Vehicle seat

Abstract

Provided is a vehicle seat with an improved degree of freedom in seat arrangement.　A vehicle seat (S) comprises a seat cushion (1), and can be put in a collapsed state in which the seat cushion (1) is collapsed. Moreover, the vehicle seat (S) comprises: a slide rail device (6) that moves the seat cushion (1) in a prescribed direction; a cushion frame (Cf); a first link (16) that collapses the seat cushion (1); and second links (22, 23) that link the cushion frame (Cf) and the slide rail device (6) and change the height of the seat cushion (1).

Description

Vehicle seats

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle seat, and more particularly to a vehicle seat that can be transformed into a folding state, and also to a vehicle seat that includes a seat cushion frame.

[0002] Conventionally, vehicle seats such as the one disclosed in Patent Document 1 have been known that have a function that allows the entire vehicle seat to be folded compactly into a folded state (a so-called dive-down state) by tilting the seat back forward and moving the seat cushion forward.

[0003] In addition, conventional vehicle seats equipped with a seat cushion and a seat back are provided with a reclining mechanism that connects the seat back to the seat cushion so that the seat back can be rotated rearward. By rotating the seat back rearward, an occupant sitting in the vehicle seat can tilt their upper body and assume a relaxed, backward-leaning position. Therefore, the reclining mechanism can reduce fatigue and improve comfort for the occupant.

[0004] Patent Literature 2 discloses a technology for further improving the seating comfort of a vehicle seat with a reclining mechanism by providing a folding mechanism in a seat cushion frame that forms the framework of the seat cushion. Specifically, the front and rear cushion frames are separated from each other and pivotally connected. This prevents the occupant's back from shifting vertically relative to the seat back when the seat back is pivoted rearward relative to the seat cushion. This allows the occupant to smoothly transition from a normal driving position to a relaxed, leaning-back position, improving seating comfort.

[0005] JP 2005-59765 A JP 2019-172189 A

[0006] The vehicle seat described in Patent Document 1 is provided with a dive-down link and a height adjustment link for changing the height of the seat cushion, but because the height adjustment link is directly connected to a bracket provided on the vehicle floor, it is not possible to move the entire seat in the fore-and-aft direction, for example, and the degree of freedom in seat arrangement is insufficient. Also, in the dive-down state, the seat falls forward, so compactness in the fore-and-aft direction of the seat is insufficient (first issue).

[0007] Although the technology described in Patent Document 2 can improve the seating comfort of an occupant when using the reclining mechanism, further improvement is required. That is, there is a need to improve seating comfort by providing a folding mechanism in the seat cushion frame, while suppressing a decrease in the rigidity of the seat cushion frame due to the provision of a movable part (folding mechanism) (second problem).

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of the first problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle seat that, for example, improves the degree of freedom in seat arrangement. Another object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle seat that can improve the seating comfort of an occupant using a reclining mechanism while suppressing a decrease in the rigidity of the seat cushion frame.

[0009] The first problem is solved by a vehicle seat of the present invention, which includes a seat cushion and is capable of being reclined, and which includes a slide rail device that moves the seat cushion in a predetermined direction, a cushion frame, a first link that reclins the seat cushion, and a second link that connects the cushion frame and the slide rail device and changes the height of the seat cushion. By including the slide rail device and the second link that connects the cushion frame and the slide rail device to change the height, it is possible to provide a vehicle seat that allows the vehicle seat to be moved in a predetermined direction while changing the height of the seat cushion, for example, and improves the flexibility of seat arrangement.

[0010] In the above configuration, the slide rail device may have an inner side portion located inside the vehicle seat in the seat width direction and an outer side portion located outside the vehicle seat, the first link may be located inside the vehicle seat with respect to the inner side portion of the slide rail device in the seat width direction, and the second link may be located between the inner side portion and the outer side portion of the slide rail device in the seat width direction. By arranging the first link inside the inner side portion of the slide rail device and the second link between the inner and outer side portions of the slide rail device, the first link and the second link can be arranged compactly without interfering with each other.

[0011] In the above configuration, when the vehicle seat is in the reclined state, the first link may be positioned below an upper end of the second link and above a lower end of the slide rail device. By positioning the first link below the second link in the reclined state, the vehicle seat can be made thinner in the vertical direction, and more compact.

[0012] In the above configuration, the predetermined direction may be the seat front-rear direction, the slide rail device may include a lower rail fixed to the floor and an upper rail that slides on the lower rail, and the second link may be positioned to overlap in the vertical direction with an engagement portion where the lower rail and the upper rail engage. By positioning the second link to overlap in the vertical direction with the engagement portion between the lower rail and the upper rail, the second link can be positioned compactly in the seat width direction. Furthermore, by overlapping the engagement portion with the second link in the vertical direction, rigidity in the vertical direction can be improved.

[0013] In the above configuration, a connecting bracket may be provided that connects the second link and the slide rail device, and when the vehicle seat is in the reclined state, the first link may be positioned below an upper end of the connecting bracket. When the vehicle seat is in the reclined state, the first link may be positioned below an upper end of the connecting bracket, thereby making it possible to reduce the thickness of the vehicle seat in the vertical direction.

[0014] In the above configuration, the cushion frame may include a first frame and a second frame connected to the first frame by the first link and supporting the first frame, the first link being rotatably connected to the second frame, the second link being rotatably connected to the slide rail device, and the lower rail of the slide rail device may have an extension portion that extends forward from a rotation axis of the first link relative to the second frame or a rotation axis of the second link relative to the slide rail device when the vehicle seat is in the reclined state. Having the extension portion on the lower rail can, for example, improve the degree of freedom in seat arrangement.

[0015] In the above configuration, the second link has a first pivot shaft relative to the cushion frame and a second pivot shaft relative to the slide rail device, and the slide rail device is provided with a protrusion located on the slide rail device outward in the seat width direction from the second link and protruding upward from an upper surface of the slide rail device, the protrusion being located between the first pivot shaft and the second pivot shaft of the second link in the seat front-rear direction when the vehicle seat is in the reclined state. The presence of the protrusion on the slide rail device can, for example, suppress rattling of the second link in the seat width direction when the vehicle seat is in the reclined state.

[0016] In the above configuration, when the vehicle seat is in the reclined state, the upper end of the protrusion may be positioned below the upper end of the first link or the upper end of the second link. By positioning the upper end of the protrusion below the upper end of the first link or the upper end of the second link when the vehicle seat is in the reclined state, it is possible to make the seat more compact and thinner in the up-down direction.

[0017] In the above configuration, the slide rail device may include a lower rail fixed to the floor, an upper rail that slides on the lower rail, and a slide restricting portion that restricts the sliding of the upper rail, and the protrusion may be part of the slide restricting portion. By using part of the slide restricting portion of the slide rail device, rattle in the seat width direction can be suppressed without adding any additional components, and a compact configuration can be achieved.

[0018] In the above configuration, a seat back may be provided, and the seat cushion may collapse onto the floor in conjunction with the seat back when the seat back is folded forward of the seat. By collapsing the seat cushion in conjunction with the seat back, the degree of freedom in seat arrangement is improved.

[0019] The second problem is solved by the vehicle seat of the present invention, which provides a vehicle seat equipped with a seat cushion, wherein a seat cushion frame of the seat cushion has left and right cushion side frames opposing each other in the seat width direction, each of the left and right cushion side frames being divided in the front-to-rear direction and having a first side frame, a second side frame aligned with the first side frame in the front-to-rear direction, and a connecting rotation shaft that rotatably connects the first side frame and the second side frame to each other, wherein the first side frame has an extension portion that extends horizontally from a vertical end, and the extension portion abuts against and overlaps with the vertical end of the second side frame in the front-to-rear direction.

[0020] According to the above configuration, each of the left and right cushion side frames includes a first side frame, a second side frame, and a connecting pivot shaft that rotatably connects the first side frame and the second side frame. The first side frame also includes an extension portion that extends horizontally from the vertical end of the first side frame and vertically overlaps with the second side frame. Therefore, the seat cushion frame's center-folding mechanism can improve seating comfort for an occupant using the reclining mechanism. Furthermore, because the extension portion extending horizontally from the first side frame abuts against the second side frame and vertically overlaps with it, a decrease in the rigidity of the seat cushion frame at the connection between the first side frame and the second side frame can be prevented.

[0021] The second side frame may have abutment protrusions that protrude from the vertical end and abut against the extending portions in the front-rear direction. According to the above configuration, the extending portions of the first side frame abut against the second side frame in the vertical and front-rear directions. This restricts the rotation angle between the first and second side frames, preventing excessive rotation of the first and second side frames.

[0022] In addition, the second side frame may have an overlapping portion that overlaps with the first side frame in the seat width direction, and the extension portion may extend in the seat width direction from the vertical end of the first side frame to abut against the vertical end of the overlapping portion and overlap in the vertical direction. According to the above configuration, the extension portion abuts against the vertical end of the overlapping portion, thereby restricting the rotation angle of the first side frame and the second side frame and preventing the first side frame and the second side frame from rotating excessively.

[0023] The extension portion may extend in the seat width direction from the upper end of the first side frame and abut against an abutment portion located at the upper end of the second side frame, and the second side frame may have an inclined portion that slopes downward as it extends rearward from the abutment portion. According to the above configuration, the second side frame located forward of the first side frame has an inclined portion at its rear end that slopes downward as it extends rearward from the abutment portion that abuts against the extension portion. This allows the first side frame and the second side frame to rotate smoothly without interfering with each other, allowing the cushion side frame to be folded in a center-folded state.

[0024] The first side frame may have a first flange portion extending in the seat width direction at its upper end, and the second side frame may have a second flange portion extending in the seat width direction at its upper end, and the extension portion may be provided on the first flange portion and abut against and overlap the second flange portion in the vertical direction. According to the above configuration, the first flange portion and the second flange portion can improve the rigidity of the first side frame and the second side frame, and the extension portion provided on the first flange portion overlaps the second flange portion in the vertical direction. This improves the rigidity of the entire seat cushion frame. Furthermore, a wide abutment surface can be secured between the extension portion and the second side frame, thereby reducing rattle in the seat backrest folding mechanism.

[0025] The first side frame may have a first rotation restricting member that protrudes from the first side frame in the seat width direction and abuts against a rear end of the second side frame to restrict rotation of the first side frame relative to the second side frame. With the above configuration, it is possible to prevent the first side frame and the second side frame from rotating excessively relative to each other.

[0026] The first side frame may have a second rotation restricting member that abuts against a lower end of the second side frame to restrict rotation of the first side frame relative to the second side frame. With the above configuration, it is possible to prevent the first side frame and the second side frame from rotating excessively relative to each other.

[0027] In addition, the vehicle seat may include a seat back, and a seat back frame of the seat back may include a cushion support member that abuts against at least one of the first side frame and the second side frame when the seat back rotates rearward relative to the seat cushion and supports the seat cushion frame from below. According to the above configuration, when the seat back rotates rearward relative to the seat cushion, the seat cushion is supported from below by the seat back, so that downward sinking of the seat cushion is suppressed, and it is possible to improve seating comfort of the vehicle seat in a reclined state.

[0028] The cushion side frame may be provided with a biasing means for biasing the first side frame relative to the second side frame in a predetermined direction around the connecting pivot shaft. According to the above configuration, the first side frame and the second side frame are biased by the biasing means, so that the first side frame and the second side frame can be biased toward a desired rotation angle position.

[0029] Preferably, the biasing means is an expandable elastic spring that is spanned between a first elastic spring fixing member provided on the first side frame and a second elastic spring fixing member provided on the second side frame. With the above configuration, the first side frame and the second side frame are biased by the elastic spring, making it possible to bias the first side frame and the second side frame toward a desired rotation angle position.

[0030] The vehicle seat may further include a seat back, the first side frame may be connected to a seat back frame of the seat back at a position rearward of the connecting pivot shaft, and when the seat back pivots rearward relative to the seat cushion, the connecting pivot shaft and the rear end of the second side frame connected to the connecting pivot shaft may be raised. According to the above configuration, when the seat back pivots rearward relative to the seat cushion, the connecting pivot shaft and the second side frame are raised, so that the seating surfaces of the seat cushion and the seat back can be unfolded substantially horizontally.

[0031] According to the vehicle seat of the present invention, the vehicle seat includes a slide rail device and a second link that connects the cushion frame and the slide rail device to change the height. This allows the vehicle seat to be moved in a predetermined direction while changing the height of the seat cushion, thereby improving the flexibility of seat arrangement. Furthermore, according to the present invention, the first link is positioned inward from the inner side of the slide rail device, and the second link is positioned between the inner and outer side of the slide rail device, thereby preventing interference between the first link and the second link and achieving a compact arrangement. Furthermore, according to the present invention, the first link is positioned lower than the second link when the vehicle seat is in a reclined state, thereby enabling a thinner vehicle seat in the vertical direction and making the vehicle seat more compact. Furthermore, according to the present invention, the second link is positioned so as to overlap the engagement portion between the lower rail and the upper rail in the vertical direction, thereby enabling a compact arrangement of the second link in the seat width direction. Furthermore, the vertical overlap between the engagement portion and the second link improves rigidity in the vertical direction. Furthermore, according to the present invention, when the vehicle seat is in a reclined state, the first link is positioned below the upper end of the connecting bracket, thereby enabling the vehicle seat to be thinned in the vertical direction. Furthermore, according to the present invention, the slide rail device has an extension portion, thereby improving the flexibility of seat arrangement, for example. Furthermore, according to the present invention, the slide rail device has a protrusion portion, which can suppress rattle of the second link in the seat width direction when the seat is reclined, for example. Furthermore, according to the present invention, when the vehicle seat is in a reclined state, the upper end of the protrusion is positioned below the upper end of the first link or the upper end of the second link, thereby enabling the seat to be made more compact or thin in the vertical direction. Furthermore, according to the present invention, by using a part of the slide restricting portion of the slide rail device, rattle in the seat width direction can be suppressed without adding any additional components, enabling a compact configuration. Furthermore, according to the present invention, the seat cushion reclins in conjunction with the seat back, thereby improving the flexibility of seat arrangement.

[0032] Furthermore, according to the present invention, it is possible to improve the seating comfort of an occupant when using the reclining mechanism while suppressing a decrease in the rigidity of the seat cushion frame. Furthermore, it is possible to restrict the rotation angle between the first side frame and the second side frame, thereby preventing the first side frame and the second side frame from rotating excessively relative to each other. Furthermore, the first side frame and the second side frame can rotate smoothly without interfering with each other, allowing the cushion side frame to be in a center-folded state. Furthermore, the first flange portion and the second flange portion can improve the rigidity of the first side frame and the second side frame, and also improve the rigidity of the entire seat cushion frame. Furthermore, it is possible to suppress rattle in the center-folding mechanism. Furthermore, when the seat back rotates rearward relative to the seat cushion, downward sinking of the seat cushion is suppressed, thereby improving seating comfort in the reclined state. Furthermore, it is possible to bias the first side frame and the second side frame toward a desired rotation angle position. Furthermore, it is possible to deploy the seating surfaces of the seat cushion and the seat back in a substantially horizontal position.

[0033] 10 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of FIG. 10 showing the periphery of the left front height link; FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of FIG. 10 showing the periphery of the right front height link; FIG. 5 is a top view of a portion of FIG. 5 showing the periphery of the left front height link; FIG. 5 is a top view of a portion of FIG. 5 showing the periphery of the left front height link; FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional ... 1A and 1B are explanatory diagrams of a lower angle restricting member and a cushion support member, respectively, when the seat frame is in a reclined position and viewed from the side and from below, respectively.

[0034] 29 is a perspective view of a vehicle seat according to a second embodiment, seen from an obliquely front side. 29 is a perspective view showing a seat frame in a height-raised state. 30 is an explanatory diagram showing a seat frame in a normal state. 31 is an explanatory diagram showing a seat frame in a height-raised state. 32 is an explanatory diagram showing a seat frame in a folded state. 33 is an explanatory diagram showing a seat frame in an upright state with the cushion main body part flipped up in the height-raised state. 34 is an explanatory diagram showing a seat frame in a reclined state. 35 is a perspective view showing a height frame in a folded state. 36 is a perspective view showing a state in which a cover member is attached to a height frame in a folded state. 37 is a top view showing a height frame and a slide rail device in a folded state. 38 is a top view showing a state in which a cover member is attached to a height frame and a slide rail device in a folded state. 39 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XXX-XXX of FIG. 28. 39 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XXXI-XXXI of FIG. 39, showing a state in which a cover member is attached. 39 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XXXII-XXXII of FIG. 39. 39 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XXXII-XXXII of FIG. 39, showing a state in which a detachable leg part is locked. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an inertia leg locking portion as seen from diagonally rearward. FIG. 2 is a side view showing a first locking portion in a normal state. FIG. 3 is a side view showing the first locking portion in a tip-up state. FIG. 4 is a side view showing the first locking portion in a reclining state. FIG. 5 is an enlarged top view showing the periphery of the first locking portion. FIG. 6 is a top view showing the routing state of the routing member. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the routing state of the routing member as seen from inside the seat. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the routing state of the routing member as seen from outside the seat. FIG. 9 is a top view showing the routing state of the routing member of a first modified example. FIG. 10 is a side view showing the cushion frame in a normal state showing the routing state of the routing member of the first modified example. FIG. 11 is a side view showing the cushion frame in a reclining state showing the routing state of the routing member of a second modified example. FIG. 12 is a side view showing the cushion frame in a normal state showing the routing state of the routing member of a second modified example. FIG. 13 is a side view showing the frame in a reclining state showing the routing state of the routing member of a second modified example. FIG. 14 is a side view showing a second locking portion.

[0035] 58 。 59 is a perspective view of a vehicle seat according to a third embodiment, seen from an obliquely front side. 60 is a perspective view showing a seat frame in a height-raised state. 61 is a perspective view showing a frame in a folded state, mainly showing the height frame and slide rail device. 62 is a top view showing a cushion frame and slide rail device in a folded state. 63 is a top view showing a height frame and slide rail device in a folded state. 64 is an explanatory diagram of a seat frame in a normal state. 65 is an explanatory diagram showing a seat frame in a reclined state. 66 is an explanatory diagram of a seat frame in a height-raised state. 67 is an explanatory diagram of a seat frame in a folded state. 68 is a cross-sectional view of a cushion frame taken along line LVII-LVII in FIG. 51 . 69 is a perspective view showing the periphery of a lift-and-lower movable unit by enlarging a portion of FIG. 50 . 69 is a rear view showing the periphery of a lift-and-lower movable unit as viewed from arrow LIX in FIG. 58 . 70 is a side view showing the periphery of a lift-and-lower device. 71 is a perspective view showing the periphery of a lift-and-lower device. 72 is an exploded perspective view of a lift-and-lower device. 73 is a top view showing the periphery of a lift-and-lower device. 74 is a cross-sectional view taken along line LXIV-LXIV in FIG. 63 . 75 is an enlarged perspective view showing the periphery of an operation knob. 76 is an explanatory view for explaining the operation of a lift-and-lower device. 1 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the operation of the lifting device.

[0036] <<First Embodiment>> The configuration of a vehicle seat according to an embodiment of the present invention (the present embodiment) will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiment described below is an example for facilitating understanding of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. In other words, the present invention may be modified or improved without departing from the spirit thereof, and of course, the present invention also includes equivalents thereof.

[0037] In the following, a vehicle seat S installed in a vehicle automobile such as a minivan will be taken as an example of a vehicle seat, and an example of its configuration will be described. In the following description, the "seat longitudinal direction" refers to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle seat S, which is the direction that coincides with the traveling direction of the vehicle when the vehicle is traveling. The "seat width direction" refers to the width direction of the vehicle seat S, which is the direction that coincides with the left-right direction as seen by an occupant seated in the vehicle seat S. The "vertical direction" refers to the vertical direction of the vehicle seat S, which is the direction that coincides with the vertical direction when the vehicle is traveling on a horizontal plane. The outer and inner sides are defined based on the occupant. That is, the direction toward the center of the seat width direction is the inward direction, and the direction away from it is the outward direction. A common number is assigned to a pair of left and right components, and when specifying the left and right, the names of the components are designated by "left side" and "right side," and the letters "L" and "R" are added to the reference symbols.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 1 , the vehicle seat S is a seat placed on the floor of the vehicle and in which a vehicle occupant sits. In this embodiment, the vehicle seat S is a seat that is disposed on the right side (behind the driver's seat) of the rear seats corresponding to the rear seats of the vehicle. The vehicle seat S can also be used as a middle seat in the second row or a third seat in the third row in a vehicle that has three rows of seats in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The vehicle seat S may also be used as a front seat corresponding to the front seats.

[0039] The vehicle seat S of this embodiment is configured to be able to transition to a plurality of states. Hereinafter, a state in which an occupant can sit in the vehicle seat S in an edge-sitting position (sitting with legs down) will be referred to as the "normal state" of the vehicle seat S (see FIGS. 1 and 6). A state in which the seat back 2 is rotated rearward of the seat cushion 1 from the normal state will be referred to as the "reclined state" of the vehicle seat S (see FIG. 7). On the other hand, a state in which the seat cushion 1 is positioned higher than the normal state (see FIGS. 2 and 8) will be referred to as the "height-raised state." A state in which the seat cushion 1 is moved to collapse (sink) onto the vehicle floor and the entire vehicle seat S is folded (see FIG. 9) will be referred to as the "folded state." The folded state may also be referred to as the "dive-down state." Regardless of the state of the seat back 2, a state in which the seat cushion 1 simply collapses onto the vehicle floor may also be referred to as the "collapsed state." The state in which the height of the seat cushion 1 is lowered to the lowest level by the height link HL (see FIG. 14) may be referred to as the "height-down state."

[0040] The vehicle seat S can be arranged in a normal state in which an occupant can sit, a reclined state in which the seat back 2 is rotated backward, a height-raised state in which the position of the seat cushion 1 is raised, and a folded state in which the seat back 2 is folded and tilted forward.

[0041] An occupant can move the entire seat forward or backward by operating a slide rail operating lever 41 located on the front left side of the seat cushion 1. Also, by operating a height frame operating lever 42 located on the front right side of the seat cushion, a height link HL (described later) can be rotated to change the height of the seat cushion 1. Also, by operating a lever located on the shoulder of the seat back 2, the seat back 2 can be rotated forward or backward and reclined. Furthermore, the shape, position, and posture of each part of the vehicle seat S described below will be described assuming that the vehicle seat S is in a normal state, unless otherwise specified.

[0042] <Vehicle Seat S> The overall configuration of the vehicle seat S according to this embodiment will be outlined with reference to FIGS. 1 to 10. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the vehicle seat S according to this embodiment, seen obliquely from the front. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the seat frame F of the vehicle seat S in the height-raised state. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the seat frame F in the folded state, mainly showing the height frame 20 and the slide rail device 6. FIG. 4 is a top view of the cushion frame Cf and the slide rail device 6 in the folded state. FIG. 5 is a top view of the seat frame F in the folded state, mainly showing the height frame 20 and the slide rail device 6. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the seat frame F in the normal state, and FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the seat frame F in the reclined state. FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing the seat frame F in the height-raised state, and FIG. 9 is a side view of the seat frame F in the folded state. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the cushion frame Cf taken along line X-X in FIG. 4. In FIG. 1, for convenience of illustration, a part of the vehicle seat S is shown with the cover material Tr removed and the pad material P exposed.

[0043] As shown in Fig. 1, the vehicle seat S according to this embodiment mainly comprises a seat cushion 1, a seat back 2, a headrest 3, a reclining device 5, and a slide rail device 6. Note that hereinafter, the seat cushion 1, the seat back 2, and the headrest 3 may be collectively referred to as a seat body Sh. A buckle for a seat belt 9 is provided on the left rear portion of the seat cushion 1. As shown in Fig. 2, a seat frame F that forms the framework of the vehicle seat S is provided inside the vehicle seat S. The seat frame F includes a cushion frame Cf, a back frame 30, and a headrest frame 36.

[0044] <Seat Cushion 1> The seat cushion 1 is a support member that supports the buttocks of a seated occupant (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as a seated person), and supports the seated occupant from below. As shown in FIG. 2 , the seat cushion 1 includes a cushion frame Cf that forms the skeleton of the seat cushion 1. The cushion frame Cf in this embodiment is composed of a cushion main body frame 10 that directly supports the seated occupant, and a height frame 20 that is disposed below the cushion main body frame 10 and supports the cushion main body frame 10. The cushion main body frame 10 corresponds to the first frame in the present invention, and the height frame 20 corresponds to the second frame.

[0045] <Cushion Main Body Frame 10> The cushion main body frame 10 is a frame body having a rectangular shape when viewed from above. The cushion main body frame 10 has cushion side frames 11 that constitute the frame body, a pan frame 14 that connects the cushion side frames 11, and cushion frame members 15. The cushion main body frame 10 also has a dive down link 16 that connects to the height frame 20 at its front end.

[0046] The cushion side frame 11 is composed of a right cushion side frame 11R disposed on the right side of the cushion main frame 10 and a left cushion side frame 11L disposed on the left side. The right cushion side frame 11R and the left cushion side frame 11L extend in the front-to-rear direction. As shown in FIG. 4 , the right cushion side frame 11R and the left cushion side frame 11L extend in different directions, with the right cushion side frame 11R bending outward (to the right) at the front and then extending in the front-to-rear direction. This prevents the right cushion side frame 11R from interfering with other interior components arranged in the vehicle while ensuring a seating space for the occupant.

[0047] Each of the cushion side frames 11 has a folding mechanism. Specifically, the right cushion side frame 11R and the left cushion side frame 11L have a rear cushion side frame 12 and a front cushion side frame 13 that are rotatably connected to each other around a folding pivot 12a (see FIGS. 2 and 4).

[0048] The rear cushion side frame 12 arranged on the right side of the vehicle seat S may be referred to as a right rear cushion side frame 12R, and the rear cushion side frame 12 arranged on the left side may be referred to as a left rear cushion side frame 12L. The front cushion side frame 13 arranged on the right side of the vehicle seat S may be referred to as a right front cushion side frame 13R, and the front cushion side frame 13 arranged on the left side may be referred to as a left front cushion side frame 13L.

[0049] The pan frame 14 is made of a plate-like member and connects the front ends of the cushion side frames 11. The cushion frame members 15 are made of a pipe material and connect the central portions in the front-to-rear direction of the cushion side frames 11. A portion of the cushion frame member 15 is bent rearward, and the central portion of the cushion frame member 15 in the seat width direction is curved so that it is positioned rearward.

[0050] 2 and 4, a plurality of S springs 18 are attached to the cushion main body frame 10 across the pan frame 14 and the cushion frame member 15 as pressure-receiving members that receive the load of the seated occupant. As described above, the central portion of the cushion frame member 15 is curved rearward, so the S springs 18 can receive the load of the seated occupant over a wide area in the front-to-rear direction. In this embodiment, the pressure-receiving members are made up of a plurality of S springs 18, but this is not limiting. The pressure-receiving members provided on the cushion main body frame 10 may also be made up of elastic plate-like members.

[0051] A slide rail operating lever 41 for operating the slide rail device 6 is provided in front of the left front cushion side frame 13L. In addition, a height frame operating lever 42 for operating the height frame 20 (described later) is provided in front of the right front cushion side frame 13R.

[0052] An ottoman for supporting the legs of a seated person may be provided on the seat cushion 1. When an ottoman is provided, an ottoman support mechanism (not shown) for supporting the ottoman may be provided between the slide rail operating lever 41 and the height frame operating lever 42.

[0053] <Dive down link 16> The dive down link 16 is interposed between the cushion side frame 11 and the front end of the height frame 20, and supports the cushion main body frame 10 in cooperation with the seat back 2 described below. The dive down link 16 mainly includes a right dive down link 16R disposed on the right side, a left dive down link 16L disposed on the left side, and a dive down link member 17 (see FIGS. 3 and 5).

[0054] The right dive down link 16R and the left dive down link 16L are long plate members each having a first rotation shaft 16a at one longitudinal end and a second rotation shaft 16b at the other end. The first rotation shaft 16a is rotatably connected to the cushion side frame 11, and the second rotation shaft 16b is rotatably connected to the height side frame 21. By rotating the right dive down link 16R and the left dive down link 16L, the vehicle seat S transitions between a normal state (see FIG. 6) in which the cushion main body frame 10 is spaced above the height frame 20, and a reclined state (or folded state, see FIG. 9) in which the cushion main body frame 10 is sunk downward.

[0055] The dive down link member 17 connects the right dive down link 16R and the left dive down link 16L, increasing the rigidity of the dive down link 16. In addition, by connecting the right dive down link 16R and the left dive down link 16L with the dive down link member 17, the cushion main body frame 10 can be smoothly raised and lowered relative to the height frame 20.

[0056] <Height Frame 20> As described above, the cushion frame Cf includes a height frame 20 below the cushion main body frame 10 that supports the cushion main body frame 10. The height frame 20 is a frame body that has a rectangular shape when viewed from above, and includes height side frames 21 that constitute the frame body, a front height frame member 24, an intermediate height frame member 25, a rear height frame member 26, and a connecting shaft 27. The height frame 20 also includes a front height link 22 and a rear height link 23 that are interposed between the height side frames 21 and the slide rail device 6.

[0057] The height side frame 21 is composed of a right height side frame 21R arranged on the right side of the height frame 20 and a left height side frame 21L arranged on the left side. The right height side frame 21R and the left height side frame 21L have an elongated shape and extend in the front-to-rear direction. The right height side frame 21R and the left height side frame 21L are plate-like bodies that, when viewed from the side, have a generally triangular shape that increases in height toward the rear.

[0058] 4 and 5, the left height side frame 21L has a portion that is bent toward the inside or outside of the seat in the seat width direction, which allows the left height side frame 21L to be positioned above the slide rail device 6 and avoid interference with the slide lock device 63, front connecting bracket 43, and rear connecting bracket 44 arranged on the slide rail device 6.

[0059] An extended height side frame 21E is provided on the right side of the right height side frame 21R. The extended height side frame 21E is connected to the right height side frame 21R via a rear height frame member 26 and two connecting pipes 21Ea. However, the number and arrangement of the connecting pipes 21Ea are not limited to those shown in Figures 4 and 5. Three or more connecting pipes 21Ea may connect the right height side frame 21R and the extended height side frame 21E.

[0060] The front end of the right height side frame 21R and the front end of the left height side frame 21L are connected by a front height frame member 24. The rear end of the right height side frame 21R and the rear end of the left height side frame 21L are connected by a rear height frame member 26. The front height frame member 24 and the rear height frame member 26 are made of round pipe material that extends linearly.

[0061] An intermediate height frame member 25 is provided between the front height frame member 24 and the rear height frame member 26, and connects the right height side frame 21R and the left height side frame 21L. The intermediate height frame member 25 is made of a straight round pipe material, but is not limited to this. For example, the intermediate height frame member 25 may have a curved shape to avoid interference with other components. As a specific example, the intermediate height frame member 25 may have a shape in which the center portion in the seat width direction is curved rearward.

[0062] The front height link 22 and the rear height link 23 are formed of long, plate-like members. The front height link 22 is rotatably connected to the height side frame 21 via a first pivot shaft 22a. A front connecting bracket 43 is provided on the upper surface of the slide rail device 6, and the front height link 22 is rotatably connected to the slide rail device 6 via a second pivot shaft 22b provided on the front connecting bracket 43. The left and right first pivot shafts 22a are connected by a front connecting shaft 27a (see FIG. 5). The front height link 22 is a driven link mechanism that operates in response to the rear height link 23 when the height frame operating lever 42 is operated.

[0063] 3 and 5, the left and right front height links 22 are connected by a front height link member 28. The front height link member 28 is made of a long plate-like member. The front height link member 28 is attached so as to be located in front of the front connecting shaft 27a when the vehicle seat S is folded.

[0064] As shown in FIG. 8 , the rear height links 23 are rotatably connected to the height side frames 21 via first pivot shafts 23a. The rear height links 23 are rotatably connected to the slide rail device 6 via second pivot shafts 23b provided on the rear connecting brackets 44. The left and right first pivot shafts 23a are connected by a rear connecting shaft 27b as shown in FIG. 4 . The rear connecting shaft 27b is provided with a lifting / lowering unit 7 that rotates the rear height links 23 and raises and lowers the seat surface of the seat cushion 1. The rear height links 23 are a driven link mechanism that is driven when the height frame operating lever 42 is operated. The left and right rear height links 23 are connected by a pipe-shaped rear height link member 29 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5 .

[0065] Hereinafter, when there is no need to distinguish between the front height link 22 and the rear height link 23, they may be collectively referred to simply as height link HL. Furthermore, the front height link 22 arranged on the right side of the vehicle seat S may be referred to as the right front height link 22R, and the front height link 22 arranged on the left side may be referred to as the left front height link 22L. Furthermore, the rear height link 23 arranged on the right side of the vehicle seat S may be referred to as the right rear height link 23R, and the rear height link 23 arranged on the left side may be referred to as the left rear height link 23L.

[0066] The front height links 22 and the rear height links 23 rotate so as to stand upright forward relative to the slide rail device 6, thereby raising the cushion main body frame 10. As a result, the vehicle seat S transitions from the normal state shown in Fig. 6 to the height-raised state shown in Fig. 8. Conversely, the front height links 22 and the rear height links 23 rotate so as to lean backward relative to the slide rail device 6, thereby lowering the cushion main body frame 10. As a result, the vehicle seat S transitions from the height-raised state shown in Fig. 8 to the normal state shown in Fig. 6.

[0067] A second rotation shaft 16b of the dive down link 16 is rotatably provided at the front end of each height side frame 21. In addition, the rear end of each height side frame 21 is connected to the side connecting frame 32 of the back frame 30 via the reclining device 5. This allows each height side frame 21 to support the cushion main body frame 10 from below via the dive down link 16 at the front end and the back side frame 31 at the rear end.

[0068] <Padding Material P> A padding material P for the seat cushion is placed on the cushion main body frame 10, and the padding material P is covered with a covering material Tr. The padding material P is a cushioning material, and is formed, for example, from a urethane resin (foamed resin) such as soft polyurethane foam. The padding material P may be formed from biomass urethane. The covering material Tr covering the padding material P is formed, for example, from a stretchable synthetic leather material. The covering material Tr may be formed from cloth, film, leather, etc.

[0069] <Seatback 2> The seatback 2 is a support member that supports the back of a seated occupant, and supports the seated occupant from behind. As shown in Fig. 2, the seatback 2 has a back frame 30 that forms the skeleton of the seatback 2. The seatback 2 has a back frame pad material P that covers the back frame 30, and a cover material Tr that covers the pad material P.

[0070] The back frame 30 is a frame body having a substantially rectangular shape in a front view. The back frame 30 mainly comprises a pair of back side frames 31, a side connecting frame 32, a back upper frame 33, a back lower frame 34, and a pressure plate 35. The pair of back side frames 31 are elongated frame members extending in the vertical direction and are disposed apart from each other while facing each other in the seat width direction. The side connecting frame 32 is connected to the lower end of the back side frames 31 and the reclining device 5. The side connecting frame 32 is also connected to the upper end (rear end) of the rear cushion side frame 12.

[0071] The back upper frame 33 connects the upper ends of the left and right back side frames 31, and the back lower frame 34 connects the lower ends of the left and right back side frames 31. The pressure plate 35 is a plate-shaped member attached to the inside of the back frame 30 and supports the weight of a seated occupant.

[0072] The seat back 2 is connected to the seat cushion 1 and can be folded toward the seat cushion 1 as shown in FIG. 9 . When the seat back 2 is folded toward the front of the seat, the dive down link 16 of the seat cushion 1 rotates in conjunction with the folding of the seat back 2 toward the seat cushion 1, causing the seat cushion 1 to recline forward. At this time, the height links HL (front height link 22 and rear height link 23) of the seat cushion 1 also rotate toward the rear of the seat in conjunction with the folding of the seat back 2 toward the seat cushion 1, thereby lowering the height of the seat cushion 1. The dive down link 16 and the height link HL move in conjunction with the seat back 2, allowing the vehicle seat S to easily be folded (reclined).

[0073] <Headrest 3> The headrest 3 is a support member that supports the head of a seated occupant, and supports the head of the seated occupant from behind. As shown in Fig. 2, the headrest 3 has a headrest frame 36 that forms the skeleton of the headrest 3. The headrest 3 has a headrest padding material (not shown) that covers the headrest frame 36, and a skin material Tr that covers the padding material.

[0074] <Reclining device 5> The reclining device 5 rotatably connects the seat back 2 to the seat cushion 1. More specifically, as shown in Figures 6 to 9, the reclining device 5 connects the rear end of the height frame 20 and the lower end of the back frame 30 that constitute the seat cushion 1. The reclining device 5 can transition the vehicle seat S to a reclined state by rotating the seat back 2 rearward relative to the seat cushion 1. The reclining device 5 can also transition the vehicle seat S to a folded state by rotating the seat back 2 forward relative to the seat cushion 1.

[0075] <Slide rail device 6> As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the slide rail device 6 connects the vehicle seat S to the vehicle floor so that the seat can slide in the front-rear direction. The movement direction of the slide rail device 6 is not limited to the front-rear direction of the seat, and may also be the seat width direction (left-right direction). In other words, the slide rail device 6 may connect the vehicle seat S to the vehicle floor so that the vehicle seat S can slide in the seat width direction. In other words, the slide rail device 6 is a device that moves the seat cushion 1 of the vehicle seat S in a predetermined direction.

[0076] As shown in FIG. 1 , the slide rail device 6 is provided below the vehicle seat S. The slide rail device 6 has a known structure (the structure of a general slide rail mechanism). Specifically, the slide rail device 6 has a lower rail 61 fixed to the floor and an upper rail 62 that is slidable in the front-to-rear direction relative to the lower rail 61. The slide rail device 6 also has a slide lock device 63 that restricts the sliding movement of the upper rail 62 relative to the lower rail 61. The slide lock device 63 can release the restriction on the sliding movement by operating a slide rail operating lever 41 provided on the seat cushion 1.

[0077] The slide lock device 63 also has a lock operation lever 63a that protrudes from the top surface of the upper rail 62 and is used to release the lock (see Figures 13 and 14). The lock operation lever 63a is connected to a cable 64 that extends from the slide rail operation lever 41, and can be released by being pulled. When the pulling by the cable 64 is released, the lock operation lever 63a is returned to its original position by the spring member 63b and is locked again.

[0078] As described above, the upper rail 62 is provided with the front connecting bracket 43 and the rear connecting bracket 44. The upper rail 62 is connected to the height link HL of the cushion frame Cf via the front connecting bracket 43 and the rear connecting bracket 44. When the vehicle seat S is in a normal state, the height of the seat cushion 1 can be changed by rotating the height link HL in an upright direction, thereby placing the vehicle seat S in a height-raised state. By including the slide rail device 6 and the height link HL rotatably connected to the slide rail device 6, the vehicle seat S can move the seat cushion 1 in a predetermined direction (fore-and-aft direction of the seat in this embodiment) while changing the height of the seat cushion 1, thereby improving the flexibility of seat arrangement.

[0079] <Lift-and-Down Movable Portion 7> As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the vehicle seat S of this embodiment is provided with a lift-and-down movable portion 7 on the rear connecting shaft 27b, which assists the lift-and-down operation.

[0080] The liftable portion 7 is provided along the circumferential direction of the rear connecting shaft 27b and is composed of a biasing spring 70 that assists the rotational movement of the pair of rear height links 23, and a lifting restriction portion 71 that restricts the lifting and lowering of the seat cushion 1. While the biasing springs 70 are provided at both ends of the rear connecting shaft 27b, this is merely an example, and the biasing springs 70 may be provided at either end of the rear connecting shaft 27b. The biasing springs 70 are formed as spiral springs. The rear connecting shaft 27b is formed with an inner end locking portion that locks the inner end of the biasing spring 70. The height side frame 21 is provided with a stopper portion 75 that locks the outer end of the biasing spring 70.

[0081] <Reverse Rotation Suppression Device 50> As shown in Fig. 2, the vehicle seat S of this embodiment is provided with a reverse rotation suppression device 50. The reverse rotation suppression device 50 is a device that suppresses the front height link 22 from rotating in the reverse direction when the seat cushion 1 is raised from its lowest position. As shown in Fig. 3, for example, the reverse rotation suppression device 50 is provided below the front height link 22 when the vehicle seat S is in the folded state and the seat cushion 1 is in its lowest position (height-down state). By providing the reverse rotation suppression device 50, reverse rotation of the front height link 22 can be suppressed when the seat is raised.

[0082] <Positional Relationship Between the Slide Rail Device 6, the Dive Down Link 16, and the Height Link HL> The positional relationship between the slide rail device 6, the dive down link 16, and the height link HL will be described below with reference to Figures 11 to 14. Figure 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of Figure 10, showing the area around the left front height link 22L. Figure 12 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of Figure 10, showing the area around the right front height link 22R. Figure 13 is an enlarged top view of a portion of Figure 5, showing the area around the left front height link 22L. Figure 14 is a side view showing the area around the left front height link 22L.

[0083] The vehicle seat S is provided with a pair of left and right slide rail devices 6, each having an inner side portion 6a located inside the vehicle seat S in the seat width direction and an outer side portion 6b located outside the vehicle seat S (see FIGS. 11 and 12 ). As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 , the dive down link 16 (first link) is located more inside the vehicle seat S than the inner side portion 6a of the slide rail device 6 in the seat width direction. The height link HL (second link) is located between the inner side portion 6a and the outer side portion 6b of the slide rail device 6 in the seat width direction. By arranging the dive down link 16 and the height link HL in this manner, the dive down link 16 and the height link HL do not interfere with each other when they rotate, allowing for a compact arrangement.

[0084] 9, i.e., when the vehicle seat S is in the folded state, i.e., when the seat cushion 1 is in the reclined state, the dive down link 16 is preferably positioned below the upper end of the height link HL and above the lower end 6c of the slide rail device 6, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12. More specifically, in FIG. 11, the left dive down link 16L is preferably positioned below the upper end of the left front height link 22L and above the lower end 6c of the slide rail device 6 arranged on the left side. In addition, in FIG. 12, the right dive down link 16R is preferably positioned below the upper end of the right front height link 22R and above the lower end 6c of the slide rail device 6 arranged on the right side. In this way, providing the dive down link 16 allows the seat cushion 1 to be made thinner in the vertical direction, thereby making the vehicle seat S more compact.

[0085] 11 and 12, the height link HL is preferably positioned so as to overlap in the vertical direction with the engagement portion 65 between the lower rail 61 and upper rail 62 of the slide rail device 6. More specifically, in FIG. 11, the left front height link 22L is positioned so as to overlap in the vertical direction with the engagement portion 65 of the slide rail device 6 positioned on the left. Also, in FIG. 12, the right front height link 22R is positioned so as to overlap in the vertical direction with the engagement portion 65 of the slide rail device 6 positioned on the right. By positioning the height link HL so as to overlap in the vertical direction with the engagement portion 65, it is possible to realize a compact arrangement of the height link HL in the seat width direction and also to improve rigidity in the vertical direction.

[0086] 11 and 12, when the vehicle seat S is in the folded state (reclining state), the dive down link 16 is positioned below the upper end 43a of the front connecting bracket 43 (connecting bracket). More specifically, as shown in Fig. 11, the left dive down link 16L is positioned below the upper end 43a of the front connecting bracket 43. As shown in Fig. 12, the right dive down link 16R is positioned below the upper end 43a of the front connecting bracket 43. By configuring the dive down link 16 to be positioned below the upper end 43a of the front connecting bracket 43 when the vehicle seat S is in the folded state (reclining state), it is possible to reduce the thickness in the vertical direction, for example.

[0087] 13 and 14 , when the vehicle seat S is in the folded state (reclining state), the lower rail 61 of the slide rail device 6 is provided with an extension portion 61a that extends forward from the second pivot shaft 22b of the left front height link 22L relative to the slide rail device 6. The lower rail 61 of the slide rail device 6 may be provided with an extension portion 61a that extends forward from the second pivot shaft 16b of the dive down link 16 relative to the height frame 20. Providing the extension portion 61a in front of the lower rail 61 can improve the degree of freedom in seat arrangement, for example.

[0088] As described above, the slide rail device 6 is provided with a slide locking device 63 that locks the sliding of the upper rail 62. The slide locking device 63 corresponds to the slide regulating section of the present invention. Also, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14 , the slide rail device 6 has a lock operating lever 63a, whose upper end protrudes above the upper surface of the upper rail 62, for unlocking the slide locking device 63. The upper end of the lock operating lever 63a corresponds to the protrusion of the present invention. In other words, the protrusion is part of the slide locking device 63. A cable 64 is attached to the upper end of the protruding lock operating lever 63a, and the slide locking device 63 is unlocked by pulling the cable 64.

[0089] When the vehicle seat S is in the folded state (reclining state), the upper end of the protruding lock operating lever 63a is located between the first pivot shaft 22a and the second pivot shaft 22b of the left front height link 22L in the seat front-rear direction. By providing the lock operating lever 63a to protrude upward from the top surface of the slide rail device 6, it is possible to suppress rattle of the left front height link 22L in the seat width direction, for example. While the left front height link 22L has been described above, the same applies to the right front height link 22R, and rattle of the seat width direction is suppressed by the lock operating lever 63a provided on the right slide rail device 6.

[0090] Furthermore, when the vehicle seat S is in the folded state, as shown in FIG. 14 , the upper end of the lock operating lever 63a is located lower than the upper end of the dive down link 16 or the upper end of the front height link 22. By providing the operating lever in this manner, the seat can be made more compact and thinner in the up-down direction. Furthermore, the lock operating lever 63a is located further outward in the seat width direction than the front height link 22. As described above, the lock operating lever 63a corresponds to a protrusion, and by realizing the protrusion as part of the slide lock device 63, rattle in the seat width direction can be suppressed without adding any additional components, resulting in a reduced number of parts and a more compact configuration.

[0091] <Cushion Main Frame 10 Center-Timing Mechanism> Next, the cushion main frame 10 center-tiing mechanism will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 6, 7, and 15 to 18. The center-tiing mechanism rotatably connects the front end of the rear cushion side frame 12 and the rear end of the front cushion side frame 13 while suppressing a decrease in rigidity of the connection. The center-tiing mechanism also prevents the seat back 2 from tilting excessively backward relative to the seat cushion 1 in the reclined position. FIGS. 15 and 16 are perspective views of the center-tiing mechanism as seen from the inside in the normal position and the reclined position, respectively. As shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, the rear cushion side frame 12 and the front cushion side frame 13 are connected by a center-tiing pivot 12a. Furthermore, FIG. 17 shows a side view of the center-tiing mechanism in the reclined position, and FIG. 18 shows a bottom view.

[0092] The rear cushion side frame 12 is a curved, dogleg-shaped plate-like body. Its rear end is connected to the seatback frame 30 via a seatback connecting shaft 12b, and its front end is connected to the front cushion side frame 13 via a folding pivot shaft 12a. The rear cushion side frame 12 has an upper flange 12c extending along its upper end, a lower flange 12d extending along its lower end, and a side wall portion 12e interposed between the upper flange 12c and the lower flange 12d. The upper flange 12c and the lower flange 12d improve the rigidity of the rear cushion side frame 12. The upper flange 12c extends over substantially the entire length of the rear cushion side frame 12. Meanwhile, a portion of the lower flange 12d on the front side is notched. This prevents the lower flange 12d from interfering with the front cushion side frame 13 in the reclined position. The upper flange 12c corresponds to a first flange portion in the present invention.

[0093] An extension portion 12c1 is formed at the front end of the upper flange 12c. In the normal state, the extension portion 12c1 extends horizontally from the upper flange 12c, specifically toward the inside of the vehicle seat S. In the normal state, the extension portion 12c1 abuts against the upper flange 13a of the front cushion side frame 13 and overlaps with it in the vertical direction. This improves the rigidity of the connection between the rear cushion side frame 12 and the front cushion side frame 13.

[0094] 16 to 18 , a lower rotation restricting member 12f is provided at the front end of the lower flange 12d, which protrudes in the seat width direction, specifically toward the inside of the vehicle seat S, and abuts against the lower flange 13b of the front cushion side frame 13 in the reclined state. The lower rotation restricting member 12f restricts the rear cushion side frame 12 from excessive rotation about the center folding rotation shaft 12a relative to the front cushion side frame 13 in the reclined state. The lower rotation restricting member 12f corresponds to a second rotation restricting member of the present invention.

[0095] The side wall portions 12e are provided with side rotation restricting members 12g that protrude in the seat width direction, specifically toward the inside of the vehicle seat S, and abut against the rear ends of the front cushion side frames 13 in the reclined state. The side rotation restricting members 12g restrict the rear cushion side frames 12 from rotating excessively about the center folding rotation shaft 12a relative to the front cushion side frames 13 in the reclined state. The lower rotation restricting member 12f and the side rotation restricting members 12g cooperate with the reclining device 5 and an expansion spring 13e (described later) to prevent the seat back 2 from tilting excessively backward relative to the seat cushion 1 in the reclined state. The side rotation restricting members 12g correspond to the first rotation restricting members of the present invention.

[0096] The front cushion side frame 13 is a plate-like body extending in the front-rear direction, and is connected at its rear end to the rear cushion side frame 12 and at its front end to the pan frame 14. The front cushion side frame 13 has an upper flange 13a extending along its upper end, a lower flange 13b extending along its lower end, and a side wall portion 13c interposed between the upper flange 13a and the lower flange 13b. The upper flange 13a and the lower flange 13b improve the rigidity of the front cushion side frame 13. The upper flange 13a corresponds to a second flange portion in the present invention.

[0097] An upwardly protruding abutment protrusion 13a1 is provided near the rear end of the upper flange 13a. The abutment protrusion 13a1 abuts against the extending portion 12c1 of the rear cushion side frame 12 in the front-rear direction in the normal state. More specifically, the front end of the extending portion 12c1 abuts against the rear end of the abutment protrusion 13a1. This prevents the front cushion side frame 13 and the rear cushion side frame 12 from rotating excessively around the center-folding pivot shaft 12a in the normal state. Note that the shape of the abutment protrusion 13a1 is not limited to the shape shown in FIGS. 17 and 18 . The abutment protrusion 13a1 may have a rectangular parallelepiped shape or may be a columnar body protruding upward, as long as it abuts against the extending portion 12c1 in the front-rear direction and can restrict the rotation angle of the rear cushion side frame 12 relative to the front cushion side frame 13.

[0098] The upper flange 13a also has an inclined portion 13a2 that slopes downward toward the rear, rearward of the contact portion that contacts the extension portion 12c1, thereby preventing interference between the extension portion 12c1 and the upper flange 13a when the vehicle seat S transitions from the normal state to the reclined state.

[0099] The folding pivot shaft 12a extends in the seat width direction and pivotally connects the rear cushion side frame 12 and the front cushion side frame 13. In other words, the rear cushion side frame 12 has an overlapping region 13d (corresponding to an overlapping portion of the present invention) that overlaps with the front cushion side frame 13 in the seat width direction. In a normal state, the above-mentioned extension portion 12c1 overlaps with the upper flange 13a of the front cushion side frame 13 in the up-down direction above the overlapping region 13d. The folding pivot shaft 12a corresponds to a connecting pivot shaft of the present invention.

[0100] An expansion spring 13e is installed between the rear cushion side frame 12 and the front cushion side frame 13. More specifically, the expansion spring 13e is installed between a first spring fixing portion 12c2 extending obliquely downward from the extension portion 12c1 and a second spring fixing portion 13f provided at the lower end of the front cushion side frame 13. The expansion spring 13e biases the rear cushion side frame 12 in an upright direction relative to the front cushion side frame 13 around the center-folding pivot shaft 12a in the reclined state shown in Figures 16 and 17. In this way, the expansion spring 13e prevents the seat back 2 from tilting excessively backward relative to the seat cushion 1.

[0101] 15, the expansion spring 13e biases the front end of the rear cushion side frame 12 downward. As a result, the expansion spring 13e prevents the rear cushion side frame 12 and the front cushion side frame 13 from being folded in a mountain-like state around the folding pivot shaft 12a, thereby preventing a decrease in seating comfort for the seat cushion 1 in the normal state. The expansion spring 13e corresponds to the biasing means and elastic spring of the present invention, the first spring fixing portion 12c2 corresponds to the first elastic spring fixing member of the present invention, and the second spring fixing portion 13f corresponds to the second elastic spring fixing member of the present invention.

[0102] 17 and 18 , a cushion support member 32a is provided at the lower end of the side connecting frame 32 to restrict the rotation angle of the rear cushion side frame 12 and support the rear cushion side frame 12 from below. The cushion support member 32a is a plate-shaped body that abuts against the rear cushion side frame 12 from below in the reclined state, thereby preventing the rear cushion side frame 12 from rotating downward about the seatback connecting shaft 12b. As a result, the rear cushion side frame 12 lifts the center-folding rotation shaft 12a and the rear end of the front cushion side frame 13 when the seatback 2 rotates rearward relative to the seat cushion 1. This causes the rear cushion side frame 12 and the front cushion side frame 13 to unfold substantially horizontally, and the vehicle seat S transitions to a fully flat state in which the seating surfaces of the seatback 2 and seat cushion 1 are flush with each other.

[0103] In the seat back tilting mechanism configured as described above, in the normal state, the extension portion 12c1 of the rear cushion side frame 12 overlaps in the vertical direction with the upper flange 13a of the front cushion side frame 13. This prevents a decrease in the rigidity of the seat cushion frame.

[0104] <Method for manufacturing vehicle seat S> A vehicle seat S (vehicle seat) includes a seat cushion 1, and is capable of putting the seat cushion 1 into a reclined state. The vehicle seat S may be manufactured by a manufacturing method including preparing a slide rail device 6 that moves the seat cushion 1 in a predetermined direction, a cushion frame Cf, a dive down link 16 (first link) that reclins the seat cushion 1, and a height link HL (second link) that changes the height of the seat cushion 1, and connecting the cushion frame Cf and the slide rail device 6 with the height link HL.

[0105] <Method of Manufacturing Vehicle Seat S> Next, a method of manufacturing the vehicle seat S will be described. First, the cushion frame Cf constituting the seat frame F is assembled. Specifically, the rear cushion side frame 12 and the front cushion side frame 13 are connected via the center-folding pivot shaft 12a to assemble the cushion main body frame 10. At this time, the extension portion 12c1 provided on the upper flange 12c of the rear cushion side frame 12 overlaps with the upper flange 13a of the front cushion side frame 13 in the up-down direction. Next, the cushion main body frame 10 is disposed above the height frame 20 to assemble the cushion frame Cf. Similarly, the back frame 30 is assembled.

[0106] Next, the padding material P is placed on the cushion frame Cf and the back frame 30 and covered with the covering material Tr, thereby assembling the seat cushion 1 and the seat back 2. Similarly, the headrest 3 is assembled, and the seat cushion 1, seat back 2, and headrest 3 are connected to each other to manufacture the seat body. The seat body is assembled to the slide rail device 6 by connecting the height links HL provided on the left and right sides of the height frame 20 to the upper rails 62. This completes the manufacture of the vehicle seat S.

[0107] While the vehicle seat S according to the first embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the above-described embodiment is merely an example for facilitating understanding of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. In other words, the present invention may be modified or improved without departing from the spirit thereof, and the present invention naturally includes equivalents thereof.

[0108] In the above-described embodiment, the extension portion 12c1 is described as being provided on the upper flange 12c of the rear cushion side frame 12, but this is not limited to this. It is sufficient that the rear cushion side frame 12 and the front cushion side frame 13 overlap each other in a normal state to improve the rigidity of the connecting portion, and the extension portion 12c1 may be provided on the upper end or lower end of the front cushion side frame 13. Similarly, in the above-described embodiment, the abutting protrusion 13a1 is described as being provided on the upper flange 13a of the front cushion side frame 13, but this is not limited to this. The abutting protrusion 13a1 may be provided on the rear cushion side frame 12.

[0109] In the above-described embodiment, the extension portion 12c1 is described as extending inward, but is not limited to this. The extension portion 12c1 may extend in the front-rear direction as long as the overlapping of the extension portion 12c1 with the front cushion side frame 13 can improve the rigidity of the connection portion between the rear cushion side frame 12 and the front cushion side frame 13.

[0110] In the above-described embodiment, the expansion spring 13e is described as being provided inside the rear cushion side frame 12 and the front cushion side frame 13, but this is not limited to this. The expansion spring 13e may be provided outside the rear cushion side frame 12 and the front cushion side frame 13. In addition, the biasing means between the rear cushion side frame 12 and the front cushion side frame 13 is not limited to the expansion spring 13e. A coil spring may be provided on the folding pivot shaft 12a, and the rear cushion side frame 12 may be biased by the coil spring.

[0111] In the above embodiment, the vehicle seat S transitions from the normal state to the folded state by the dive down link 16 tilting forward and the front height link 22 and the rear height link 23 pivoting to tilt rearward, but this is not limiting. The vehicle seat S may transition from the normal state to the folded state by the front height link 22, the rear height link 23, and the dive down link 16 all pivoting to tilt forward. However, it is preferable that the dive down link 16 tilts forward and the front height link 22 and the rear height link 23 pivot to tilt rearward. This allows the vehicle seat S to be folded from the normal state to a compact state within a limited space.

[0112] In the above-described embodiment, the seat body is mainly composed of the seat cushion 1, the seat back 2, and the headrest 3. However, the seat body is not limited to this. The seat body may also include an ottoman and an armrest.

[0113] As an embodiment of the present invention, a vehicle seat S to be installed in a vehicle has been described above, and an example of its configuration has been explained using the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to seats installed in ground-traveling vehicles with wheels, such as automobiles and trains, and may also be applied to seats installed in aircraft, ships, and other vehicles that travel other than on land, for example.

[0114] Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. Components that are the same as or correspond to those in the first embodiment described above are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description may be omitted. The second embodiment relates to a vehicle seat, and in particular to a vehicle seat with a flip-up seat cushion.

[0115] BACKGROUND ART As disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-285674, a vehicle seat is known that includes a tip-up mechanism that can flip up a seat cushion and a lifter mechanism that changes the inclination of the cushion.

[0116] The vehicle seat with a tip-up mechanism described in JP 2003-285674 A is equipped with a lifter mechanism for adjusting the inclination of the seat cushion, but does not have a lifting mechanism for adjusting the height of the seat cushion. This makes it difficult to arrange the seat to suit the occupant's physique when they sit in it. Furthermore, vehicle seats with tip-up mechanisms are equipped with a locking mechanism for locking the frame in a flipped-up position. Conventionally, a wiring member such as an operating wire is routed along the frame to operate the locking mechanism, but if the frame deforms depending on the state of the vehicle seat, it has been necessary to appropriately position the wiring member to prevent breakage or other damage.

[0117] The vehicle seat of the second embodiment has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and its object is to provide a vehicle seat having a tip-up mechanism that improves the degree of freedom in seat arrangement. Another object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle seat in which wiring members are appropriately arranged.

[0118] The above problem is solved by a vehicle seat according to a second embodiment, which includes a seat cushion having a cushion main body, a seat back, and a tip-up mechanism for flipping up the cushion main body, the cushion main body being rotatably attached to the seat back and displaceable between a normal state in which an occupant can be seated and an upright state in which the cushion main body is parallel to the seat back by the tip-up mechanism, the cushion main body being configured to lock its position in the upright state, and the seat cushion including a lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the cushion main body and the seat back in the vertical direction. By including a cushion main body that can be displaced into the upright state by the tip-up mechanism and a lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the cushion main body and the seat back in the vertical direction, a vehicle seat with a tip-up mechanism can be provided that offers increased freedom in seat arrangement. In other words, in the normal state, the height of the seat cushion can be adjusted to suit the physique of the seated occupant, and the vehicle seat can be stowed by flipping up the cushion main body into the tip-up state.

[0119] In the above configuration, the seat cushion may have a cushion frame that forms the skeleton of the seat cushion, the cushion frame having a first frame that forms the skeleton of the cushion main body and a second frame that is disposed below the first frame and supports the first frame, the first frame having a first leg that is connected to the second frame and supports a front of the cushion main body, the second frame having a second leg that is rotatably disposed as the lifting mechanism, the first leg having an upper end attached to the first frame and a lower end that is detachably attached to the second frame. By detachably attaching the lower end of the first leg that supports the cushion main body to the second frame, for example, by removing the first leg, the cushion main body can be flipped up by a tip-up mechanism, improving the flexibility of seat arrangement.

[0120] In the above configuration, the second frame may include a pair of side frames disposed on both sides in the seat width direction, a connecting frame spanning the pair of side frames, and a leg holder provided on the connecting frame for detachably securing the lower end of the first leg. By providing the connecting frame of the lifting mechanism (second frame) with a leg holder for securing the first leg, both the tip-up mechanism and the lifting mechanism can be realized. Furthermore, providing the leg holder on the connecting frame improves the rigidity of the leg holder.

[0121] In the above configuration, the connecting frame may have a leg locking portion that secures the lower end of the first leg portion, and the leg holding portion and the leg locking portion may be disposed inward from the outer end of the second frame in the seat width direction. By disposing the leg holding portion and the leg locking portion inward from the outer end of the second frame, the vehicle seat can be made more compact.

[0122] In the above configuration, the connecting frame may be connected to the pivot shaft of the second leg, which is responsible for the lifting function. For example, the connecting frame is connected to the pivot shaft of the second leg, which prevents the second frame from being pulled up and down when attaching or detaching the first leg.

[0123] In the above configuration, it is preferable to provide a cover member that covers the second frame. Even when the cushion body is flipped up into an upright position, the second frame is covered by the cover member, improving the appearance.

[0124] In the above configuration, each of the pair of side frames may have a bent portion that bends inward in the seat width direction and an extending portion that extends from the bent portion toward the front of the seat, and the cover member may be fixed to the extending portion. By having the side frames have a bent portion that bends inward in the seat width direction, the extending portion is positioned inside the seat, thereby ensuring space for fixing the cover member. This allows the vehicle seat to be made more compact.

[0125] In the above configuration, the cover member may have side cover portions that cover the sides of the second frame and a central cover portion that covers the connecting frame, and a leg movement restricting portion that restricts movement of the first leg may be provided on the central cover portion. By providing the leg movement restricting portion on the central cover portion, movement of the first leg is more firmly restricted when the unit is raised or lowered.

[0126] In the above configuration, the seat cushion may further include a slide rail device that moves the seat cushion and the seat back in the fore-and-aft direction of the seat, and a connecting bracket that rotatably fixes the second leg to the slide rail device, the seat back may be connected to the seat cushion and configured to be foldable toward the seat cushion, the seat cushion may be displaced into a reclined state in which the cushion main body is reclined forward, and the first leg may be configured to be rotatable so as to reclined the cushion main body forward in conjunction with the operation of folding the seat back toward the seat cushion, and in the reclined state, the side cover portions of the cover member may be positioned outward from the outer end of the connecting bracket and inward from the first frame in the seat width direction. In the reclined state, interference of the cover member with the cushion frame is suppressed, allowing for a more compact arrangement of the cover member.

[0127] In the above configuration, the cover member may be configured such that, in the reclined state, an upper end of the cover member is positioned lower than an upper end of the cushion frame. By configuring the upper end of the cover member to be positioned lower than an upper end of the cushion frame in the reclined state, it is possible to reduce the thickness of the vehicle seat in the reclined state.

[0128] According to the second embodiment, a vehicle seat with a tip-up mechanism can be provided, which provides increased flexibility in seat arrangement by including a cushion main body that can be displaced into an upright position using a tip-up mechanism and a lifting mechanism that raises and lowers the cushion main body and seat back in the vertical direction. In other words, in the normal state, the height of the seat cushion can be adjusted to suit the occupant's physique, and the vehicle seat can be stored with the cushion main body in the tip-up position. Furthermore, by detachably attaching the lower end of the first leg supporting the cushion main body to the second frame, the cushion main body can be lifted up using the tip-up mechanism, for example, by removing the first leg, thereby increasing the flexibility in seat arrangement. Furthermore, by providing a leg holder that secures the first leg to the connecting frame of the lifting mechanism (second frame), both the tip-up mechanism and the lifting mechanism can be achieved. Furthermore, providing the leg holder on the connecting frame improves the rigidity of the leg holder. By locating the leg holder and leg lock inside the outer end of the second frame, the vehicle seat can be made more compact. Furthermore, because the connecting frame is connected to the pivot shaft of the second leg, which provides the lifting function, the second frame is prevented from being pulled vertically, for example, when attaching or detaching the first leg. Even when the cushion body is flipped up into an upright position, the second frame is covered by the cover member, improving the appearance. Furthermore, because the side frames have bent portions that bend inward in the seat width direction, the extension portions are positioned inside the seat, thereby ensuring space for fixing the cover member. This allows the vehicle seat to be more compact. Furthermore, by providing a leg movement restricting portion on the central cover portion, movement of the first leg is more firmly restricted when the seat is raised or lowered. Furthermore, in the reclined state, interference between the cover portion and the cushion frame is suppressed, allowing the cover member to be positioned more compactly. Furthermore, because the upper end of the cover member is configured to be lower than the upper end of the cushion frame in the reclined state, the vehicle seat can be made thinner in the reclined state.

[0129] The configuration of a vehicle seat according to a second embodiment (the present embodiment) will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiment described below is an example for facilitating understanding of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. In other words, the present invention may be modified or improved without departing from the spirit thereof, and of course, the present invention also includes equivalents thereof.

[0130] In the following, a vehicle seat S2 installed in a vehicle automobile such as a minivan will be used as an example of a vehicle seat, and an example of its configuration will be described. In the following description, the "seat longitudinal direction" refers to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle seat S2, which is the direction that coincides with the traveling direction of the vehicle when the vehicle is traveling. The "seat width direction" refers to the width direction of the vehicle seat S2, which is the direction that coincides with the left-right direction as seen by an occupant seated in the vehicle seat S2. The "vertical direction" refers to the vertical direction of the vehicle seat S2, which is the direction that coincides with the vertical direction when the vehicle is traveling on a horizontal plane. The outer and inner sides are defined based on the occupant. That is, the direction toward the center of the seat width direction is the inward direction, and the direction away from it is the outward direction. A common number is assigned to a pair of left and right components, and when specifying the left and right, the names of the components are designated with "left side" and "right side," and the letters "L" and "R" are added to the reference symbols. When there is no need to distinguish between the left and right sides, only the common number may be used in the description.

[0131] As shown in FIG. 19 , the vehicle seat S2 is placed on the floor of the vehicle and is a seat on which a vehicle occupant sits. In this embodiment, the vehicle seat S2 is a seat located on the right side (behind the driver's seat) of the rear seats corresponding to the rear seats of the vehicle. The vehicle seat S2 can also be used as a middle seat in the second row or a third seat in the third row in a vehicle with three rows of seats in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The vehicle seat S2 may also be used as a front seat corresponding to the front seats.

[0132] The vehicle seat S2 of this embodiment is configured to be able to transition to a plurality of states. Hereinafter, a state in which an occupant can sit in the vehicle seat S2 in an edge-sitting position (sitting with legs down) is referred to as the "normal state" of the vehicle seat S2 (see FIGS. 19 and 21). A state in which the seat back 2 is rotated rearward of the seat cushion 1 from the normal state is referred to as the "reclined state" of the vehicle seat S2 (see FIG. 25). On the other hand, a state in which the seat cushion 1 is positioned higher than the normal state (see FIGS. 20 and 22) is referred to as the "height-raised state." A state in which the seat cushion 1 is moved to collapse (sink) onto the vehicle floor and the entire vehicle seat S2 is folded (see FIG. 23) is referred to as the "folded state." The folded state may also be referred to as the "dive-down state." Regardless of the state of the seat back 2, a state in which the seat cushion 1 simply collapses onto the vehicle floor may also be referred to as the "collapsed state." In addition, the state in which the height of the seat cushion 1 is lowered to the lowest level by the height link HL, which is the lifting mechanism LM, may be referred to as the "height-down state."

[0133] The vehicle seat S2 of this embodiment is also equipped with a tip-up mechanism CM that flips up the cushion main body 1h that supports the occupant's buttocks. The tip-up mechanism CM can also be used to place the cushion main body 1h in an "upright state" in which it is raised so that it is approximately parallel to the seat back 2 (see FIG. 24 ). The vehicle seat S2 is configured to be freely displaceable between a normal state and an upright state. The cushion main body 1h is also configured to be lockable in position in the upright state. Therefore, with the cushion main body 1h in the upright state, the vehicle seat S2 can be moved forward using the slide rail device 6 to increase the size of the luggage compartment in the rear of the vehicle. The seat cushion 1 of the vehicle seat S2 is also equipped with a lifting mechanism LM that raises and lowers the cushion main body 1h and the seat back 2 in the vertical direction. The occupant can use the lifting mechanism LM to place the vehicle seat S2 in a height-raised state. Furthermore, the occupant can raise the cushion main body 1h and the seat back 2 higher than their normal positions by using the lifting mechanism LM to flip up the cushion main body 1h and stand it up.

[0134] In this way, the vehicle seat S2 having the tip-up mechanism CM can be freely displaced between the normal state, reclining state, height-raised state, folded state, and upright state, thereby improving the freedom of seat arrangement.

[0135] The occupant can move the entire seat forward and backward by operating a slide rail operation lever 41 located on the front right side of the seat cushion 1. Furthermore, the height of the cushion main body 1h can be changed by operating a height frame operation lever 42 located on the front left side of the seat cushion 1 to unlock the lifting mechanism LM. Furthermore, the seat back 2 can be rotated forward or backward and reclined by operating a reclining operation lever 40 located on the shoulder of the seat back 2. Furthermore, the shape, position, posture, etc. of each part of the vehicle seat S2 described below will be described assuming that the vehicle seat S2 is in a normal state, unless otherwise specified.

[0136] <Vehicle seat S2> The overall configuration of the vehicle seat S2 according to this embodiment will be outlined with reference to the drawings. Fig. 19 is a perspective view of the vehicle seat S2 according to this embodiment, seen obliquely from the front, showing the vehicle seat S2 in a normal state. Note that in Fig. 19, for convenience of illustration, a portion of the vehicle seat S2 is shown with the cover material Tr removed and the pad material P exposed. Fig. 20 is a perspective view showing the seat frame F2 of the vehicle seat S2 in a height-raised state.

[0137] Fig. 21 is an explanatory diagram showing the seat frame F2 in the normal state, Fig. 22 is an explanatory diagram showing the seat frame F2 in the height-raised state, and Fig. 23 is an explanatory diagram showing the seat frame F2 in the folded state. Fig. 24 is an explanatory diagram showing the seat frame F2 in the height-raised state, in an upright state with the cushion main body 1h flipped up. Fig. 25 is an explanatory diagram showing the seat frame F2 in the reclined state. Fig. 26 is a perspective view showing the height frame 20 in the folded state, with the cover member 110 of the height frame 20 removed. Fig. 27 is a perspective view showing the height frame 20 in the folded state, with the cover member 110 of the height frame 20 attached.

[0138] Figure 28 is a top view showing the height frame 20 and slide rail device 6 in the folded state, and Figure 29 is a top view showing the state with the cover member 110 attached. Figure 30 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XXX-XXX-XXX-XXX in Figure 28, and Figure 31 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XXXI-XXXI in Figure 29, showing the state with the cover member 110 attached.

[0139] As shown in Fig. 19, the vehicle seat S2 according to this embodiment mainly comprises a seat cushion 1, a seat back 2, a headrest 3, a reclining device 5, and a slide rail device 6. Note that hereinafter, the seat cushion 1, the seat back 2, and the headrest 3 may be collectively referred to as a seat body Sh. A buckle for a seat belt 9 is provided on the left rear portion of the seat cushion 1. As shown in Fig. 20, a seat frame F2 that forms the framework of the vehicle seat S2 is provided inside the vehicle seat S2. The seat frame F2 includes a cushion frame Cf, a back frame 30, and a headrest frame 36.

[0140] In the following, the seat back 2, headrest 3, reclining device 5, and slide rail device 6 of the vehicle seat S2 will first be described, and then the seat cushion 1, which is the main feature of this embodiment, will be described.

[0141] <Seatback 2> The seatback 2 is a support member that supports the back of a seated occupant, and supports the seated occupant from behind. As shown in FIG. 20 , the seatback 2 has a back frame 30 that forms the skeleton of the seatback 2. The seatback 2 has a back frame pad material P that covers the back frame 30, and a cover material Tr that covers the pad material P. The pad material P is a cushioning material and is formed, for example, from a urethane resin (foam resin) such as soft polyurethane foam. The pad material P may be formed from biomass urethane. The cover material Tr that covers the pad material P is formed, for example, from a stretchable synthetic leather material. The cover material Tr may be formed from cloth, film, leather, etc.

[0142] The back frame 30 is a frame body having a substantially rectangular shape in a front view. The back frame 30 mainly comprises a pair of back side frames 31, a side connecting frame 32, a back upper frame 33, a back lower frame 34, and a pressure plate 35. The pair of back side frames 31 are elongated frame members extending in the vertical direction and are disposed apart from each other while facing each other in the seat width direction. The side connecting frame 32 is connected to the lower end of the back side frame 31 and the reclining device 5. The side connecting frame 32 is also connected to the upper end (rear end) of the rear cushion side frame 12 of the cushion frame Cf (described later).

[0143] The back upper frame 33 connects the upper ends of the left and right back side frames 31, and the back lower frame 34 connects the lower ends of the left and right back side frames 31. The pressure plate 35 is a plate-shaped member attached to the rear side of the back frame 30 and supports the weight of a seated occupant.

[0144] The seat back 2 is connected to the seat cushion 1 and can be folded toward the seat cushion 1 as shown in FIG. 23 . When the seat back 2 is folded, a detachable leg portion 161 of the seat cushion 1, which will be described later, rotates in conjunction with the folding of the seat back 2 toward the seat cushion 1, causing the seat cushion 1 to recline forward. At this time, the height links HL (front height links 22 and rear height links 23) of the seat cushion 1 also rotate toward the rear of the seat in conjunction with the folding of the seat back 2 toward the seat cushion 1, thereby lowering the height of the seat cushion 1. The detachable leg portions 161 and the height links HL move in conjunction with the seat back 2, allowing the vehicle seat S2 to be easily folded (reclined).

[0145] <Headrest 3> The headrest 3 is a support member that supports the head of a seated occupant, and supports the head of the seated occupant from behind. As shown in Fig. 20 , the headrest 3 has a headrest frame 36 that forms the skeleton of the headrest 3. The headrest 3 has a headrest padding material (not shown) that covers the headrest frame 36, and a skin material Tr that covers the padding material.

[0146] <Reclining device 5> The reclining device 5 rotatably connects the seat back 2 to the seat cushion 1. More specifically, as shown in Figures 21 to 25, the reclining device 5 connects the rear end of the height frame 20 and the lower end of the back frame 30 that constitute the seat cushion 1. The reclining device 5 can transition the vehicle seat S2 to a reclined state by rotating the seat back 2 rearward relative to the seat cushion 1. The reclining device 5 can also transition the vehicle seat S2 to a folded state by rotating the seat back 2 forward relative to the seat cushion 1.

[0147] <Slide rail device 6> As shown in Figures 19 and 20, the slide rail device 6 connects the seat body Sh of the vehicle seat S2 to the vehicle floor so that the seat body Sh can slide in the front-rear direction of the seat. Note that the movement direction of the slide rail device 6 is not limited to the front-rear direction of the seat and may also be the seat width direction (left-right direction). In other words, the slide rail device 6 may connect the vehicle seat S2 to the vehicle floor so that the vehicle seat S2 can slide in the seat width direction. In other words, the slide rail device 6 is a device that moves the seat cushion 1 of the vehicle seat S2 in a predetermined direction.

[0148] As shown in Figure 19, the slide rail device 6 is provided below the vehicle seat S2. The slide rail device 6 has a known structure (the structure of a general slide rail mechanism). In detail, the slide rail device 6 has a lower rail 61 fixed to the floor and an upper rail 62 that is slidable in the front-to-rear direction relative to the lower rail 61. The slide rail device 6 also has a slide lock device 63 that restricts the sliding movement of the upper rail 62 relative to the lower rail 61. The slide lock device 63 can release the restriction on the sliding movement by operating a slide rail operating lever 41 provided on the seat cushion 1.

[0149] The slide lock device 63 also has a lock operation lever 63a that protrudes from the top surface of the upper rail 62 and is used to release the lock. The lock operation lever 63a is connected to a wire 641 that extends from the slide rail operation lever 41, and can be released by being pulled. When the pulling by the wire 641 is released, the lock operation lever 63a is returned to its original position by the spring member 63b and is locked again.

[0150] As described above, the upper rail 62 is provided with the front connecting bracket 43 and the rear connecting bracket 44. The upper rail 62 is connected to the height link HL of the cushion frame Cf via the front connecting bracket 43 and the rear connecting bracket 44. By rotating the height link HL in an upright direction from when the vehicle seat S2 is in a normal position, the height of the seat cushion 1 can be changed and the vehicle seat S2 can be placed in a height-raised state. By including the slide rail device 6 and the height link HL rotatably connected to the slide rail device 6, the vehicle seat S2 can move the seat cushion 1 in a predetermined direction (fore-and-aft direction of the seat in this embodiment) while changing the height of the seat cushion 1, thereby improving the flexibility of seat arrangement.

[0151] <Seat Cushion 1> The seat cushion 1 is a support member that supports the buttocks of a seated occupant (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a seated person) and supports the seated occupant from below. The seat cushion 1 has a cushion main body 1h that directly supports the buttocks of the occupant. As described above, the seat cushion 1 also includes a tip-up mechanism CM that flips up the cushion main body 1h and stands up, and a lifting mechanism LM that raises and lowers the cushion main body 1h and the seat back 2 in the vertical direction.

[0152] As shown in Fig. 20, the seat cushion 1 includes a cushion frame Cf that forms the skeleton of the seat cushion 1. The cushion frame Cf in this embodiment is composed of a cushion main body frame 10 that forms the skeleton of the cushion main body 1h that directly supports the seated occupant, and a height frame 20 that is disposed below the cushion main body frame 10 and supports the cushion main body frame 10. The cushion main body frame 10 corresponds to the first frame of the present invention, and the height frame 20 corresponds to the second frame.

[0153] The cushion main body 1h is a portion that is composed of a cushion main body frame 10, a pad material P, and a skin material Tr, and directly supports the buttocks of an occupant. As shown in Figure 19, the cushion main body frame 10 is mounted with a pad material P for a seat cushion, and the pad material P is covered with a skin material Tr.

[0154] <Cushion Main Body Frame 10> The cushion main body frame 10 is a frame body having a rectangular shape in top view. The cushion main body frame 10 has a pair of cushion side frames 11, 11 that constitute the frame body, a pan frame 14 that connects the pair of cushion side frames 11, 11, and a cushion frame member 15. The cushion main body frame 10 has a detachable leg portion 161 at its front end that connects to the height frame 20 and supports the front of the cushion main body 1h. The detachable leg portion 161 corresponds to a first leg portion.

[0155] Furthermore, the rear end of the cushion main body frame 10 is rotatably attached to the back frame 30 of the seat back 2 via a flip-up pivot shaft 121b. That is, a tip-up mechanism CM is configured by the detachable leg portion 161 and the flip-up pivot shaft 121b, and the cushion main body 1h can be flipped up and erected by detaching the leg connecting portion 161b of the detachable leg portion 161 from the leg holding portion 100. In other words, the cushion main body 1h is rotatably attached to the seat back 2, and is configured to be displaceable between a normal state in which an occupant can be seated and an erect state in which the cushion main body 1h is erected parallel to the seat back 2 by the tip-up mechanism CM.

[0156] <Detachable Legs 161> The cushion main body frame 10 has detachable legs 161 that connect to the height frame 20 at its front end and support the front of the cushion main body 1h. The detachable legs 161 are made of pipe material that is U-shaped in front view and are composed of a leg body 161a extending from the cushion side frame 11 and a leg connecting portion 161b that connects the leg body 161a at its lower end and extends in the seat width direction (see Figures 27 and 31, etc.). When the vehicle seat S2 is in the normal state, the leg connecting portion 161b is held by the leg holding portion 100, which will be described later, to support the front end of the cushion main body 1h, allowing the occupant to sit on the seat cushion 1.

[0157] The detachable leg 161 is attached to the cushion side frame 11 so as to be rotatable around the leg rotation shaft 161c. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 21 , the detachable leg 161 is rotatably attached to the inner side surface of the front cushion side frame 13 of the cushion side frame 11 via the leg attachment bracket 45. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 24 , when the cushion main body 1h is raised, the detachable leg 161 can be stored in the cushion main body frame 10 by rotating the detachable leg 161 in the direction of arrow A.

[0158] Furthermore, a wire 201 that connects to a first locking unit 210 (described later) is connected to the detachable leg 161, and the first locking unit 210 can be unlocked by rotating the detachable leg 161 so that it stands up from the stored state. After the first locking unit 210 is unlocked, the cushion main body 1h can be tilted toward the front of the seat to return to the normal state.

[0159] <Cushion Side Frame 11> The cushion side frame 11 is composed of a right cushion side frame 11R disposed on the right side of the cushion main body frame 10 and a left cushion side frame 11L disposed on the left side. The right cushion side frame 11R and the left cushion side frame 11L extend in the front-to-rear direction. Note that, as shown in FIG. 20 , the right cushion side frame 11R and the left cushion side frame 11L extend in different directions, with the right cushion side frame 11R bending outward (to the right) at the front and then extending in the front-to-rear direction. This makes it possible to ensure a seating space for the occupant while preventing the right cushion side frame 11R from interfering with other interior components arranged in the vehicle.

[0160] <Chair-Timing Mechanism> Each of the cushion side frames 11 has a chair-ticking mechanism. Specifically, the right cushion side frame 11R and the left cushion side frame 11L have a rear cushion side frame 12 and a front cushion side frame 13 that are rotatably connected around a chair-ticking pivot 12a (see FIGS. 20 and 21 ). In other words, each of the cushion side frames 11 is divided in the seat front-rear direction and has a rear cushion side frame 12, a front cushion side frame 13 that is aligned with the rear cushion side frame 12 in the front-rear direction, and a chair-ticking pivot 12a that movably connects the rear cushion side frame 12 and the front cushion side frame 13 to each other. The rear cushion side frame 12 is rotatably connected to the back frame 30 via a flip-up pivot 121b at a position rearward of the chair-ticking pivot 12a.

[0161] The left rear cushion side frame 12L is provided with a stopper 121c and a side rotation restricting member 121d. The stopper 121c abuts against the upper end of the left front cushion side frame 13L, thereby preventing the left front cushion side frame 13L from bending upward toward the seat (see FIG. 38).

[0162] The left front cushion side frame 13L is located rearward of the left front cushion side frame 12L and has a frame rear portion 131a connected to the left rear cushion side frame 12L via a folding pivot shaft 12a, a frame bent portion 131b bending outward in the seat width direction from the front end of the frame rear portion 131a, and a frame extension portion 131c extending forward from the front end of the frame bent portion 131b (see FIG. 38 ). The rear cushion side frame 12 corresponds to the first side frame, and the front cushion side frame 13 corresponds to the second side frame. The folding pivot shaft 12a corresponds to the connecting pivot shaft.

[0163] <Pan frame 14 and cushion frame member 15> The pan frame 14 is made of a plate-like member and connects the front ends of the cushion side frames 11. The cushion frame member 15 is made of a pipe material and connects the central portions in the front-to-rear direction of the cushion side frames 11. A portion of the cushion frame member 15 is bent rearward, and the central portion of the cushion frame member 15 in the seat width direction is curved so that it is positioned rearward.

[0164] 20 , a plurality of S-springs 18 are attached to the cushion main body frame 10 across the pan frame 14 and the cushion frame member 15 as pressure-receiving members that receive the load of the seated occupant. As described above, the central portion of the cushion frame member 15 is curved rearward, so the S-springs 18 can receive the load of the seated occupant over a wide area in the front-to-rear direction. In this embodiment, the pressure-receiving members are made up of a plurality of S-springs 18, but this is not limiting. The pressure-receiving members provided on the cushion main body frame 10 may also be made up of elastic plate-like members.

[0165] 19 and 20 , the seat cushion 1 is provided with a slide rail operating lever 41 for operating the slide rail device 6 in front of the right front cushion side frame 13R. A height frame operating lever 42 for operating the height frame 20 is provided in front of the left front cushion side frame 13L. A wire 109 is connected to the height frame operating lever 42, which can unlock the lift-and-lower movable unit 7 (described later). The height frame operating lever 42 is attached to the front end of the left front cushion side frame 13L by an operating lever mounting bracket 47 (see FIG. 40 ).

[0166] An ottoman for supporting the legs of a seated person may be provided on the seat cushion 1. When an ottoman is provided, an ottoman support mechanism (not shown) for supporting the ottoman may be provided between the slide rail operating lever 41 and the height frame operating lever 42.

[0167] <Height Frame 20> As described above, the cushion frame Cf includes a height frame 20 below the cushion main body frame 10 that supports the cushion main body frame 10. The height frame 20 is a frame body having a rectangular shape in top view. The height frame 20 includes a pair of height side frames 21 (side frames) that constitute the frame body, a front height frame member 24, an intermediate height frame member 25, a rear height frame member 26, and a connecting shaft 27. The connecting shaft 27 is composed of a front connecting shaft 27a located at the front and a rear connecting shaft 27b located at the rear. The front connecting shaft 27a is connected to a first rotating shaft 22a of the front height link 22 (described later), and the rear connecting shaft 27b is connected to a first rotating shaft 23a of the rear height link 23 (described later). The pair of height side frames 21 corresponds to a pair of side frames, and the front height frame member 24 and the front connecting shaft 27a correspond to a connecting frame.

[0168] <Height Link HL> The height frame 20 has a rotatable height link HL that serves as the lifting mechanism LM. The height link HL corresponds to a second leg. More specifically, the height frame 20 has a front height link 22 and a rear height link 23 that are interposed between the height side frame 21 and the slide rail device 6. Hereinafter, when there is no need to distinguish between the front height link 22 and the rear height link 23, they may be collectively referred to simply as the height link HL. Furthermore, the front height link 22 disposed on the right side of the vehicle seat S2 may be referred to as the right front height link 22R, and the front height link 22 disposed on the left side may be referred to as the left front height link 22L. Furthermore, the rear height link 23 disposed on the right side of the vehicle seat S2 may be referred to as the right rear height link 23R, and the rear height link 23 disposed on the left side may be referred to as the left rear height link 23L.

[0169] <Height Side Frame 21> The height side frame 21 is composed of a right height side frame 21R arranged on the right side of the height frame 20 and a left height side frame 21L arranged on the left side. The right height side frame 21R and the left height side frame 21L have an elongated shape and extend in the front-to-rear direction. The right height side frame 21R and the left height side frame 21L are plate-like bodies that, when viewed from the side, have a generally triangular shape that increases in height toward the rear.

[0170] As shown in FIG. 28, the height side frames 21 of the height frame 20 have bent portions 21a that bend inward in the seat width direction at the front of the height side frames 21, and extended portions 21b that extend forward from the bent portions 21a.

[0171] 26 and 28, the left height side frame 21L has portions near its center that are bent toward the outside and inside of the seat. This allows the left height side frame 21L to be positioned above the slide rail device 6 while avoiding interference with the slide lock device 63 and front connecting bracket 43 disposed on the slide rail device 6.

[0172] An extended height side frame 21E is provided on the right side of the right height side frame 21R. The extended height side frame 21E is connected to the right height side frame 21R via a rear height frame member 26 and two connecting pipes 21Ea. However, the number and arrangement of the connecting pipes 21Ea are not limited to those shown in Figures 22 and 23. Three or more connecting pipes 21Ea may connect the right height side frame 21R and the extended height side frame 21E.

[0173] The front end of the right height side frame 21R and the front end of the left height side frame 21L are connected by a front height frame member 24. The rear end of the right height side frame 21R and the rear end of the left height side frame 21L are connected by a rear height frame member 26. The front height frame member 24 and the rear height frame member 26 are made of round pipe material that extends linearly.

[0174] An intermediate height frame member 25 is provided between the front height frame member 24 and the rear height frame member 26, and connects the right height side frame 21R and the left height side frame 21L. The intermediate height frame member 25 is made of a straight round pipe material, but is not limited to this. For example, the intermediate height frame member 25 may have a curved shape to avoid interference with other components. As a specific example, the intermediate height frame member 25 may have a shape in which the center portion in the seat width direction is curved rearward.

[0175] The front height links 22 and rear height links 23 are formed of long, plate-like members. The front height links 22 are rotatably connected to the height side frames 21 via first pivot shafts 22a. A front connecting bracket 43 is provided on the upper surface of the slide rail device 6, and the front height links 22 are rotatably connected to the slide rail device 6 via second pivot shafts 22b provided on the front connecting bracket 43. The left and right first pivot shafts 22a are connected by a front connecting shaft 27a (see FIG. 28 ). The front height links 22 are driven link mechanisms that operate in response to the movement of the rear height links 23.

[0176] 28, the left and right front height links 22 are connected by a front height link member 28. The front height link member 28 is made of a long plate-like member. The front height link member 28 is attached so as to be located in front of the front connecting shaft 27a when the vehicle seat S2 is folded.

[0177] As shown in FIGS. 20 and 22 , the rear height links 23 are rotatably connected to the height side frames 21 via first pivot shafts 23a. The rear height links 23 are rotatably connected to the slide rail devices 6 via second pivot shafts 23b provided on the rear connecting brackets 44. The left and right first pivot shafts 23a are connected by a rear connecting shaft 27b, as shown in FIG. 28 . The rear connecting shaft 27b is provided with a lifting / lowering unit 7 that rotates the rear height links 23 and raises and lowers the seat surface of the seat cushion 1. The rear height links 23 are a driven link mechanism that is driven when the height frame operating lever 42 is operated. A wire 109 extends from the height frame operating lever 42 to the lifting / lowering unit 7 (see FIG. 40 ), enabling the lifting / lowering unit 7 to be unlocked. As shown in FIGS. 26 and 28, the rear height links 23 provided on the left and right sides are connected by a rear height link member 29 formed in a pipe shape.

[0178] The front height links 22 and the rear height links 23 rotate so as to stand upright forward relative to the slide rail device 6, thereby raising the cushion main body frame 10. As a result, the vehicle seat S2 transitions from the normal state shown in Fig. 21 to the height-raised state shown in Fig. 22. Conversely, the front height links 22 and the rear height links 23 rotate so as to lean backward relative to the slide rail device 6, thereby lowering the cushion main body frame 10. As a result, the vehicle seat S2 transitions from the height-raised state shown in Fig. 22 to the normal state shown in Fig. 21.

[0179] <Leg holder 100> The leg holder 100 will be described with reference to Figures 32 to 34. The leg holder 100 is provided in front of the height frame 20 and holds the leg connecting portion 161b of the detachable leg portion 161. The leg holder 100 detachably secures the leg connecting portion 161b at the lower end of the detachable leg portion 161. In addition, an inertial leg locking portion 101 is provided that clamps the detachable leg portion 161 and secures the leg connecting portion 161b of the detachable leg portion 161. The inertial leg locking portion 101 corresponds to a leg locking portion.

[0180] More specifically, as described above, the front end of each height side frame 21 is provided with the front height frame member 24 and the front connecting shaft 27a that are bridged across the height side frame 21. The leg holder 100 has a holding member support part 103 that is disposed between the front height frame member 24 and the front connecting shaft 27a, and the leg holder 100 and the inertial leg lock part 101 are attached to the holding member support part 103. As shown in Figures 32 and 33 , the leg holder 100 is made of a substantially U-shaped clip member that detachably holds the detachable leg part 161, and is supported by the holding member support part 103 with its opening facing diagonally upward and forward.

[0181] The leg holder 100 is composed of a pair of side walls 100a, 100a and a bottom wall 100b connecting the lower ends of the side walls 100a. The side walls 100a are bent from their lower ends toward their upper ends so as to approach each other; in other words, they are bent so as to narrow the opening of the leg holder 100. The upper ends of the side walls 100a are formed with curled portions 100c that are bent outward toward the opening. The pair of curled portions 100c, 100c each pass through an opening 114a provided in the central cover 112 shown in FIG. 32 and are exposed to the outside on the detachable leg section 161 side.

[0182] Additionally, an inertial leg locking unit 101 is disposed adjacent to the leg holder 100. The inertial leg locking unit 101 locks the leg connecting unit 161b of the detachable leg unit 161 in a held state on the leg holder 100, for example, in the event of a rear-end vehicle collision. The inertial leg locking unit 101 is a C-shaped member in side view, and includes an upper gripping unit 101a that grips the upper side of the leg connecting unit 161b and a lower gripping unit 101b that grips the lower side of the leg connecting unit 161b. The inertial leg locking unit 101 is configured to be rotatable around a locking pivot 101c provided below. As shown in FIG. 33 , when the leg connecting unit 161b is inserted through the opening of the leg holder 100 and the lower gripping unit 101b is pushed downward, the entire inertial leg locking unit 101 rotates. As a result, the upper gripping unit 101a grips the upper side of the leg connecting unit 161b, thereby locking the leg connecting unit 161b.

[0183] 28, the leg holding portion 100 and the inertial leg lock portion 101 are disposed inside the outer end portion of the height frame 20. This allows the vehicle seat S2 to be made more compact.

[0184] 34, a biasing spring 101e that biases the inertial leg locking part 101 to rotate is attached to the inertial leg locking part 101. One end of the biasing spring 101e is hooked on a spring hook part 101d, so that the inertial leg locking part 101 is biased when the lock is released.

[0185] The retaining member support portion 103 is disposed near the center in the seat width direction. A first reinforcing base 104 that reinforces the front portion of the height frame 20 is attached to the right of the retaining member support portion 103, spanning between the front height frame member 24 and the front connecting shaft 27a. Furthermore, a second reinforcing base 105 that reinforces the front portion of the height frame 20 is attached to the left of the retaining member support portion 103, spanning between the front height frame member 24 and the front connecting shaft 27a. By providing the first reinforcing base 104 and the second reinforcing base 105, the height frame 20 is reinforced and can be prevented from rising when the detachable leg portion 161 is detached.

[0186] The first reinforcing base 104 has a flange formed on its right end and is attached by welding to the inner surface and upper end of the right height side frame 21R. This prevents the first reinforcing base 104 from interfering with the right front height link 22R even when the right front height link 22R rotates and moves up and down. The second reinforcing base 105 has a flange formed on its left end and is attached by welding to the inner surface and upper end of the left height side frame 21L. This prevents the second reinforcing base 105 from interfering with the left front height link 22L even when the left front height link 22L rotates and moves up and down.

[0187] In this embodiment, the front portions of the height side frames 21 are bent inward, narrowing the width of the front portions of the height frame 20. By narrowing the width of the front portions of the height frame 20, interference between the front height links 22 and the height frame 20 in the seat width direction is suppressed. However, this is just one example, and the front portions of the height side frames 21 do not have to be bent inward, and the width of the front portions of the height frame 20 does not have to be narrowed.

[0188] 19, 27, and 29, the vehicle seat S2 is provided with a cover member 110 that covers the height frame 20. Even when the cushion main body 1h is in an upright position with the cover member 110, the height frame 20 is covered by the cover member 110, thereby improving the appearance.

[0189] The cover member 110 is a resin cover, and as shown in FIG. 27 , it is composed of side cover portions 111 that cover both sides of the height frame 20, and a central cover portion 112 that is sandwiched between the side cover portions 111 and covers the front height frame member 24 and the front connecting shaft 27a (connecting frame). The side cover portions 111 are composed of a right side cover portion 111R that covers the right height side frame 21R, and a left side cover portion 111L that covers the left height side frame 21L. As shown in FIG. 29 , each of the side cover portions 111 is disposed inwardly of the cushion side frame 11. Furthermore, each side cover portion 111 is disposed outwardly of the outer end of the front connecting bracket 43 attached to the slide rail device 6, so that the side cover portions 111, 111 are compactly disposed. Furthermore, even when the vehicle seat S2 is in the normal position or the folded position, the side cover portions 111, 111 are prevented from interfering with the cushion side frame 11 and the front connecting bracket 43.

[0190] The central cover portion 112 is provided with a central cover mounting portion 115 consisting of a flange portion extending downward from the bottom surface. The central cover portion 112 can be mounted to the height frame 20 by clamping the upper end of the extension portion 21b of the height side frame 21 between the flange portions of the central cover mounting portion 115. The bottom of the central cover portion 112 may be fixed to the side of the height frame 20 or the retaining member support portion 103 using fastening members such as bolts. In addition, if the height side frame 21 does not have the bent portion 21a, the central cover portion 112 may be mounted by clamping the tip end of the height side frame 21 with the central cover mounting portion 115.

[0191] 32 and 33 , the central cover part 112 has a guide shape for guiding the detachable leg part 161 to the leg holding part 100. Specifically, it has a leg accommodating recess 116 that accommodates the detachable leg part 161, and a leg movement restricting part 113 that restricts the detachable leg part 161 from moving rearward beyond the leg accommodating recess 116.

[0192] The leg accommodating recess 116 is a generally U-shaped recess recessed downward from approximately the center of the top surface of the central cover part 112, with its opening facing diagonally upward and forward. Square-shaped openings 114a are formed in the front and rear side walls of the leg accommodating recess 116, and a portion of the leg holder 100 is exposed to the outside through the openings 114a from the rear surface of the central cover part 112, as shown in Figure 32 . Furthermore, a vertically extending opening 114b is formed in the rear side wall of the leg accommodating recess 116, and a portion of the inertial leg lock part 101 is exposed to the outside through the openings 114b from the rear surface of the central cover part 112.

[0193] The leg movement restricting portion 113 is a portion that protrudes from approximately the center of the upper surface of the central cover portion 112 toward the front of the seat and is formed continuously from the rear portion of the leg accommodating recess 116. When the detachable leg portion 161 is accommodated in the leg accommodating recess 116, the leg movement restricting portion 113 restricts the rearward movement of the detachable leg portion 161 and guides the detachable leg portion 161 toward the leg accommodating recess 116. Furthermore, by providing the leg movement restricting portion 113 on the central cover portion 112 and restricting the movement of the detachable leg portion 161, the movement of the detachable leg portion 161 is more firmly restricted when the cushion main body 1h and the seat back 2 are raised or lowered by the lifting mechanism LM. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the mounting positions of the central cover portion 112 and the side cover portions 111 overlap as shown in FIG. 29 , but the mounting positions may be configured so as not to overlap.

[0194] 31, when the vehicle seat S2 is in the reclined state, the cover member 110 is configured so that its upper end is located lower than the upper end of the cushion frame Cf. By configuring the upper end of the cover member 110 to be located lower than the cushion frame Cf including the rear cushion side frames 12, etc., it is possible to reduce the thickness of the vehicle seat S2 in the reclined state.

[0195] <Modification of Inertial Leg Locking Unit 101> In this embodiment, one inertial leg locking unit 101 is provided near the leg holding unit 100, but multiple inertial leg locking units 101 may be provided. For example, the inertial leg locking units 101 may be attached to the inner surfaces of the left height side frame 21L and the right height side frame 21R. When the leg holding unit 100 holds the detachable leg 161, the inertial leg locking units 101 provided on each height side frame 21 lock the detachable leg 161. In this case, the spring hooks 101d that hook the biasing springs 101e of the inertial leg locking units 101 may be attached to the inner sides of each height side frame 21.

[0196] In this embodiment, the height frame 20 is provided with the leg holder 100 and the inertial leg lock 101. This is just one example, and instead of the leg holder 100 and the inertial leg lock 101, a locking mechanism may be provided on the detachable leg 161 side, and the front height frame member 24 or the front connecting shaft 27a of the height frame 20 may be fixed as a striker.

[0197] <Lift-and-Down Movable Portion 7> As shown in FIG. 26, in the vehicle seat S2 of this embodiment, the rear connecting shaft 27b is provided with the lift-and-down movable portion 7 that assists the lift-and-down operation.

[0198] The liftable portion 7 is provided along the circumferential direction of the rear connecting shaft 27b and is composed of a biasing spring 70 that assists the rotational movement of the pair of rear height links 23, and a lifting restriction portion 71 that restricts the lifting and lowering of the seat cushion 1. While the biasing springs 70 are provided at both ends of the rear connecting shaft 27b, this is merely an example, and the biasing springs 70 may be provided at either end of the rear connecting shaft 27b. The biasing springs 70 are formed as spiral springs. The rear connecting shaft 27b is formed with an inner end locking portion that locks the inner end of the biasing spring 70. The height side frame 21 is provided with a stopper portion 75 that locks the outer end of the biasing spring 70.

[0199] <Reverse Rotation Suppression Device 50> As shown in Fig. 21 , the vehicle seat S2 of this embodiment is provided with a reverse rotation suppression device 50. The reverse rotation suppression device 50 is a device that suppresses the front height link 22 from rotating in the reverse direction when the seat cushion 1 is raised from its lowest position. As shown in Fig. 21 , for example, the reverse rotation suppression device 50 is provided below the front height link 22 when the seat cushion 1 is in its lowest position (height-down position). By providing the reverse rotation suppression device 50, reverse rotation of the front height link 22 can be suppressed when the seat cushion 1 is raised.

[0200] <Railway routing member 200 and first locking portion 210> The following describes the routed member 200 and the first locking portion 210 with reference to the drawings. FIG. 35 is a side view showing the first locking portion 210 in a normal state, and FIG. 36 is a side view showing the first locking portion 210 in a tip-up state. FIG. 37 is a side view showing the first locking portion 210 in a reclining state. FIG. 38 is an enlarged top view showing the periphery of the first locking portion 210. FIGS. 39 to 41 are views showing the routed state of the routed member 200. FIGS. 42 to 46 are views showing modified examples of the routed state of the routed member 200. Note that the first locking portion 210 is normally covered by a first locking portion cover 211 as shown in FIG. 19 and is configured to be invisible from the outside. In FIGS. 35 to 46, the first locking portion cover 211 is removed to illustrate the first locking portion 210.

[0201] As shown in Figure 35, the first locking portion 210 is a member provided on the left rear cushion side frame 12L and is configured to lock the position of the cushion main body 1h when the cushion main body 1h is in an upright state. The cushion main body frame 10 is provided with a wiring member 200 that displaces the locking position of the first locking portion 210. The wiring member 200 has a wire connecting portion 202 that connects to the first locking portion 210. A wiring member fixing portion 204 that fixes an end of the wiring member 200 is provided on the rear cushion side frame 12. The wire connecting portion 202 corresponds to a connecting portion.

[0202] The first locking portion 210 includes a rotational shaft bracket 212 fixed to the side connecting frame 32 of the back frame 30 around the flip-up rotational shaft 121b. The rotational shaft bracket 212 is formed with one engagement groove 212a. A base portion of a locking bracket 213 that engages with the engagement groove 212a is rotatably attached to the rear cushion side frame 12 by a rotational shaft 213a. A window hole 213b is formed in the locking bracket 213, and a cut and raised engaging body 214a formed by cutting and raising at one end of an operating arm 214 is engaged with the window hole 213b, and an intermediate portion of the operating arm 214 is pivotally supported on the rear cushion side frame 12 by the rotational shaft 214b. A wire connecting portion 202 of a wire 201 extending from the wiring member 200 is engaged with the other end of the operating arm 214. 39 and 40 , the other end of the wiring member 200 is connected to the detachable leg 161 via a wire mounting bracket 46. The wire 201 is pulled by the rotation of the detachable leg 161 about the leg rotation shaft 161 c.

[0203] One end of a biasing spring 215 is attached to the operating arm 214 so as to rotate in the locking direction. The other end of the biasing spring 215 is engaged with a stay 216. As shown in Figure 36, the biasing spring 215 is configured so that the locking piece 213d of the locking bracket 213 engages with the engagement groove 212a when the cushion main body 1h is raised. In addition, an elastically deformable abutting member 217 is provided on a peripheral edge 213c of the locking bracket 213 so as to constantly abut against the locking bracket 213 and bias the locking bracket 213 to rotate in the locking direction.

[0204] 35, when the vehicle seat S2 is in the normal state, the locking piece 213d of the locking bracket 213 is disengaged from the engaging groove 212a, and a gap is formed between the window hole 213b and the cut and raised engaging body 214a of the operating arm 214, thereby suppressing locking. In addition, by bringing the elastically deformable abutting member 217 into contact with the periphery 213c of the locking bracket 213 and biasing it so that it rotates in the locking direction, the inner periphery of the window hole 213b is constantly abutting against the cut and raised engaging body 214a of the operating arm 214. This suppresses rattle of the locking piece 213d.

[0205] 36, when the cushion body 1h is flipped up, the lock piece 213d of the lock bracket 213 rotates and engages with the engagement groove 212a, locking the position of the cushion body 1h. To return from the upright state to the normal state, the detachable leg 161 is raised and the wire 201 of the wiring member 200 is pulled, thereby disengaging the lock piece 213d of the lock bracket 213 from the engagement groove 212a, thereby releasing the lock.

[0206] In this embodiment, the wiring member 200 is composed of a wire 201 and a wire protecting portion 203 that protects the wire 201. A wire connecting portion 202 that connects to the first locking portion 210 is provided at the tip of the wire 201. The rear cushion side frame 12 is provided with a wiring member fixing portion 204 that is formed by cutting and raising the side portion, and an end of the wire protecting portion 203 of the wiring member 200 is fixed by the wiring member fixing portion 204.

[0207] 37 , when the seat back 2 of the vehicle seat S2 is reclined, the cushion side frame 11 is bent at the center-folding pivot shaft 12a, and the rear cushion side frame 12 is rotated downward relative to the front cushion side frame 13. Since the wiring member fixing portion 204 for fixing the wiring member 200 is provided on the rear cushion side frame 12, even if the cushion side frame 11 is deformed, the extending direction and angle of the wire 201 near the first lock portion 210 do not change, and breakage of the wire 201 is suppressed.

[0208] More specifically, when the wiring member fixing portion 204 is provided on the side of the front cushion side frame 13, the bending angle of the wire 201 may exceed the allowable range at the end of the wire protecting portion 203 when the cushion side frame 11 is deformed as shown in Fig. 37. By fixing the end of the wire protecting portion 203 to the wiring member fixing portion 204 provided on the rear cushion side frame 12, even when the cushion side frame 11 is deformed, the wire 201 is less likely to bend at the end of the wire protecting portion 203. In other words, because the wire 201 is less likely to bend at the end of the wire protecting portion 203 beyond the allowable range of the bending angle of the wire 201, breakage of the wire 201 is suppressed.

[0209] 38 , the wiring member fixing portion 204 is provided between the side rotation restricting member 121 d and the stopper 121 c in the seat front-rear direction. The wiring member fixing portion 204 is provided by cutting and raising the side surface of the rear cushion side frame 12, and therefore has a relatively low rigidity. By arranging the wiring member fixing portion 204 so as to avoid the stopper 121 c and the like to which force is likely to be applied in the vertical direction, the rigidity of the entire cushion side frame 11 can be maintained.

[0210] Further, the rear cushion side frame 12 is provided with a first routing member holding portion 205 that holds the routing member 200 in the extending direction of the wire protection portion 203. As shown in Fig. 35 , the first routing member holding portion 205 is located lower than the center-folding pivot shaft 12a in the seat up-down direction when the vehicle seat S2 is in the normal state. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 37 , even if the cushion side frame 11 is deformed, the routing member 200 bends gently, thereby suppressing breakage of the wire 201.

[0211] As shown in FIG. 35 , when the vehicle seat S2 is in a normal state, the first routing member holding portion 205 is located forward of the folding pivot shaft 12a. The second routing member holding portion 206, which is located forward of the first routing member holding portion 205 in the extending direction of the wire protection portion 203, is located on the front cushion side frame 13, more specifically, on the frame bending portion 131b of the front cushion side frame 13. Therefore, even if the cushion side frame 11 is deformed, the routing member 200 is prevented from being pinched between the rear cushion side frame 12 and the front cushion side frame 13. In particular, since the second routing member holding portion 206 is located on the frame bending portion 131b, the routing member 200 can be kept away from the folding pivot shaft 12a as shown in FIG. 38 . Therefore, even if the cushion side frame 11 is deformed, the routing member 200 is prevented from being pinched between the rear cushion side frame 12 and the front cushion side frame 13.

[0212] 39 and 40 , in the left front cushion side frame 13L, the third routing member holding portion 207 is directed toward the seat front side of the second routing member holding portion 206. Also, as shown in Fig. 39 , the routing member 200 passes through a through-hole provided in the front of the left front cushion side frame 13L and is coupled to the leg mounting bracket 45. In the leg mounting bracket 45, the detachable leg portion 161 is attached so as to be rotatable about the leg rotation shaft 161c. By rotating the detachable leg portion 161, the wire 201 of the routing member 200 is pulled, thereby unlocking the first locking portion 210.

[0213] <Modification of the Routed Member Fixing Portion 204> The position of the routed member fixing portion 204 is not limited to between the bending pivot shaft 12a and the first lock portion 210 as shown in FIG. 35 . As shown in FIG. 43 , the routed member fixing portion 204A may be provided on the bending pivot shaft 12a. By providing the routed member fixing portion 204A on the bending pivot shaft 12a, the routed member fixing portion 204A is rotatably fixed to the side surface of the rear cushion side frame 12 around an axis extending in the vertical direction. In this case, a second routed member holding portion 206A that holds the routed member 200 may be disposed in the frame bending portion 131b of the front cushion side frame 13. Because the routed member fixing portion 204A rotates, even if the cushion side frame 11 deforms, the orientation of the routed member 200 changes in accordance with the deformation, as shown in FIG. 44 , and bending of the routed member 200 and the wire 201 is suppressed.

[0214] 45, a rotation function may be provided in the wiring member fixing portion 204B. Furthermore, a rotation function may be provided in the first wiring member holding portion 205B and the second wiring member holding portion 206B that hold the wiring member 200. By making the wiring member fixing portion 204B, the first wiring member holding portion 205B, and the second wiring member holding portion 206B rotatable, as shown in FIG. 47, the holding direction can be changed in accordance with the movement of the wiring member 200 due to the deformation of the cushion side frame 11. Therefore, bending of the wiring member 200 and the wire 201 is suppressed.

[0215] <Second Locking Portion 220> The second locking portion 220 will be described with reference to Figure 47. Figure 47 is a side view showing the second locking portion 220. The vehicle seat S2 of this embodiment is provided with a second locking portion 220 that locks the cushion side frame 11 against deformation. More specifically, the second locking portion 220 is provided on the right rear cushion side frame 12R and is configured to lock the rotation of the rear cushion side frame 12 and the front cushion side frame 13. Normally, the second locking portion 220 is covered with a second locking portion cover 221 (see Figure 19).

[0216] The second locking part 220 has a configuration similar to that of the first locking part 210, but differs in that the first locking part 210 restricts the rotation of the flip-up pivot shaft 121b, whereas the second locking part 220 restricts the rotation of the folding pivot shaft 12a.

[0217] The second locking portion 220 includes a rotating shaft bracket 222 fixed to the right front cushion side frame 13R around the folding rotating shaft 12a. The rotating shaft bracket 222 is formed with an engagement groove 222a. The base of a locking bracket 223 that engages with the engagement groove 222a is rotatably attached to the right rear cushion side frame 12R via a rotating shaft 223a. A window hole 223b is formed in the locking bracket 223, and a cut-and-raised engaging body 224a formed by cutting and raising at one end of an operating arm 224 is engaged with the window hole 223b. The middle portion of the operating arm 224 is pivotally supported on the right rear cushion side frame 12R by the rotating shaft 224b. A claw portion of an unlocking bracket 229 abuts against the other end of the operating arm 224.

[0218] One end of a biasing spring 225 is attached to the operating arm 224 so as to rotate in the locking direction. The other end of the biasing spring 225 is engaged with a stay 226. As shown in Figure 47, the biasing spring 225 is configured so that the lock piece 223d of the lock bracket 223 engages with the engagement groove 222a. An elastically deformable abutting member 227 is provided on a peripheral edge 223c of the lock bracket 223 so as to constantly abut against the lock bracket 223 and bias the lock bracket 223 to rotate in the locking direction.

[0219] 47 , in a normal state, the second locking portion 220 is locked to prevent the rear cushion side frame 12 from rotating relative to the front cushion side frame 13. The second locking portion 220 is configured to be unlocked by tilting the seat back 2 backward.

[0220] By providing the first locking portion 210 on the left rear cushion side frame 12L and the second locking portion 220 on the right rear cushion side frame 12R, it is possible to compactly arrange the first locking portion 210 and the second locking portion 220. Note that the positions of the first locking portion 210 and the second locking portion 220 are not limited to this, and the first locking portion 210 may be provided on the right rear cushion side frame 12R and the second locking portion 220 may be provided on the left rear cushion side frame 12L.

[0221] The present invention has been described above with reference to an embodiment in which a vehicle seat S2 is mounted on a vehicle, and examples of its configuration have been explained using the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to seats mounted on ground-traveling vehicles such as automobiles and trains, and may also be applied to seats mounted on aircraft, ships, and other vehicles that travel on non-ground surfaces.

[0222] <<Third Embodiment>>> Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. Note that components that are the same as or correspond to those in the first and second embodiments described above will be assigned the same reference numerals, and duplicated descriptions may be omitted. The third embodiment relates to a vehicle seat, and in particular to a vehicle seat that is equipped with a lifting device.

[0223] Conventionally, vehicle seats such as the one disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-59765 are known that have a function for folding the entire vehicle seat compactly into a folded state (a so-called dive-down state) by tilting the seat back forward and moving the seat cushion forward.

[0224] The vehicle seat described in JP 2005-59765 A is provided with a dive-down link and a height adjustment link for changing the height of the seat cushion, but because it can only be switched between a folded state and a raised position, the seat lacks flexibility in arranging the seat. Furthermore, while a vehicle seat typically has a seat back or a reclining device disposed behind the seat, the vehicle seat described in JP 2005-59765 A also has a locking device disposed behind the seat cushion, which causes the weight balance to be biased toward the rear of the seat. Therefore, for example, a large force may be required to change the height of the seat cushion.

[0225] The vehicle seat of the third embodiment has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is, for example, to provide a vehicle seat equipped with a lifting device that has an appropriate weight balance in the fore-and-aft direction of the seat.

[0226] The above problem is solved by a vehicle seat according to a third embodiment, which provides a vehicle seat including a seat cushion and capable of setting the seat cushion into a reclined state, the seat cushion including a cushion portion and a cushion frame forming a skeleton of the seat cushion, the cushion frame including a first frame supporting the cushion portion and a second frame disposed below the first frame and supporting the first frame, the first frame including a first link rotatably connected to the second frame on the front side of the first frame and causing the seat cushion to reclined forward, the second frame including a second link rotatably disposed and configured to change the height of the second frame, the second link being composed of a front second link located on the front side of the second frame and a rear second link located on the rear side of the second frame, the cushion frame including a lifting device that rotates the front second link, and at least a portion of the lifting device being disposed between a first connection portion that connects the front second link and the second frame and a second connection portion that connects the first link and the second frame. By arranging at least a part of the lifting device between the first connection portion connecting the front second link and the second frame and the second connection portion connecting the first link and the second frame, the lifting device is positioned in front of the seat, and a vehicle seat equipped with a lifting device can be provided that has an optimal weight balance in the fore-and-aft direction of the seat.

[0227] In the above configuration, the lifting device may be disposed inward of the front second link in the seat width direction. By disposing the lifting device inward of the front second link in the seat width direction, the vehicle seat can be made compact.

[0228] In the above configuration, a slide rail device may be provided for moving the seat cushion in a predetermined direction, and the lifting device may be disposed inward of the slide rail device in the seat width direction. By disposing the lifting device inward of the slide rail device in the seat width direction, the vehicle seat can be made more compact.

[0229] In the above configuration, the lifting device may have a gear portion, and the gear portion may be disposed inward of the second frame in the seat width direction. By disposing the gear portion inward of the second frame in the seat width direction, the vehicle seat can be made more compact.

[0230] In the above configuration, the gear portion may include a sector gear connected to the rotation shaft of the second link and a pinion gear meshing with the sector gear, the lifting device may include a rotation transmission portion that transmits a rotational force to the pinion gear, and the sector gear, pinion gear, and rotation transmission portion may be disposed inward of the second frame in the seat width direction. By disposing the sector gear, pinion gear, and rotation transmission portion inward of the second frame in the seat width direction, the vehicle seat can be made more compact.

[0231] In the above configuration, the second frame may have a bent portion that bends inward in the seat width direction, and the gear portion may be disposed rearward of the bent portion in the seat front-rear direction and forward of the pivot shaft of the second link. By disposing the gear portion rearward of the bent portion of the second frame in the seat front-rear direction and forward of the pivot shaft of the second link, the gear portion can be arranged in a plane, facilitating assembly. Also, the vehicle seat can be made more compact.

[0232] In the above configuration, the second frame may have an extension portion extending from the bent portion toward the front of the seat, the rotation transmission portion may have a ratchet mechanism and a first wire that rotates the ratchet mechanism, and a first wire fixing portion that fixes the first wire may be provided on the extension portion. By providing the first wire fixing portion that fixes the first wire on the extension portion, for example, the first wire is fixed to the ratchet mechanism without being bent in the seat width direction, and therefore traction force may be more easily transmitted to the ratchet.

[0233] In the above configuration, it is preferable that the rotation transmission unit has a gear cover portion that covers the gear portion and is positioned inward of the gear portion in the seat width direction, the rotation transmission unit has a second wire that rotates the ratchet mechanism in a direction opposite to the rotation direction of the first wire, and a second wire fixing portion that fixes the second wire is provided on the gear cover portion.By providing the second wire fixing portion that fixes the second wire on the gear cover portion, for example, the second wire is fixed to the ratchet mechanism without being bent in the seat width direction, and therefore the traction force is easily transmitted to the ratchet mechanism.

[0234] In the above configuration, the seat height can be easily adjusted by using an operation knob connected to the first wire and the second wire, the operation knob having a rotation axis at its center in the up-down direction of the seat, and the first wire and the second wire are pulled by swinging the operation knob in the front-to-rear direction, thereby rotating the ratchet mechanism of the rotation transmission part.

[0235] In the above configuration, the lifting device may have a biasing member that biases the rotational movement of the front second link, and the biasing member may be disposed outward from the second frame and inward from the second link in the seat width direction. By providing a biasing member that biases the rotational movement of the front second link, it is possible to assist height adjustment using, for example, an operation knob.

[0236] According to the vehicle seat of the third embodiment, at least a portion of the lifting device is disposed between the first connection portion connecting the front second link and the second frame and the second connection portion connecting the first link and the second frame, thereby positioning the lifting device in front of the seat and providing a vehicle seat with a lifting device that has favorable weight balance in the front-to-rear direction of the seat. Furthermore, by disposing the lifting device inward from the front second link in the seat width direction, the vehicle seat can be made more compact. Furthermore, by disposing the lifting device inward from the slide rail device in the seat width direction, the vehicle seat can be made more compact. Furthermore, by disposing the gear portion inward from the second frame in the seat width direction, the vehicle seat can be made more compact. Furthermore, by disposing the sector gear, pinion gear, and rotation transmission portion inward from the second frame in the seat width direction, the vehicle seat can be made more compact. Furthermore, by disposing the gear portion rearward from the bent portion and forward from the rotation axis of the second link in the front-to-rear direction of the seat, the gear portion can be arranged in a flat plane, allowing for easy assembly. Furthermore, the vehicle seat can be made more compact. Furthermore, by providing the first wire fixing portion for fixing the first wire in the extension portion, the first wire is fixed to the ratchet mechanism without bending in the seat width direction, for example, and thus traction force can be easily transmitted to the ratchet mechanism. Furthermore, by providing the second wire fixing portion for fixing the second wire in the gear cover portion, the second wire is fixed to the ratchet mechanism without bending in the seat width direction, for example, and thus traction force can be easily transmitted to the ratchet mechanism. Furthermore, the seat height can be easily adjusted using the operation knob. Furthermore, by providing a biasing member, height adjustment using the operation knob can be assisted, for example.

[0237] The configuration of a vehicle seat according to a third embodiment (the present embodiment) will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiment described below is an example for facilitating understanding of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. In other words, the present invention may be modified or improved without departing from the spirit thereof, and of course, the present invention also includes equivalents thereof.

[0238] In the following, a vehicle seat S3 installed in a vehicle automobile such as a minivan will be used as an example of a vehicle seat, and an example of its configuration will be described. In the following description, the "seat longitudinal direction" refers to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle seat S3, which is the direction that coincides with the direction of travel when the vehicle is traveling. The "seat width direction" refers to the width direction of the vehicle seat S3, which is the direction that coincides with the left-right direction as seen by an occupant seated in the vehicle seat S3. The "vertical direction" refers to the vertical direction of the vehicle seat S3, which is the direction that coincides with the vertical direction when the vehicle is traveling on a horizontal plane. The outer and inner sides are defined based on the occupant. That is, the direction toward the center of the seat width direction is the inward direction, and the direction away from it is the outward direction. A common number is assigned to a pair of left and right components, and when specifying the left and right, the names of the components are designated by "left side" and "right side," and the letters "L" and "R" are added to the reference symbols.

[0239] As shown in FIG. 48 , the vehicle seat S3 is placed on the floor of the vehicle and is a seat on which a vehicle occupant sits. In this embodiment, the vehicle seat S3 is a seat located on the right side (behind the driver's seat) of the rear seats corresponding to the rear seats of the vehicle. The vehicle seat S3 can also be used as a middle seat in the second row or a third seat in the third row in a vehicle having three rows of seats in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The vehicle seat S3 may also be used as a front seat corresponding to the front seats.

[0240] The vehicle seat S3 of this embodiment is configured to be able to transition to a plurality of states. Hereinafter, a state in which an occupant can sit in the vehicle seat S3 in an edge-sitting position (sitting with legs down) is referred to as the "normal state" of the vehicle seat S3 (see FIGS. 48 and 53). A state in which the seat back 2 is rotated rearward of the seat cushion 1 from the normal state is referred to as the "reclined state" of the vehicle seat S3 (see FIG. 54). On the other hand, a state in which the seat cushion 1 is positioned higher than the normal state (see FIGS. 49 and 55) is referred to as the "height-raised state." A state in which the seat cushion 1 is moved to collapse (sink) onto the vehicle floor and the entire vehicle seat S3 is folded (see FIG. 56) is referred to as the "folded state." The folded state is sometimes called the "dive-down state." Regardless of the state of the seat back 2, a state in which the seat cushion 1 simply collapses onto the vehicle floor is sometimes referred to as the "collapsed state." The state in which the seat cushion 1 is set to the lowest position by the height link HL may be referred to as a "height-down state."

[0241] The vehicle seat S3 can be arranged in a normal state in which an occupant can sit, a reclined state in which the seat back 2 is rotated backward, a height-raised state in which the position of the seat cushion 1 is raised, and a folded state in which the seat back 2 is folded and tilted forward.

[0242] An occupant can move the entire seat forward or backward by operating a slide rail operating unit 341 located on the front left side of the seat cushion 1. Also, by operating a height link operating unit 342 located on the front right side of the seat cushion 1, the occupant can rotate a height link HL (described later) to change the height of the seat cushion 1. Also, by operating a lever located on the shoulder of the seat back 2, the seat back 2 can be rotated forward or backward and reclined. Furthermore, the shape, position, posture, etc. of each part of the vehicle seat S3 described below will be described assuming that the vehicle seat S3 is in a normal state, unless otherwise specified.

[0243] <Vehicle Seat S3> The overall configuration of the vehicle seat S3 according to this embodiment will be outlined with reference to FIGS. 48 to 57. FIG. 48 is a perspective view of the vehicle seat S3 according to this embodiment, seen obliquely from the front, and FIG. 49 is a perspective view showing the seat frame F3 of the vehicle seat S3 in the height-raised state. FIG. 50 is a perspective view of the seat frame F3 in the folded state, mainly showing the height frame 20 and the slide rail device 6. FIG. 51 is a top view of the cushion frame Cf and the slide rail device 6 in the folded state. FIG. 52 is a top view of the seat frame F3 in the folded state, mainly showing the height frame 20 and the slide rail device 6. FIG. 53 is an explanatory diagram showing the seat frame F3 in the normal state, and FIG. 54 is an explanatory diagram showing the seat frame F3 in the reclined state. FIG. 55 is an explanatory diagram showing the seat frame F3 in the height-raised state, and FIG. 56 is a side view of the seat frame F3 in the folded state. Figure 57 is a cross-sectional view of the cushion frame Cf taken along the line LVII-LVII in Figure 51. Note that in Figure 48, for convenience of illustration, a portion of the vehicle seat S3 is shown with the cover material Tr removed and the pad material P exposed.

[0244] As shown in Figure 48, the vehicle seat S3 according to this embodiment mainly comprises a seat cushion 1, a seat back 2, a headrest 3, a reclining device 5, and a slide rail device 6. Note that hereinafter, the seat cushion 1, seat back 2, and headrest 3 may be collectively referred to as a seat body Sh. A buckle for a seat belt 9 is provided on the left rear portion of the seat cushion 1. As shown in Figure 49, a seat frame F3 that forms the framework of the vehicle seat S3 is provided inside the vehicle seat S3. The seat frame F3 includes a cushion frame Cf, a back frame 30, and a headrest frame 36.

[0245] <Seat Cushion 1> The seat cushion 1 is a support member that supports the buttocks of a seated occupant (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a seated person), and supports the seated occupant from below. The seat cushion 1 includes a cushion portion 8 that supports the buttocks of the seated occupant, and a cushion frame Cf that forms the skeleton of the seat cushion 1. The cushion portion 8 is composed of a pad material P and a skin material Tr that covers the pad material P. The cushion frame Cf of this embodiment is composed of a cushion main body frame 10 that supports the cushion portion 8, and a height frame 20 that is disposed below the cushion main body frame 10 and supports the cushion main body frame 10. The cushion main body frame 10 corresponds to the first frame, and the height frame 20 corresponds to the second frame.

[0246] <Cushion Main Body Frame 10> The cushion main body frame 10 is a frame body having a rectangular shape in top view. The cushion main body frame 10 has cushion side frames 11 that constitute the frame body, a pan frame 14 that connects the cushion side frames 11, and cushion frame members 15. The cushion main body frame 10 also has a dive down link 16 that connects to the height frame 20 at its front end. The dive down link 16 corresponds to a first link.

[0247] The cushion side frame 11 is composed of a right cushion side frame 11R disposed on the right side of the cushion main body frame 10 and a left cushion side frame 11L disposed on the left side. The right cushion side frame 11R and the left cushion side frame 11L extend in the front-to-rear direction. As shown in FIG. 51 , the right cushion side frame 11R and the left cushion side frame 11L extend in different directions, with the right cushion side frame 11R bending outward (to the right) at the front and then extending in the front-to-rear direction. This prevents the right cushion side frame 11R from interfering with other interior components arranged in the vehicle while ensuring a seating space for the occupant.

[0248] Each of the cushion side frames 11 has a folding mechanism. Specifically, the right cushion side frame 11R and the left cushion side frame 11L have a rear cushion side frame 12 and a front cushion side frame 13 that are rotatably connected to each other around a folding pivot shaft 12a (see FIGS. 49 and 51).

[0249] The rear cushion side frame 12 arranged on the right side of the vehicle seat S3 may be referred to as the right rear cushion side frame 12R, and the rear cushion side frame 12 arranged on the left side may be referred to as the left rear cushion side frame 12L. The front cushion side frame 13 arranged on the right side of the vehicle seat S3 may be referred to as the right front cushion side frame 13R, and the front cushion side frame 13 arranged on the left side may be referred to as the left front cushion side frame 13L.

[0250] The pan frame 14 is made of a plate-like member and connects the front ends of the cushion side frames 11. The cushion frame members 15 are made of a pipe material and connect the central portions in the front-to-rear direction of the cushion side frames 11. A portion of the cushion frame member 15 is bent rearward, and the central portion of the cushion frame member 15 in the seat width direction is curved so that it is positioned rearward.

[0251] 49 and 51 , a plurality of S-springs 18 are attached to the cushion main body frame 10 across the pan frame 14 and the cushion frame member 15 as pressure-receiving members that receive the load from the seated occupant. As described above, the central portion of the cushion frame member 15 is curved rearward, so the S-springs 18 can receive the load from the seated occupant over a wide area in the front-to-rear direction. In this embodiment, the pressure-receiving members are made up of a plurality of S-springs 18, but this is not limiting. The pressure-receiving members provided on the cushion main body frame 10 may also be made up of elastic plate-like members.

[0252] 48 and 49, a slide rail operating unit 341 for operating the slide rail device 6 is provided in front of the right front cushion side frame 13R. Also, a height link operating unit 342 for operating the lifting device 300 provided on the height frame 20 (described later) is provided in front of the left front cushion side frame 13L.

[0253] The height link operating unit 342 is provided with an operating knob 342a that is operated by the occupant. As shown in FIG. 65 , the operating knob 342a has a rotation shaft 342b at the center in the seat up-down direction and is configured to be swingable in the front-to-rear direction. A first wire 311 and a second wire 312 that extend to the lifting device 300 are connected to the back of the operating knob 342a, sandwiching the rotation shaft 342b. By swinging the operating knob 342a, the occupant can pull the first wire 311 or the second wire 312 and operate the lifting device 300. A detailed method of operating the lifting device 300 using the operating knob 342a will be described later.

[0254] An ottoman for supporting the legs of a seated occupant may be provided on the seat cushion 1. When an ottoman is provided, an ottoman support mechanism (not shown) for supporting the ottoman may be provided between the slide rail operating unit 341 and the height link operating unit 342.

[0255] <Dive down link 16> The dive down link 16 is interposed between the cushion side frame 11 and the front end of the height frame 20, and supports the cushion main body frame 10 in cooperation with the seat back 2 described below. The dive down link 16 mainly comprises a right dive down link 16R disposed on the right side, a left dive down link 16L disposed on the left side, and a dive down link member 17 (see Figures 50 and 52).

[0256] The right dive down link 16R and the left dive down link 16L are elongated plate members each having a first pivot shaft 16a at one longitudinal end and a second pivot shaft 16b at the other end. The first pivot shaft 16a is pivotably connected to the cushion side frame 11, and the second pivot shaft 16b is pivotably connected to the height side frame 21. Rotation of the right dive down link 16R and the left dive down link 16L causes the vehicle seat S3 to transition between a normal state (see FIG. 53 ) in which the cushion main body frame 10 is spaced above the height frame 20, and a reclined state (or folded state, see FIG. 56 ) in which the cushion main body frame 10 is reclined downward. The dive down link 16 is pivotably connected to the height frame 20 (second frame) on the front side of the cushion main body frame 10 (first frame) and corresponds to a first link that reclins the seat cushion 1 forward. The second rotating shaft 16b corresponds to a second connecting portion that connects the dive down link 16 and the height frame 20.

[0257] The dive down link member 17 connects the right dive down link 16R and the left dive down link 16L, increasing the rigidity of the dive down link 16. In addition, by connecting the right dive down link 16R and the left dive down link 16L with the dive down link member 17, the cushion main body frame 10 can be smoothly raised and lowered relative to the height frame 20.

[0258] <Height Frame 20> As described above, the cushion frame Cf includes a height frame 20 that supports the cushion main body frame 10 below the cushion main body frame 10. The height frame 20 is a frame body having a rectangular shape when viewed from above. The height frame 20 includes height side frames 21, a front height frame member 24, an intermediate height frame member 25, a rear height frame member 26, a front connecting shaft 27a (connecting shaft 27), and a rear connecting shaft 27b (connecting shaft 27). The height frame 20 also includes a height link HL that is rotatably disposed between the height side frames 21 and the slide rail device 6 and adjusts the height of the height frame 20. The height link HL is composed of a front height link 22 located in front of the height frame 20 and a rear height link 23 located in rear of the height frame 20. The height link HL corresponds to a second link. The front height link 22 corresponds to the front second link, and the rear height link 23 corresponds to the rear second link. Hereinafter, when there is no need to distinguish between the front height link 22 and the rear height link 23, they may be collectively referred to simply as the height link HL.

[0259] The height side frame 21 is composed of a right height side frame 21R arranged on the right side of the height frame 20 and a left height side frame 21L arranged on the left side. The right height side frame 21R and the left height side frame 21L have an elongated shape and extend in the front-to-rear direction. The right height side frame 21R and the left height side frame 21L are plate-like bodies that, when viewed from the side, have a generally triangular shape that increases in height toward the rear.

[0260] 51 and 52, the left height side frame 21L has a portion that is bent toward the inside or outside of the seat in the seat width direction. This allows the left height side frame 21L to be positioned above the slide rail device 6 and avoid interference with the slide lock device 63 and front connecting bracket 43 disposed on the slide rail device 6. Hereinafter, the portion on the front side of the left height side frame 21L that is bent toward the inside of the seat width direction may be referred to as the bent portion 21a, and the portion that extends from the front end of the bent portion 21a toward the front of the seat may be referred to as the extended portion 21b (see FIGS. 61 to 63).

[0261] An extended height side frame 21E is provided on the right side of the right height side frame 21R. The extended height side frame 21E is connected to the right height side frame 21R via the rear height frame member 26 and two connecting pipes 21Ea. However, the number and arrangement of the connecting pipes 21Ea are not limited to those shown in Figures 51 and 52. Three or more connecting pipes 21Ea may connect the right height side frame 21R and the extended height side frame 21E.

[0262] The front end of the right height side frame 21R and the front end of the left height side frame 21L are connected by a front height frame member 24. The rear end of the right height side frame 21R and the rear end of the left height side frame 21L are connected by a rear height frame member 26. The front height frame member 24 and the rear height frame member 26 are made of round pipe material that extends linearly.

[0263] An intermediate height frame member 25 is provided between the front height frame member 24 and the rear height frame member 26, and connects the right height side frame 21R and the left height side frame 21L. The intermediate height frame member 25 is made of a straight round pipe material, but is not limited to this. For example, the intermediate height frame member 25 may have a curved shape to avoid interference with other components. As a specific example, the intermediate height frame member 25 may have a shape in which the center portion in the seat width direction is curved rearward.

[0264] The front height links 22 and rear height links 23 are formed of elongated plate-like members. The front height links 22 are rotatably connected to the height side frames 21 via first pivot shafts 22a. A front connecting bracket 43 is provided on the upper surface of the slide rail device 6, and the front height links 22 are rotatably connected to the slide rail device 6 via second pivot shafts 22b provided on the front connecting bracket 43. The left and right first pivot shafts 22a are connected by a front connecting shaft 27a (see FIG. 52 ). The first pivot shafts 22a of the front height links 22 correspond to the first connection portion connecting the front height links 22 to the height frame 20 (HL). As shown in FIG. 60 , the front connecting shaft 27a is provided with a lifting device 300 that rotates the front height links 22.

[0265] As shown in Figures 50 and 52, the left and right front height links 22 are connected by a first front height link member 28a and a second front height link member 28b. The first front height link member 28a and the second front height link member 28b are made of long, plate-like members. The first front height link member 28a is attached so as to be located in front of the front connecting shaft 27a when the vehicle seat S3 is folded. The second front height link member 28b is provided below the front connecting shaft 27a.

[0266] As shown in Figure 55, the rear height links 23 are rotatably connected to the height side frames 21 via first pivot shafts 23a. The rear height links 23 are rotatably connected to the slide rail devices 6 via second pivot shafts 23b provided on the rear connecting brackets 44. The left and right first pivot shafts 23a are connected by a rear connecting shaft 27b as shown in Figure 51. The rear connecting shaft 27b is provided with a lifting / lowering unit 7 that rotates the rear height links 23 and raises and lowers the seat surface of the seat cushion 1. The left and right rear height links 23 are connected by a pipe-shaped rear height link member 29 as shown in Figures 50 and 52.

[0267] The front height link 22 disposed on the right side of the vehicle seat S3 may be referred to as the right front height link 22R, and the front height link 22 disposed on the left side may be referred to as the left front height link 22L. The rear height link 23 disposed on the right side of the vehicle seat S3 may be referred to as the right rear height link 23R, and the rear height link 23 disposed on the left side may be referred to as the left rear height link 23L.

[0268] The front height links 22 and the rear height links 23 rotate so as to stand upright forward relative to the slide rail device 6, thereby raising the cushion main body frame 10. As a result, the vehicle seat S3 transitions from the normal state shown in Fig. 53 to the height-raised state shown in Fig. 55. Conversely, the front height links 22 and the rear height links 23 rotate so as to lean backward relative to the slide rail device 6, thereby lowering the cushion main body frame 10. As a result, the vehicle seat S3 transitions from the height-raised state shown in Fig. 55 to the normal state shown in Fig. 53.

[0269] A second rotation shaft 16b of the dive down link 16 is rotatably provided at the front end of each height side frame 21. In addition, the rear end of each height side frame 21 is connected to the side connecting frame 32 of the back frame 30 via the reclining device 5. This allows each height side frame 21 to support the cushion main body frame 10 from below via the dive down link 16 at the front end and the back side frame 31 at the rear end.

[0270] <Padding Material P> A padding material P for a seat cushion is placed on the cushion main body frame 10, and the padding material P is covered with a covering material Tr. In other words, the cushion portion 8 is composed of the padding material P and a covering material Tr that covers the padding material P, and is supported by the cushion main body frame 10. The padding material P is a cushioning material and is formed, for example, from a urethane resin (foamed resin) such as soft polyurethane foam. The padding material P may be formed from biomass urethane. Furthermore, the covering material Tr that covers the padding material P is formed, for example, from a stretchable synthetic leather material. The covering material Tr may be formed from cloth, film, leather, etc.

[0271] <Seat back 2> The seat back 2 is a support member that supports the back of a seated occupant, and supports the seated occupant from behind. As shown in Figure 49, the seat back 2 has a back frame 30 that forms the skeleton of the seat back 2. The seat back 2 has a back frame pad material P that covers the back frame 30, and a cover material Tr that covers the pad material P.

[0272] The back frame 30 is a frame body having a substantially rectangular shape in a front view. The back frame 30 mainly comprises a pair of back side frames 31, a side connecting frame 32, a back upper frame 33, a back lower frame 34, and a pressure plate 35. The pair of back side frames 31 are elongated frame members extending in the vertical direction and are disposed apart from each other while facing each other in the seat width direction. The side connecting frame 32 is connected to the lower end of the back side frames 31 and the reclining device 5. The side connecting frame 32 is also connected to the upper end (rear end) of the rear cushion side frame 12.

[0273] The back upper frame 33 connects the upper ends of the left and right back side frames 31, and the back lower frame 34 connects the lower ends of the left and right back side frames 31. The pressure plate 35 is a plate-shaped member attached to the back of the back frame 30 and supports the weight of a seated occupant.

[0274] The seat back 2 is connected to the seat cushion 1 and can be folded toward the seat cushion 1 as shown in FIG. 56 . When the seat back 2 is folded, the dive down link 16 of the seat cushion 1 rotates in conjunction with the folding of the seat back 2 toward the seat cushion 1, causing the seat cushion 1 to recline forward. At this time, the height links HL (front height link 22 and rear height link 23) of the seat cushion 1 also rotate toward the rear of the seat in conjunction with the folding of the seat back 2 toward the seat cushion 1, thereby lowering the height of the seat cushion 1. The dive down link 16 and the height link HL move in conjunction with the seat back 2, allowing the vehicle seat S3 to easily be folded (reclined).

[0275] <Headrest 3> The headrest 3 is a support member that supports the head of a seated occupant, and supports the head of the seated occupant from behind. As shown in Figure 49, the headrest 3 has a headrest frame 36 that forms the skeleton of the headrest 3. The headrest 3 has a headrest padding material (not shown) that covers the headrest frame 36, and a skin material Tr that covers the padding material.

[0276] <Reclining device 5> The reclining device 5 rotatably connects the seat back 2 to the seat cushion 1. More specifically, as shown in Figures 53 to 56, the reclining device 5 connects the rear end of the height frame 20 and the lower end of the back frame 30 that constitute the seat cushion 1. The reclining device 5 can transition the vehicle seat S3 to a reclined state by rotating the seat back 2 rearward relative to the seat cushion 1. The reclining device 5 can also transition the vehicle seat S3 to a folded state by rotating the seat back 2 forward relative to the seat cushion 1.

[0277] <Slide rail device 6> As shown in Figures 48 and 49, the slide rail device 6 connects the vehicle seat S3 to the vehicle floor so that the seat can slide in the front-rear direction. The movement direction of the slide rail device 6 is not limited to the front-rear direction of the seat, and may also be the seat width direction (left-right direction). In other words, the slide rail device 6 may connect the vehicle seat S3 to the vehicle floor so that the vehicle seat S3 can slide in the seat width direction. In other words, the slide rail device 6 is a device that moves the seat cushion 1 of the vehicle seat S3 in a predetermined direction.

[0278] As shown in Figure 48, the slide rail device 6 is provided below the vehicle seat S3. The slide rail device 6 has a known structure (the structure of a general slide rail mechanism). In detail, the slide rail device 6 has a lower rail 61 fixed to the floor and an upper rail 62 that is slidable in the front-to-rear direction relative to the lower rail 61. The slide rail device 6 also has a slide lock device 63 that restricts the sliding movement of the upper rail 62 relative to the lower rail 61. The slide lock device 63 can release the restriction on the sliding movement by operating a lever of a slide rail operating unit 341 provided on the seat cushion 1.

[0279] 60, the slide lock device 63 has a lock operation lever 63a that protrudes from the top surface of the upper rail 62 and is used to release the lock. The lock operation lever 63a is connected to a cable 64 that extends from the lever of the slide rail operation unit 341, and can be released by being pulled. When the pulling by the cable 64 is released, the lock operation lever 63a is returned to its original position by the spring member 63b and is locked again.

[0280] As described above, the upper rail 62 is provided with a front connecting bracket 43 and a rear connecting bracket 44 (see FIG. 49 ). The upper rail 62 is connected to the height link HL of the cushion frame Cf via the front connecting bracket 43 and the rear connecting bracket 44. More specifically, the front connecting bracket 43 connects the upper rail 62 and the front height link 22 to be rotatable about the second pivot shaft 22b. The rear connecting bracket 44 connects the upper rail 62 and the rear height link 23 to be rotatable about the second pivot shaft 23b. By rotating the height link HL in the upright direction from a position where the vehicle seat S3 is in the normal state, the height of the seat cushion 1 can be changed, and the vehicle seat S3 can be placed in a height-raised state. The vehicle seat S3 is equipped with a slide rail device 6 and a height link HL rotatably connected to the slide rail device 6, which allows the seat cushion 1 to be moved in a predetermined direction (in the fore-and-aft direction of the seat in this embodiment) while changing the height of the seat cushion 1, thereby improving the freedom of seat arrangement.

[0281] <Reverse Rotation Suppression Device 50> As shown in Fig. 49, the vehicle seat S3 of this embodiment is provided with a reverse rotation suppression device 50. The reverse rotation suppression device 50 is a device that suppresses the front height link 22 from rotating in the reverse direction when the seat cushion 1 is raised from its lowest position. As shown in Fig. 50, for example, the reverse rotation suppression device 50 is provided below the front height link 22 when the vehicle seat S3 is in the folded state and the seat cushion 1 is in its lowest position (height-down state). By providing the reverse rotation suppression device 50, reverse rotation of the front height link 22 can be suppressed when the seat is raised.

[0282] <Lift-and-lower movable portion 7> The lift-and-lower movable portion 7 that assists the height link HL in raising and lowering the seat cushion 1 will be described below with reference to Figures 58 and 59. Figure 58 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of Figure 50 showing the vicinity of the lift-and-lower movable portion 7. Figure 59 is a rear view showing the vicinity of the lift-and-lower movable portion 7 as seen from the arrow LIX in Figure 58.

[0283] As described above, the vehicle seat S3 includes the seat cushion 1 and the cushion frame Cf, which forms the framework of the seat cushion 1. The cushion frame Cf also includes the cushion main body frame 10 and the height frame 20, which supports the cushion main body frame 10 from below. The height frame 20 includes height side frames 21 on both sides. The height side frame 21 is composed of a right height side frame 21R disposed on the right side and a left height side frame 21L disposed on the left side. The height frame 20 is provided with a pair of height links HL, which are rotatably connected to the right height side frame 21R and the left height side frame 21L, respectively, and which change the height of the seat cushion 1 by rotating them.

[0284] The pair of height links HL is composed of a pair of front height links 22 disposed in front of the seat and a pair of rear height links 23 disposed behind the seat. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 58, a rear connecting shaft 27b is provided to connect the pair of rear height links 23 (right rear height link 23R, left rear height link 23L). The liftable part 7 is provided on the rear connecting shaft 27b.

[0285] The liftable portion 7 is provided along the circumferential direction of the rear connecting shaft 27b and is composed of a biasing spring 70 that assists the rotational movement of the pair of rear height links 23, and a lifting restriction portion 71 that restricts the lifting and lowering of the seat cushion 1. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 58, the biasing springs 70 are provided at both ends of the rear connecting shaft 27b, but this is just one example, and the biasing springs 70 may be provided at either end of the rear connecting shaft 27b.

[0286] As shown in Figure 59, the lift-and-lower movable part 7 is disposed on the side of the height frame 20 of the cushion frame Cf, i.e., more inward in the seat width direction than the height side frame 21. By disposing the lift-and-lower movable part 7 more inward in the seat width direction than the height side frame 21, the lift-and-lower movable part 7 can be made more compact in the seat width direction. In addition, the biasing spring 70 is formed as a spiral spring. By forming it as a spiral spring, the lift-and-lower movable part 7 can be made more compact in the seat width direction.

[0287] An inner end locking portion 76 that locks the inner end 70a of the biasing spring 70 is formed on the rear connecting shaft 27b (see FIG. 58). The inner end locking portion 76 is configured as a hole formed in the rear connecting shaft 27b. By configuring the inner end locking portion 76 as a hole (through-hole) formed in the rear connecting shaft 27b, it is no longer necessary to prepare a separate member for locking the inner end 70a, and the number of parts of the liftable unit 7 can be reduced.

[0288] Further, the height side frame 21 is provided with a stopper portion 75 that engages the outer end 70b of the biasing spring 70. By providing the stopper portion 75 on the height side frame 21, the liftable portion 7 can be made compact in the seat width direction.

[0289] Additionally, the rear connecting shaft 27b is disposed so as to surround the first pivot shaft 23a of the pair of rear height links 23. By disposing the rear connecting shaft 27b so as to surround the first pivot shaft 23a, the first pivot shaft 23a is supported by the rear connecting shaft 27b, thereby improving the rigidity of the first pivot shaft 23a.

[0290] 59 , of the pair of rear height links 23, the right rear height link 23R adjacent to the side where the lifting / lowering restricting part 71 is disposed is disposed between the lifting / lowering restricting part 71 and the biasing spring 70. By disposing the right rear height link 23R in this manner, a force is applied to the right rear height link 23R from the seat width direction, which makes it possible to easily rotate the right rear height link 23R, thereby allowing the seat cushion 1 to be raised and lowered smoothly.

[0291] 59, when the vehicle seat S3 is in a folded state, more specifically, a height-down state in which the height of the seat cushion 1 is at its lowest, the lower end 70c of the biasing spring 70 is located below the upper end 6d of the slide rail device 6. With this configuration, the cushion frame Cf and the slide rail device 6 can be arranged compactly in the up-down direction of the seat, and the vehicle seat S3 can be made thinner in the folded state.

[0292] As shown in Figure 59, the lifting restrictor 71 and the rear height link 23 are disposed inward from the inner side portion 6a of the slide rail device 6. In other words, as shown in Figures 51 and 52, the lifting restrictor 71, the left rear height link 23L, and the right rear height link 23R are disposed inward from the inner side portion 6a of each slide rail device 6 disposed on the left and right in the seat width direction. By arranging the lifting restrictor 71 and the rear height link 23 in this manner, the cushion frame Cf can be made more compact in the seat width direction.

[0293] Although not shown, a slide rail operation panel for operating the slide rail device 6 may be provided on the rear connecting shaft 27b.

[0294] <Lifting device 300> The configuration and operation of the lifting device 300 will be described using Figures 60 to 66C. Figure 60 is a side view showing the periphery of the lifting device 300, and Figure 61 is a perspective view showing the periphery of the lifting device 300. Figure 62 is an exploded perspective view of the lifting device 300, and Figure 63 is a top view showing the periphery of the lifting device 300. Figure 64 is a cross-sectional view taken along line LXIV-LXIV in Figure 63. Figure 65 is an enlarged perspective view showing the periphery of the operation knob 342a of the height link operation unit 342. Figures 66A to 66C are explanatory views for explaining the operation of the lifting device 300.

[0295] The lifting device 300 adjusts the height of the height frame 20 by rotating the front height link 22. As shown in FIG. 60 , the lifting device 300 is disposed in front of the height side frame 21. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 61 , the front height link 22 and the height frame 20 are connected by the first rotation shaft 22a of the front height link 22, and the dive down link 16 and the height frame 20 are connected by the second rotation shaft 16b of the dive down link 16. A portion of the lifting device 300 is disposed between the first rotation shaft 22a (first connection portion) of the front height link 22 and the second rotation shaft 16b (second connection portion) of the dive down link 16. Because the lifting device 300 is disposed in front of the seat cushion 1, the weight balance, which has been biased toward the rear of the seat due to the seat back 2, etc., is shifted toward the front. This results in an optimal weight balance of the vehicle seat S3 in the fore-and-aft direction of the seat.

[0296] The lifting device 300 has an operating lever 304 for operating the lifting device 300. As shown in Figure 61, the operating lever 304 has a lever portion 304a that protrudes upward from its rotation shaft. The operating lever 304 is attached to the outside of the plate surface of a gear cover 306 that is fixed along the inside of the left height side frame 21L. The operating lever 304 also has a rotation shaft 304b and a ratchet mechanism 305 that can releasably lock the rotation of the rotation shaft 304b at predetermined angles (see Figure 62).

[0297] The tip of the rotation shaft 304b is inserted inside the plate surface of the gear cover 306 and is supported by the left height side frame 21L. The operating lever 304 is attached to the gear cover 306 by attaching a bearing frame (not shown) to the outside of the plate surface of the gear cover 306.

[0298] As shown in Figure 66A, the operating lever 304 can be rotated a predetermined amount from the neutral position St in both the forward direction r1 and the backward direction r2, and can be automatically returned to the neutral position St by releasing it. By repeatedly rotating and returning the operating lever 304, the ratchet mechanism 305 can increase or decrease the rotation amount of the rotation shaft 304b in predetermined increments. The operating lever 304 and the ratchet mechanism 305 form a rotation transmission unit 310. The rotation transmission unit 310 may include a drive device such as a motor, and the ratchet mechanism 305 may be configured to rotate automatically using the drive device.

[0299] The lifting device 300 has a gear unit 301 inside a gear cover 306. The gear unit 301 is composed of a pinion gear 302 and a sector gear 303. The pinion gear 302 and the sector gear 303 are disposed in a storage space 306a formed between the inner surface of the left height side frame 21L and the inner surface of the gear cover 306. The pinion gear 302 is rotatably disposed in the storage space 306a and fixed to a rotation shaft 304b of the operating lever 304. The sector gear 303 is rotatably disposed in the storage space 306a and meshes with the pinion gear 302.

[0300] The sector gear 303 is supported by the first rotation shaft 22a of the front height link 22, which is disposed through the left height side frame 21L. The sector gear 303 is rotatable coaxially relative to the front height link 22. The sector gear 303 is formed in a generally fan-like shape that widens from the rotation shaft side, and meshes with the pinion gear 302 at the arc-shaped portion of the generally fan-like shape. Rotation of the operating lever 304 rotates the pinion gear 302, and in response to the rotation of the pinion gear 302, the sector gear 303 rotates within the range of the arc-shaped portion of the generally fan-like shape.

[0301] As shown in Figure 62, a connecting pin 308 that protrudes outward in the seat width direction is fixed non-rotatably to a position rearward of the pinion gear 302. Meanwhile, an elongated hole 309a is formed as an arc-shaped through-hole centered on the first pivot shaft 22a at a position on the left height side frame 21L corresponding to the connecting pin 308. The connecting pin 308 is disposed to pass through this elongated hole 309a and protrude outward from the left height side frame 21L. The length of the elongated hole 309a is set to allow the maximum amount of rotation of the sector gear 303.

[0302] Additionally, a long hole 309b is formed as an arc-shaped through-hole centered on the first pivot shaft 22a at a position corresponding to the connecting pin 308 of the left front height link 22L. The connecting pin 308 is positioned to protrude outward from the left front height link 22L through the long hole 309b.

[0303] As shown in Figures 62 and 63, a spiral spring 307 is disposed between the left height side frame 21L and the left front height link 22L (front second link). The spiral spring 307 has an inner end fixed to the first pivot shaft 22a, which supports the sector gear 303 and the front height link 22, so as not to rotate. The spiral spring 307 is wound around the pivot shaft so as to expand in the tilt direction of the left front height link 22L, and its outer end is engaged with the connecting pin 308 of the sector gear 303. This biases the sector gear 303 in the rotation direction, which is the rising direction of the left front height link 22L. The spiral spring 307 corresponds to a biasing member. The spiral spring 307 may also be disposed between the right height side frame 21R and the right front height link 22R.

[0304] 61 to 63, the lifting device 300 is disposed inward of the left front height link 22L in the seat width direction. The lifting device 300 is also disposed inward of the slide rail device 6 in the seat width direction.

[0305] The gear unit 301 of the lifting device 300 is disposed inside the height frame 20 (more specifically, the left height side frame 21L) in the seat width direction. More specifically, the gear unit 301, which is composed of a sector gear 303 and a pinion gear 302, and a rotation transmission unit 310 (operation lever 304 and ratchet mechanism 305) that transmits a rotational force to the pinion gear 302, are disposed inside the height frame 20 (more specifically, the left height side frame 21L). The rotation transmission unit 310 may further include a drive device such as a motor.

[0306] The gear portion 301 of the lifting device 300 is disposed rearward of the bent portion 21a of the left height side frame 21L. The gear portion 301 is disposed forward of the first rotation shaft 22a of the front height link 22. By arranging the lifting device 300 and its components in this manner, it is possible to make the vehicle seat S3, for example, more compact.

[0307] <First Wire Fixing Portion 311a and Second Wire Fixing Portion 312a> As described above, the first wire 311 and the second wire 312 for operating the operation lever 304 are connected to the operation lever 304 that rotates the ratchet mechanism 305. The first wire 311 extends from the lever portion 304a of the operation lever 304 toward the front of the seat, and the second wire 312 extends from the lever portion 304a toward the rear of the seat, and rotates the operation lever 304 in the direction opposite to the rotation direction of the first wire 311. The first wire 311 is supported by a first wire fixing portion 311a provided on the extension portion 21b of the left height side frame 21L. Furthermore, the second wire 312 is supported by a second wire fixing portion 312a provided on the gear cover 306 that covers the gear portion 301. By providing the first wire fixing portion 311a on the extension portion 21b and the second wire fixing portion 312a on the gear cover 306, the first wire 311 and the second wire 312 can be fixed to the ratchet mechanism 305 without bending in the seat width direction, making it easier to transmit the force (traction force) pulling the first wire 311 and the second wire 312.

[0308] <Method of Operating the Height Link Operating Unit 342> The operation of the lifting device 300 using the height link operating unit 342 will be described using Figures 66A to 66C. As described above, the vehicle seat S3 includes a height link operating unit 342 for operating the lifting device 300, located on the front left side of the seat cushion 1. The height link operating unit 342 has an operating knob 342a and a pivot shaft 342b at the center of the operating knob 342a in the up-down direction, allowing the occupant to swing the operating knob 342a in the front-rear direction. A first wire 311 and a second wire 312 are connected to the back surface of the operating knob 342a to rotate the operating lever 304 of the lifting device 300. More specifically, one end of the first wire 311 is connected to the back surface of the operating knob 342a at a position above the pivot shaft 342b, and the other end is connected to the front side surface of the lever portion 304a of the operating lever 304. One end of the second wire 312 is connected to a position below the pivot shaft 342b, and the other end is connected to the rear side of the lever portion 304a of the operating lever 304. Therefore, when the seat occupant swings the operating knob 342a back and forth, the operating lever 304 is rotated via the first wire 311 and the second wire 312, thereby rotating the ratchet mechanism 305.

[0309] As shown in Figure 66A, when the operating knob 342a is in the reference position (a state in which the operating knob 342a is not operated), neither the first wire 311 nor the second wire 312 is pulled, and the operating lever 304 that operates the ratchet mechanism 305 is also positioned in the neutral position St.

[0310] To raise the height of the seat cushion 1 (cushion portion 8), as shown in FIG. 66B , the upper side of the operation knob 342a is pressed and tilted so that the upper end of the operation knob 342a tilts rearward. This pulls the second wire 312 and loosens the first wire 311. At this time, the operation lever 304 of the lifting device 300 rotates rearward, causing the ratchet mechanism 305 to rotate rearward one step. After that, when the operation knob 342a is returned to the reference position, the operation lever 304 is released and automatically returns to the neutral position St. Then, by pressing the upper side of the operation knob 342a again and tilting the operation knob 342a rearward, the second wire 312 is pulled and the ratchet mechanism 305 can be rotated rearward one step further. The rearward rotation of the ratchet mechanism 305 rotates the front height link 22, raising the height of the seat cushion 1 (cushion portion 8).

[0311] To lower the height of the seat cushion 1 (cushion portion 8), as shown in FIG. 66C , the lower side of the operation knob 342a is pressed and the upper end of the operation knob 342a is tilted forward. This pulls the first wire 311 and loosens the second wire 312. At this time, the operation lever 304 of the lifting device 300 rotates forward, and the ratchet mechanism 305 rotates forward one step. After that, when the operation knob 342a is returned to the reference position, the operation lever 304 is released and automatically returns to the neutral position St. Then, by pressing the lower side of the operation knob 342a again and tilting the operation knob 342a forward, the first wire 311 is pulled and the ratchet mechanism 305 can be rotated forward one step further. The forward rotation of the ratchet mechanism 305 rotates the left front height link 22L, lowering the height of the seat cushion 1.

[0312] The seat height can be adjusted from the front of the seat by connecting the operation lever 304 provided in front of the seat to the operation knob 342a using the first wire 311 and the second wire 312. This eliminates the need to provide space on the sides of the seat for inserting a hand to adjust the seat height, and provides a larger seating surface.

[0313] <Method of manufacturing the vehicle seat S3> The vehicle seat S3 (vehicle seat) may be manufactured by a manufacturing method for the vehicle seat S3, which includes preparing a cushion portion 8, a cushion frame Cf that forms the skeleton of the seat cushion 1, the cushion portion 8 being supported by a cushion main body frame 10 (first frame) and a height frame 20 (second frame), a dive down link 16 that is rotatably connected to the height frame 20 at the front side of the cushion main body frame 10 and causes the seat cushion 1 to recline forward, a second link that is rotatably attached to the height frame 20 and changes the height of the height frame 20, the second link being a front height link 22 located in front of the height frame 20 and a rear height link 23 located behind the height frame 20, and an elevating device 300 that rotates the front height link 22, and attaching a part of the elevating device 300 between a first rotating shaft 22a (first connecting portion) that connects the front height link 22 and the height frame 20 and a second rotating shaft 16b (second connecting portion) that connects the dive down link 16 and the height frame 20.

[0314] The present invention has been described above with reference to an embodiment in which a vehicle seat S3 is mounted in a vehicle, and an example of its configuration has been explained using the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to seats mounted in ground-traveling vehicles such as automobiles and trains, and may also be applied to seats mounted in aircraft, ships, and other vehicles that travel on non-ground surfaces.

[0315] S, S2, S3 Vehicle seat (vehicle seat) F, F2, F3 Seat frame P Pad material Tr Cover material Sh Seat body 1 Seat cushion 1h Cushion body portion 2 Seat back 3 Headrest 5 Reclining device 6 Slide rail device 6a Inner side portion 6b Outer side portion 6c Lower end 6d Upper end 61 Lower rail 61a Extension portion 62 Upper rail 63 Slide lock device (slide regulation portion) 63a Lock operation lever 63b Spring member 64 Cable 641 Wire 65 Engagement portion 7 Lifting movable portion (lifting device) 70 Urging spring 70a Inner end 70b Outer end 70c Lower end 71 Lifting regulation portion 75 Stopper portion 76 Inner end engaging portion 8 Cushion portion 9 Seat belt Cf Cushion frame 10 Cushion main body frame (first frame) 11 Cushion side frame 11R Right side cushion side frame 11L Left side cushion side frame 12 Rear cushion side frame (first side frame) 12a Center folding pivot shaft (connecting pivot shaft) 12b Seat back connecting shaft 12c Upper flange (first flange portion) 12c1 Extension portion 12c2 First spring fixing portion (first elastic spring fixing member) 12d Lower flange 12e Side wall portion 12f Lower pivot restricting member (second pivot restricting member) 12g Side pivot restricting member (first pivot restricting member) 12R Right rear cushion side frame 12L Left rear cushion side frame 121b Flip-up pivot shaft 121c Stopper 121d Side pivot restricting member 13 Front cushion side frame (second side frame) 13R Right front cushion side frame 13L Left front cushion side frame 13a Upper flange 13a1 Contact protrusion 13a2 Inclined portion 13b Lower flange 13c Side wall portion 13d Overlapping area 13e Expansion spring (biasing means, elastic spring) 13f Second spring fixing portion (second elastic spring fixing member) 131a Rear portion of frame131b Frame bending portion 131c Frame extension portion 14 Pan frame 15 Cushion frame member 16 Dive down link (first link) 16a First rotating shaft 16b Second rotating shaft 16R Right side dive down link 16L Left side dive down link 161 Detachable leg portion (first leg portion) 161a Leg body portion 161b Leg connecting portion 161c Leg rotating shaft 17 Dive down link member 18 S spring (pressure receiving member) 20 Height frame (second frame) 21 Height side frame (side frame) 21R Right side height side frame 21L Left side height side frame 21E Extended height side frame 21Ea Connecting pipe 21a Bent portion 21b Extension portion LM Lifting mechanism HL Height link (second leg portion) 22 Front height link (second link, second leg, front second link) 22a First pivot shaft (rotation shaft of second leg) 22b Second pivot shaft 22R Right side front height link 22L Left side front height link 23 Rear height link (second link, second leg, rear second link) 23a First pivot shaft 23b Second pivot shaft 23R Right side rear height link 23L Left side rear height link 24 Front height frame member (connecting frame) 25 Intermediate height frame member 26 Rear height frame member 27 Connecting shaft 27a Front connecting shaft (connecting frame) 27b Rear connecting shaft 28 Front height link member 28a First front height link member 28b Second front height link member 29 Rear height link member 30 Back frame (seat back frame) 31 Back side frame 32 Side connecting frame 32a Cushion support member 33 Back upper frame 34 Back lower frame 35 Pressure plate 36 Headrest frame 40 Reclining operation lever 41 Slide rail operation lever 42 Height frame operation lever 43 Front connecting bracket 43a Upper end 44 Rear connecting bracket 45 Leg mounting bracket 46 Wire mounting bracket 47 Operation lever mounting bracket50 Reverse rotation suppression device 100 Leg holding portion 100a Side wall portion 100b Bottom wall portion 100c Curled portion 101 Inertial leg lock portion (leg lock portion) 101a Upper grip portion 101b Lower grip portion 101c Lock rotation shaft 101d Spring hook portion 101e Biasing spring 103 Holding member support portion 104 First reinforcing base 105 Second reinforcing base 109 Wire 110 Cover member 111 Side cover portion 111L Left side cover portion 111R Right side cover portion 112 Central cover portion 113 Leg movement restricting portion 114a Opening 114b Opening 115 Central cover mounting portion 116 Leg accommodating recess 200 Wiring member 201 Wire 202 Wire connecting portion (connecting portion) 203 Wire protecting portion 204, 204A, 204B Wiring member fixing portion 205, 205B First wiring member holding portion 206, 206A, 206B Second wiring member holding portion 207 Third wiring member holding portion 210 First locking portion 211 First locking portion cover 212 Rotating shaft bracket 212a Engagement groove portion 213 Lock bracket 213a Rotating shaft 213b Window hole 213c Periphery 213d Lock piece 214 Operating arm 214a Cut and raised engaging body 214b Rotating shaft 215 Urging spring 216 Stay 217 Elastically deformable abutting member 220 Second locking portion 221 Second locking portion cover 222 Rotating shaft bracket 222a Engagement groove portion 223 Lock bracket 223a Rotation shaft 223b Window hole 223c Periphery 224 Operation arm 224a Cut and raised engagement body 224b Rotation shaft 225 Urging spring 226 Stay 227 Elastically deformable abutment member 229 Lock release bracket 300 Elevating device 301 Gear portion 302 Pinion gear 303 Sector gear 304 Operation lever 304a Lever portion 304b Rotation shaft 305 Ratchet mechanism 306 Gear cover 306a Storage space 307 Spiral spring (urging member) 308 Connecting pin 309a, 309b Elongated hole 310 Rotation transmission portion 311 First wire 311a First wire fixing portion312 Second wire 312a Second wire fixing portion 341 Slide rail operating portion 342 Height link operating portion 342a Operating knob 342b Rotation axis St Neutral position r1 Forward r2 Backward

Claims

1. A vehicle seat equipped with a seat cushion that can be reclined, the vehicle seat comprising: a slide rail device that moves the seat cushion in a predetermined direction; a cushion frame; a first link that reclins the seat cushion; and a second link that connects the cushion frame and the slide rail device and changes the height of the seat cushion.

2. The vehicle seat described in claim 1, characterized in that the slide rail device has an inner side portion located inside the vehicle seat in the seat width direction and an outer side portion located outside the vehicle seat, the first link is located inside the vehicle seat more than the inner side portion of the slide rail device in the seat width direction, and the second link is located between the inner side portion and the outer side portion of the slide rail device in the seat width direction.

3. A vehicle seat as described in claim 1, characterized in that, when the vehicle seat is in the reclined state, the first link is positioned below the upper end of the second link and above the lower end of the slide rail device.

4. The vehicle seat described in claim 1, characterized in that the specified direction is the fore-and-aft direction of the seat, the slide rail device has a lower rail fixed to the floor and an upper rail that slides on the lower rail, and the second link is positioned in a position that overlaps in the vertical direction with an engagement portion where the lower rail and the upper rail engage.

5. The vehicle seat described in claim 1, further comprising a connecting bracket that connects the second link and the slide rail device, wherein when the vehicle seat is in the reclined state, the first link is positioned below the upper end of the connecting bracket.

6. The vehicle seat described in claim 4, characterized in that the cushion frame has a first frame and a second frame connected to the first frame by the first link and supporting the first frame, the first link is rotatably connected to the second frame, the second link is rotatably connected to the slide rail device, and the lower rail of the slide rail device has an extension portion that extends forward from the rotation axis of the first link relative to the second frame or the rotation axis of the second link relative to the slide rail device when the vehicle seat is in the reclined state.

7. The vehicle seat described in claim 1, characterized in that the second link has a first rotation axis relative to the cushion frame and a second rotation axis relative to the slide rail device, the slide rail device is provided with a protrusion that is located on the slide rail device outside the second link in the seat width direction and protrudes upward from the upper surface of the slide rail device, and the protrusion is located between the first rotation axis and the second rotation axis of the second link in the seat fore-and-aft direction when the vehicle seat is in the reclined state.

8. The vehicle seat according to claim 7, characterized in that when the vehicle seat is in the reclined state, the upper end of the protrusion is positioned lower than the upper end of the first link or the upper end of the second link.

9. The vehicle seat according to claim 7, wherein the slide rail device has a lower rail fixed to the floor, an upper rail that slides on the lower rail, and a slide regulating part that regulates the sliding of the upper rail, and the protrusion is part of the slide regulating part.

10. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, further comprising a seat back, wherein the seat cushion collapses onto the floor in conjunction with the seat back when the seat back is folded forward of the seat.

Images