the ottoman 840 are the same as those in the relaxation posture. Note that any or all of the height of the seat cushion 810, the tilt angle of the seat back 820, and the tilt angle of the ottoman 840 may be different from those in the relaxation posture. For example, the height of the seat cushion 810 in the immersion posture may be lower than the height of the seat cushion 810 in the relaxation posture.

[0292] In the immersive position, the display 136 moves rearward to the maximum extent, and the lower end of the windshield 2 is covered by the display 136. At this time, the tilt angle of the seat back 820 is approximately equal to the tilt angle of the windshield 2 or the display 136, and the display 136 is positioned facing the face of the occupant. Various images can be displayed on the display 136 according to the occupant's preferences. Music or sound that matches the display on the display 136 can also be output from the speaker. Since the display 136 appears from below the windshield 2, the lower end of the windshield 2 is covered by the display 136. This prevents the windshield 2 from entering the occupant's field of vision, and the occupant's field of vision when looking at the display 136 is good.

[0293] This embodiment provides the following advantageous effects. (1) A vehicle 10B is provided with left and right front wheels 11, 11 ( FIG. 41 ). The vehicle 10B includes a seat 800 disposed facing a windshield 2, a side wall 161, a front wall 162, and an upper wall 163 located in front of and below the windshield 2 and defining an excess space SP20 in front of the seat 800, allowing the seat 800 to move, and a support portion 20 that movably supports the seat 800 so that the seat 800 can be changed from a normal position, in which the front end of the seat is positioned rearward of the center (axis CL11) of the front wheels 11, to a retracted position, in which the front end of the seat is positioned forward of the axis CL11 ( FIGS. 40 , 41 , and 50A ). This allows the seat back 820 to be easily reclined rearward without requiring a large amount of space behind the seat 800. This allows the seat 800 to be reclined to a relaxed position (e.g., a retracted position) without increasing the longitudinal size of the vehicle 10B.

[0294] (2) In the normal position, the front end of the seat is located behind the bottom edge of the windshield 2, and in the retracted position, the front end of the seat is located ahead of the bottom edge of the windshield 2 (Figs. 40 and 50A). As a result, in the retracted position, a large amount of space is created behind the seat 800, so that the seatback 820 can be easily tilted backward without interfering with the rear of the seat 800 (e.g., the rear seat).

[0295] (3) The seat 800 has a seat cushion 810 and a seat back 820 ( FIG. 40 ). The support portion 20 supports the seat 800 so that the seat cushion 810 is positioned lower when the seat 800 is in the retracted position than when the seat 800 is in the normal position ( FIGS. 40 and 50A ). This prevents the lower body of the occupant from coming into contact with the upper wall 163 and other components that define the space SP20 when the seat 800 is moved into the space SP20 in front of the seat 800.

[0296] (4) The vehicle 10B further includes a display 136 that is movable between a position facing the windshield 2 (facing position) and a position retracted from the windshield 2 (retracted position), and a display actuator 137 that moves the display 136 between the facing position and the retracted position ( FIGS. 40 and 50A ). This allows the display 136 to be positioned facing the face of the occupant in the immersive posture, and improves the visibility of the display screen 136 a of the display 136.

[0297] (5) The vehicle 10B further includes an arm 125 disposed between the front wheels 11 and the side wall 161 that forms the space SP20, and a traction motor 69, more specifically an in-wheel motor, that is disposed inside the front wheels 11 or between the front wheels 11 and the arm 125 and is supported by the arm 125 to drive the front wheels 11 ( FIGS. 47A and 47B ). This allows the traction motor 69 (in-wheel motor) to be disposed near the front wheels 11, making it possible to easily form a large space SP20 between the left and right front wheels 11, 11, into which the front end of the seat 800 can enter.

[0298] (6) The vehicle 10B further includes a steering actuator 149 that is supported by the arm 125 and that steers the front wheels 11 (FIGS. 46A and 46B). This allows the steering mechanism to be made smaller, and accordingly, the space SP20 between the left and right front wheels 11, 11 can be made larger.

[0299] (7) Vehicle 10B is an autonomous vehicle with an autonomous driving function, and further includes a driving mode selector switch 853 that switches the level of autonomous driving between level 3 or lower, which includes the driver's obligation to monitor the surroundings while driving, and level 4 or higher, which does not include the driver's obligation to monitor the surroundings, and an ECU 851 that controls support unit 20 in accordance with the switching of driving mode selector switch 853 ( FIG. 48 ). When driving mode selector switch 853 switches the autonomous driving level to level 3 or lower, ECU 851 prohibits seat 800 from changing its position from the normal position to the immersed position, and when the autonomous driving level is switched to level 4 or higher, ECU 851 allows the seat 800 to change its position from the normal position to the immersed position. This allows the seat position to be changed to the immersed position after taking into consideration whether the driver has the obligation to monitor the surroundings of vehicle 10B.

[0300] Fig. 51 is a diagram showing a modification of Fig. 50B. In Fig. 50B, the suspension 146 on the front side of the vehicle is supported via a bracket 145 behind the front wheel 11, but as shown in Fig. 51, the suspension 146 may be supported via a bracket 145 in front of the front wheel 11.

[0301] Vehicle 10B includes a B-pillar, a reinforcing member, behind the front door. The position of seat 800 can be determined in relation to this B-pillar. Figures 52A, 52B, and 52C are side views of vehicle 10B, respectively, showing the state in which a B-pillar has been added to Figures 40, 49, and 50A. As shown in Figures 52A, 52B, and 52C, a B-pillar 165 (shown by a two-dot chain line) is provided in the center of vehicle 10B in the longitudinal direction. In the normal position shown in Figure 52A, the B-pillar 165 and seat 800 overlap in a side view. On the other hand, in the retracted position shown in Figure 52C, the entire seat is positioned forward of B-pillar 165. More specifically, in the retracted position, seatback 820 is tilted rearward to the maximum extent, and in this case, the rear end of seat 800 is positioned forward of B-pillar 165.

[0302] In the above-described embodiment (FIGS. 40 to 52C), the support unit 20 having a pair of front and rear links 21, 22 is used as the support unit that supports the seat 800 so that it can move in the front-rear and up-down directions. However, the configuration of the support unit is not limited to the above. That is, the support unit may have any configuration as long as it supports the seat so that it can move from a first position, in which the front end of the seat is located rearward of the center of the front wheels 11, to a second position, in which the front end of the seat is located forward of the center of the front wheels 11. For example, the support unit that supports the vehicle seat 900 (FIGS. 53 and 54) described below may be used. The support unit may support the seat so that the front end of the seat is located rearward of the lower end of the windshield 2 in the first position and the front end of the seat is located forward of the lower end of the windshield 2 in the second position. Note that the seat orientation in the first position is not limited to the normal orientation. Furthermore, the seat orientation in the second position is not limited to the immersed orientation.

[0303] In the above embodiment (FIGS. 40 to 52C), the side wall 161, the front wall 162, and the upper wall 163 form the space SP20, which is open at the rear, in front of and below the windshield 2 and in front of the seat 800, in other words, below the hood, but the configuration of the space forming portion that forms the excess space in which the seat can move is not limited to that described above. In the above embodiment (FIGS. 40 to 52C), the seat cushion 810 is positioned lower in the immersed position than in the normal position, but the height of the seat cushion may be approximately the same in the first position and the second position, for example, when the seat cushion is lowered to the first position.

[0304] In the above embodiments (40 to 52C), the seat mode is switched by the seat switch 852 to change the seat position from the normal position (normal mode) to the immersion position (immersion mode), but the occupant may manually change the seat position to the immersion position by operating the up / down movement command switch or the fore / aft movement command switch. In the above embodiments (40 to 52C), the seat position is changed by driving the seat actuator 20a, but the seat actuator 20a may be omitted and the seat position may be changed manually.

[0305] In the above embodiments (FIGS. 40 to 52C), the display 136 is provided so as to be movable between a retracted position in front of the windshield 2 and a facing position facing the windshield 2 by driving the display actuator 137, but the configuration of the display movement unit is not limited to that described above. In the above embodiments (FIGS. 40 to 52C), the arm 125 is disposed as a frame unit between the side wall 161 and the front wheels 11, but the frame unit may have any configuration. In the above embodiment (FIG. 46A), the travel motor 66 is disposed between the left and right rear wheels 12, 12, and in the above embodiments (FIGS. 47A and 47B), the travel motor 69 is disposed inside the front wheels 11 or between the front wheels 11 and the arm 125, but the configuration of the travel actuator is not limited to that described above.

[0306] In the above-described embodiments (FIGS. 40 to 52C), a steering actuator 149 is provided to swing the hub 148 of the front wheel 11. However, the configuration of the steering actuator is not limited to the above. In the above-described embodiments (FIGS. 40 to 52C), a driving mode selector switch 853 is provided as the driving level selector, capable of switching between a first autonomous driving level (level 3 or lower) and a second autonomous driving level (level 4 or higher). The ECU 851, serving as the control unit, prohibits movement of the seat 800 from the first position to the second position when the autonomous driving level is switched to the first autonomous driving level, and permits movement of the seat 800 from the first position to the second position when the autonomous driving level is switched to the second autonomous driving level. However, the configuration of the control unit is not limited to the above. For example, regardless of whether the driving mode selector switch is switched, the seat may be permitted to move from the first position to the second position when a non-driving state (parked state) of the vehicle 10B is detected. Therefore, the vehicle to which the present invention is applied is not limited to an autonomous vehicle.

[0307] In the above-described embodiments (FIGS. 40 to 52C), the vehicle is configured as an electric vehicle. However, the vehicle is not limited to this. That is, the drive source for traveling may be an internal combustion engine instead of a motor. The vehicle seat 800 described above can be modified to become the vehicle seat 100 shown in FIG. 1A. That is, of the pair of left and right side ends of a pair of left and right vehicle seats 800, 800, the end face of the side end (first side end) on the other side (e.g., left side) in the left-right direction of the seat cushion 810 of the seat 800 on one side (e.g., the right side) in the left-right direction may be positioned to one side (e.g., the left side) of the end face of the side end (second side end) on one side (e.g., the right side) in the left-right direction of the seat cushion 810 of the seat 800 on the other side (e.g., the left side), and a relief portion may be provided in at least one of the rear end of the first side end and the front end of the second side end to prevent interference between the first side end and the second side end.

[0308] The position of the vehicle seat can also be changed to various positions in the front-to-rear and up-to-down directions without using a link mechanism. Such a vehicle seat will be described below with reference to Figures 53 to 61B. This vehicle seat can be applied to a variety of vehicles, but the following describes an example in which the vehicle seat is applied to a vehicle as a vehicle seat. The vehicle seat may also be simply referred to as a seat.

[0309] Figure 53 is a side view showing the schematic configuration of a vehicle seat (seat) 900 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 54 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in Figure 53. Below, the front-to-rear direction (length direction), left-to-right direction (width direction), and up-to-down direction (height direction) are defined as shown, and the configuration of each part will be described according to these definitions. Figure 53 also shows an occupant in a riding position.

[0310] As shown in Figures 53 and 54, the seat 900 includes a seat cushion 910 that supports the occupant's buttocks, a seat back 920 that supports the occupant's back, a headrest 930 that is provided on the upper part of the seat back 920 and supports the occupant's head, and a support part 90 that supports the seat cushion 910 so that it can move up and down and back and forth from the floor 1.

[0311] The seat cushion 910 extends in the front-rear and left-right directions, i.e., extends substantially horizontally, and has a generally rectangular shape in a plan view. The seat cushion 910 has a seat cushion frame 911 ( FIG. 54 ) that forms the skeleton of the seat cushion 910. Although detailed illustration is omitted, the seat cushion frame 911 has, for example, a pair of left and right vertical frames 911 a extending in the front-rear direction, and a pair of front and rear horizontal frames that also extend in the left-right direction and connect the front ends and rear ends of the pair of left and right vertical frames, respectively, and the entire seat cushion frame has a generally rectangular frame shape in a plan view.

[0312] A substantially plate-shaped pressure-receiving member (not shown) is disposed inside the seat cushion frame 911. A resilient cushion pad 912 made of, for example, urethane foam is disposed around the periphery of the seat cushion frame 911, and the surface of the cushion pad 912 is covered with a cover 913. A seating surface 914 on which an occupant sits is formed on the upper surface of the seat cushion 910. As shown in Figure 53, an ottoman 940 is disposed at the front end of the seat cushion 910 so as to be rotatable up and down about a shaft 941 extending in the left-right direction as a fulcrum.

[0313] The seat back 920 has a seat back frame 921 (only a part of which is shown in FIG. 54 ) that forms the framework of the seat back 920. Although detailed illustration is omitted, the seat back frame 921 has, for example, a pair of left and right vertical frames that extend substantially in the up-down direction, and a pair of upper and lower horizontal frames that also extend in the left-right direction and connect the upper ends and lower ends of the pair of left and right vertical frames, respectively, and has an overall substantially rectangular frame shape when viewed from the front.

[0314] A substantially plate-shaped pressure-receiving member (not shown) is disposed inside the seatback frame 921. A resilient back pad 922 made of, for example, urethane foam material is provided around the periphery of the seatback frame 921, and the surface of the back pad 922 is covered with a cover 923. A seating surface 924 on which an occupant sits is formed on the front of the seatback 920. The lower end of the seatback 920 is pivotally supported on the rear end of the seat cushion frame 911 via a reclining mechanism 950 so as to be rotatable in the front-rear direction around a shaft 950a extending in the left-right direction.

[0315] The support part 90 has three members arranged one on top of the other in the vertical direction, namely, a lower member 91, an intermediate member 92, and an upper member 93. The lower member 91 is mounted on the upper surface of the floor 1 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction. The intermediate member 92 is mounted on the upper surface of the lower member 91 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction. The upper member 93 is mounted on the upper surface of the intermediate member 92 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction. A bottom surface 910a of the seat cushion 910 (seat cushion frame 911) is fixed to the upper surface of the upper member 93.

[0316] 54 , the lower member 91 has a pair of left and right lower frames 916, 916 extending in the front-rear direction, and a connecting frame 917 extending in the left-right direction and connecting the left and right lower frames 916, 916. The intermediate member 92 has a pair of left and right intermediate frames 926, 926 extending in the front-rear direction, and a connecting frame 927 extending in the left-right direction and connecting the left and right intermediate frames 926, 926. The upper member 93 has a pair of left and right upper frames 936, 936 extending in the front-rear direction, and a connecting frame 937 extending in the left-right direction and connecting the left and right upper frames 936, 936.

[0317] The pair of left and right upper frames 936, 936 are positioned laterally inward of the pair of left and right lower frames 916, 916. The intermediate frame 926 extends in the left-right direction from the inner left-right end face of the upper frame 936 to the outer left-right end face of the lower frame 916. As shown in Figure 53, the length of the intermediate member 92 in the front-rear direction is shorter than the length of the lower member 91 in the front-rear direction and is also shorter than the length of the upper member 93 in the front-rear direction.

[0318] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a pair of left and right lower rails 14, 14 extending in the front-to-rear direction are provided on the upper surface of the floor 1. An upper rail 918 is provided on the bottom surface of a lower frame 916 from its front end surface to its rear end surface, corresponding to the lower rails 14. The lower rail 14 has a generally U-shaped cross section facing upward, and the upper rail 918 has a generally U-shaped cross section facing downward. The upper rail 918 is engaged with the lower rail 14 so as to be slidable in the front-to-rear direction. The lower rail 14 and the upper rail 918 constitute a lower slide mechanism 90A.

[0319] A lower rail 919 is provided on the upper surface of the lower frame 916, extending in the front-rear direction from its front end surface to its rear end surface. The lower rail 919 can also extend in the front-rear direction beyond the front or rear end surface of the lower frame 916. An upper rail 928 is provided on the bottom surface of the intermediate frame 926, extending from its front end surface to its rear end surface, corresponding to the lower rail 919. The lower rail 919 has a generally U-shaped cross section facing upward, and the upper rail 928 has a generally U-shaped cross section facing downward. The upper rail 928 is engaged with the lower rail 919 so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction. The lower rail 919 and the upper rail 928 constitute an intermediate slide mechanism 90B. The lower rail 919 is longer than the upper rail 928.

[0320] A lower rail 929 is provided on the upper surface of the intermediate frame 926, extending in the front-rear direction from its front end surface to its rear end surface. An upper rail 938 is provided on the bottom surface of the upper frame 936, extending from its front end surface to its rear end surface, corresponding to the lower rail 929. The lower rail 929 has a generally U-shaped cross section facing upward, and the upper rail 938 has a generally U-shaped cross section facing downward. The upper rail 938 is engaged with the lower rail 929 so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction. The lower rail 929 and the upper rail 938 constitute an upper slide mechanism 90C. The upper rail 938 is longer than the lower rail 929.

[0321] The lower slide mechanism 90A, the intermediate slide mechanism 90B, and the upper slide mechanism 90C each include an electric motor, and are driven by the electric motor to slide each component in the forward and backward directions. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 54 , the lower slide mechanism 90A has an electric motor 915 attached to a connecting frame 917 of the lower member 91. The intermediate slide mechanism 90B has an electric motor 925 attached to a connecting frame 927 of the intermediate member 92. The upper slide mechanism 90C has an electric motor 935 attached to a connecting frame 937 of the upper member 93.

[0322] Figure 55 is a perspective view schematically illustrating the main configuration of the lower slide mechanism 90A. For convenience, the lower rails 14 and the upper rails 918 are omitted from Figure 55. As shown in Figure 55, a pair of left and right output shafts protruding from the electric motor 915 on the left and right sides are connected to shafts 9150 extending in the left-right direction. A screw shaft 9151 extending in the front-rear direction is rotatably supported inside the left and right upper rails 918 (not shown). The outer left and right ends of the shaft 9150 and the front end of the screw shaft 9151 are connected to a gear box 9152.

[0323] The gearbox 9152 has a worm gear built in, and the rotation of the shaft 9150 is transmitted to the screw shaft 9151 via the worm gear. A nut 9153 is fixed to the lower rail 14. The screw shaft 9151 passes through the nut 9153 and is screwed into the nut 9153. The electric motor 915 can rotate forward and backward, and when driven by the electric motor 915, the screw shaft 9151 rotates in one direction or the opposite direction, causing the screw shaft 9151 to move in the front-to-rear direction relative to the nut 9153. In other words, the screw shaft 9151 moves in the front-to-rear direction together with the upper rail 918 relative to the lower rail 14. As a result, the lower member 91 slides in the front-to-rear direction relative to the floor 1.

[0324] Although not shown, the intermediate slide mechanism 90B and the upper slide mechanism 90C are configured similarly to the lower slide mechanism 90A. The electric motor 925 is rotatable forward and reverse, and when driven by the electric motor 925, the intermediate member 92 slides in the front-rear direction relative to the lower member 91. In addition, the electric motor 935 is rotatable forward and reverse, and when driven by the electric motor 935, the upper member 93 slides in the front-rear direction together with the seat cushion 910 relative to the intermediate member 92.

[0325] As shown in Figure 53, the intermediate slide mechanism 90B and the upper slide mechanism 90C are formed to be inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal plane. More specifically, the lower rail 919 and the upper rail 928 of the intermediate slide mechanism 90B extend at a downward incline toward the rear. This allows the intermediate member 92 to move forward and upward relative to the lower member 91, or rearward and downward relative to the lower member 91. On the other hand, the lower rail 929 and the upper rail 938 of the upper slide mechanism 90C extend at an upward incline toward the rear. This allows the upper member 93 to move forward and downward relative to the intermediate member 92, or rearward and upward relative to the intermediate member 92.

[0326] Figure 56A is a side view schematically showing the configuration of the support part 90 between the floor 1 and the bottom surface 910a of the seat cushion 910. In Figure 56A, the inclined surface SF1 extending along the intermediate slide mechanism 90B and the inclined surface SF2 extending along the upper slide mechanism 90C are highlighted. As shown in Figure 56A, the inclined surface SF1 slopes downward toward the rear, and the inclined surface SF2 slopes upward toward the rear.

[0327] Although the inclined surfaces SF1 and SF2 extend in different directions, the angle of inclined surface SF1 relative to the horizontal plane (inclination angle α1) and the angle of inclined surface SF2 relative to the horizontal plane (inclination angle α2) are the same or nearly the same. Therefore, the inclined surfaces SF1 and SF2 are symmetrical or nearly symmetrical (plane-symmetrical) with respect to a reference line CL15 that passes through the middle of the inclined surfaces SF1 and SF2 and extends in the front-to-rear direction. The inclination angles α1 and α2 may be different. That is, α1 may be greater than α2, or α1 may be smaller than α2.

[0328] FIG. 56B shows a modified example of FIG. 56A . In FIG. 56B , in contrast to FIG. 56A , the inclined surface SF1 extending along the intermediate slide mechanism 90B slopes upward toward the rear, while the inclined surface SF2 extending along the upper slide mechanism 90C slopes downward toward the rear. Although the directions in which the inclined surfaces SF1 and SF2 extend are different, the angles of the inclined surfaces SF1 and SF2 relative to the horizontal plane (inclination angle α1) and the angle of the inclined surfaces SF2 relative to the horizontal plane (inclination angle α2) are the same or nearly the same. Therefore, the inclined surfaces SF1 and SF2 are symmetrical or nearly symmetrical (plane-symmetrical) with respect to the reference line CL15. The inclination angles α1 and α2 may be different. That is, α1 may be greater than α2, or α1 may be smaller than α2.

[0329] In Figures 56A and 56B, one of the inclined surfaces SF1 and SF2 slopes downward and the other slopes upward toward the rear, respectively. That is, the slopes of the inclined surfaces SF1 and SF2 are opposite to each other, but the slopes of the inclined surfaces SF1 and SF2 may be the same. Figures 57A and 57B show an example. In Figure 57A, both the inclined surfaces SF1 and SF2 extend upward toward the rear. In Figure 57B, both the inclined surfaces SF1 and SF2 extend downward toward the rear.

[0330] In Figure 57A, the inclination angle α1 of inclined surface SF1 and the inclination angle α2 of inclined surface SF2 relative to the horizontal plane are equal, and inclined surface SF1 and inclined surface SF2 are parallel. Similarly, in Figure 57B, the inclination angle α1 and the inclination angle α2 are equal, and inclined surface SF1 and inclined surface SF2 are parallel. In Figures 57A and 57B, the inclination angle α1 and the inclination angle α2 may be different. That is, α1 may be greater than α2, or α1 may be smaller than α2.

[0331] Figure 58 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the seat control device 96 that controls the operation of the seat 900. As shown in Figure 58, the seat control device 96 has an ECU 960, an operation unit 961 and electric motors 915, 925, 935, 945, and 965 that are each connected to the ECU 960. A signal from the operation unit 961 is input to the ECU 960. Although not shown, signals from position sensors that detect the current fore-aft and up-down positions of the seat 900 are also input to the ECU 960.

[0332] Various position sensors can be used, such as a linear encoder, a magnetic sensor (Hall sensor), an optical encoder, a potentiometer (variable resistor), a limit switch, etc. A sensor that detects the amount of rotation of the electric motors 915, 925, and 935 can also be used as the position sensor. The operation unit 961 has a forward / backward command switch 961a that commands forward / backward movement of the seat 900, an up / down command switch 961b that commands up / down movement, and a mode selection switch 961c that selects the seat mode of the seat 900.

[0333] The seat mode includes a normal mode and a relax mode. FIG. 53 shows an example of the normal mode, in which the seat 900 is in a normal position (also called a normal posture). The normal mode is a seat mode in which the occupant assumes a standard riding posture (normal posture). In the normal mode, the angle of the seat back 920 relative to the horizontal line (seat back tilt angle) is greater than a predetermined angle, and the occupant's face faces forward. The ottoman 940 remains stored, and the occupant's feet rest on the upper surface of the floor 1. In the relax mode, the seat back tilt angle is smaller than a predetermined angle, and the occupant's face faces diagonally upward. The ottoman 940 rotates upward, and the occupant's feet are lifted off the floor 1.

[0334] Although not shown in the figures, the left-right length of the ottoman 940 is shorter than the distance between the left and right lower frames 916, 916. For example, the right end face of the ottoman 940 is located to the left of the left end face of the right lower frame 916, and the left end face of the ottoman 940 is located to the right of the right end face of the left lower frame 916. This prevents the ottoman 940 from coming into contact with the lower frame 916. Note that the left-right length of the ottoman 940 may be longer than the distance between the left and right lower frames 916, 916.

[0335] The electric motor 915 in Figure 58 is a motor for driving a lower member that constitutes the lower slide mechanism 90A. The electric motor 925 is a motor for driving an intermediate member that constitutes the intermediate slide mechanism 90B. The electric motor 935 is a motor for driving an upper member that constitutes the upper slide mechanism 90C. The electric motor 945 is an ottoman drive motor provided on a shaft 941 of the ottoman 940, and the ottoman 940 is rotated up and down by driving the electric motor 945. The electric motor 965 is a seatback tilt motor provided on a shaft 950a of the reclining mechanism 950, and the seatback 920 is rotated forward and backward by driving the electric motor 965. The ECU 960 controls the electric motors 915, 925, 935, 945, and 965 based on signals from the position sensors so that the seat position detected by the position sensors becomes the target position corresponding to a command from the operation unit 961.

[0336] The seat 900 according to this embodiment can change its seat position from the normal position shown in Fig. 53 to various positions by driving electric motors 915, 925, 935, 945, and 965. Fig. 59A is a side view showing an example of the seat 900 positioned in a raised position higher than the normal position. When an occupant operates the up / down command switch 961b to command the seat 900 to rise, the seat 900 is raised by driving the electric motors 925 and 935 to the raised position.

[0337] Specifically, as shown in Figure 59A, the intermediate member 92 moves maximum forward relative to the lower member 91 along the intermediate slide mechanism 90B. Furthermore, the upper member 93 moves maximum rearward relative to the intermediate member 92 along the upper slide mechanism 90C. As a result, the positions of the front end faces of the lower member 91, the intermediate member 92, and the upper member 93 coincide or nearly coincide. At this time, the ECU 960 simultaneously drives the electric motors 925, 935 so that the seat 900 rises while the position of the seat 900 in the fore-and-aft direction remains unchanged. As a result, the seat cushion 910 rises maximum while the position of the seat 900 in the fore-and-aft direction remains the same as the normal position.

[0338] 59B is a side view showing an example of the seat 900 in a lowered position lower than the normal position. When the occupant operates the up / down command switch 961b to command the lowering of the seat 900, the seat 900 is lowered by the driving of the electric motors 925 and 935 to the lowered position.

[0339] Specifically, as shown in Figure 59B, the intermediate member 92 moves rearward relative to the lower member 91 along the intermediate slide mechanism 90B. Furthermore, the upper member 93 moves forward relative to the intermediate member 92 along the upper slide mechanism 90C. As a result, the positions of the rear end surfaces of the lower member 91, the intermediate member 92, and the upper member 93 coincide or nearly coincide. At this time, the ECU 960 simultaneously drives the electric motors 925, 935 so that the seat 900 rises while the position of the seat 900 in the fore-and-aft direction remains unchanged. As a result, the seat cushion 910 is lowered to its maximum extent while the position of the seat 900 in the fore-and-aft direction remains the same as the normal position.

[0340] In the lowered position, the front end of the lower member 91 and the front end of the upper member 93 are closest to each other. However, as shown in Figure 54, the upper member 93 is positioned inside the lower member 91 in the left-right direction. Therefore, in the lowered position, the lower end of the front end of the upper member 93 can be lowered below the upper end of the front end of the lower member 91 without the lower member 91 and the upper member 93 interfering with each other.

[0341] 59C is a side view showing an example of the seat 900 when it is in a forward position, which is moved forward from the normal position. When the occupant operates the forward / rearward command switch 961a to command the seat 900 to move forward, the seat 900 is driven by the electric motors 925 and 935 to move forward to the forward position.

[0342] Specifically, as shown in Figure 59C, the intermediate member 92 moves forward relative to the lower member 91 along the intermediate slide mechanism 90B. Furthermore, the upper member 93 moves forward relative to the intermediate member 92 along the upper slide mechanism 90C. As a result, the positions of the front end faces of the lower member 91 and the intermediate member 92 coincide or nearly coincide, and the positions of the rear end faces of the intermediate member 92 and the upper member 93 coincide or nearly coincide. At this time, the ECU 960 simultaneously drives the electric motors 925, 935 so that the seat 900 moves forward while the vertical position of the seat 900 remains unchanged. As a result, the seat cushion 910 moves forward to the maximum extent while the vertical position of the seat 900 remains the same as the normal position.

[0343] 60 is a side view showing an example of the state of the seat 900 in the relaxation mode, that is, when the seat 900 is in the relaxation position (also referred to as the relaxation posture). When the occupant operates the mode selection switch 961c to command the relaxation mode, the seat 900 moves rearward by the drive of the electric motors 925 and 935. Furthermore, the seat back 920 is tilted rearward by the drive of the electric motor 965, and the ottoman 940 is rotated upward by the drive of the electric motor 945, and the seat 900 moves to the relaxation position.

[0344] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 60 , the intermediate member 92 moves rearward relative to the lower member 91 along the intermediate slide mechanism 90B. Furthermore, the upper member 93 moves rearward relative to the intermediate member 92 along the upper slide mechanism 90C. As a result, the rear end surface of the lower member 91 and the rear end surface of the intermediate member 92 coincide or nearly coincide with each other, and the front end surface of the intermediate member 92 and the front end surface of the upper member 93 coincide or nearly coincide with each other. At this time, the ECU 960 simultaneously drives the electric motors 925, 935 so that the seat 900 moves backward while the vertical position of the seat 900 remains unchanged. As a result, the seat cushion 910 of the seat 900 moves rearward to the maximum extent, reaching a retracted position that is further rearward than the normal position, while the vertical position of the seat cushion 910 remains the same as the normal position.

[0345] Furthermore, in the relaxed position, the ECU drives the electric motors 945, 965 so that the seat back 920 rotates rearward via the reclining mechanism 950 and the ottoman 940 rotates upward. As a result, the occupant's feet are lifted off the floor 1, and the occupant assumes a relaxed position. At this time, the front end of the lower member 91 is positioned forward of the front end of the seat cushion 910, but the occupant's feet are supported by the ottoman 940 and positioned above the lower member 91. This prevents the occupant's feet from coming into contact with the lower member 91.

[0346] Figures 61A and 61B are side views showing an example in which seats 900 are arranged in two rows, i.e., a front row seat 900F and a rear row seat 900R. In Figure 61A, the occupant's posture is normal, while in Figure 61B, it is a relaxed posture. In Figures 61A and 61B, similar to Figure 57A, the intermediate slide mechanism 90B (inclined surface SF1) and the upper slide mechanism 90C (inclined surface SF2) of the front row seat 900F each extend rearward at an upward slope. Similarly to Figure 57B, the intermediate slide mechanism 90B (inclined surface SF1) and the upper slide mechanism 90C (inclined surface SF2) of the rear row seat 900R each extend rearward at a downward slope.

[0347] When the occupant of each seat 900F, 900R operates the mode selection switch 961c to command the normal mode, the ECU 960 controls each seat 900F, 900R to the normal posture (normal position). As shown in Figure 61A, in the normal posture, the rear end surface of the lower member 91 and the rear end surface of the upper member 93 are positioned at the same position, and the rear end surface of the intermediate member 92 is positioned forward of the rear end surfaces of the lower member 91 and the upper member 93. In this state, the feet of the occupant of the rear row seat 900R are positioned rearward of the rear end of the support portion 90 of the front row seat 900F (the rear end of the lower member 91).

[0348] On the other hand, when the occupant of each seat 900F, 900R operates the mode selection switch 961c to command the relaxation mode, the ECU 960 controls each seat 900F, 900R to a relaxation posture (relaxation position). As shown in FIG. 9B , in the relaxation posture, the intermediate member 92 of the front seat 900F is moved rearward as far as possible along the intermediate slide mechanism 90B by the drive of the electric motor 925. The upper member 93 of the front seat 900F is moved rearward as far as possible along the upper slide mechanism 90C by the drive of the electric motor 935. As a result, the front seat 900F reaches a rearward position in which the seat cushion 910 is moved rearward as far as possible. At this time, a space SPa is formed behind the lower member 91 and intermediate member 92 of the front seat 900F and behind the seat cushion 910.

[0349] Furthermore, the seat back 920 of the front seat 900F is tilted backward by the drive of the electric motor 965, and the ottoman 940 is rotated upward by the drive of the electric motor 945, so that the front seat 900F assumes a relaxed position. When transitioning from the normal position to the relaxed position, the ECU 960 simultaneously drives the electric motors 945, 965, 925, and 935 to tilt the seat back 920 backward and rotate the ottoman 940 upward while moving the seat cushion 910 backward. This allows the front seat 900F to be moved to the relaxed position in a short period of time.

[0350] Instead of simultaneously driving the electric motors 945, 965, 925, and 935, for example, the seat back 920 may be reclined and the ottoman 940 may be rotated after the seat cushion 910 has moved to the rearward position. That is, the electric motors 945 and 965 may be driven after the electric motors 925 and 935 have been driven. The electric motor 945 may be driven first to lift the occupant's feet, and then the electric motors 925 and 935 may be driven to move the seat cushion 910 rearward.

[0351] The rear seat 900R also moves to a relaxed position in the same manner as the front seat 900F. That is, the intermediate member 92 of the rear seat 900R moves rearward as far as possible along the intermediate slide mechanism 90B by driving the electric motor 925. The upper member 93 of the rear seat 900R moves rearward as far as possible along the upper slide mechanism 90C by driving the electric motor 935. As a result, the rear seat 900R reaches a rearward position in which the seat cushion 910 has moved rearward as far as possible.

[0352] Furthermore, the seat back 920 of the rear row seat 900R is tilted backward by driving the electric motor 965, and the ottoman 940 is rotated upward by driving the electric motor 945, so that the rear row seat 900R assumes a relaxed position. When transitioning from the normal position to the relaxed position, the ECU 960 simultaneously drives the electric motors 945, 965, 925, and 935 to tilt the seat back 920 backward and rotate the ottoman 940 upward while moving the seat cushion 910 rearward. Instead of simultaneously driving the electric motors 945, 965, 925, and 935, for example, the electric motor 945 may be driven first to lift the occupant's feet upward, and then the electric motors 925 and 935 may be driven to move the seat cushion 910 rearward.

[0353] When the front seat 900F and the rear seat 900R are in a relaxed position, the seat cushion 910 of the rear seat 900R is positioned lower than the seat cushion 910 of the front seat 900F. At this time, the feet of the occupant in the rear seat 900R are placed in the space SPa behind the front seat 900F. This prevents the feet of the occupant in the rear seat 900R from coming into contact with the front seat 900F, allowing the occupant in the rear seat 900R to assume an optimal relaxed position.

[0354] The ECU 960 may coordinate control of the front seat 900F and the rear seat 900R when the front seat 900F and the rear seat 900R transition from the normal position to the relaxed position. For example, the ECU 960 may start transitioning the front seat 900F to the relaxed position after the rear seat 900R has completed transitioning to the relaxed position. This prevents the feet of the occupant in the rear seat 900R from coming into contact with the front seat 900F when the front seat 900F moves. It also reduces the risk of the occupant in the rear seat 900R feeling a sense of pressure due to the movement of the front seat 900F.

[0355] This embodiment can achieve the following advantageous effects. (1) A vehicle seat (seat) 900 includes a seat cushion 910 extending substantially horizontally in the left-right direction (width direction) and the front-rear direction (length direction), a seat back 920 supported at the rear end (one end in the length direction) of the seat cushion 910 and extending in the up-down direction (height direction), and a support portion 90 supporting the seat cushion 910 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction and up-down direction relative to a floor 1 ( FIGS. 53 and 54 ). The support portion 90 includes a lower member 91 supported by the floor 1, an intermediate member 92 supported by the lower member 91 so as to be movable along an inclined surface SF1 that extends obliquely in the front-rear direction and up-down direction, and an upper member 93 supported by the intermediate member 92 so as to be movable along an inclined surface SF2 that extends obliquely in the front-rear direction and up-down direction ( FIGS. 56A , 56B , 57A , and 57B ). The seat cushion 910 is supported by the upper member 93 ( FIG. 53 ).

[0356] As a result, the intermediate member 92 is movable along the inclined surface SF1 relative to the lower member 91 in the front-rear direction and up-down direction, and the upper member 93 is movable along the inclined surface SF2 relative to the intermediate member 92. Therefore, by combining the movement of the intermediate member 92 along the inclined surface SF1 and the movement of the upper member 93 along the inclined surface SF2, the position of the seat 900 can be changed to various positions in the front-rear direction and up-down direction. A height mechanism (e.g., a link mechanism) for changing the seat height is not required, and not only the front-rear position of the seat 900 but also its height can be changed with a simple configuration that simply provides the intermediate member 92 and the upper member 93 to be movable along the pair of inclined surfaces SF1 and SF2.

[0357] (2) The support portion 90 includes an intermediate slide mechanism 90B that supports the intermediate member 92 from the lower member 91 so that it can slide along the inclined surface SF1, and an upper slide mechanism 90C that supports the upper member 93 from the intermediate member 92 so that it can slide along the inclined surface SF2 ( FIGS. 53 and 54 ). The intermediate slide mechanism 90B includes a lower rail 919 provided on the upper surface of the lower member 91 and an upper rail 928 that is provided on the lower surface of the intermediate member 92 and engages with the lower rail 919 ( FIGS. 53 and 54 ). The upper slide mechanism 90C includes a lower rail 929 provided on the upper surface of the intermediate member 92 and an upper rail 938 that is provided on the lower surface of the upper member 93 and engages with the lower rail 929 ( FIGS. 53 and 54 ). This allows the intermediate member 92 and the upper member 93 to slide along the inclined surfaces SF1 and SF2, making it possible to easily change the position of the seat 900 in the front-to-rear and up-down directions.

[0358] (3) One of the inclined surfaces SF1 and SF2 slopes upward toward the front, and the other of the inclined surfaces SF1 and SF2 slopes upward toward the rear ( FIGS. 56A and 56B ). This allows the seat 900 to move forward and backward while maintaining a constant height. Furthermore, the seat 900 can be moved up and down while maintaining a constant position in the forward and backward directions.

[0359] (4) Both the inclined surfaces SF1 and SF2 are inclined upward toward the front or rear ( FIGS. 57A and 57B ). In this case, the seat 900 can be moved forward and backward while maintaining a constant height. Furthermore, the seat 900 can be moved up and down while maintaining a constant position in the forward and backward directions.

[0360] (5) The intermediate slide mechanism 90B and the upper slide mechanism 90C are positioned so as to be offset from each other in the left-right direction ( FIG. 54 ). This allows the lower end surface of the upper member 93 to move below the upper end surface of the lower member 91 without interference between the lower member 91 and the upper member 93, thereby expanding the range of movement of the seat 900.

[0361] (6) The intermediate slide mechanism 90B further includes an electric motor 925 that moves the intermediate member 92 along the inclined surface SF1 ( FIG. 54 ). The upper slide mechanism 90C further includes an electric motor 935 that moves the upper member 93 along the inclined surface SF2 ( FIG. 54 ). The seat 900 further includes an ECU (controller) 960 that controls the electric motors 925, 935 so that the seat cushion 910 is positioned at a predetermined position in the fore-aft direction and at a predetermined position in the up-down direction ( FIG. 58 ). This allows the occupant to move the seat 900 to a desired position simply by operating a switch or the like to move the seat 900 in the fore-aft and up-down directions. Furthermore, by simultaneously driving the electric motors 925, 935, the ECU 960 can move the seat 900 up and down while maintaining a constant fore-aft position. Alternatively, the seat 900 can be moved forward and backward while maintaining a constant up-down position.

[0362] (7) The seat 900 includes a front row seat 900F and a rear row seat 900R that are spaced apart in the fore-and-aft direction (FIGS. 61A and 61B). The ECU 960 controls the electric motors 925, 935 of the front row seat 900F and the rear row seat 900R so that the vertical position of the seat cushion 910 of the front row seat 900F is different from the vertical position of the seat cushion 910 of the rear row seat 900R (FIG. 61B). This makes it easy to set the seat position so that the feet of an occupant of the rear row seat 900R do not come into contact with the front row seat 900F.

[0363] (8) The support portion 90 further includes a lower slide mechanism 90A that supports the lower member 91 on the floor 1 so that the lower member 91 can slide in the front-rear direction (FIGS. 53 and 54). This allows the seat 900 to move a large distance.

[0364] In the above embodiments (FIGS. 53 to 61B), the lower member 91 (first member) is supported on the floor 1 as a base, but the first member may be supported on the base via a height mechanism such as a four-bar link. In the above embodiments (FIGS. 53 to 61B), the seat cushion 910 is supported on the upper member 93 (third member), but the seat cushion may be supported on the third member via a height mechanism such as a four-bar link. In other words, the height mechanism may be retained rather than omitted. In the above embodiments (FIGS. 53 to 61B), the intermediate member 92 (second member) is configured to have a substantially trapezoidal shape in side view, but the second member may have a shape other than a trapezoid.

[0365] In the above embodiment ( FIGS. 53 to 61B ), the intermediate slide mechanism 90B is provided to support the intermediate member 92 slidably from the lower member 91 along the inclined surface SF1 (first inclined surface) that extends obliquely in the front-to-rear direction (length direction) and the up-down direction (height direction), and the upper slide mechanism 90C is provided to support the upper member 93 slidably from the intermediate member 92 along the inclined surface SF2 (second inclined surface). That is, the intermediate slide mechanism 90B (first slide mechanism) is provided to engage the lower rail 919 (first lower rail) on the upper surface of the lower member 91 with the upper rail 928 (first upper rail) on the lower surface of the intermediate member 92, and the upper slide mechanism 90C (second slide mechanism) is provided to engage the lower rail 929 (second lower rail) on the upper surface of the intermediate member 92 with the upper rail 938 (second upper rail) on the lower surface of the upper member 93, but the configurations of the first slide mechanism and the second slide mechanism are not limited to those described above.

[0366] In the above embodiment (FIGS. 53 to 61B), the intermediate member 92 is moved along the inclined surface SF1 by the electric motor 925 (first actuator), and the upper member 93 is moved along the inclined surface SF2 by the electric motor 935 (second actuator), but the first actuator and the second actuator may have any configuration. The ECU 960 serving as a control unit for controlling the electric motors 925, 935 may also have any configuration as long as the position of the seat 900 is changed in response to the operation of the operating unit 961.

[0367] In the above embodiment (FIGS. 61A and 61B), the front row seat 900F (first vehicle seat) and the rear row seat 900R (second vehicle seat) are configured as vehicle seats 900 each having a support portion 90, but only one of the front row seat 900F and the rear row seat 900R may be configured as a vehicle seat 900 having a support portion 90. In the above embodiment (FIGS. 53 to 61B), the lower member 91 is supported via the lower slide mechanism 90A (third slide mechanism) so as to be slidable in the front-to-rear direction relative to the floor 1, but the third slide mechanism may be omitted.

[0368] In the above embodiment (FIGS. 53 to 61B), the ottoman 940 is provided rotatably at the front end of the seat cushion 910, but the tip of the ottoman 940 may be configured to be extendable. The seat back 920 may be provided with a folding mechanism so that the seat back 920 can rotate in the front-rear direction between the upper and lower ends of the seat back 920. The seat cushion 910 may be provided with a seat angle adjustment mechanism to adjust the angle of the seating surface 914.

[0369] In the above embodiment (FIGS. 53 to 61B), the lower end of the support portion 90 is supported by the floor 1. However, if the support portion 90 protrudes upward from the floor 1, it may hinder the movement of passengers inside the vehicle. Therefore, to facilitate the movement of passengers inside the vehicle, at least a portion of the support portion 90 may be disposed below the floor 1. Such a vehicle will be described below with reference to FIGS. 62 to 67.

[0370] Fig. 62 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of the main components of a vehicle (car) 10C, and Fig. 63 is a front view. Similar to Fig. 61B, Fig. 62 shows a front row seat 900F and a rear row seat 900R. The seat 900 is in a relaxed position corresponding to the relaxation mode. Fig. 63 shows two seats 900 (a driver's seat 900D and a passenger seat 900P) arranged side by side.

[0371] As shown in Figures 62 and 63, a pair of left and right recesses 951, 951 (a total of four recesses 951) of a predetermined depth are provided in the floor 1 below the left and right seats 900. The recesses 951 are configured by a support frame 952 on the bottom surface and front, rear, left and right side walls 953 rising from the edges of the support frame 952, forming a generally box-shaped storage space SP0. The lower rails 14 of the lower slide mechanism 90A are provided on the upper surface of the support frame 952. The lower frame 916 of the support part 90 is disposed in the storage space SP0. Upper rails 918 on the bottom surface of the lower frame 916 are slidably engaged with the lower rails 14.

[0372] As shown in Figure 63, the width (left-right length) of the recess 951 is greater than the width of the lower frame 916. Note that in Figure 63, the left-right positions of the lower frame 916 and the upper frame 936 of the support portion 90 are the same, but as in Figure 54, the left-right positions of the lower frame 916 and the upper frame 936 may be different from each other. As shown in Figure 62, the length (front-rear length) of the recess 951 is longer than the length from the front end of the lower rail 14 of the front row seat 900F to the rear end of the lower rail 14 of the rear row seat 900R. More specifically, the length of the recess 951 is set taking into account the maximum amount of front-rear movement of the support portion 90 so that the recess 951 does not interfere with the support portion 90.

[0373] A portion of the opening 951a above the recess 951, i.e., a portion above the front end of the recess 951 and a portion above the middle portion of the recess 951 in the front-to-rear direction, is covered with a lid 955. The lid 955 is provided in a position where it does not interfere with the support portion 90. Specifically, the lid 955a is provided in front of the front row seat 900F, and the lid 955b is provided in front of the rear row seat 900R and behind the front row seat 900F. Covering a portion of the opening 951a with the lid 955 allows the occupant to place their feet on the upper surface of the lid 955.

[0374] The lid 955 may be configured to be movable in the front-rear direction along the floor 1. For example, as shown in FIG. 64 , which is a plan view of the lid 955, the front lid 955a may be elongated in the front-rear direction and supported so as to be movable in the front-rear direction along the floor 1. A support portion 1d provided on the bottom surface of the floor 1 may be connected to the rear end of the lid 955a by a spring 959, so that the lid 955a is constantly biased rearward. In this case, a stopper 958 may be provided on the bottom surface of the floor 1 to limit the rearward movement of the lid 955a. With this configuration, when the support portion 90 moves forward and the support portion 90 (e.g., the intermediate member 92) comes into contact with the front end of the lid 955a, the lid 955a is pushed forward against the biasing force of the spring 959. This allows the lid 955a to be provided close to the support portion 90, making the lid 955a larger and allowing the lid 955 to cover a wide opening 951a of the recess 951. The lid 955b may also be configured to be movable in the front-rear direction.

[0375] 62 and 63 , a generally box-shaped space SP11 is formed below the seat 900 between the support frame 952 and the bottom frame 954 of the vehicle body. The space SP11 extends in the front-to-rear direction from the front end to the rear end of the recess 951, and also extends in the left-to-right direction from the right end face of the right recess 951 to the left end face of the left recess 951 of the pair of left and right recesses 951. A thin battery BT1 that is generally rectangular in plan view is stored in the space SP11.

[0376] As shown in Figure 62, in front of and behind the seat 900, between the floor 1 and the bottom frame 954, there are formed generally box-shaped spaces SP21 that are elongated in the left-right direction from the right end to the left end of the vehicle body. Each space SP21 houses a battery BT2 that is generally rectangular in plan view. The battery BT2 is longer in the up-down direction than the battery BT1.

[0377] As shown in Figure 63, on the left and right sides of the seat 900, i.e., to the right of the driver's seat 900D, to the left of the passenger's seat 900P, and to the left of the driver's seat 900D and to the right of the passenger's seat 900P, approximately box-shaped spaces SP31 that are elongated in the front-to-rear direction are formed between the floor 1 and the bottom frame 954. Each space SP31 houses a battery BT3 that is approximately rectangular in plan view. Battery BT3 is longer in the up-down direction than battery BT1.

[0378] In this way, the lower end of the support portion 90 is disposed in the storage space SP0 of the recess 951 in the floor 1, which reduces the area of ​​the support portion 90 that protrudes from the floor 1, thereby preventing the support portion 90 from interfering with the movement of occupants within the vehicle cabin. Furthermore, since the batteries BT1, BT2, and BT3 are disposed in the space SP11 below the recess 951 and in the spaces SP21 and SP31 on the front, rear, left, and right sides of the recess 951, if the vehicle 10C is, for example, an electric vehicle, these batteries can supply sufficient power.

[0379] Figures 65 and 66 are a side view and a front view, respectively, of a vehicle 10C showing a modification of Figures 62 and 63. In Figures 65 and 66, the recess 951 is deeper than those in Figures 62 and 63, and a larger area of ​​the support portion 90 is accommodated in the recess 951. The entire support portion 90 can also be accommodated in the recess 951. If the seat cushion 910 of the seat 900 or the feet of the occupant interfere with the floor 1, the cyber angle of the seat 900 (the angle between the horizontal plane and the seat cushion 910) may be changed. For example, the seat cushion 910 may be tilted in the direction of the arrow in Figure 67 to increase the cyber angle as shown by the dotted line.

[0380] In the example of Figures 65 and 66, as shown in Figure 66, a substantially box-shaped space SP41 surrounded by a support frame 952 and a sidewall 953 is formed between the left and right recesses 951, 951 of each seat 900F, 900P. The space SP41 is elongated in the front-to-rear direction, and various items 956 can be stored in the space SP41. For example, an entrance for inserting and removing the item 956 can be provided at the front or rear of the space SP41, and the item 956 can be inserted into or removed from the space SP41 through the entrance. The item 956 may be inserted and removed by moving the seat 900 in the front-to-rear direction.

[0381] This embodiment can further achieve the following advantageous effects: (1) A vehicle (car) 10C having a seat 900 has a floor 1 that extends substantially horizontally, and the support portion 90 is disposed below the floor 1 (FIGS. 62 to 65). This reduces the area of ​​the support portion 90 that protrudes from the floor 1, thereby preventing the movement of occupants within the vehicle cabin from being impeded.

[0382] (2) The upper end of the lower member 91 is positioned below the floor 1 (FIGS. 62 to 65). This prevents the feet of an occupant sitting in the seat 900 from coming into contact with the lower member 91.

[0383] (3) The vehicle 10C includes a support frame 952 and side walls 953 that form a recessed storage space SP0 in the floor 1 to house the support part 90, and a lid 955 that extends along the floor 1 and covers a portion of the opening 951a in the top surface of the storage space SP0 ( FIGS. 62 and 64 ). This prevents the feet of occupants or luggage from falling into the storage space SP0.

[0384] (4) The vehicle 10C further includes batteries disposed under the floor 1. The batteries include a battery BT1 disposed under the seat 900 and batteries BT2 and BT3 disposed on the sides of the seat 900 (FIGS. 62 to 65). This allows many batteries to be mounted on the vehicle 10C, enabling a sufficient supply of power to the vehicle (e.g., an electric vehicle).

[0385] (5) The support unit 90 has a pair of frame portions spaced apart in the left-right direction, i.e., a pair of left and right lower frames 916, 916, a pair of left and right intermediate frames 926, 926, and a pair of left and right upper frames 936 ( FIG. 63 ). A space SP41 for storing an article 956 is formed between the pair of left and right frame portions ( FIG. 65 ). This allows the space below the seat 900 to be used effectively.

[0386] (6) The seat 900 further includes an ottoman 940 (FIGS. 62 and 64) that is rotatably supported at the front end of the seat cushion 910 so as to hold the occupant's feet above the floor 1. This prevents the occupant's feet from interfering with the floor 1.

[0387] In the above embodiment ( FIGS. 62 and 65 ), the lid 955 partially covers the opening 951 a on the top surface of the recess 951. However, the location of the lid is not limited to the above, as long as it is positioned so as not to interfere with the movement of the support member 90. The lid 955 may cover the entire opening 951 a. A cutout corresponding to the outer shape of the support member 90 may be formed in the lid 955 (lid portion). In the above embodiment ( FIGS. 62 and 63 ), the base that supports the seat 900, i.e., the support frame 952, is provided on the bottom surface of the recess 951, and the height of the base is the same for each of the seats 900F, 900R, 900D, and 900P. However, the height of the base may be different for each of the seats 900F, 900R, 900D, and 900P.

[0388] In the above embodiment ( FIG. 62 ), the support frame 952 and the sidewall 953 form the storage space SP0 for storing the support portion 90, but the configuration of the storage space forming portion is not limited to the above. In the above embodiment ( FIGS. 62 and 63 ), the battery is disposed below the floor 1. More specifically, the battery BT1 (first power storage device) is disposed below the seat 900, and the batteries BT2 and BT3 (second power storage devices) are disposed on the sides (front, rear, left, and right) of the seat 900, but the arrangement of the power storage devices is not limited to the above. In the above embodiment ( FIG. 66 ), the storage space SP41 for the item 956 is formed between a pair of left and right frame portions of the support portion 90, i.e., between the pair of left and right lower frames 916, 916, the pair of left and right intermediate frames 926, 926, and the pair of left and right upper frames 936, 936. However, the storage space may be formed in another position.

[0389] While the above describes an example in which the vehicle seat 900 is applied to a vehicle, the vehicle seat can also be applied to vehicles other than vehicles, such as aircraft and ships. The vehicle seat 900 described above can be modified to become the vehicle seat 100 shown in FIG. 1A . That is, of the pair of left and right side ends of a pair of left and right vehicle seats 900, 900, an end face of a side end (first side end) on the other side in the left-right direction (e.g., left side) of the seat cushion 910 of the seat 900 on one side in the left-right direction (e.g., the right side) may be positioned to one side in the left-right direction (e.g., the left side) of an end face of a side end (second side end) on one side in the left-right direction (e.g., the right side) of the seat cushion 910 of the seat 800 on the other side in the left-right direction (e.g., the left side), and a relief portion may be provided in at least one of a rear end of the first side end and a front end of the second side end to prevent interference between the first side end and the second side end.

[0390] The above description is merely an example, and the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment and modifications as long as the features of the present invention are not impaired. One or more of the above-described embodiment and modifications can be arbitrarily combined, and modifications can also be combined with each other.

[0391] 1 Floor, 2 Front window, 10 Small vehicle, 10B Vehicle, 11 Front wheel, 11b Front end surface, 12a Rear end surface, 20 Support portion, 21, 22 Link, 25F Front upper rail, 25R Rear upper rail, 50 Flying object, 90 Support portion, 91 Lower member, 92 Intermediate member, 93 Upper member, 100 Vehicle seat, 101 Driver's seat, 102 Passenger seat, 103 Auxiliary seat, 110 Seat cushion, 114 Notch, 115L Lower rail, 120 Seat back, 135 Recess, 161 Side wall, 162 Front wall, 163 Upper wall, 200 Vehicle seat, 210 Seat cushion, 214 Seating surface, 216 Bottom surface, 220 Seat back, 221 Central frame, 222 Divided seat back, 224 Seating surface, 226 Rear surface, 300 Vehicle seat, 320 Seat back, 323 Upholstery, 352 Vibration actuator, 327 Permanent magnet, 356 Permanent magnet, 400 Vehicle seat, 410 Seat cushion, 420 Seat back, 424 Seating surface, 420F Front portion, 420R Rear portion, 421 Seat back frame, 425 Mesh member, 440 Front plate, 450 Rear plate, 500 Aircraft body, 500a Cabin, 507 Bottom portion, 510 Vehicle seat, 515 Floor, 700 Seat, 710 Seat cushion, 720 Seat back, 721 Front link, 800 Vehicle seat, 900 Vehicle seat, 910 Seat cushion, 920 Seat back

Claims

1. A vehicle seat having a seat cushion and a seat back and to be mounted on a vehicle, comprising: a first seat having a first seat cushion and a first seat back; and a second seat having a second seat cushion and a second seat back, and disposed diagonally rearward of the first seat, wherein a rear end of the first seat cushion is located rearward of a front end of the second seat cushion, the first seat cushion and the second seat cushion each have a pair of left and right side ends, an end face of a first side end of the pair of left and right side ends of the first seat cushion that is on the second seat side in the left-right direction is located to the one side in the left-right direction of an end face of a second side end of the pair of left and right side ends of the second seat cushion that is on the other side in the left-right direction of the first seat, and a relief portion is provided in at least one of the rear end of the first side end and the front end of the second side end to prevent interference between the first side end and the second side end.

2. A vehicle seat as described in claim 1, characterized in that the relief portion has a notch provided in at least one of the rear end of the first side end and the front end of the second side end.

3. A vehicle seat as described in claim 1 or 2, further comprising a third seat arranged rearward of the first seat and on the other left-right side of the second side end of the second seat.

4. A vehicle seat according to claim 3, characterized in that the width of the third seat in the left-right direction is narrower than the width of the first seat in the left-right direction.

5. A vehicle seat as described in claim 4, characterized in that the floor of the vehicle on which the third seat is installed is provided with a concave storage section in which the third seat can be stored when the third seat is not in use.

6. A vehicle seat as described in claim 1 or 2, further comprising a plurality of left and right rails for a first seat extending in the front-rear direction on the upper surface of the floor of the vehicle and supporting the first seat so that it can move in the front-rear direction; and a plurality of left and right rails for a second seat extending in the front-rear direction on the upper surface of the floor and supporting the second seat so that it can move in the front-rear direction, wherein a portion of the plurality of left and right rails for a first seat and a portion of the plurality of left and right rails for a second seat are identical.

7. A vehicle seat as described in claim 1, characterized in that the vehicle seat is transformable from a use position in which a user can be seated to a non-use position in which the user cannot be seated, and the seat back is configured so that the width of the seat back in the non-use position is narrower than the width of the seat back in the use position.

8. A vehicle seat according to claim 7, further comprising a rotation device that supports the seat cushion so that the seat cushion can rotate about an axis extending in the vertical direction.

9. A vehicle seat as described in claim 1, comprising: a vibration actuator that drives a vibrator built into at least one of the seat cushion and the seat back; a cover that forms a seating surface on which a user sits; a first permanent magnet arranged on the back side of the cover; and a second permanent magnet that is attached to the surface of the vibrator and vibrates when driven by the vibration actuator, wherein the second permanent magnet is arranged within a range in which it interacts with the first permanent magnet.

10. A vehicle seat as described in claim 1, wherein the vehicle seat is mounted on an aircraft having an aircraft body having a cabin in which a plurality of vehicle seats on which passengers can be seated are mounted, and a propulsion device that generates thrust, the vehicle seat is rotatably supported on the bottom of the aircraft body so that the vehicle seat can be changed between a first position corresponding to a first mode for transporting passengers and a second position corresponding to a second mode for transporting cargo, and in the first position, the vehicle seat is erected on the upper surface of the cabin floor, and in the second position, the vehicle seat is stored below the floor.

11. A vehicle seat as described in claim 1, wherein at least one of the seat cushion and the seat back has a surface portion having a seating surface on which an occupant sits, a back portion opposite the seating surface, and a support portion supporting edges of the surface portion and the back portion so that the surface portion and the back portion face each other across an internal space, the surface portion having a mesh-like surface member that constitutes the seating surface, and the back portion having a movable member that operates to connect or block communication between the internal space and the space outside the back portion.

12. A vehicle seat as described in claim 1, further comprising a support part that supports the seat cushion so as to be movable in the fore-and-aft direction and in the up-and-down direction from a base, the support part comprising: a first moving body arranged to be slidable in the fore-and-aft direction relative to the base; a second moving body arranged to be slidable in the fore-and-aft direction relative to the base and to the rear of the first moving body so as to be movable in the fore-and-aft direction relative to the first moving body; a first link member having one end and the other end supported by the first moving body and the seat cushion so as to be rotatable in the fore-and-aft direction, respectively; and a second link member having one end and the other end supported by the second moving body and the seat cushion so as to be rotatable in the fore-and-aft direction, respectively, rearward of the first link member.

13. A vehicle seat as described in claim 1, wherein the vehicle seat is mounted on a vehicle facing a windshield of the vehicle having left and right front wheels, and the vehicle is equipped with: a space forming portion that is forward and below the windshield and that forms excess space in front of the vehicle seat, into which the vehicle seat can move; and a support portion that supports the vehicle seat so that the vehicle seat can be moved from a first position where a front end of the vehicle seat is located rearward of the center of the front wheels to a second position where the front end is located forward of the center of the front wheels.

14. A vehicle seat as described in claim 1, wherein the seat cushion extends substantially horizontally in the width direction and the length direction, of the width direction, length direction and height direction which are perpendicular to each other, the seat back is supported at one end of the seat cushion in the length direction and extends in the height direction, the vehicle seat further comprises a support portion which supports the seat cushion movably in the length direction and the height direction relative to a base, the support portion having a first member supported on the base, a second member movably supported on the first member along a first inclined surface which extends obliquely in the length direction and the height direction, and a third member movably supported on the second member along a second inclined surface which extends obliquely in the length direction and the height direction, and the seat cushion is supported by the third member.

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