Vehicle seat

Abstract

Provided is a vehicle seat on which a child seat can be easily mounted.　A seat (1) comprises: a seat back (20); a seat cushion (10) that includes a cushion frame (11), a cushion pad (12) covering the cushion frame (11), and a trim cover (13) covering the cushion pad (12); and connection members (31) for connecting to a connector (CN) provided to a child seat. When viewed in a top view, the cushion pad (12) has provided therein, in an adjacent region (AR) separated from / brought into contact with the seat front side of leading end portions of the connection members (31), wires (110) having greater rigidity than the cushion pad (12). The upper surface of the cushion pad (12) is provided with, in the adjacent region (AR), press felts (14) having greater rigidity than the cushion pad (12).

Description

Vehicle seats

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

[0002] Patent document 1 describes a vehicle seat that includes a seat cushion with a concave opening having an anchor to which a child seat is fixed, and a movable flat covering member that can cover and conceal the opening, with a hard plate provided at the tip of the covering member.

[0003] Patent document 2 describes a vehicle seat in which a guide surface portion that is harder than the cushion pad is provided on the bottom surface to guide the catch of the child seat to the anchor along the bottom surface of the recess in the cushion pad.

[0004] Patent document 3 describes a vehicle seat that has an anchor for securing a child seat on the seat cushion, in which the exposure of the anchor on the seat cushion is reduced to prevent fingers or dirt from getting caught, and an elastic plate is provided around the anchor to improve the appearance.

[0005] Patent Document 4 describes providing a protection device on the cushion cover to protect the cushion cover from wear caused by friction when the arms of the child car seat move.

[0006] Patent Document 5 describes providing a leather portion near the child seat mounting opening.

[0007] Patent Document 6 describes providing a cover around a child seat anchor.

[0008] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-166927 Japanese Patent Publication No. 2015-151030 Japanese Patent Publication No. 2001-341566 U.S. Patent No. 9783085 Chinese Utility Model No. 213920765 Chinese Patent No. 112918345

[0009] A child car seat is typically attached to a vehicle seat by engaging the child car seat's connector with a fixing member that protrudes from a part of the vehicle seat. During this installation process, if the child car seat is heavy, the seat cushion on which the child car seat is placed will sink, especially in the area near the connector. If this sinking amount is large, the distance between the child car seat's connector and the fixing member will increase, and the child car seat will need to be lifted by that distance.

[0010] An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle seat that allows a child seat to be easily attached.

[0011] A vehicle seat according to one aspect of the present invention has a seat back, a cushion frame, a cushion pad covering the cushion frame, and a seat cushion including a cover covering the cushion pad, and a connecting member for connecting a connector provided on a child seat, wherein a first member having higher rigidity than the cushion pad is provided inside the cushion pad in an adjacent region adjacent to the front side of the seat of the tip of the connecting member in a top view, and a second member having higher rigidity than the cushion pad is provided above the first member in the adjacent region.

[0012] According to the present invention, the child car seat can be easily installed.

[0013] 1 is an external view showing a schematic configuration of a seat 1 mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the seat 1 shown in FIG. 1 as viewed from above. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the arrows A-A shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a side view showing the seat 1 shown in FIG. 1 as viewed from the left. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the arrows B-B shown in FIG. 2 when a child seat is placed thereon.

[0014] FIG. 1 is an external view showing a schematic configuration of a seat 1 mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile. The seat 1 is configured so that an occupant sits facing in the direction in which the vehicle moves forward. Hereinafter, directions in the seat 1 will be defined based on the occupant seated in the seat 1. Specifically, the direction in front of the occupant will be referred to as the forward direction Fr, and the direction opposite to the forward direction Fr will be referred to as the rearward direction Rr, and these will be collectively referred to as the fore-aft direction. The direction to the right of the occupant will be referred to as the right direction R, and the direction opposite to the right direction R will be referred to as the left direction L, and these will be collectively referred to as the left-right direction. Of the directions perpendicular to the fore-aft and left-right directions, the direction toward the ground will be referred to as the downward direction D, and the direction opposite to the downward direction D will be referred to as the upward direction U.

[0015] Fig. 2 is a plan view schematically showing the seat 1 shown in Fig. 1 as viewed from above. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a side view schematically showing the seat 1 shown in Fig. 1 as viewed from the left. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B in Fig. 2.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 1, the seat 1 includes a seat cushion 10 that supports the buttocks and thighs of an occupant seated on the seat 1, and a seat back 20 that supports the lumbar region and back of the occupant.

[0017] The seat cushion 10 includes a cushion frame 11 made of metal or the like that forms the skeleton of the seat cushion 10, a cushion pad 12 (see FIG. 3 ) made of polyurethane or the like that covers the cushion frame 11, and a trim cover 13 that serves as a surface covering the cushion pad 12.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 2, the cushion frame 11 includes a front frame 11Fr extending in the left-right direction and positioned on the front side, a right frame 11R extending rearward from the right end of the front frame 11Fr, a left frame 11L extending rearward from the left end of the front frame 11Fr, and a rear frame 11Rr connecting the rear end of the right frame 11R and the rear end of the left frame 11L.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 1, the seat back 20 includes a back frame 21 made of metal or the like that forms the skeleton of the seat back 20, a back pad (not shown) that covers the back frame 21, and a trim cover 23 that serves as a surface covering the back pad.

[0020] The back frame 21 comprises an upper frame 21U extending in the left-right direction and positioned on the upper side, a right frame 21R extending downward from the right end of the upper frame 21U, a left frame 21L extending downward from the left end of the upper frame 21U, and a lower frame 21D connecting the lower end of the right frame 21R and the lower end of the left frame 21L.

[0021] Both ends of the lower frame 21D are fixed to the vehicle frame. In the example of Fig. 1, four connecting members 31 are arranged side by side on the lower frame 21D for fixing an ISOFIX-type child car seat, which is a child car seat fixing method according to the ISO (International Organization for Standardization) standard, to the seat 1. The connecting members 31 are, for example, made of a U-shaped wire whose both end edges are fixed to the lower frame 21D by welding or the like.

[0022] A pair of connectors (connector CN shown in FIG. 5) provided on the child car seat are engaged with the first and second pair of connecting members 31 counting from the right in FIG. 1, thereby fixing the child car seat to the seat 1. Similarly, a pair of connectors provided on the child car seat are engaged with the third and fourth pair of connecting members 31 counting from the right in FIG. 1, thereby fixing the child car seat to the seat 1.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 4 , the connecting member 31 protrudes forward and downward from the lower frame 21D toward the seating surface 10s (upper surface) of the seat cushion 10. As shown in FIG. 5 , the tip 31A of the connecting member 31 is located forward of the rear edge of the seat cushion 10. In other words, the tip 31A of the connecting member 31 overlaps the seating surface 10s of the seat cushion 10 in a top view. As shown in FIG. 4 , in this embodiment, the vertical distance between the seating surface 10s of the seat cushion 10 and the tip 31A of the connecting member 31 is very small. This distance is, for example, the same as or smaller than the thickness of the end CNe of a U-shaped connector (connector CN shown in FIG. 5 ) in a child car seat that abuts against the seating surface 10s of the seat cushion 10.

[0024] 1, an opening 23H for exposing the connecting member 31 is provided at the front and lower end of the back pad and trim cover 23 of the seat back 20. This opening 23H can be closed, for example, by a covering member (not shown).

[0025] Fig. 2 shows the adjacent area AR adjacent to the front side of the tip portion 31A of the connecting member 31. In the example of Fig. 2, the adjacent area AR partially overlaps the rear frame 11Rr of the cushion frame 11. In order to prevent the adjacent area AR from sinking significantly downward due to the weight of the child car seat when the connector CN of the child car seat is placed in this adjacent area AR, a member having higher rigidity than the cushion pad 12 is provided inside and on the top surface of the cushion pad 12.

[0026] 3, a substantially U-shaped wire 110 is provided in the adjacent area AR between the rear frame 11Rr and the upper surface of the cushion pad 12. The wire 110 protrudes upward from the rear frame 11Rr, and both end edges are fixed to the rear frame 11Rr by welding or the like.

[0027] Specifically, the wire 110 includes a right side portion 110R extending upward from the rear frame 11Rr, a tip portion 110U extending leftward from the upper end of the right side portion 110R, and a left side portion 110L extending downward from the left end of the tip portion 110U to the rear frame 11Rr. The right side portion 110R and the left side portion 110L may each be inclined relative to the vertical direction. The tip portion 110U is preferably parallel to the left-right direction (in other words, parallel to the tip portion 31A of the connecting member 31). The width of the tip portion 110U in the left-right direction is preferably equal to or greater than the width of the connecting member 31 in the left-right direction. The wire 110 may be integrally molded with the rear frame 11Rr.

[0028] 3 , a rectangular plate-shaped press felt 14 (made by compressing natural fibers such as wool or rayon) is provided on the upper surface of the cushion pad 12 above the wire 110 in the adjacent region AR. The press felt 14 has a shape corresponding to, for example, a recess 12a (see FIG. 5 ) formed in the surface of the cushion pad 12, and is embedded in the surface of the cushion pad 12 by being adhered to the recess 12a with an adhesive or the like. The upper surface of the press felt 14 and the upper surface of the cushion pad 12 are approximately flush with each other; that is, it is preferable that the depth of the recess 12a of the cushion pad 12 and the thickness of the press felt 14 are approximately the same. The left-right width of the press felt 14 is preferably the same as or greater than the left-right width of the connecting member 31.

[0029] It is also possible to integrally mold the cushion pad 12 and the press felt 14 by placing the press felt 14 in the mold used to mold the cushion pad 12 and then pouring the material for the cushion pad 12 into the mold to mold the cushion pad 12. When integrally molding the cushion pad 12 and the press felt 14 in this way, the press felt 14 is impregnated with the molding material, such as polyurethane, in the mold and the molding material is solidified in this state, making it possible to easily increase the rigidity of the press felt 14.

[0030] According to the seat 1 configured as described above, the wire 110 is present on the upper surface of the interior of the cushion pad 12 in the adjacent area AR that may overlap with the connector CN of the child car seat in a top view when the child car seat is placed on the seat surface 10s of the seat cushion 10, and this wire 110 can prevent the cushion pad 12 from sinking in the adjacent area AR. For example, even if the connector CN of the child car seat sinks in the adjacent area AR, the sinking can be stopped at the position of the upper end of the wire 110. Furthermore, the rigidity of the wire can also prevent the connector CN from sinking.

[0031] Furthermore, in the seat 1, the press felt 14 is present on the upper surface of the cushion pad 12 above the wire 110 in the adjacent region AR, and the rigidity of this press felt 14 also helps to prevent the cushion pad 12 from sinking in the adjacent region AR. Furthermore, for example, as shown in FIG. 6 , when the cushion pad 12 sinks and tilts forward in the adjacent region AR, the press felt 14 also tilts forward. Therefore, the inclined surface of the press felt 14 can guide the movement of the connector CN, and the connector CN can be easily pushed into the connecting member 31.

[0032] As a result, the connector CN can be connected to the connecting member 31 with almost no lifting of the child car seat, making it easy to install the child car seat. Furthermore, the guide function of the press felt 14 reduces the load on the adjacent area AR, allowing for greater flexibility in the strength design of the wire 110 and reducing manufacturing costs. In the seat 1, the connecting member 31 protrudes toward the seat surface 10s of the seat cushion 10. This reduces the distance between the tip 31A of the connecting member 31 and the seat surface 10s when no load is applied to the seat cushion 10. This small distance prevents the distance between the lower end of the connector CN and the tip 31A of the connecting member 31 from increasing, even if the rigidity of the press felt 14 and the wire 110 is slightly reduced, i.e., even if the cushion pad 12 sinks slightly more. This allows the connector CN to be connected to the connecting member 31 without significantly lifting the child car seat. Reducing the rigidity of the press felt 14 and the wire 110 in this way reduces manufacturing costs.

[0033] Furthermore, according to the seat 1, the rigidity of the wire 110 and the press felt 14 can suppress sinking of the cushion pad 12. Therefore, compared to a configuration in which only one of the wire 110 and the press felt 14 is present, the presence of both allows the rigidity of each component to be appropriate, making manufacturing easier. Furthermore, because the press felt 14 is covered by the trim cover 13, seating comfort can be improved even with the presence of the press felt 14. Furthermore, covering the press felt 14 with the trim cover 13 increases the design freedom of the trim cover 13, resulting in a more favorable appearance. Furthermore, because the press felt 14 is embedded in the upper surface of the cushion pad 12, it is possible to prevent unevenness on the seat surface due to the thickness of the press felt 14, thereby improving seating comfort.

[0034] Furthermore, according to the seat 1, since the connecting member 31 is not provided on the seat cushion 10, the cushion pad 12 can be densely provided around the wire 110, which also makes it possible to suppress sinking. Furthermore, since the rigidity of the cushion pad 12 can also be used to suppress sinking, sinking can be suppressed without increasing the rigidity of the wire 110 more than necessary, and manufacturing costs can be reduced.

[0035] It is preferable to set the rigidity of the press felt 14 lower than the rigidity of the wire 110. In this way, by lowering the rigidity of the members on the surface side of the seat, it is possible to improve sitting comfort. The presence of the press felt 14 and the wire 110 makes it possible to flexibly set the rigidity according to the purpose, and it is possible to manufacture seats 1 with a variety of sitting comfort.

[0036] Furthermore, it is preferable that the distance L1 (see FIG. 5) from the upper surface of the cushion pad 12 to the upper end of the wire 110 in the adjacent region AR is 2.0 cm or less. With this configuration, it is possible to sufficiently suppress sinking of the cushion pad 12 due to the weight of the child car seat.

[0037] Furthermore, it is preferable that the distance L1 is 1.0 cm or more. With this configuration, it is possible to sufficiently improve the seating comfort even when an occupant sits directly above the wire 110. In other words, by setting the distance L1 in the range of 1.0 cm or more and 2.0 cm or less, it is possible to suppress sinking and improve the seating comfort at the same time.

[0038] Furthermore, it is preferable that the distance in the front-to-rear direction between the front edge of the connecting member 31 and the center of the wire 110 in the front-to-rear direction (distance L2 shown in FIG. 4) be set in the range of 1.0 cm to 2.0 cm, inclusive. This makes it possible to both suppress sinking and improve comfort.

[0039] It is also preferable that the width in the front-to-rear direction of the press felt 14 is smaller than the width in the left-to-right direction. If the width of the press felt 14 in the front-to-rear direction is small, the occupant's body is less likely to come into contact with the area where it overlaps with the press felt 14, improving seating comfort. If the center of the press felt 14 in the front-to-rear direction is located forward of the tip end 110U of the wire 110, guiding can be performed more effectively.

[0040] The sheet 1 may be configured such that a member having higher rigidity than the cushion pad 12, such as foamed polypropylene, is embedded in the cushion pad 12 instead of the wire 110. Even with this configuration, sinking can be similarly suppressed. When foamed polypropylene is used instead of the wire 110, the foamed polypropylene can be embedded in the cushion pad 12 by integral molding when molding the cushion pad 12. With this configuration, sinking can be suppressed by simply changing the design of the cushion pad 12, making manufacturing easier. The sheet 1 may be configured such that a plate material made of resin, metal, paper, or the like is provided instead of the press felt 14. Even with this configuration, sinking can be similarly suppressed while guiding the movement of the connector CN.

[0041] In the seat 1, the press felt 14 is not limited to being provided on the surface of the cushion pad 12. For example, the press felt 14 may be disposed inside the cushion pad 12. The press felt 14 may also be attached to the back surface of the trim cover 13. Alternatively, the press felt 14 may be incorporated inside the trim cover 13.

[0042] In the above description, a seat 1 installed in a vehicle such as an automobile has been used as an example of an embodiment of a vehicle seat. However, the present invention is not limited to seats installed in vehicles, and can be applied to seats installed in any vehicle such as an aircraft or a ship.

[0043] As described above, this specification discloses the following. Note that the components in parentheses correspond to those in the above-described embodiment, but are not limited to these.

[0044] (1) A vehicle seat (seat 1) having a seat back (seat back 20), a seat cushion (seat cushion 10) including a cushion frame (cushion frame 11), a cushion pad (cushion pad 12) covering the cushion frame, and an upholstery (trim cover 13) covering the cushion pad, and a connecting member (connecting member 31) for connecting a connector (connector CN) provided on a child seat, wherein a first member (wire 110) having higher rigidity than the cushion pad is provided inside the cushion pad in an adjacent region (adjacent region AR) that is in contact with and separates from a tip end of the connecting member on a front side of the seat in top view, and a second member (press felt 14) having higher rigidity than the cushion pad is provided in the adjacent region on a surface of the cushion pad covered by the upholstery on the seat back side.

[0045] According to (1), when a child car seat is placed on the seat cushion's seat surface, a highly rigid first member is present inside the cushion pad in an adjacent area of ​​the connecting member that may overlap the child car seat's connector in a top view. The rigidity of the first member prevents the cushion pad from sinking in that adjacent area. Furthermore, the rigidity of the second member provided on the surface of the cushion pad prevents the cushion pad from sinking in that adjacent area. As a result, the connector can be connected to the connecting member without lifting the child car seat, making it easy to install the child car seat. Compared to a configuration in which only one of the first and second members is present, the presence of both the first and second members allows for appropriate rigidity of each member, facilitating manufacturing. Furthermore, because the second member is covered with a skin, seating comfort can be improved even with the presence of the second member. Furthermore, the second member being covered with a skin increases the design freedom of the skin, resulting in a favorable appearance.

[0046] (2) The vehicle seat according to (1), wherein the rigidity of the first member is higher than the rigidity of the second member.

[0047] According to (2), sinking of the seat cushion due to the weight of the child car seat can be sufficiently suppressed.

[0048] (3) The vehicle seat according to (2), wherein the second member is made of a press felt.

[0049] According to (3), the manufacturing cost can be reduced, and the rigidity of the second member can be flexibly adjusted.

[0050] (4) The vehicle seat according to (3), wherein the second member is integrally molded with the cushion pad.

[0051] According to (4), when the cushion pad is molded, the material for forming the cushion pad permeates the press felt, increasing the rigidity of the press felt. This makes it possible to reduce the volume of the second member, thereby reducing manufacturing costs, and to sufficiently increase the rigidity of the second member. In addition, the manufacturing process can be simplified.

[0052] (5) The vehicle seat according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein a distance (distance L1) from the surface of the cushion pad in the adjacent region to the first member is 2.0 cm or less.

[0053] According to (5), sinking of the seat cushion due to the weight of the child car seat can be sufficiently suppressed.

[0054] (6) The vehicle seat according to (5), wherein the distance is 1.0 cm or more.

[0055] According to (6), even when an occupant sits directly above the first member, the seating comfort can be sufficiently improved.

[0056] (7) The vehicle seat according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein the cushion frame includes a rear frame (rear frame 11Rr) provided at an end portion on the seat back side, and the first member is provided between the rear frame and the surface of the cushion pad.

[0057] According to (7), the rigidity of the rear frame and the rigidity of the first member can be used to suppress sinking of the cushion pad, which simplifies the design and reduces manufacturing costs.

[0058] (8) The vehicle seat according to (7), wherein the first member is configured by a wire (wire 110) that is provided so as to protrude from the rear frame toward the front surface.

[0059] According to (8), the first member can be formed simply by changing the design of the cushion frame, making manufacturing easy.

[0060] (9) A vehicle seat according to any one of (1) to (4), comprising a plurality of the connection members, wherein the first member is provided one for each of the plurality of connection members, and the second member is provided one for each of the plurality of connection members.

[0061] According to (9), it is possible to improve the comfort of sitting in the area where the first member and the second member are not present, and it is also possible to reduce the manufacturing cost.

[0062] (10) A vehicle seat according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein the seat back includes a back frame (back frame 21), and the connecting member is provided so as to protrude from an end (lower frame 21D) of the back frame on the seat cushion side toward the seat surface (seat surface 10s) of the seat cushion.

[0063] In the configuration of (10), the height position of the tip of the connecting member is limited by the surface of the seat cushion, so it is difficult to avoid increasing the distance between the connector of the child car seat and the connecting member by modifying the connecting member. Therefore, the effect of suppressing sinking of the cushion pad by providing the first and second members can be maximized.

[0064] Although various embodiments have been described above, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to such examples. It is clear that a person skilled in the art can conceive of various modifications or alterations within the scope of the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally fall within the technical scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the components of the above embodiments may be combined in any manner as long as they do not deviate from the spirit of the invention.

[0065] This application is based on a Japanese patent application (Patent Application No. 2024-048261) filed on March 25, 2024, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0066] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 seat 10s seat surface 10 seat cushion 11L, 21L left frame 11R, 21R right frame 11Fr front frame 11Rr rear frame 11 cushion frame 12 cushion pad 13, 23 trim cover 14 press felt 20 seat back 21D lower frame 21U upper frame 21 back frame 23H opening 31A, 110U tip 31 connecting member 110L left side portion 110R right side portion 110 wire

Claims

1. A vehicle seat having a seat back, a cushion frame, a cushion pad covering the cushion frame, and a seat cushion including a cover covering the cushion pad, and a connecting member for connecting a connector provided on a child seat, wherein a first member having higher rigidity than the cushion pad is provided inside the cushion pad in an adjacent region adjacent to the front side of the seat of the tip of the connecting member in a top view, and a second member having higher rigidity than the cushion pad is provided above the first member in the adjacent region.

2. A vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the second member is provided in the adjacent area on the surface of the cushion pad on the seat back side covered by the skin.

3. A vehicle seat according to claim 2, wherein the rigidity of the first member is higher than the rigidity of the second member.

4. A vehicle seat according to claim 3, wherein the second member is made of press felt.

5. A vehicle seat according to claim 4, wherein the second member is integrally molded with the cushion pad.

6. A vehicle seat according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the distance from the surface of the cushion pad to the first member in the adjacent region is 2.0 cm or less.

7. A vehicle seat according to claim 6, wherein the distance is 1.0 cm or greater.

8. A vehicle seat according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the cushion frame includes a rear frame provided at the end on the seat back side, and the first member is provided between the rear frame and the surface of the cushion pad.

9. A vehicle seat according to claim 8, wherein the first member is configured by a wire protruding from the rear frame toward the surface side.

10. A vehicle seat as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 5, comprising a plurality of said connecting members, wherein said first members are provided one for each of said plurality of connecting members, and said second members are provided one for each of said plurality of connecting members.

11. A vehicle seat as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the seat back includes a back frame, and the connecting member is provided so as to protrude from the end of the back frame on the seat cushion side toward the seat surface of the seat cushion.

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