Vehicle seat

Abstract

The present invention provides a vehicle seat that has high usability. The present invention comprises a seat cushion 12 that is positioned in front of a rear wheel house 111 of a vehicle and supports the buttocks and thighs of a passenger, a seat back 13 that supports the back of the passenger, a reclining mechanism 14 that tilts the seat back 13 relative to the seat cushion 12, and a raising / lowering mechanism 15 that can raise / lower the seat cushion 12 in the vertical direction relative to a vehicle floor surface. When the reclining mechanism 14 is changing the seat arrangement toward a fallen-back state in which the seat back 13 has fallen backward, the raising / lowering mechanism 15 raises the seat cushion 12 in the vertical direction in association with the tilting of the seat back 13 into the fallen-back state such that the seat back 13 is positioned above the rear wheel house 111 where there is no interference with the rear wheel house 111. The seat back 13 has an armrest on one side.

Description

Vehicle seats

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

[0002] It is known that in vehicle seats for the rear seats of a vehicle, the seat backs of the rear seats can be tilted backward to be as nearly horizontal as possible (hereinafter, sometimes simply referred to as a flat state) (see, for example, Patent Document 1). By changing the seat arrangement to such a flat state, it becomes possible to use the interior of the vehicle more spaciously.

[0003] Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2-76533

[0004] However, in Patent Document 1, when attempting to fold back the seat back of a rear seat, a portion of the seat back (side back 13 in Figures 1 and 2 of Patent Document 1) interferes with the rear wheel house of the vehicle (tire house 4 in Figures 1 and 2 of Patent Document 1). For this reason, in Patent Document 1, only this portion and the remaining portion of the seat back that can be separated (center back 12 in Figures 1 and 2 of Patent Document 1) can be placed in a flat state. In other words, in Patent Document 1, the entire seat back cannot be placed in a completely flat state, and the vehicle interior cannot be used to its fullest extent.

[0005] Thus, further improvements are required to improve the usability of rear vehicle seats.

[0006] In view of the above circumstances, the present invention aims to realize a vehicle seat that is highly usable, and in particular, to provide a vehicle seat that allows for wide use of the rear space of the vehicle after the seat arrangement is transformed into a completely flat state.

[0007] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides the following vehicle seat.

[0008] [1] A vehicle seat for a rear seat of a vehicle, comprising: a seat cushion positioned in front of a rear wheel house of the vehicle and supporting the buttocks and thighs of an occupant; a seat back supporting the back of the occupant; a reclining mechanism that tilts the seat back relative to the seat cushion; and a lifting mechanism that can raise and lower the seat cushion along a vertical direction relative to a vehicle floor surface, the lifting mechanism raising the seat cushion along the vertical direction in conjunction with the tilting of the seat back to the rearward tilted state when the seat arrangement is transformed by the reclining mechanism toward a rearward tilted state so that the seat back is positioned above the rear wheel house avoiding interference with the rear wheel house, and the seat back has an armrest on one side thereof on which the occupant's arm is placed when supporting the back of the occupant.

[0009] [2] The vehicle seat according to [1], wherein a plurality of the vehicle seats are arranged side by side independently of each other along the vehicle width direction, and each of the plurality of lifting mechanism units lifts and lowers the seat cushion to be lifted and lowered independently of each other.

[0010] [3] The vehicle seat according to [1] or [2], wherein the armrest is rotatable about an end of the armrest as a rotation axis between an upright state in which the armrest protrudes in a direction intersecting with the surface of the seatback that extends opposite the back of the occupant, and a non-upright state in which the armrest extends along the surface of the seatback, and the seatback further has a groove-shaped armrest storage groove portion that can store the armrest in the non-upright state.

[0011] [4] The vehicle seat according to [3], wherein the armrest has a shade storage section capable of storing a shade that functions as a partition or sunshade inside the vehicle.

[0012] [5] The vehicle seat according to [3], wherein the armrest has an attachment mounting portion at a tip end for mounting a predetermined attachment.

[0013] [6] The vehicle seat according to [3], wherein the armrest storage groove has a power supply port at the bottom for supplying power to an electronic device.

[0014] [7] A vehicle seat for a rear seat of a vehicle, comprising: a seat cushion located in front of a rear wheel house of the vehicle and supporting the buttocks and thighs of an occupant; a seat back that supports the back of the occupant; a reclining mechanism that tilts the seat back relative to the seat cushion; and a lifting mechanism that can raise and lower the seat cushion in a vertical direction relative to a vehicle floor surface, the lifting mechanism raising the seat cushion in the vertical direction in conjunction with the tilting of the seat back to the rearward-tilting state when the seat arrangement is transformed by the reclining mechanism toward a rearward-tilting state in which the seat back is tilted backward so that the seat back is positioned above the rear wheel house avoiding interference with the rear wheel house, wherein the seat cushion has a cushion bank portion that occupies one side of the seat cushion and that can be rotated around a rear end portion of the cushion bank portion as a rotation axis, separate from the rest of the seat cushion excluding the cushion bank portion.

[0015] [8] The vehicle seat according to [7], wherein a plurality of the vehicle seats are arranged side by side independently of each other along the vehicle width direction, and each of the plurality of lifting mechanism units lifts and lowers the seat cushion to be lifted and lowered independently of each other.

[0016] [9] The vehicle seat according to [7] or [8], wherein the seat cushion further has a rotation position fixing mechanism that fixes the rotation position when the cushion bank portion is separated from the remaining portion of the seat cushion and rotates.

[0017]

[10] The vehicle seat described in [9], wherein the seat back has a protruding portion on the side of the seat back located in the rotation direction of the cushion bank portion, which abuts against the rotated cushion bank portion to prevent further rotation of the cushion bank portion, and the cushion bank portion is rotatable between a non-rotating state in which it occupies one side of the seat cushion in a state aligned with the remaining part of the seat cushion, and an abutting state in which it abuts against the protruding portion of the seat back.

[0018]

[11] A vehicle seat for a rear seat of a vehicle, comprising: a seat cushion positioned in front of a rear wheel house of the vehicle and supporting the buttocks and thighs of an occupant; a seat back supporting the back of the occupant; a reclining mechanism that tilts the seat back relative to the seat cushion; and a lifting mechanism that can raise and lower the seat cushion along a vertical direction relative to a vehicle floor surface, the lifting mechanism raising the seat cushion along the vertical direction in conjunction with the tilting of the seat back to the rearward tilted state when the seat arrangement is transformed by the reclining mechanism toward a rearward tilted state in which the seat back is tilted backward so that the seat back is positioned above the rear wheel house avoiding interference with the rear wheel house; and wherein the seat cushion or the seat back is provided with: a shade storage section that can store a shade that functions as a partition or sunshade inside the vehicle; and an engaging portion that supports the shade by engaging with a part of the shade in an unfolded state when the shade is unfolded and used as a partition or sunshade inside the vehicle.

[0019]

[12] The vehicle seat according to

[11] , wherein a plurality of the vehicle seats are arranged side by side independently of each other along the vehicle width direction, and each of the plurality of lifting mechanism units lifts and lowers the seat cushion to be lifted and lowered independently of each other.

[0020]

[13] The vehicle seat according to

[11] or

[12] , wherein the seat cushion has a cushion bank portion that occupies one side of the seat cushion and is rotatable around a rear end of the cushion bank portion as a rotation axis, separately from the rest of the seat cushion excluding the cushion bank portion, and the cushion bank portion has the shade storage portion.

[0021]

[14] The vehicle seat according to

[13] , wherein the shade storage section is capable of storing a shade having a foldable framework as the shade.

[0022]

[15] A vehicle seat for a rear seat of a vehicle, comprising: a seat cushion located in front of a rear wheel house of the vehicle and supporting the buttocks and thighs of an occupant; a seat back supporting the back of the occupant; a reclining mechanism that tilts the seat back relative to the seat cushion; a lifting mechanism that can raise and lower the seat cushion in a vertical direction relative to a vehicle floor surface, and that, when the seat arrangement is transformed by the reclining mechanism toward a rearward-tilted state in which the seat back is tilted backward, raises the seat cushion in the vertical direction in conjunction with the tilting of the seat back toward the rearward-tilted state so that the seat back is positioned above the rear wheel house avoiding interference with the rear wheel house; and a sensor installed on the seating surface of at least one of the seat cushion and the seat back, wherein the sensor functions as a human detection sensor that can detect an occupant in the space behind the vehicle after the seat back is transformed into a seat arrangement in which the seat back is tilted backward.

[0023]

[16] The vehicle seat described in

[15] , wherein a plurality of the vehicle seats are arranged side by side independently of each other along the vehicle width direction, and each of the plurality of lifting mechanism units lifts and lowers the seat cushion to be lifted and lowered independently of each other.

[0024]

[17] The vehicle seat according to

[15] or

[16] , wherein the sensor functions as a biosensor capable of acquiring biometric information of the seated occupant when the reclining mechanism transforms the seat back into a seat arrangement in which the seat back is inverted relative to the vehicle floor surface.

[0025]

[18] The vehicle seat according to

[15] or

[16] , wherein the user is a child.

[0026]

[19] The vehicle seat according to

[15] or

[16] , further comprising a detection information transmitting unit that transmits detection information of the detected occupant to the inside of the vehicle and / or the outside of the vehicle.

[0027]

[20] A vehicle seat for a rear seat of a vehicle, comprising: a seat cushion located in front of a rear wheel house of the vehicle and supporting the buttocks and thighs of an occupant; a seat back supporting the back of the occupant; a reclining mechanism that tilts the seat back relative to the seat cushion; a lifting mechanism that can raise and lower the seat cushion in a vertical direction relative to a vehicle floor surface, the lifting mechanism raising the seat cushion in the vertical direction in conjunction with the tilting of the seat back to the rearward-tilting state when the seat arrangement is transformed by the reclining mechanism toward a rearward-tilting state in which the seat back is tilted backward so that the seat back is positioned above the rear wheel house avoiding interference with the rear wheel house; and an air conditioning mechanism that has a plurality of air vents provided on a seating surface of the seat back, an air passage that communicates with the air vents and allows conditioned air to flow, and an air conditioning fan that communicates with the air passage and generates the conditioned air in the air passage.

[0028]

[21] The vehicle seat according to

[20] , wherein a plurality of the vehicle seats are arranged side by side independently of each other along the vehicle width direction, and each of the plurality of lifting mechanism units lifts and lowers the seat cushion to be lifted and lowered independently of each other.

[0029]

[22] The vehicle seat according to

[20] or

[21] , wherein the air conditioning fan is installed near a corner of a seat back frame that constitutes the seat back.

[0030]

[23] The vehicle seat according to

[20] or

[21] , wherein the air conditioning fan is either an intake fan or the exhaust fan.

[0031]

[24] The vehicle seat according to

[20] or

[21] , wherein the air passage has an air passage groove provided inside the seat back and connecting the air vent and the air conditioning fan, and a groove cover covering the air passage groove from a back surface of the seat back facing the seating surface.

[0032]

[25] A vehicle seat for a rear seat of a vehicle, comprising: a seat cushion positioned in front of a rear wheel house of the vehicle and supporting the buttocks and thighs of an occupant; a seat back supporting the back of the occupant; a reclining mechanism that tilts the seat back relative to the seat cushion; and a lifting mechanism that can raise and lower the seat cushion along a vertical direction relative to a vehicle floor surface, the lifting mechanism lifting the seat cushion along the vertical direction in conjunction with the tilting of the seat back to the rearward tilted state when the seat arrangement is transformed by the reclining mechanism toward a rearward tilted state in which the seat back is tilted backward so that the seat back is positioned above the rear wheel house avoiding interference with the rear wheel house. a seat back support part that has a pivot shaft part attached to a rear part of the seat back, and a support leg part attached to the pivot shaft part so as to be freely rotatable, and is formed so as to be deformable into a folded form in which the support leg part is folded along the rear part, and an unfolded form in which the support leg part is unfolded from the rear part, and that supports the seat back from below with the support leg part in the unfolded form.

[0033]

[26] The vehicle seat according to

[25] , wherein a plurality of the vehicle seats are arranged side by side independently of each other along the vehicle width direction, and each of the plurality of lifting mechanism units lifts and lowers the seat cushion to be lifted and lowered independently of each other.

[0034]

[27] The vehicle seat according to

[25] or

[26] , wherein the seat back support portion further includes a support leg fixing portion that fixes the support leg portion in the folded state.

[0035]

[28] The vehicle seat according to

[20] or

[21] , wherein the seat back support portion further includes a support leg lock release mechanism portion that releases the fixation of the support legs by the support leg fixation portion in conjunction with the deformation of the seat back into the seat arrangement in which the seat back is tilted backward by the reclining mechanism portion.

[0036] According to the invention described in [1], the seat cushion has a lifting mechanism that can raise and lower the seat cushion vertically relative to the vehicle floor surface. When the seat back is tilted backward by the reclining mechanism to change the seat arrangement, the lifting mechanism can be used to adjust the height of the seat cushion to a position where the seat back does not interfere with the rear wheel. As a result, the heights of the seat cushion and the seat back can be made consistent, eliminating any unevenness. This allows the seat arrangement to be changed to a completely flat position (full flat position), maximizing the use of the rear space of the vehicle after the change.

[0037] According to the invention described in [2], the height of adjacent rear seats can be changed relative to each other, and for example, the height of the seat cushion can be adjusted so that it is at eye level with a parent and child lying down.

[0038] According to the invention described in [3], the armrest can be conveniently switched between standing and retracted as needed.

[0039] According to the invention described in [4], there is no need to prepare a separate place to store the shade when not in use, which contributes to saving space inside the vehicle.

[0040] According to the invention described in [5], it is possible to facilitate the use of a predetermined attachment that an occupant desires to use in a vehicle interior that has become spacious due to the seat arrangement in the backward position.

[0041] According to the invention described in [6], when the armrest is erected and there is space in the armrest storage groove, electronic devices that need to be charged, such as smartphones, can be placed in that space and connected to the power port for charging. This eliminates the need to secure a separate place to store electronic devices while charging, contributing to space savings inside the vehicle.

[0042] According to the invention described in [7], the seat cushion has a lifting mechanism that can raise and lower the seat cushion vertically relative to the vehicle floor. When the seat back is tilted backward by the reclining mechanism to change the seat arrangement, the lifting mechanism can be used to adjust the height of the seat cushion to a position where the seat back does not interfere with the rear wheel. As a result, the heights of the seat cushion and the seat back can be made consistent, eliminating any unevenness. This allows the seat arrangement to be changed to a completely flat position (full-flat position), maximizing the use of the rear space of the vehicle after the change. In addition, by rotating the cushion bank, the cushion bank can function as an armrest on which the occupant's arms rest when the seat cushion supports the occupant's buttocks and thighs.

[0043] According to the invention described in [8], the height of adjacent rear seats can be changed relative to each other, and for example, the height of the seat cushion can be adjusted so that it is at eye level with a parent and child lying down.

[0044] According to the invention described in [9], the posture of the cushion bank portion is stabilized.

[0045] According to the invention described in

[10] , the posture of the cushion bank portion is further stabilized.

[0046] According to the invention described in

[11] , the seat cushion has a lifting mechanism that can raise and lower the seat cushion vertically relative to the vehicle floor surface. When the seat back is tilted backward by the reclining mechanism to change the seat arrangement, the lifting mechanism can be used to adjust the height of the seat cushion to a position where the seat back does not interfere with the rear wheel. As a result, the heights of the seat cushion and the seat back can be made consistent, eliminating any unevenness. This allows the seat arrangement to be changed to a completely flat position (full-flat position), maximizing the use of the rear space of the vehicle after the change. For example, in the full-flat position, if a shade stored in the shade storage compartment is unfolded and partially engaged with the engagement portion to support the shade, the space covered by the shade can be maximized.

[0047] According to the invention described in

[12] , the height of adjacent rear seats can be changed relative to each other, and for example, the height of the seat cushion can be adjusted so that the eye levels of a parent and child lying down are the same.

[0048] According to the invention described in

[13] , when the seat cushion supports the occupant's buttocks and thighs, the cushion bank functions as an armrest on which the occupant's arms rest, eliminating the need for a separate armrest. Furthermore, by providing a shade storage compartment in the cushion bank, there is no need to provide a separate place to store the shade when not in use. This further saves space inside the vehicle.

[0049] According to the invention described in

[14] , the presence of a skeleton stabilizes the shape of the shade when it is unfolded and in use. However, although the presence of a skeleton in the shade makes the shade bulky when stored, if the skeleton is foldable and can be stored in the shade storage section, this does not affect the space-saving effect of the shade storage section in the vehicle.

[0050] According to the invention described in

[15] , a lifting mechanism is provided that can raise and lower the seat cushion vertically relative to the vehicle floor surface. When the seat back is tilted backward by the reclining mechanism to change the seat arrangement, the lifting mechanism can be used to adjust the height of the seat cushion to a position where the seat back does not interfere with the rear wheel. As a result, the heights of the seat cushion and the seat back can be made consistent, with almost no step. This allows the seat arrangement to be changed to a completely flat position (full flat position), maximizing the use of the rear space of the vehicle after the change.

[0051] In addition, when the seat back is transformed into the above-mentioned rearward seating arrangement, sensors installed on the seat cushion and / or the seating surface of the seat back can detect whether or not a passenger is using the rear space of the vehicle after the transformation, making it easy to determine whether or not a passenger is in the rear space of the vehicle.

[0052] According to the invention described in

[16] , the height of adjacent rear seats can be changed relative to each other, making it easier to adjust the height of the seat cushion so that the eye levels of a parent and child lying down are the same.

[0053] According to the invention described in

[17] , when the seat back is in the inverted position, it can function as a biosensor that acquires biometric information. This makes it possible to acquire biometric information such as the heart rate of a passenger seated in the rear seat while the vehicle is moving, and the sensor can switch its function depending on the position of the seat back (reclining position or inverted position).

[0054] According to the invention described in

[18] , children are detected as users, which makes it easier for parents and guardians to recognize the presence of children playing or lying down in the rear space of the vehicle based on the detection information.

[0055] According to the invention described in

[19] , it is possible to transmit detection information regarding the presence or absence of a user using the rear space of the vehicle from the detection information transmitter to the inside or outside of the vehicle as an electric signal, thereby notifying, for example, a parent or guardian seated in the driver's seat inside the vehicle or a parent or guardian outside the vehicle of the situation in the rear space of the vehicle.

[0056] According to the invention described in

[20] , a lifting mechanism is provided that can raise and lower the seat cushion vertically relative to the vehicle floor surface. When the seat back is tilted backward by the reclining mechanism to change the seat arrangement, the lifting mechanism can be used to adjust the height of the seat cushion to a position where the seat back does not interfere with the rear wheel. As a result, the heights of the seat cushion and the seat back can be made consistent, with almost no step. This allows the seat arrangement to be changed to a completely flat position (full flat position), maximizing the use of the rear space of the vehicle after the change.

[0057] In addition, by providing an air conditioning mechanism, when the seat back is transformed into the above-mentioned rearward seat arrangement, conditioned air can be ventilated in the rear space of the vehicle, improving user comfort.

[0058] According to the invention described in

[21] , the height of adjacent rear seats can be changed relatively, making it easier to adjust the height of the seat cushion so that, for example, the eye levels of a parent and child lying down are at the same height.

[0059] According to the invention described in

[22] , the air conditioning fan of the air conditioning mechanism is mounted near the corner of the seat back frame. This allows it to be mounted in a highly rigid location that does not get in the way of the occupant, making it possible to stably fix it, and making it easier to suppress vibrations and noise even when the air conditioning fan is operating.

[0060] According to the invention described in

[23] , either the intake fan or the exhaust fan can be used as an air conditioning fan, and the direction of ventilation in the rear space of the vehicle can be set as desired, improving user comfort.

[0061] According to the invention described in

[24] , an air passage in the air conditioning mechanism is formed by a combination of the air passage groove and the groove cover, allowing conditioned air to circulate inside the seat back.

[0062] According to the invention described in

[25] , a lifting mechanism is provided that can raise and lower the seat cushion vertically relative to the vehicle floor surface. When the seat back is tilted backward by the reclining mechanism to change the seat arrangement, the lifting mechanism can be used to adjust the height of the seat cushion to a position where the seat back does not interfere with the rear wheel. As a result, the heights of the seat cushion and the seat back can be made consistent, with almost no step. This allows the seat arrangement to be changed to a completely flat position (full flat position), maximizing the use of the rear space of the vehicle after the change.

[0063] In addition, when the seat back is transformed into the above-mentioned rearward seat arrangement by the seat back support portion, the support legs deployed in the deployed configuration can support the seat back from below. That is, one end of the support legs deployed in the deployed configuration comes into contact with the vehicle floor, thereby improving the load-bearing capacity of the seat back (vehicle seat) in the completely flat configuration. This allows the rear space of the vehicle to be used for a wider range of purposes.

[0064] According to the invention described in

[26] , the height of adjacent rear seats can be changed relatively, making it easier to adjust the height of the seat cushion so that, for example, the eye levels of a parent and child lying down are at the same height.

[0065] According to the invention described in

[27] , the seat back support portion has a support leg fixing portion that fixes the support leg in a folded state. By fixing the support leg in a folded state folded along the back portion of the seat back, it is possible to restrict the rotation and displacement of the support leg during normal driving, i.e., when the seat back is in an inverted state, and to suppress the occurrence of vibrations, etc.

[0066] According to the invention described in

[28] , the support legs can be transformed from the folded state to the unfolded state by a support leg unlocking mechanism that releases the support legs from the support leg fixing parts in conjunction with the transformation of the seat back into the seat arrangement in a backward-tilting state. In other words, when tilting the seat back using the reclining mechanism, the support legs that have been fixed in the folded state are unlocked without any special operation, making it possible to easily transition to the unfolded state in which the support legs are unfolded, improving user comfort.

[0067] 13 is a diagram schematically illustrating the configuration of a vehicle seat according to an embodiment of the present invention, from the front. FIG. 14 is a diagram schematically illustrating the configuration of the vehicle seat of FIG. 1 from the side. FIG. 15 is a diagram schematically illustrating the effect of this embodiment. FIG. 16 is a diagram for explaining the function of an armrest in this embodiment. FIG. 16 is a diagram schematically illustrating the configuration of a vehicle seat according to an embodiment of the present invention, from the front. FIG. 17 is a diagram schematically illustrating the configuration of the vehicle seat of FIG. 5 from the side. FIG. 18 is a diagram schematically illustrating the effect of this embodiment. FIG. 19 is a diagram schematically illustrating the function of a cushion bank in this embodiment. FIG. 19 is a diagram schematically illustrating the effect of this embodiment. FIG. 19 is a diagram schematically illustrating the configuration of a vehicle seat according to an embodiment of the present invention, from the front. FIG. 19 is a diagram schematically illustrating the configuration of the vehicle seat of FIG. 10 from the side. FIG. 19 is a diagram schematically illustrating the effect of this embodiment. FIG. 20 is a diagram schematically illustrating a shade storage section in this embodiment. FIG. 21 is a diagram schematically illustrating a state in which the shade stored in the shade storage section of FIG. 13 is used in a manner surrounding the occupant in the full-flat state of FIG. 12. FIG. 16 is a diagram schematically illustrating the configuration of the vehicle seat of FIG. 15 from a side view. FIG. 17 is a diagram schematically illustrating the effect of this embodiment. FIG. 18 is a diagram schematically illustrating the configuration of the vehicle seat of FIG. 16 from a side view. FIG. 19 is a diagram schematically illustrating the effect of this embodiment. FIG. 20 is a diagram schematically illustrating an air passage groove portion. FIG. 21 is a diagram schematically illustrating a cross section of a seat back. FIG. 22 is a diagram schematically illustrating the configuration of a vehicle seat of one embodiment of the present invention from a front view. FIG. 23 is a diagram schematically illustrating the configuration of a back portion of the seat back. FIG. 24 is a diagram schematically illustrating the effect of this embodiment.

[0068] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments, and that appropriate design changes and improvements may be made based on the ordinary knowledge of those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0069] [First embodiment] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic front view of the configuration of a vehicle seat 11 according to one embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic side view of the configuration of the vehicle seat 11 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a diagram showing a schematic view of the effect of this embodiment.

[0070] The vehicle seat 11 is a vehicle seat for use in the rear seat of a vehicle, and includes a seat cushion 12 , a seat back 13 , a reclining mechanism 14 , and a lifting mechanism 15 .

[0071] The seat cushion 12 is located in front of the rear wheel housing 111 of the vehicle and is a part of the vehicle seat 11 that supports the buttocks and thighs of the occupant. The seat cushion 12 has a cushion main body 121 made of a cushioning material that absorbs shock when the occupant sits on it, and a cushion frame 122 made of a rigid material that supports the cushion main body 121 from the inside.

[0072] The seat back 13 is a part of the vehicle seat 11 that supports the back of the occupant. Similar to the seat cushion 12, the seat back 13 has a seat back main body 131 made of a cushioning material that absorbs shock, and a seat back frame 132 made of a rigid material that supports the seat back main body 131 from within. The seat back 13 is connected to the rear end of the seat cushion 12 via a reclining mechanism 14, which will be described later.

[0073] The reclining mechanism 14 is a part of the vehicle seat 11 that tilts the seat back 13 relative to the seat cushion 12. The reclining mechanism 14 also functions to connect the seat back 13 to the rear end of the seat cushion 12.

[0074] The lifting mechanism 15 is a part of the vehicle seat 11 that can raise and lower the seat cushion 12 in the vertical direction (the up-and-down direction in FIGS. 1 and 2 ) relative to the vehicle floor surface 114. When the reclining mechanism 14 changes the seat arrangement toward a rearward-tilted state in which the seat back 13 is tilted backward, the lifting mechanism 15 lifts the seat cushion 12 in the vertical direction in conjunction with the tilting of the seat back 13 toward the rearward-tilted state so that the seat back 13 is positioned above the rear wheel house 111 and avoids interference with the rear wheel house 111. More specifically, in FIG. 2 , the lifting mechanism 15 lifts the seat cushion 12 together with the seat back 13 connected to the rear end of the seat cushion 12 in the direction B in conjunction with the seat back 13 rotating in the direction A in the figure and approaching the rearward-tilted state.

[0075] In this specification, the term "reclined state" means that the seat back 13 is in a state that is nearly horizontal relative to the vertical direction. Furthermore, in this specification, the term "linked to tilting toward the reclined state" means that the movement is linked to the tilting of the seat back 13 after the seat back 13 has tilted and approached a predetermined level of the reclined state, in other words, after the seat back 13 has rotated to a predetermined angle relative to the seat cushion 12. In other words, the seat cushion 12 does not start rising simply when the upward-facing seat back 13 shown by the solid line in FIG. 2 is slightly tilted backward. In fact, the lifting mechanism 15 can lift the seat cushion 12 in direction B while maintaining the upward position of the seat back 13 shown by the solid line in FIG. 2 (i.e., without tilting the seat back 13).

[0076] The lifting mechanism 15 is connected to a cushion frame 122 in the seat cushion 12, and uses a gear mechanism (not shown) that transmits the rotational driving force of a motor or the like to push up the cushion frame 122 in the direction B in the figure, thereby achieving the upward movement of the seat cushion 12. As such a gear mechanism, a conventional seat height adjusting device mechanism such as those disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 2006-182039 and 2001-138780 can be used. In this case, the interlocking mechanism may be, for example, a mechanism in which, when the seat back 13 is rotated beyond the predetermined angle, a switch of the rotational driving source such as the motor is turned on and the rotational driving force is transmitted to the gear mechanism.

[0077] In this embodiment, the lifting mechanism 15 uses such a gear mechanism, but the present invention may also use a lifting mechanism that uses other lifting mechanisms, such as a hydraulic or pneumatic lifting mechanism.

[0078] FIG. 3 shows the vehicle seat 11 in a seating arrangement before the seat back 13 is tilted backward, i.e., in a seating arrangement in which the seat back 13 is in an "inverted state" relative to the vehicle floor surface 114 (or in a "normal seating arrangement"), indicated by dotted lines. Furthermore, the vehicle seat 11 in a seating arrangement in a tilted state is indicated by solid lines, vertically above the position of the vehicle seat 11 indicated by the dotted lines and above the rear wheel well 111. As the seat back 13 approaches the tilted state, the seat cushion 12 rises, allowing the seat back 13 to be connected to the seat cushion 12 in a horizontal, linear manner without any step while avoiding interference with the rear wheel well 111, as shown in FIG. 3 . In this case, unlike Patent Document 1, the entire seat back 13 is in a completely flat state. As a result, as shown in FIG. 3 , it is possible to maximize the use of the rear space 17 of the vehicle interior, allowing the occupant to lie prone inside the vehicle, thereby realizing a highly usable vehicle seat.

[0079] Here, it is preferable that a plurality of vehicle seats 11 are arranged in parallel and independent of one another along the vehicle width direction, and that each of the plurality of lifting mechanisms 15 lifts and lowers the seat cushion 12 to be lifted and lowered independently of one another.

[0080] In this preferred embodiment, in a normal seat arrangement, the height of adjacent rear seats can be changed relative to one another to allow the eye levels of people of different builds (such as a parent and child) to match. Furthermore, when placing a child seat (junior car seat) on the rear seat, the height of the child seat can be adjusted directly to the desired position without the need for a separate cushion or other means to raise the child seat height.

[0081] The armrest of the seat back 13 will now be described.

[0082] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram for explaining the function of the armrest 16 in this embodiment.

[0083] In the vehicle seat 11 of this embodiment, the seat back 13 has an armrest 16 on the side of the seat back 13 on which the occupant's arms rest when supporting the occupant's back, i.e., when the occupant sits in the vehicle seat 11 in the normal seat arrangement.

[0084] Here, as shown in Figure 4, it is preferable that the armrest 16 be rotatable around the end of the armrest 16 as a rotation axis between an upright state in which it protrudes in a direction intersecting with the surface of the seat back 13 that extends opposite the back of the occupant, and a non-upright state in which it extends along the surface of the seat back 13, and that the seat back 13 further has a groove-shaped armrest storage groove portion 16a that can store the armrest 16 in the non-upright state.

[0085] This configuration allows the armrest 16 to be conveniently switched between an upright position (the position of the armrest 16 shown in FIG. 4 ) and a stowed position as needed. When the armrest 16 is upright in the normal seating arrangement, it fulfills its original function as an armrest, that is, a place for the occupant to rest their arms. Meanwhile, when the armrest 16 is upright in the reclined seating arrangement shown in FIG. 4 , it fulfills a specific, convenient function (described below) in the spacious vehicle interior in addition to its original function. When such a specific function is not required, the armrest 16 can be stored in the armrest storage groove 16 a, preventing the presence of the armrest 16 from interfering with the effective use of the vehicle interior space. FIGS. 1 to 3 show the state of the vehicle seat when the armrest 16 is stored in the armrest storage groove 16 a.

[0086] As the rotation mechanism of the armrest 16, for example, a conventionally known rotation mechanism such as the mechanism of the reclining mechanism 14 that tilts the seat back 13 can be adopted.

[0087] In the above-described preferred embodiment, it is further preferable that the armrest 16 has a shade storage section 18 capable of storing a shade (not shown) that functions as a partition or sunshade inside the vehicle.

[0088] According to this configuration, there is no need to prepare a separate place to store the shade when not in use, which contributes to saving space inside the vehicle.

[0089] In the above-described preferred embodiment, it is further preferable that the armrest 16 has an attachment mounting portion 19 at its tip for mounting a predetermined attachment (not shown).

[0090] According to this configuration, a specific attachment that the occupant desires to use in the vehicle interior, which has become more spacious due to the seat arrangement in the reclined position, can be attached to the tip of the armrest 16 in the upright position and used.

[0091] Here, simple examples of the predetermined attachment include a wall hanging with a pocket for storing small items, a hanger for hanging towels, a wall calendar, and other items that are used for hanging. In this case, the attachment mounting portion 19 may be, for example, a hook-shaped mounting member or a pinch-shaped mounting member for holding small items, or may even be a simple screw.

[0092] Furthermore, by providing the attachment mounting portion 19 with not only a physical mounting function but also a power supply function, it becomes possible to extend the above-mentioned specific attachment to a power-consuming appliance or device. For example, the attachment mounting portion 19 can be used as both a physical mounting portion and a power supply portion for small electronic appliances such as lighting and small display devices that display images, which are examples of the above-mentioned specific attachment.

[0093] In the above description, the function of the armrest 16 has been described, but the armrest storage groove portion 16a in which the armrest 16 is stored may have the same function.

[0094] For example, in the above-described preferred embodiment, it is further preferable that the armrest storage groove 16a has a power supply port 110 at the bottom for supplying power to the electronic device.

[0095] 4, when the armrest 16 is erected and there is space in the armrest storage groove 16a, an electronic device that needs to be charged, such as a smartphone, can be placed in that space and charged by connecting it to the power supply port 110. This eliminates the need to secure a separate place to store the electronic device when charging, contributing to space savings inside the vehicle.

[0096] The above is a description of the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0097] In the above embodiment, the vehicle seat 11 for the rear seat of a vehicle has been described, but the term "rear seat" here simply means a seat behind the driver's seat. Therefore, in the case of a vehicle in which multiple seats are lined up in the direction of travel of the vehicle (for example, in the case of a long and narrow vehicle such as a bus), the present invention can be applied to seats other than the rearmost seat.

[0098] [Second embodiment] Fig. 5 is a diagram showing a schematic front view of the configuration of a vehicle seat 21 according to one embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 6 is a diagram showing a schematic side view of the configuration of the vehicle seat 21 of Fig. 5, and Fig. 7 is a diagram showing a schematic view of the effect of this embodiment.

[0099] The vehicle seat 21 is a vehicle seat for use in the rear seat of a vehicle, and includes a seat cushion 22 , a seat back 23 , a reclining mechanism 24 , and a lifting mechanism 25 .

[0100] The seat cushion 22 is a part of the vehicle seat 21 that is located in front of the rear wheel house 211 of the vehicle and supports the buttocks and thighs of the occupant. The seat cushion 22 has a cushion main body 221 made of a cushioning material that absorbs shock when the occupant sits on it, and a cushion frame 222 made of a rigid material that supports the cushion main body 221 from the inside.

[0101] The seat back 23 is a part of the vehicle seat 21 that supports the back of the occupant. Similar to the seat cushion 22, the seat back 23 has a seat back main body 231 made of a cushioning material that absorbs shock, and a seat back frame 232 made of a rigid material that supports the seat back main body 231 from within. The seat back 23 is connected to the rear end of the seat cushion 22 via a reclining mechanism 24, which will be described later.

[0102] The reclining mechanism 24 is a part of the vehicle seat 21 that tilts the seat back 23 relative to the seat cushion 22. The reclining mechanism 24 also functions to connect the seat back 23 to the rear end of the seat cushion 22.

[0103] The lifting mechanism 25 is a part of the vehicle seat 21 that can raise and lower the seat cushion 22 in the vertical direction (the up-and-down direction in FIGS. 5 and 6 ) relative to the vehicle floor surface 214. When the reclining mechanism 24 changes the seat arrangement toward a rearward-tilted state in which the seat back 23 is tilted backward, the lifting mechanism 25 lifts the seat cushion 22 in the vertical direction in conjunction with the tilting of the seat back 23 toward the rearward-tilted state so that the seat back 23 is positioned above the rear wheel house 211 and avoids interference with the rear wheel house 211. More specifically, in FIG. 6 , the lifting mechanism 25 lifts the seat cushion 22 together with the seat back 23 connected to the rear end of the seat cushion 22 in the direction B in conjunction with the seat back 23 rotating in the direction A in the figure and approaching the rearward-tilted state.

[0104] In this specification, the term "reclined state" means that the seat back 23 is in a state that is nearly horizontal relative to the vertical direction. Furthermore, in this specification, the term "linked to tilting toward the reclined state" means that the movement is linked to the tilting of the seat back 23 after the seat back 23 has tilted and approached a predetermined level of the reclined state, in other words, after the seat back 23 has rotated to a predetermined angle relative to the seat cushion 22. In other words, the seat cushion 22 does not start to rise simply when the upward-facing seat back 23 shown by the solid line in FIG. 6 is slightly tilted backward. In fact, the lifting mechanism 25 can lift the seat cushion 22 in direction B while maintaining the upward position of the seat back 23 shown by the solid line in FIG. 6 (i.e., without tilting the seat back 23).

[0105] The lifting mechanism 25 is connected to a cushion frame 222 in the seat cushion 22, and uses a gear mechanism (not shown) that transmits the rotational driving force of a motor or the like to push up the cushion frame 222 in direction B in the figure, thereby achieving the upward movement of the seat cushion 22. As such a gear mechanism, a conventional seat height adjusting device mechanism such as those disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 2006-182039 and 2001-138780 can be used. In this case, the interlocking mechanism may be, for example, a mechanism in which, when the seat back 23 is rotated beyond the predetermined angle, a switch of the rotational driving source such as the motor is turned on and the rotational driving force is transmitted to the gear mechanism.

[0106] In this embodiment, the lifting mechanism 25 uses a lifting mechanism with such a gear mechanism, but the present invention may also use a lifting mechanism using other lifting mechanisms, such as a lifting mechanism using hydraulic pressure or air pressure.

[0107] FIG. 7 shows the vehicle seat 21 in a seating arrangement before the seat back 23 is tilted backward, i.e., in a seating arrangement in which the seat back 23 is in an "inverted state" relative to the vehicle floor surface 214 (or in a "normal seating arrangement"), indicated by dotted lines. Furthermore, the vehicle seat 21 in a seating arrangement in a tilted state is indicated by solid lines, vertically above the position of the vehicle seat 21 indicated by the dotted lines and above the rear wheel house 211. As the seat back 23 approaches the tilted state, the seat cushion 22 rises, allowing the seat back 23 to be connected to the seat cushion 22 in a horizontal, linear manner without any step while avoiding interference with the rear wheel house 211, as shown in FIG. 7 . In this case, unlike Patent Document 1, the entire seat back 23 is in a completely flat state. As a result, as shown in FIG. 7 , it is possible to maximize the use of the rear space 27 of the vehicle interior, allowing the occupant to lie prone inside the vehicle, thereby realizing a highly usable vehicle seat.

[0108] Here, it is preferable that a plurality of vehicle seats 21 are arranged in parallel and independent of one another along the vehicle width direction, and that each of the plurality of lifting mechanisms 25 lifts and lowers the seat cushion 22 to be lifted and lowered independently of one another.

[0109] In this preferred embodiment, in a normal seat arrangement, the height of adjacent rear seats can be changed relative to one another to allow the eye levels of people of different builds (such as a parent and child) to match. Furthermore, when placing a child seat (junior car seat) on the rear seat, the height of the child seat can be adjusted directly to the desired position without the need for a separate cushion or other means to raise the child seat height.

[0110] The cushion bank portion of the seat cushion 22 will be described below.

[0111] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram for explaining the function of the cushion bank portion 26 in this embodiment, and FIG. 9 is a diagram for schematically showing the effect of this embodiment.

[0112] In the vehicle seat 21 of this embodiment, the seat cushion 22 has a cushion bank portion 26 that occupies one side of the seat cushion 22. This cushion bank portion is rotatable about its rear end portion as a rotation axis, separated from the rest of the seat cushion 22 excluding the cushion bank portion.

[0113] By rotating in this manner, the cushion bank portion 26 functions as an armrest on which the occupant's arms rest when the seat cushion 22 supports the occupant's buttocks and thighs. As a result, there is no need to provide a separate armrest, which contributes to space saving inside the vehicle.

[0114] 8, the seat cushion 22 has a bank rotation mechanism 29 that separates and rotates the cushion bank 26 from the remaining portion of the seat cushion 22. As the bank rotation mechanism 29, for example, a conventionally known rotation mechanism such as the reclining mechanism 24 that tilts the seat back 23 can be used.

[0115] In this case, it is preferable that the seat cushion 22 further includes a rotation position fixing mechanism that fixes the rotation position when the cushion bank portion 26 is separated from the rest of the seat cushion 22 and rotates.

[0116] This configuration stabilizes the posture of the cushion bank portion 26. In particular, this stabilized posture improves the function of the cushion bank portion 26 as an armrest. Here, a conventionally known pivot position fixing mechanism can be used as the pivot position fixing mechanism. For example, as shown in FIG. 8 , a pivot position fixing mechanism may be used that includes a locking pin 29a that is inserted into the bank portion pivot mechanism 29 to prevent the bank portion pivot mechanism 29 from pivoting the cushion bank portion 26, and a strip 29b connected to the locking pin 29a. In this case, the locking pin 29a is inserted by the occupant to fix the pivot position of the cushion bank portion 26. Furthermore, the occupant pulls the strip 29b, thereby removing the locking pin 29a from the bank portion pivot mechanism 29, thereby releasing the fixation of the pivot position of the cushion bank portion 26 by the locking pin 29a and allowing the cushion bank portion 26 to pivot.

[0117] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 5, 8 and 9, it is preferable that the seat back 23 has a protruding portion 23a on the side of the seat back 23 located in the rotation direction of the cushion bank portion 26, which abuts against the rotated cushion bank portion 26 and prevents further rotation of the cushion bank portion 26.

[0118] According to this configuration, the presence of the protruding portion 23 a further stabilizes the posture of the cushion bank portion 26. In this case, the cushion bank portion 26 is rotatable in the directions of the double arrows in FIG. 8 between a non-rotating state (the state of the cushion bank portion 26 shown by the dotted line in FIG. 8 ) in which the cushion bank portion 26 occupies one side of the seat cushion 22 in a state aligned with the rest of the seat cushion 22, and an abutting state (the state of the cushion bank portion 26 shown by the solid line in FIG. 8 ) in which the cushion bank portion 26 abuts against the protruding portion 23 a of the seat back 23.

[0119] In particular, the cushion bank portion 26 that is close to the abutting state can function not only as a simple armrest but also as a backrest for the occupant as shown in Fig. 9. When used as a backrest for the occupant, the load on the cushion bank portion 26 is greater than when used simply as an armrest, so the stabilization of the posture of the cushion bank portion 26 by the presence of the overhanging portion 23a is particularly useful.

[0120] The protruding portion 23a of the seat back 23 thus regulates the angular range within which the cushion bank portion 26 can be rotated, but because the seat back 23 can be tilted up to a backward position, the angular range within which the cushion bank portion 26 can be rotated also changes depending on the tilt state of the seat back 23. For example, in the normal seat arrangement, the cushion bank portion 26 can be rotated within an angular range of approximately 0° to 90°, but in the backward seat arrangement, the cushion bank portion 26 can be rotated within an angular range of approximately 0° to 180°.

[0121] The above is the description of the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0122] In the above embodiment, the vehicle seat 21 for the rear seat of a vehicle has been described, but the term "rear seat" here simply means a seat behind the driver's seat. Therefore, in the case of a vehicle in which multiple seats are lined up in the direction of travel of the vehicle (for example, in the case of a long and narrow vehicle such as a bus), the present invention can be applied to seats other than the rearmost seat.

[0123] [Third embodiment] Figure 10 is a diagram showing a schematic front view of the configuration of a vehicle seat 31 according to one embodiment of the present invention, Figure 11 is a diagram showing a schematic side view of the configuration of the vehicle seat 31 of Figure 10, and Figure 12 is a diagram showing a schematic view of the effect of this embodiment.

[0124] The vehicle seat 31 is a vehicle seat for use in the rear seat of a vehicle, and includes a seat cushion 32 , a seat back 33 , a reclining mechanism 34 , and a lifting mechanism 35 .

[0125] The seat cushion 32 is a part of the vehicle seat 31 that is located in front of the rear wheel house 311 of the vehicle and supports the buttocks and thighs of the occupant. The seat cushion 32 has a cushion main body 321 made of a cushioning material that absorbs shock when the occupant sits on it, and a cushion frame 322 made of a rigid material that supports the cushion main body 321 from the inside.

[0126] The seat back 33 is a part of the vehicle seat 31 that supports the back of the occupant. The seat back 33 has a seat back main body 331 made of a cushioning material that absorbs shock, similar to the seat cushion 32, and a seat back frame 332 made of a rigid material that supports the seat back main body 331 from within. The seat back 33 is connected to the rear end of the seat cushion 32 via a reclining mechanism 34, which will be described later.

[0127] The reclining mechanism 34 is a part of the vehicle seat 31 that tilts the seat back 33 relative to the seat cushion 32. The reclining mechanism 34 also functions to connect the seat back 33 to the rear end of the seat cushion 32.

[0128] The lifting mechanism 35 is a part of the vehicle seat 31 that can raise and lower the seat cushion 32 in the vertical direction (the up-and-down direction in FIGS. 10 and 11 ) relative to the vehicle floor surface 314. When the reclining mechanism 34 changes the seat arrangement toward a rearward-tilted state in which the seat back 33 is tilted backward, the lifting mechanism 35 lifts the seat cushion 32 in the vertical direction in conjunction with the tilting of the seat back 33 toward the rearward-tilted state so that the seat back 33 is positioned above the rear wheel house 311 and avoids interference with the rear wheel house 311. More specifically, in FIG. 11 , the lifting mechanism 35 lifts the seat cushion 32 together with the seat back 33 connected to the rear end of the seat cushion 32 in the direction B in conjunction with the seat back 33 rotating in the direction A in the figure and approaching the rearward-tilted state.

[0129] In this specification, the term "reclined backward" means that the seat back 33 is in a state that is nearly horizontal relative to the vertical direction. Furthermore, in this specification, the term "linked to the tilting toward the reclined backward state" means that the movement is linked to the tilting of the seat back 33 after the seat back 33 has tilted and approached a predetermined level of the reclined state, in other words, after the seat back 33 has rotated to a predetermined angle relative to the seat cushion 32. In other words, the seat cushion 32 does not start to rise simply when the upward-facing seat back 33 shown by the solid line in FIG. 11 is slightly tilted backward. In fact, the lifting mechanism 35 can lift the seat cushion 32 in direction B while maintaining the upward position of the seat back 33 shown by the solid line in FIG. 11 (i.e., without tilting the seat back 33).

[0130] The lifting mechanism 35 is connected to a cushion frame 322 in the seat cushion 32, and uses a gear mechanism (not shown) that transmits the rotational driving force of a motor or the like to push up the cushion frame 322 in direction B in the figure, thereby achieving the upward movement of the seat cushion 32. As such a gear mechanism, a conventional seat height adjusting device mechanism such as those disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 2006-182039 and 2001-138780 can be used. In this case, the interlocking mechanism may be, for example, a mechanism in which, when the seat back 33 is rotated beyond the predetermined angle, a switch of the rotational driving source such as the motor is turned on and the rotational driving force is transmitted to the gear mechanism.

[0131] In this embodiment, the lifting mechanism 35 uses such a gear mechanism, but the present invention may also use a lifting mechanism that uses other lifting mechanisms, such as a hydraulic or pneumatic lifting mechanism.

[0132] FIG. 12 shows the vehicle seat 31 in a seating arrangement before the seat back 33 is tilted backward, i.e., in a seating arrangement in which the seat back 33 is in an "inverted state" relative to the vehicle floor surface 314 (or in a "normal seating arrangement"), indicated by dotted lines. Furthermore, the vehicle seat 31 in a seating arrangement in a tilted state is indicated by solid lines, vertically above the position of the vehicle seat 31 indicated by the dotted lines and above the rear wheel housing 311. As the seat back 33 approaches the tilted state, the seat cushion 32 rises, allowing the seat back 33 to be connected to the seat cushion 32 in a horizontal, linear manner without any step while avoiding interference with the rear wheel housing 311, as shown in FIG. 12 . In this case, unlike Patent Document 1, the entire seat back 33 is in a completely flat state. As a result, as shown in FIG. 12 , it is possible to maximize the use of the rear space 37 of the vehicle interior, allowing the occupant to lie prone inside the vehicle, thereby realizing a highly usable vehicle seat.

[0133] Here, it is preferable that a plurality of vehicle seats 31 are arranged side by side independently of one another along the vehicle width direction, and that each of the plurality of lifting mechanisms 35 lifts and lowers the seat cushion 32 to be lifted and lowered independently of one another.

[0134] In this preferred embodiment, in a normal seat arrangement, the height of adjacent rear seats can be changed relative to one another to allow the eye levels of people of different builds (such as a parent and child) to match. Furthermore, when placing a child seat (junior car seat) on the rear seat, the height of the child seat can be adjusted directly to the desired position without the need for a separate cushion or other means to raise the child seat height.

[0135] The shade storage portion and the engagement portion of the seat cushion 32 or the seat back 33 will be described below.

[0136] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram for explaining the shade storage section 38 in this embodiment, and Figure 14 is a schematic diagram showing the shade 310 stored in the shade storage section 38 of Figure 13 being used in a manner that surrounds the occupant in the full flat state of Figure 12.

[0137] In the vehicle seat 31 of this embodiment, the seat cushion 32 or the seat back 33 has a shade storage section 38 capable of storing a shade 310 shown in Fig. 14 that functions as a partition or sunshade inside the vehicle, as shown in Fig. 13. The seat cushion 32 or the seat back 33 also has engagement sections 312, 313 that engage with a part of the shade 310 in the unfolded state to support the shade 310 when the shade 310 is unfolded and used as a partition or sunshade inside the vehicle, as shown in Fig. 14.

[0138] With this configuration, for example, as shown in Figure 14, when the shade 310 stored in the shade storage section 38 is unfolded in a fully flat state and a part of it is engaged with the engagement sections 312, 313 to support the shade 310, the space covered by the shade can be expanded to the maximum.

[0139] Here, as shown in Figure 13, the seat cushion 32 has a cushion bank portion 36 that occupies one side of the seat cushion 32, and the cushion bank portion 36 can be separated and rotated from the remaining part of the seat cushion 32 excluding the cushion bank portion 36, with the rear end of the cushion bank portion 36 serving as a rotation axis, and it is preferable that the cushion bank portion 36 has a shade storage portion 38 that can store a shade 310 that functions as a partition or sunshade inside the vehicle.

[0140] With this configuration, when the seat cushion 32 supports the occupant's buttocks and thighs, the cushion bank 36 functions as an armrest on which the occupant's arms rest, eliminating the need for a separate armrest. Furthermore, by providing the shade storage section 38 in the cushion bank 36, there is no need to provide a separate space for storing the shade 310 when not in use. This further reduces space inside the vehicle.

[0141] Note that Figure 13 shows, as an example, a configuration in which the seat cushion 32 (more precisely, the cushion bank portion 36 of the seat cushion 32) has a shade storage portion 38, but the present invention may also be configured so that the seat back has a shade storage portion.

[0142] 13, the seat cushion 32 has a bank rotation mechanism 39 that separates and rotates the cushion bank 36 from the remaining portion of the seat cushion 32. As the bank rotation mechanism 39, for example, a conventionally known rotation mechanism such as the reclining mechanism 34 that tilts the seat back 33 can be used.

[0143] In this case, it is preferable that the seat cushion 32 further includes a rotation position fixing mechanism that fixes the rotation position when the cushion bank portion 36 is separated from the rest of the seat cushion 32 and rotates.

[0144] This configuration stabilizes the posture of the cushion bank 36. In particular, this stabilized posture improves the function of the cushion bank 36 as an armrest. Here, a conventionally known pivot position fixing mechanism can be used as the pivot position fixing mechanism. For example, as shown in FIG. 13 , a pivot position fixing mechanism may be used that includes a locking pin 39a that is inserted into the bank pivot mechanism 39 to prevent the bank pivot mechanism 39 from pivoting the cushion bank 36, and a strip 39b connected to the locking pin 39a. In this case, the locking pin 39a is inserted by the occupant to fix the pivot position of the cushion bank 36. Furthermore, the occupant pulls the strip 39b, thereby removing the locking pin 39a from the bank pivot mechanism 39, thereby releasing the fixation of the pivot position of the cushion bank 36 by the locking pin 39a and allowing the cushion bank 36 to rotate.

[0145] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 10 and 13, it is preferable that the seat back 33 has a protruding portion 33a on the side of the seat back 33 located in the rotation direction of the cushion bank portion 36, which abuts against the rotated cushion bank portion 36 and prevents further rotation of the cushion bank portion 36.

[0146] According to this configuration, the presence of the protruding portion 33a further stabilizes the posture of the cushion bank portion 36. In this case, the cushion bank portion 36 is rotatable in the direction of the double arrow in Fig. 13 between a non-rotating state (the state of the cushion bank portion 36 shown by the dotted line in Fig. 13 ) in which the cushion bank portion 36 occupies one side of the seat cushion 32 in a state aligned with the rest of the seat cushion 32, and an abutting state (the state of the cushion bank portion 36 shown by the solid line in Fig. 13 ) in which the cushion bank portion 36 abuts against the protruding portion 33a of the seat back 33.

[0147] The protruding portion 33a of the seat back 33 is responsible for restricting the angular range in which the cushion bank portion 36 can be rotated, but because the seat back 33 can be tilted up to a backward position, the angular range in which the cushion bank portion 36 can be rotated also changes depending on the tilt state of the seat back 33. For example, in the normal seat arrangement, the cushion bank portion 36 can be rotated in an angle range of approximately 0° to 90°, but in the backward seat arrangement, the cushion bank portion 36 can be rotated in an angle range of approximately 0° to 180°.

[0148] The shade 310 will be described in more detail below.

[0149] 14, the seat cushion 32 has an engagement portion 312, and the seat back 33 has an engagement portion 313. In addition to these two engagement portions 312 and 313, an engagement portion 316 is also provided on the ceiling of the vehicle. Although not shown in FIG. 14, a further engagement portion may be provided on the wall of the vehicle, for example, on a quarter trim box on the wall side.

[0150] In this way, by providing a plurality of engaging portions at a plurality of locations inside the vehicle and engaging with parts of the shade 310, the position of the shade 310 can be stabilized. For example, the shade 310 can be used in a tent shape.

[0151] In this case, it is preferable that the shade storage section 38 be capable of storing a shade 310 having a foldable framework 315 .

[0152] According to this configuration, the shape of the shade 310 when unfolded for use is stabilized by the presence of the skeleton 315. However, although the presence of the skeleton 315 in the shade 310 makes the shade 310 bulky when stored, if the skeleton 315 is foldable and can be stored in the shade storage section 38, this does not affect the space-saving effect inside the vehicle achieved by the shade storage section.

[0153] The above is the description of the third embodiment of the present invention.

[0154] In the above embodiment, the vehicle seat 31 for the rear seat of a vehicle has been described, but the term "rear seat" here simply means a seat behind the driver's seat. Therefore, in the case of a vehicle in which multiple seats are lined up in the direction of travel of the vehicle (for example, in the case of a long and narrow vehicle such as a bus), the present invention can be applied to seats other than the rearmost seat.

[0155] [Fourth embodiment] Fig. 15 is a diagram showing a schematic front view of a configuration of a vehicle seat 41 according to one embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 16 is a diagram showing a schematic side view of the configuration of the vehicle seat 41 in Fig. 15, and Fig. 17 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of the effect of this embodiment. Note that in Figs. 15-17, some components are omitted from the illustration in order to simplify the description.

[0156] The vehicle seat 41 is a vehicle seat for use in the rear seat of a vehicle, and mainly includes a seat cushion 42 , a seat back 43 , a reclining mechanism 44 , a lifting mechanism 45 , and a sensor 46 .

[0157] The seat cushion 42 is located in front of the rear wheel housing 411 of the vehicle and is a portion of the vehicle seat 41 that supports the buttocks and thighs of the occupant. The seat cushion 42 has a cushion main body 421 made of a cushioning material that absorbs shock when the occupant sits on it, and a cushion frame 422 made of a rigid material that supports the cushion main body 421 from within. On the other hand, the seat back 43 has a seat back main body 431 made of a cushioning material that absorbs shock, similar to the seat cushion 42, and a seat back frame 432 made of a rigid material that supports the seat back main body 431 from within.

[0158] The seat back 43 is a part of the vehicle seat 41 that supports the back of the occupant. The seat back 43 is connected to the rear end of the seat cushion 42 via a reclining mechanism 44, which will be described later.

[0159] The reclining mechanism 44 is a part of the vehicle seat 41 that tilts the seat back 43 relative to the seat cushion 42. The reclining mechanism 44 also functions to connect the seat back 43 to the rear end of the seat cushion 42.

[0160] The lifting mechanism 45 is a part of the vehicle seat 41 that can raise and lower the seat cushion 42 in the vertical direction (the up-and-down direction in FIGS. 15 and 16 ) relative to the vehicle floor surface 414. When the reclining mechanism 44 changes the seat arrangement toward a rearward-tilted state in which the seat back 43 is tilted backward, the lifting mechanism 45 lifts the seat cushion 42 in the vertical direction in conjunction with the tilting of the seat back 43 toward the rearward-tilted state so that the seat back 43 is positioned above the rear wheel house 411 and avoids interference with the rear wheel house 411. More specifically, in FIG. 16 , the lifting mechanism 45 lifts the seat cushion 42 together with the seat back 43 connected to the rear end of the seat cushion 42 in the direction B in conjunction with the seat back 43 rotating in the direction A in the figure and approaching the rearward-tilted state.

[0161] In this specification, the term "reclined backward" means that the seat back 43 is in a state that is nearly horizontal relative to the vertical direction. Furthermore, in this specification, the term "linked to the tilting toward the reclined backward state" means that the movement is linked to the tilting of the seat back 43 after the seat back 43 has tilted and approached a predetermined level of the reclined state, in other words, after the seat back 43 has rotated to a predetermined angle relative to the seat cushion 42. In other words, the seat cushion 42 does not start to rise simply when the upward-facing seat back 43 shown by the solid line in FIG. 16 is slightly tilted backward. In fact, the lifting mechanism 45 can lift the seat cushion 42 in direction B while maintaining the upward position of the seat back 43 shown by the solid line in FIG. 16 (i.e., without tilting the seat back 43).

[0162] The lifting mechanism 45 is connected to a cushion frame 422 in the seat cushion 42, and uses a gear mechanism (not shown) that transmits the rotational driving force of a motor or the like to push up the cushion frame 422 in the direction B in the figure, thereby achieving the upward movement of the seat cushion 42. As such a gear mechanism, a conventional seat height adjusting device mechanism such as those disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 2006-182039 and 2001-138780 can be used. In this case, the interlocking mechanism may be, for example, a mechanism in which, when the seat back 43 is rotated beyond the predetermined angle, a switch of the rotational driving source such as the motor is turned on, and the rotational driving force is transmitted to the gear mechanism.

[0163] In this embodiment, the lifting mechanism 45 uses such a gear mechanism, but the present invention may also use a lifting mechanism that uses other lifting mechanisms, such as a hydraulic or pneumatic lifting mechanism.

[0164] FIG. 17 shows the vehicle seat 41 in a seating arrangement before the seat back 43 is tilted backward, i.e., in a seating arrangement in which the seat back 43 is in an "inverted state" relative to the vehicle floor surface 414 (or in a "normal seating arrangement"), indicated by dotted lines. Furthermore, the vehicle seat 41 in a seating arrangement in a tilted state is indicated by solid lines, vertically above the position of the vehicle seat 41 indicated by the dotted lines and above the rear wheel housing 411. As the seat back 43 approaches the tilted state, the seat cushion 42 rises, allowing the seat back 43 to be connected to the seat cushion 42 in a horizontal, linear manner without any step while avoiding interference with the rear wheel housing 411, as shown in FIG. 17 . In this case, unlike Patent Document 1, the entire seat back 43 is in a completely flat state. As a result, as shown in FIG. 17 , it is possible to maximize the use of the rear space 47 of the vehicle interior, allowing the occupant to lie prone inside the vehicle, thereby realizing a highly usable vehicle seat.

[0165] Preferably, a plurality of vehicle seats 41 are arranged side by side independently of one another along the vehicle width direction, and each of the plurality of lifting mechanisms 45 lifts and lowers the seat cushion 42 to be lifted and lowered independently of one another.

[0166] In this preferred embodiment, in a normal seat arrangement, the height of adjacent rear seats can be changed relative to one another to allow the eye levels of people of different builds (such as a parent and child) to match. Furthermore, when placing a child seat (junior car seat) on the rear seat, the height of the child seat can be adjusted directly to the desired position without the need for a separate cushion or other means to raise the child seat height.

[0167] The vehicle seat 41 of this embodiment further includes two sensors 46 installed on the seating surfaces 42a, 43a of the seat cushion 42 and the seat back 43, respectively. While the vehicle seat 41 of this embodiment has the sensors 46 installed on both the seating surfaces 42a, 43a of the seat cushion 42 and the seat back 43, this is not limited thereto, and the sensor 46 may be installed on either the seat cushion 42 or the seat back 43. The sensors 46 are electrically connected to transmit detected information as an electrical signal. Furthermore, as described above, multiple vehicle seats 41 of this embodiment are arranged side by side along the vehicle width direction. Therefore, it is preferable to provide a sensor 46 on each vehicle seat 41. Increasing the number of sensors 46 in the vehicle improves the detection performance for detecting the presence of an occupant 48 and reduces the occurrence of detection errors, etc.

[0168] The sensor 46 of the vehicle seat 41 of this embodiment functions as a human detection sensor after the seat back 43 is transformed into a seat arrangement in a backward tilting state, and on the other hand, when the seat back 43 is transformed into a seat arrangement in an inverted state, it functions as a biosensor that acquires biometric information of the seated occupant.

[0169] Human detection sensors detect, for example, human motion (movement) and heat, and infrared sensors have been known for some time. Infrared human detection sensors can detect infrared rays resulting from heat (body temperature) emitted from the human body, and can recognize the presence of a person based on the amount of infrared radiation or changes in the amount of radiation.

[0170] The sensor 46, which functions as a human detection sensor, detects the presence of a user 48, such as a child playing in the rear space 47 of the vehicle after deformation, and converts this into an electrical signal, which can be transmitted to the outside of the vehicle seat 41 via a transmitting means such as a detection information transmitting unit 410 (details will be described later).

[0171] The human detection sensor can detect anything other than people as long as it is capable of emitting infrared rays, and can also detect the movement of small animals such as dogs and cats. Therefore, in this specification, these small animals can be included in the term "user." In other words, the human detection sensor may detect the presence of a dog or the like in the rear space 47 of the vehicle.

[0172] Furthermore, the human detection sensor is not limited to the infrared type described above, and any of various conventionally known sensors may be used as long as they detect the presence of the user 48. For example, a contact detection sensor that detects a change in electrical resistance caused by the user 48 directly contacting the seating surface 42a of the seat cushion 42, or a pressure detection sensor that detects the load applied to the seating surface 42a, may be used. Since a contact detection sensor or pressure detection sensor requires direct contact with a part of the user 48's arm, leg, or the like for detection, it can reliably detect the user 48 when the user 48 is lying down on the seat cushion 42 and seat back 43.

[0173] However, if the user 48 moves away from the installation position of the sensor 46 on the seating surface 42a or the like, it is difficult to detect the presence of the user 48. Therefore, it is preferable to use a non-contact infrared human detection sensor. Alternatively, it is also possible to use a combination of an infrared human detection sensor and multiple types of sensors, such as a contact detection sensor or a pressure detection sensor. This can improve the detection performance of the user 8.

[0174] On the other hand, biosensors have been well known for a long time, and it is expected that they will be used in the form of, for example, contact-type biosensors that measure the amount of electricity or electrical resistance flowing between a pair of electrodes, or the amount of change therein, or non-contact-type biosensors that can irradiate light, electromagnetic waves, etc. from an LED irradiation unit toward the skin, and detect the light that is reflected by blood vessels and emerges outside the skin. Other detailed descriptions of the configuration and functions of a biosensor that functions as a biosensor and acquires bioinformation will be omitted.

[0175] As described above, the vehicle seat 41 of this embodiment is equipped with the sensor 46 having two functions. Therefore, the sensor 46 can be switched as desired between functioning as a human detection sensor and functioning as a biological sensor. This function switching can also be performed manually, for example. That is, the occupant or user 48 can select the information to be acquired or detected by manually switching a function switching operation switch (not shown) provided on the vehicle seat 41.

[0176] On the other hand, the function of the sensor 46 can also be automatically switched depending on the seat arrangement of the seat back 43. That is, when the seat back 43 is in the "inverted position" (normal seat arrangement), the sensor 46 functions as a biosensor that acquires biometric information such as the blood flow and heart rate of the occupant seated in the rear seat, and when the seat back 43 is tilted rearward by the reclining mechanism 44 and transformed into a completely flat seat arrangement in the "reclining position," the sensor 46 can function as a human detection sensor that detects the presence of the occupant 48. Such switching of the function by the sensor 46 can be performed automatically by detecting the state of the seat arrangement of the seat back 43 using a well-known position sensor or the like.

[0177] Furthermore, as mentioned above, the vehicle seat 41 is equipped with a detection information transmitting unit 10 that can transmit detection information 49 regarding the presence or absence of a user 48 using the rear space 47 of the vehicle, detected by the sensor 46, to the inside or outside of the vehicle.

[0178] When the sensor 46 detects the presence or absence of the occupant 48, the detection information transmitting unit 410 has a function of transmitting the detection information 49 as an electrical signal to a predetermined destination outside the vehicle seat 41. The detection information transmitting unit 410 may be, for example, built into the seat cushion 42 or the seat back 43 in which the sensor 46 is installed, or may be electrically connected to the sensor 46 and installed outside the seat cushion 42 or the seat back 43.

[0179] Furthermore, the detection information 49 transmitted from the detection information transmitting unit 410 can be transmitted to, for example, a vehicle information device terminal 412 that is installed on a console panel in front of the driver's seat of the vehicle and that normally also functions as a car navigation system, and the contents of the detection information 49 can be displayed on a terminal screen 412a of the vehicle information device terminal 412. In this case, the detection information transmitting unit 410 and the vehicle information device terminal 412 are connected by wire in order to transmit the detection information 49.

[0180] Alternatively, the detection information 49 may be transmitted from the detection information transmitting unit 410 to a mobile information terminal 413 such as a smartphone via a wireless communication line 415, and the contents of the detection information 49 may be displayed on a terminal screen 413a of the mobile information terminal 413. In such a case, an electric communication line such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) or the Internet may be used as the wireless communication line 415. In particular, it is preferable to use Wi-Fi, which is mainly used for transmitting and receiving information over short distances.

[0181] By including the detection information transmission unit 410 in the vehicle seat 41, for example, when a parent is resting in the driver's seat or passenger seat at the front of the vehicle and a child is playing or lying down in the completely flat rear space 47 of the vehicle, the presence of the child (user 48) can be monitored on the terminal screen 412a of the vehicle information device terminal 412 installed in front of the driver's seat. Therefore, even if the child opens the rear door of the vehicle and gets out of the vehicle, the situation can be quickly recognized and a dangerous situation for the child can be prevented in advance. In other words, the vehicle seat 41 of this embodiment has a "monitoring function" for watching over the child in the rear space 47 of the vehicle. In this case, if a change in the situation occurs, such as when the presence of the user 48 in the rear space 47 of the vehicle is no longer detected, the vehicle information device terminal 412 can alert the parent with an alarm or the like.

[0182] Furthermore, the vehicle seat 41 of this embodiment can transmit detection information 49 to a mobile information terminal 413 such as a smartphone owned by the guardian by the detection information transmission unit 410. Therefore, for example, when taking a break at a service area or the like, even if the guardian needs to temporarily leave the vehicle to use the restroom or the like and leaves the child inside the vehicle, the guardian can check on the child in the rear space 47 of the vehicle from outside the vehicle. This allows the guardian to use the restroom or the like with peace of mind.

[0183] Furthermore, even if the child gets out of the vehicle on their own, the guardian can quickly recognize the situation and quickly return to the parking position of the vehicle. This prevents the child from getting into a dangerous situation in advance. Furthermore, it reduces the possibility of the child getting lost and the possibility of the child being involved in a crime such as abduction. In such cases, if a change in the situation occurs, such as the presence of the user 48 in the rear space 47 of the vehicle being no longer detected, the guardian can be notified by an alarm or the like from the mobile information terminal 413.

[0184] The sensor 46 that functions as a human detection sensor is not intended to target children as users 48, as in the above example. For example, it can also be used to prevent an elderly person with dementia who is resting in the rear space 47 of the vehicle from getting out and wandering around. Furthermore, it can be used to check whether an infant or child has been left behind in the rear space 47 of the vehicle on a hot summer day, thereby preventing accidents and the like.

[0185] Furthermore, as already explained, it is possible to detect non-human pets such as dogs and cats, as well as other small animals, as "users." This makes it possible to immediately grasp the situation even if a dog escapes through a gap in a window or door while the vehicle is being left to play in the rear space 47 after the seat arrangement has been completely flattened. This increases the likelihood of quickly finding a dog or other small animal that has escaped from the vehicle.

[0186] The above is the description of the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

[0187] In the above embodiment, the vehicle seat 41 for the rear seat of a vehicle has been described, but the "rear seat" here simply means the rear seat located behind the driver's seat. Therefore, in the case of a vehicle in which multiple seats are lined up in the direction of travel of the vehicle (for example, in the case of a long and narrow vehicle such as a bus), the present invention can naturally be applied to seats other than the rearmost seat.

[0188] [Fifth embodiment] Fig. 18 is a diagram schematically illustrating the configuration of a vehicle seat 51 according to one embodiment of the present invention from the front, Fig. 19 is a diagram schematically illustrating the configuration of the vehicle seat 51 of Fig. 18 from the side, Fig. 20 is a diagram schematically illustrating the effects of this embodiment, Fig. 21 is a diagram schematically illustrating an air passage groove, and Fig. 22 is a diagram schematically illustrating a cross section of a seat back. Note that in Figs. 18-22, some components are omitted from the illustration in order to simplify the explanation.

[0189] The vehicle seat 51 is a vehicle seat for use in the rear seat of a vehicle, and mainly includes a seat cushion 52, a seat back 53, a reclining mechanism 54, a lifting mechanism 55, and an air conditioning mechanism 56.

[0190] The seat cushion 52 is a portion of the vehicle seat 51 that is located in front of the rear wheel housing 511 of the vehicle and supports the buttocks and thighs of the occupant. The seat cushion 52 has a cushion main body 521 made of a cushioning material that absorbs shock when the occupant sits on it, and a cushion frame 522 made of a rigid material that supports the cushion main body 521 from within. On the other hand, the seat back 53 has a seat back main body 531 made of a cushioning material that absorbs shock, similar to the seat cushion 52, and a seat back frame 532 made of a rigid material that supports the seat back main body 531 from within.

[0191] The seat back 53 is a part of the vehicle seat 51 that supports the back of the occupant. The seat back 53 is connected to the rear end of the seat cushion 52 via a reclining mechanism 54, which will be described later.

[0192] The reclining mechanism 54 is a part of the vehicle seat 51 that tilts the seat back 53 relative to the seat cushion 52. The reclining mechanism 54 also functions to connect the seat back 53 to the rear end of the seat cushion 52.

[0193] The lifting mechanism 55 is a part of the vehicle seat 51 that can raise and lower the seat cushion 52 in the vertical direction (the up-and-down direction in FIGS. 18 and 19 ) relative to the vehicle floor surface 514. When the reclining mechanism 54 changes the seat arrangement toward a rearward-tilted state in which the seat back 53 is tilted backward, the lifting mechanism 55 lifts the seat cushion 52 in the vertical direction in conjunction with the tilting of the seat back 53 toward the rearward-tilted state so that the seat back 53 is positioned above the rear wheel house 511 and avoids interference with the rear wheel house 511. More specifically, in FIG. 19 , the lifting mechanism 55 lifts the seat cushion 52 together with the seat back 53 connected to the rear end of the seat cushion 52 in the direction B in conjunction with the seat back 53 rotating in the direction A in the figure and approaching the rearward-tilted state.

[0194] In this specification, the term "reclined backward" means that the seat back 53 is in a state that is nearly horizontal relative to the vertical direction. Furthermore, in this specification, the term "linked to the tilting toward the reclined backward state" means that the movement is linked to the tilting of the seat back 53 after the seat back 53 has tilted and approached a predetermined level of the reclined state, in other words, after the seat back 53 has rotated to a predetermined angle relative to the seat cushion 52. In other words, the seat cushion 52 does not start to rise simply when the upward-facing seat back 53 shown by the solid line in FIG. 19 is slightly tilted backward. In fact, the lifting mechanism 55 can lift the seat cushion 52 in direction B while maintaining the upward position of the seat back 53 shown by the solid line in FIG. 19 (i.e., without tilting the seat back 53).

[0195] The lifting mechanism 55 is connected to a cushion frame 522 in the seat cushion 52, and uses a gear mechanism (not shown) that transmits the rotational driving force of a motor or the like to push up the cushion frame 522 in direction B in the figure, thereby achieving the upward movement of the seat cushion 52. As such a gear mechanism, a conventional seat height adjusting device mechanism such as those disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 2006-182039 and 2001-138780 can be used. In this case, the interlocking mechanism may be, for example, a mechanism in which, when the seat back 53 is rotated beyond the predetermined angle, a switch of the rotational driving source such as the motor is turned on, and the rotational driving force is transmitted to the gear mechanism.

[0196] In this embodiment, the lifting mechanism 55 uses such a gear mechanism, but the present invention may also use a lifting mechanism that uses other lifting mechanisms, such as a hydraulic or pneumatic lifting mechanism.

[0197] FIG. 20 shows a vehicle seat 51 in a seating arrangement before the seat back 53 is tilted backward, i.e., in a seating arrangement in which the seat back 53 is in an "inverted state" relative to the vehicle floor surface 514 (or in a "normal seating arrangement"), indicated by a dotted line. Furthermore, a vehicle seat 51 in a rearward-tilted seating arrangement is indicated by a solid line, vertically above the position of the vehicle seat 51 indicated by the dotted line and above the rear wheel housing 511. As the seat back 53 approaches the rearward-tilted state, the seat cushion 52 rises, allowing the seat back 53 to be connected to the seat cushion 52 in a horizontal, linear manner without any step while avoiding interference with the rear wheel housing 511, as shown in FIG. 20 . In this case, unlike Patent Document 1, the entire seat back 53 is in a completely flat state. As a result, as shown in FIG. 20 , it is possible to maximize the use of the rear space 57 of the vehicle interior, allowing the occupant to lie prone inside the vehicle, resulting in a highly usable vehicle seat.

[0198] Preferably, a plurality of vehicle seats 51 are arranged side by side independently of one another along the vehicle width direction, and each of the plurality of lifting mechanisms 55 lifts and lowers the seat cushion 52 to be lifted and lowered independently of one another.

[0199] In this preferred embodiment, in a normal seat arrangement, the height of adjacent rear seats can be changed relative to one another to allow the eye levels of people of different builds (such as a parent and child) to match. Furthermore, when placing a child seat (junior car seat) on the rear seat, the height of the child seat can be adjusted directly to the desired position without the need for a separate cushion or other means to raise the child seat height.

[0200] A vehicle seat 51 of this embodiment includes an air conditioning mechanism 56 having a plurality of air vents 59 opening in a seating surface 53a of a seat back 53, an air passage 512 provided inside the seat back 53 and communicating with the air vents 59 to allow conditioned air 510 to flow, and an air conditioning fan 513 communicating with the air passage 512 to generate conditioned air 510 in the air passage 512. One end 512a of the air passage 512 is connected to the air conditioning fan 513, and the other end 512b of the air passage 512 is connected to each of the plurality of air vents 59. Note that, in Figure 18 and other figures, large circular air vents 59 are shown as the air vents 59 for the sake of simplicity, but the air vents 59 are not limited to this and may be any size that allows conditioned air 510, described later, to pass through.

[0201] As described above, the vehicle seat 51 of this embodiment is provided with an air conditioning mechanism 56 inside the seat back 53, so that the rear space 57 of the vehicle can be ventilated with air conditioning air 510 after the seat back 53 is transformed into a seat arrangement in which it is tilted backward.

[0202] Here, the air conditioning fan 513 of the air conditioning mechanism 56 is provided inside the seat back 53, particularly near a corner 533 of a seat back frame 532 that forms the framework of the seat back 53. The seat back frame 532 supports the load applied by the passengers seated in the rear seats. In addition, the seat back frame 532 is made of a highly rigid metallic material (rigid material) to support the load applied from above by the user 58 or the like sitting on the seat back 53 in the above-mentioned completely flat state.

[0203] 18, the corner 533 corresponds to a bending point of the generally U-shaped seat back frame 532, and is a position above the right shoulder of the occupant when seated. A locking mechanism (not shown) for the reclining mechanism 54 that tilts the seat back 53 is generally provided at this position.

[0204] Therefore, the corner 533 and its vicinity in the seatback frame 532 are particularly rigid, and because they are located above the right shoulder of the occupant when seated, they are unlikely to come into contact with the seated occupant. This allows for stable installation of the air conditioning fan 513. Furthermore, even when the air conditioning fan 513 is operated, there is no risk of vibrations or the like occurring due to fan rotation, and the generation of associated vibration noise (noise) can also be suppressed.

[0205] Furthermore, the seating comfort of the occupant is not impaired, and even after the seat cushion 52 and the seat back 53 are transformed into a completely flat seat arrangement, there is little possibility that the head, arms, elbows, legs, etc. of the user 58 will come into contact with the air conditioning fan 513 even if the user 58 lies down.

[0206] 18 and other figures, the vehicle seat 51 disposed on the right side of the rear seat has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this and can be similarly applied to a vehicle seat disposed on the left side of the rear seat. In this case, an air conditioning fan (not shown) of the air conditioning mechanism can be provided at a position corresponding to the left shoulder position of the occupant when seated. This can provide the same effects as those described above.

[0207] Furthermore, in the vehicle seat 51 of this embodiment, the air conditioning fan 513 of the air conditioning mechanism 56 may be either an intake fan or an exhaust fan. As shown in FIG. 20 , by employing an exhaust fan as the air conditioning fan 513, conditioned air 510 can be generated in the air passage 512, circulating from the air conditioning fan 513 toward the air vents 59, as the air conditioning fan 513 operates. That is, air (interior air 515) in the vehicle rear space 57 is drawn in through an air intake (not shown) provided in the air conditioning fan 513, conditioned air 510 is generated and circulates between one end 512a and the other end 512b of the air passage, and the conditioned air 510 is exhausted through the air vents 59. This allows the conditioned air 510 blown into the vehicle rear space 57 to ventilate or aerate the vehicle rear space 57. Furthermore, air (conditioned air 510) can be circulated in the vehicle rear space 57.

[0208] On the other hand, by employing an intake fan as the air conditioning fan 513, air (in-vehicle air 515) in the vehicle rear space 57 can be drawn in through the air vents 59 provided in the seating surface 53a of the seat back 53 as the air conditioning fan 513 operates, generating conditioned airflow 510 that flows in the air passage 512 from the other end 512b of the air passage to the one end 512a of the air passage (air conditioning fan 513), and the conditioned airflow 510 can be exhausted from an exhaust port (not shown) of the air conditioning fan 513. As a result, the conditioned airflow 510 blown into the vehicle rear space 57 can ventilate or aerate the vehicle rear space 57, as described above. Furthermore, air (conditioned air 510) can be circulated in the vehicle rear space 57.

[0209] The flow direction of the conditioned airflow 510 may be determined arbitrarily by switching the operating direction (exhaust direction, intake direction) of the air conditioning fan 513. In addition, the volume of the conditioned airflow 510 to be generated or the temperature of the conditioned airflow 510 can also be adjusted arbitrarily. These air conditioning functions are well known, so a description thereof will be omitted here.

[0210] 18, the air vents 59 in the air conditioning mechanism 56 are provided as multiple openings in the seating surface 53a of the seat back 53. Here, as described above, the seat back 53 is configured to include a seat back frame 532 formed therein and a seat back main body 531 that covers the seat back frame 532. Furthermore, the seat back 53 may be provided with a seat cover that covers all or part of the seat back main body 531. Furthermore, the air vents 59 do not have to be completely open, and the openings may be covered with, for example, a mesh material or the like so long as the air vents 59 can pass through.

[0211] 18 , the air passage 512 of the vehicle seat 51 communicates with an air conditioning fan 513 provided near a corner 533, in other words, at an obliquely upper position of the seat back 53, and is formed downward along the longitudinal direction of the seat back 53. A generally rectangular recess is provided in the back surface 518 of the seat back 53, and a plurality of groove-shaped air passage grooves 516 are formed along the longitudinal direction of the seat back 53 (corresponding to the up-down direction on the paper in FIG. 21 ). Furthermore, adjacent air passage grooves 516 are connected to each other at their respective upper ends.

[0212] Furthermore, each air passage groove 516 extends to the other end 512b of the air passage and is connected to the vent hole 59. Also, air passage groove 516 branches midway and similarly extends to the other end 512b of the air passage and is connected to the vent hole 59 (see FIG. 21). Furthermore, rear surface portion 518 of seat back 53 has groove covering portion 517 for covering a generally rectangular recessed portion. This allows groove covering portion 517 to be fitted into the recessed portion of rear surface portion 518, as shown in FIG. 22.

[0213] As a result, an air passage 512 surrounded by the air passage groove portion 516 and the groove covering portion 517 is formed inside the seat back 53 (seat back main body 531), and the air conditioning wind 510 generated by the air conditioning fan 513 can circulate through the air passage 512.

[0214] Here, the groove covering portion 517 may be made of, for example, a felt-like cloth member that can be fitted to cover the recessed portion provided in the back surface portion 518 of the seat back 53. This makes it possible to easily form the air passage 512 inside the seat back 53.

[0215] By providing the air conditioning mechanism 56 configured as described above, after the seats are arranged to be completely flat, a user 58 using the vehicle rear space 57 can ventilate and circulate the vehicle rear space 57 with the conditioned air 510, which is the intake or exhaust air generated by the air conditioning fan 513. These ventilation, aeration, and circulation functions can easily replace the air in the vehicle rear space 57, thereby improving the comfort of the user 58.

[0216] Furthermore, by removing the groove covering portion 517 from the back surface portion 518 of the seat back 53, the air passage groove 516 can be easily accessed. Therefore, if a malfunction occurs in the air conditioning mechanism 56 including the air conditioning fan 513, or if dirt or dust accumulates in the air passage 512 for some reason, preventing a stable flow of the conditioned air 510, the groove covering portion 517 can be temporarily removed to quickly remove the cause of the malfunction. The air conditioning mechanism 56 can then be used again by fitting the groove covering portion 517 back surface portion 518. This allows for easy maintenance work without impairing the comfort of the occupant 58.

[0217] The above is the description of the fifth embodiment of the present invention.

[0218] In the above description of the embodiment, the vehicle seat 51 for the rear seat of a vehicle has been particularly described, but the "rear seat" here simply means the rear seat located behind the driver's seat. Therefore, in the case of a vehicle in which multiple seats are lined up in the direction of travel of the vehicle (for example, in the case of a long and narrow vehicle such as a bus), the present invention can naturally be applied to seats other than the rearmost seat.

[0219] [Sixth embodiment] Figure 23 is a diagram showing a schematic front view of the configuration of a vehicle seat 61 according to one embodiment of the present invention, Figure 24 is a diagram showing a schematic side view of the configuration of the vehicle seat 61 of Figure 23, Figure 25 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the rear portion of the seat back, and Figure 26 is a diagram showing a schematic view of the effect of this embodiment.

[0220] The vehicle seat 61 is a vehicle seat for use in the rear seat of a vehicle, and mainly includes a seat cushion 62 , a seat back 63 , a reclining mechanism 64 , a lifting mechanism 65 , and a seat back support 66 .

[0221] The seat cushion 62 is located in front of the rear wheel housing 611 of the vehicle and is a portion of the vehicle seat 61 that supports the buttocks and thighs of the occupant. The seat cushion 62 has a cushion main body 621 made of a cushioning material that absorbs shock when the occupant sits on it, and a cushion frame 622 made of a rigid material that supports the cushion main body 621 from within. On the other hand, the seat back 63 has a seat back main body 631 made of a cushioning material that absorbs shock, similar to the seat cushion 62, and a seat back frame 632 made of a rigid material that supports the seat back main body 631 from within.

[0222] The seat back 63 is a part of the vehicle seat 61 that supports the back of the occupant. The seat back 63 is connected to the rear end of the seat cushion 62 via a reclining mechanism 64, which will be described later.

[0223] The reclining mechanism 64 is a part of the vehicle seat 61 that tilts the seat back 63 relative to the seat cushion 62. The reclining mechanism 64 also functions to connect the seat back 63 to the rear end of the seat cushion 62.

[0224] The lifting mechanism 65 is a part of the vehicle seat 61 that can raise and lower the seat cushion 62 in the vertical direction (the up-and-down direction in FIGS. 23 and 24 ) relative to the vehicle floor surface 614. When the reclining mechanism 64 changes the seat arrangement toward a rearward-tilted state in which the seat back 63 is tilted backward, the lifting mechanism 65 lifts the seat cushion 62 in the vertical direction in conjunction with the tilting of the seat back 63 toward the rearward-tilted state so that the seat back 63 is positioned above the rear wheel house 611 and avoids interference with the rear wheel house 611. More specifically, in FIG. 24 , the lifting mechanism 65 lifts the seat cushion 62 together with the seat back 63 connected to the rear end of the seat cushion 62 in the direction B in conjunction with the seat back 63 rotating in the direction A in the figure and approaching the rearward-tilted state.

[0225] In this specification, the term "reclined backward" means that the seat back 63 is in a state that is nearly horizontal relative to the vertical direction. Furthermore, in this specification, the term "linked to the tilting toward the reclined backward state" means that the movement is linked to the tilting of the seat back 63 after the seat back 63 has tilted and approached a predetermined level of the reclined state, in other words, after the seat back 63 has rotated to a predetermined angle relative to the seat cushion 62. In other words, the seat cushion 62 does not start to rise simply when the upward-facing seat back 63 shown by the solid line in FIG. 24 is slightly tilted backward. In fact, the lifting mechanism 65 can lift the seat cushion 62 in direction B while maintaining the upward position of the seat back 63 shown by the solid line in FIG. 24 (i.e., without tilting the seat back 62).

[0226] The lifting mechanism 65 is connected to a cushion frame 622 in the seat cushion 62, and uses a gear mechanism (not shown) that transmits the rotational driving force of a motor or the like to push up the cushion frame 622 in the direction B in the figure, thereby achieving the upward movement of the seat cushion 62. As such a gear mechanism, a conventional seat height adjusting device mechanism such as those disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 2006-182039 and 2001-138780 can be used. In this case, the interlocking mechanism may be, for example, a mechanism in which, when the seat back 3 is rotated beyond the predetermined angle, a switch of the rotational driving source such as the motor is turned on, and the rotational driving force is transmitted to the gear mechanism.

[0227] In this embodiment, the lifting mechanism 65 uses such a gear mechanism, but the present invention may also use a lifting mechanism using other lifting mechanisms, such as a hydraulic or pneumatic lifting mechanism.

[0228] FIG. 25 shows a vehicle seat 61 in a seating arrangement before the seat back 63 is tilted backward, in other words, in a seating arrangement in which the seat back 63 is in an "inverted state" relative to the vehicle floor surface 614 (or in a "normal seating arrangement"), indicated by a dotted line. Furthermore, a vehicle seat 61 in a rearward-tilted seating arrangement is indicated by a solid line, vertically above the position of the vehicle seat 61 indicated by the dotted line and above the rear wheel house 611. As the seat back 63 approaches the rearward-tilted state, the seat cushion 62 rises, allowing the seat back 63 to be connected to the seat cushion 62 in a horizontally linear manner without any step while avoiding interference with the rear wheel house 611, as shown in FIG. 26 . In this case, unlike Patent Document 1, the entire seat back 63 is in a completely flat state. As a result, as shown in FIG. 25 , it is possible to maximize the use of the rear space 67 of the vehicle interior, allowing the occupant to lie prone inside the vehicle, resulting in a highly usable vehicle seat.

[0229] Here, it is preferable that a plurality of vehicle seats 61 are arranged side by side independently of one another along the vehicle width direction, and that each of the plurality of lifting mechanisms 65 lifts and lowers the seat cushion 62 to be lifted and lowered independently of one another.

[0230] In this preferred embodiment, in a normal seat arrangement, the height of adjacent rear seats can be changed relative to one another to allow the eye levels of people of different builds (such as a parent and child) to match. Furthermore, when placing a child seat (junior car seat) on the rear seat, the height of the child seat can be adjusted directly to the desired position without the need for a separate cushion or other means to raise the child seat height.

[0231] 25, the seatback support portion 66 of the vehicle seat 61 of this embodiment has a pivot shaft 69 attached to a seatback pan frame 619 on a rear surface 618 of the seatback 63, and a pair of support legs 610 attached to the pivot shaft 69 so as to be rotatable, and is formed so as to be capable of transforming into a folded configuration F (see FIG. 24) in which the support legs 610 are folded along the seatback pan frame 619, and into an unfolded configuration E (see FIG. 26) in which the support legs 610 are unfolded from the seatback pan frame 619. As a result, when the seatback 63 is tilted backward, the pair of support legs 610, which are in the folded configuration F during normal driving, can be transformed into the unfolded configuration E in which they are unfolded in a substantially vertical direction from the rear surface 618.

[0232] More specifically, the seat back support portion 66 includes a pivot shaft portion 69 attached to a seat back pan frame 619, which is a plate-shaped frame material provided on a back surface 618 of the seat back 63, a pair of main support legs 612a, 612b attached to the pivot shaft portion 69 so as to be freely rotatable, one end of which abuts against a vehicle floor surface 614, and an auxiliary support leg 613 connecting the pair of main support legs 612a, 612b at approximately the center thereof, and a support leg portion 610 having an approximately H-shape.

[0233] The seatback support portion 66 having such a configuration connects the pivot shaft 69 to one end of each of the pair of main support legs 612a, 612b, allowing the support legs 610 to rotate around the connecting points as pivot axes. This allows the support legs 610 to transform between a folded configuration F in which the main support legs 612a, 612b are folded so that their longitudinal directions are aligned with the back surface 618 of the seatback 63, and an unfolded configuration E in which the main support legs 612a, 612b are lifted up from the back surface 618. A rotation restricting portion (not shown) is provided to restrict further rotation of the main support legs 612a, 612b from the unfolded configuration E. This allows the support legs 610 to transform between an angle of 0° to approximately 90° relative to the back surface 618. Furthermore, the configuration of the rotation restricting portion is not particularly limited, and may include a stopper member or the like that abuts against the main support legs 612a, 612b to restrict rotation of more than 90°.

[0234] In the deployed form E, the other ends of the pair of main support legs 612a, 612b, in other words, the ends opposite to those connected to the pivot shaft portion 69, come into contact with the vehicle floor surface 614 (see FIG. 26).

[0235] As a result, the seat back 63 after being transformed into a completely flat seat arrangement can be supported from below (the rear surface 618 side) by the support legs 610, improving the load-bearing capacity of the seat back 63 in the flat state. Without the configuration of the seat back support part 66 of this embodiment, the seat back 63 would have to be cantilevered by the seat cushion 62 fixed to the vehicle floor surface 614, and there was a possibility that the seat back 63 would not be able to support a heavy load, particularly when a heavy object is placed on the tip of the seat back 63. This could have partially limited use in the vehicle rear space 67.

[0236] Furthermore, the seat back support portion 66 in this embodiment includes a support leg fixing portion 615 that fixes the support leg 610 in the folded configuration F. Specifically, the vehicle seat 61 of this embodiment uses an auxiliary support leg that is attached to the back surface portion 618 of the seat back 63 and biases and locks the auxiliary support leg 613 toward the back surface portion 618. This restricts the support leg 610 from unfolding from the folded configuration F. As a result, when the seat back 63 is in an inverted state (normal seat arrangement), for example, while the vehicle is traveling, the support leg 610 is restricted from freely rotating. This makes it possible to suppress the generation of vibrations and noise associated with the rotation, without impairing comfort in use.

[0237] The seat back support section 66 further includes a support leg lock release mechanism 616 that enables the support legs 610 to be transformed from the folded configuration F to the unfolded configuration E, and from the unfolded configuration E to the folded configuration F, in conjunction with the tilting of the seat back 63. This allows the support legs 610 to be released from the support leg fixing section 615 in conjunction with the release of the reclining lock mechanism 620 that reclines the seat back 63 using the reclining mechanism 64.

[0238] A connecting cable 617 is interposed between the reclining lock mechanism 620 and the support leg fixing part 615 , which allows the release of the lock by the reclining lock mechanism 620 to be transmitted to the support leg fixing part 615 .

[0239] As a result, when the seat back 63 is in an inverted state, the support leg 610 maintains the folded form F, and further, in conjunction with the operation of unlocking the seat back 63 by the reclining mechanism 64 and tilting it backward, the support leg 610 can be transformed into the unfolded form E.

[0240] The above is the description of the sixth embodiment of the present invention.

[0241] In the above description of the embodiment, the vehicle seat 61 for the rear seat of a vehicle has been particularly described, but the "rear seat" here simply means the rear seat located behind the driver's seat. Therefore, in the case of a vehicle in which multiple seats are lined up in the direction of travel of the vehicle (for example, in the case of a long and narrow vehicle such as a bus), the present invention can naturally be applied to seats other than the rearmost seat.

[0242] The present invention is useful for realizing a vehicle seat with high usability.

[0243] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 11 Vehicle seat 12 Seat cushion 13 Seat back 14 Reclining mechanism 15 Lifting mechanism 16 Armrest 16a Armrest storage groove 17 Vehicle rear space 18 Shade storage section 19 Attachment mounting section 110 Power supply port 111 Rear wheel house 114 Vehicle floor surface 121 Cushion body 122 Cushion frame 131 Seat back body 132 Seat back frame 21 Vehicle seat 22 Seat cushion 23 Seat back 23a Protruding section 24 Reclining mechanism 25 Lifting mechanism 26 Cushion bank 27 Vehicle rear space 29 Bank rotation mechanism 29a Locking pin 29b Strip 211 Rear wheel house 214 Vehicle floor surface 221 Cushion body 222 Cushion frame 231 Seat back body 232 Seat back frame 31 Vehicle seat 32 Seat cushion 33 Seat back 33a Projection portion 34 Reclining mechanism 35 Lifting mechanism 36 Cushion bank portion 37 Vehicle rear space 38 Shade storage portion 39 Bank portion rotation mechanism 39a Locking pin 39b Strip 311 Rear wheel house 312 Engagement portion 313 Engagement portion 314 Vehicle floor surface 315 Skeleton 316 Engagement portion 321 Cushion body 322 Cushion frame 331 Seat back body 332 Seat back frame 41 Vehicle seat 42 Seat cushion 42a, 43a Seating surface 43 Seat back 44 Reclining mechanism 45 Lifting mechanism 46 Sensor 47 Vehicle rear space 48 User 49 Detected information 410 Detected information transmitting unit 411 Rear wheel house 412 Information device terminal 412a, 413a Terminal screen 413 Portable information terminal 414 Vehicle floor surface 415 Wireless communication line 421 Cushion main body 422 Cushion frame 431 Seat back main body 432 Seat back frame 51 Vehicle seat 52 Seat cushion 52a,53a Seating surface 53 Seat back 54 Reclining mechanism 55 Lifting mechanism 56 Air conditioning mechanism 57 Vehicle rear space 58 Occupant 59 Air vent 510 Air conditioning air 511 Rear wheel house 512 Air passage 512a One end of the air passage 512b Other end of the air passage 513 Air conditioning fan 514 Vehicle floor surface 515 Interior air 516 Air passage groove 517 Groove covering portion 518 Back surface 521 Cushion body 522 Cushion frame 531 Seat back body 532 Seat back frame 533 Corner portion 61 Vehicle seat 62 Seat cushion 62a, 63a Seating surface 63 Seat back 64 Reclining mechanism 65 Lifting mechanism 66 Seat back support portion 67 Vehicle rear space 68 Occupant 69 Rotating shaft 610 Support leg 611 Rear wheel house 612a, 612b Main support leg 613 Auxiliary support leg 614 Vehicle floor surface 615 Support leg fixing part 616 Transformation interlocking mechanism 617 Connecting cable 618 Back part 619 Seatback pan frame 620 Locking mechanism 621 Cushion main body 622 Cushion frame 631 Seatback main body 632 Seatback frame E Unfolded form F Folded form

Claims

1. A vehicle seat for a rear seat of a vehicle, comprising: a seat cushion located in front of a rear wheel house of the vehicle and supporting the buttocks and thighs of an occupant; a seat back supporting the back of the occupant; a reclining mechanism for tilting the seat back relative to the seat cushion; and a lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the seat cushion in a vertical direction relative to a vehicle floor surface, the lifting mechanism raising the seat cushion in the vertical direction in conjunction with the tilting of the seat back to the rearward tilted state so that the seat back is positioned above the rear wheel house avoiding interference with the rear wheel house when the seat back is deformed into a rearward tilted state by the reclining mechanism, and 2. A vehicle seat as described in claim 1, wherein a plurality of the vehicle seats are arranged side by side independently of one another along the vehicle width direction, and each of the plurality of lifting mechanisms lifts and lowers the seat cushion to be lifted and lowered independently of one another.

3. A vehicle seat as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the armrest is rotatable about an end of the armrest as a rotation axis between an upright state in which the armrest protrudes in a direction intersecting with the surface of the seatback that extends opposite the back of the occupant, and a non-upright state in which the armrest extends along the surface of the seatback, and the seatback further has a groove-shaped armrest storage groove portion capable of storing the armrest in the non-upright state.

4. The vehicle seat according to claim 3, wherein the armrest has a shade storage section capable of storing a shade that functions as a partition or sunshade inside the vehicle.

5. The vehicle seat according to claim 3, wherein the armrest has an attachment mounting portion at its tip for mounting a specified attachment.

6. The vehicle seat according to claim 3, wherein the armrest storage groove has a power supply port at its bottom for supplying power to an electronic device.

7. A vehicle seat for a rear seat of a vehicle, comprising: a seat cushion located in front of a rear wheel house of the vehicle and supporting the buttocks and thighs of an occupant; a seat back supporting the back of the occupant; a reclining mechanism for tilting the seat back relative to the seat cushion; and a lifting mechanism capable of raising and lowering the seat cushion along a vertical direction relative to a vehicle floor surface, the lifting mechanism raising the seat cushion along the vertical direction in conjunction with the tilting of the seat back to the rearward tilted state so that the seat back is positioned above the rear wheel house avoiding interference with the rear wheel house when the seat arrangement is deformed by the reclining mechanism toward a rearward tilted state in which the seat back is tilted backward, the seat cushion having a cushion bank portion occupying one side of the seat cushion, the cushion bank portion being rotatable about a rear end portion of the cushion bank portion as a rotation axis, the seat cushion having a cushion bank portion that is separated from a remaining portion of the seat cushion excluding the cushion bank portion.

8. A vehicle seat as described in claim 7, wherein a plurality of the vehicle seats are arranged side by side independently of one another along the vehicle width direction, and each of the plurality of lifting mechanisms lifts and lowers the seat cushion to be lifted and lowered independently of one another.

9. A vehicle seat as claimed in claim 7 or 8, wherein the seat cushion further comprises a rotation position fixing mechanism which fixes the rotation position of the cushion bank portion when it is separated from the remaining portion of the seat cushion and rotated.

10. A vehicle seat as described in claim 9, wherein the seat back has a protruding portion on a side of the seat back located in the rotation direction of the cushion bank portion, which abuts against the rotated cushion bank portion to prevent further rotation of the cushion bank portion, and the cushion bank portion is rotatable between a non-rotating state in which it occupies one side of the seat cushion in an aligned manner with the remaining portion of the seat cushion, and an abutting state in which it abuts against the protruding portion of the seat back.

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