Vehicle seat
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicle seats face challenges in simultaneously supporting occupants during cornering and reducing neck impact in rear-end collisions, requiring space-consuming mechanisms that limit design freedom and increase size, with difficulty in precise regulation of link member rotation and smooth operation of movable parts.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle seat design featuring a pressure-receiving member with a driving mechanism that includes a linkage and a driving source, allowing the pressure-receiving member to move forward during cornering and rearward in collisions, eliminating the need for separate orientation and movement mechanisms, with a contact link member and rotation resistive member for smooth operation and precise rotation control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate mechanisms are provided for changing seat back orientation and for rearward movement of pressure-receiving member, then both cornering support and rear-end collision protection functions are achieved, but the space occupied within the seat back increases and design freedom is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the cornering support mechanism and rear-end collision protection mechanism into a single integrated pressure-receiving member structure. The pressure-receiving member is configured to perform both functions: it can change orientation to support occupants during cornering and can move rearward to protect occupants during rear-end collisions, eliminating the need for separate mechanisms and reducing space occupation within the seat back.
Solution Approach 2:
The pressure-receiving member is designed as a multi-functional component that simultaneously provides cornering support and rear-end collision protection. By making this single component universal, the patent reduces the overall complexity and space requirements of the seat system while maintaining both safety functions.
2Device complexity
If the amount of rotation of link member is regulated by controlling actuation and stoppage of driving source, then the mechanism can be simplified, but precise regulation of rotation amount becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the conventional control method based on driving source actuation and stoppage with a mechanical stop mechanism. The link member is provided with a stop that engages with a stopper on the seat back frame to automatically limit the rotation amount. This mechanical substitution provides precise and reliable rotation regulation without requiring complex control systems.
3Volume of moving object
If various parts such as link member and driving source are arranged in limited space, then the seat structure becomes compact, but smooth operation of movable parts becomes difficult to ensure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves space conflicts by arranging components in different spatial dimensions and orientations. The link member is positioned to rotate in a specific dimension, while the driving source is arranged in an adjacent dimension, allowing both components to operate smoothly without interfering with each other. This dimensional arrangement enables compact packaging while maintaining operational smoothness.
Data Source
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AI summary
The object of the invention is to provide a vehicle seat which can improve degree of freedom in the design of the vehicle seat. A vehicle seat with a seat cushion and a seat back includes: right and left side frames 20 constituting right and left frames of the seat back; a pressure-receiving member 40 disposed between the right and left side frames 20 and configured to receive a load from an occupant; and a driving mechanism 50 disposed at each of right and left sides of the pressure-receiving member 40 and configured to cause a right end portion or a left end portion of the pressure-receiving member 40 to move from an initial position to an advanced position that is located frontward of the initial position or to move from the advanced position to the initial position, wherein the driving mechanism 50 includes a linkage (drive link member 100 and contact link member 200) configured to be connected to the pressure-receiving member 40 and a driving source 52 configured to actuate the linkage, and wherein the linkage is configured to operate when a load equal to or greater than a predetermined amount is input from the occupant to the pressure-receiving member 40 to cause the pressure-receiving member 40 to move to a backward position that is located rearward of the initial position. Provided is a vehicle seat (S) comprising: a side frame (20) at a right side or a left side of the vehicle seat (S); a movable member (40) configured to be movable relative to the side frame (20); a link member (100, 200) configured to be movable relative to the side frame to actuate the movable member (40); and a driving source (52) fixed to the side frame (20) and configured to rotate the link member (100, 200), wherein the side frame (20) has a pair of bent portions (21A) located at both ends thereof in a width direction and bent laterally inward, wherein the driving source (52) comprises a motor (52A), a gearbox (52B) configured to accommodate a train of gears for reducing speed with which is transmitted a rotary driving force generated by the motor (52A), and an output shaft (52C) configured to output the rotary driving force transmitted with the reduced speed, wherein the gearbox (52B) has a fastening portion (330) protruding radially outward of the output shaft (52C) such that a fastening member (91) for closing an axial end portion of the output shaft (52C) is disposed in the fastening portion (330), and wherein as viewed from an axial direction of the output shaft (52C), the fastening portion (330) is arranged at a position avoiding a straight line (LN) connecting ends of the pair of bent portions.