JP4089026B2 - Lumber support device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
[Industrial application fields]
The present invention relates to a lumbar support device that supports a lumbar spine of a seated person, and more particularly to a lumbar support device that can adjust a support position of a lumbar spine by a support member.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, as this type of lumbar support device, one disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 06-24557 is known. This has support members that are supported on both sides of the seat back frame so as to be movable in the vertical direction of the seat back via a pair of left and right four link mechanisms, and is supported by operating the four link mechanisms. The member is moved up and down in the seat back, thereby adjusting the support position of the seated person's lumbar spine. The lumbar support device includes a drive mechanism that is linked to one of the four link mechanisms and operates one of the four link mechanisms, and a drive mechanism that extends between both side portions of the seat back frame and extends in the seat back width direction. And a torque rod for operating the other four link mechanism.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The both side portions of the seat back frame usually have a U-shaped cross section in order to maintain the strength. In this case, in the above-described conventional lumbar support device, one of the four link mechanisms and the other four link mechanism are unitized by the torque rod. Therefore, when the lumbar support device is assembled to the seat back frame, the driving is performed. After assembling one of the four link mechanisms, on which the mechanism and the torque rod are pre-assembled, to the side portion of the seat back frame, the other four link mechanisms are assembled to the side portion of the seat back frame. It becomes a procedure of assembling the 4-link mechanism and the torque rod, and it is difficult to sub-assemble the lumbar support device in advance, and the assembling work becomes very complicated.
[0004]
Therefore, this invention makes it the technical subject to improve the assembly | attachment property to the seat back frame of a lumbar support apparatus.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above technical problem, the technical means taken in the present invention includes a first drive mechanism that is linked to one of the four link mechanisms and operates the one of the four link mechanisms, and between both sides of the seat back frame. And a torque rod that extends in the seat back width direction and that can be expanded and contracted in the axial direction to operate the other four link mechanism by driving the first drive mechanism.
[0006]
According to this technical means, when assembling the lumbar support device to the seat back frame, the torque rod is contracted so that the distance in the seat width direction between the one four link mechanism and the other four link mechanism is reduced. It can be smaller than the distance between the two sides of the frame. As a result, the lumbar support device can be made into a subunit and assembled to the seat back frame, and as a result, the assembling property of the lumbar support device to the seat back frame can be improved as compared with the conventional case.
[0007]
More preferably, the torque rod includes a first rod member connected to the rotating link of the one four-link mechanism, a second rod member connected to the rotating link of the other four-link mechanism, It is preferable that the first rod member and the second rod member have a connecting member that connects the first rod member and the second rod member in a coaxial arrangement so as to be relatively movable in the axial direction.
[0008]
More preferably, one end is supported by the moving link of the one four-link mechanism so as to be relatively movable in the axial direction, and the other end is supported by the moving link of the other four-link mechanism so as not to be relatively movable in the axial direction. The member may have a supported crank rod.
[0009]
More preferably, the sector gear is rotatably supported by the moving link of the other four link mechanism and the other end of the crank rod is fixed, and is supported by the moving link of the other four link mechanism and the sector gear. And a second drive mechanism that operates the crank rod so as to move the support member in the longitudinal direction of the seat back.
[0010]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
As shown in FIG. 1, the lumbar support device 1 supports a seated person's lumbar vertebra, and is disposed in both side portions 4 and 5 which are arranged in a seat back and have a U-shaped cross section of the seat back frame. The vertical adjustment mechanism 2, the front / rear adjustment mechanism 3, and the pressing pad 6 are mainly configured.
[0011]
The vertical adjustment mechanism 2 includes a torque rod 21, a pair of rotation links 22a, 22b, 23a, and 23b, a pair of movement links 22c and 23c, and a set of mounting brackets 22d and 23d. . The torque rod 21 is disposed so as to extend in the seat back width direction, and is rotatably supported at one end by a mounting bracket 22d fixed to the side portion 4 of the seat back frame, and at the other end of the seat back frame. A mounting bracket 23d fixed to the side portion 5 is rotatably supported. The rotation links 22a, 22b, 23a, and 23b are all of the same length, and the rotation links 22a and 23a that face each other are at one end and the other end of the torque rod 21, respectively. It is fixed in the vicinity so as to rotate together with the torque rod 21. The opposing rotation links 22b and 23b are rotatably supported by the mounting brackets 22d and 23d, respectively, at one end thereof. The other ends of the rotation links 22a and 22b on the one mounting bracket 22d side support the moving link 22c, and the other ends of the rotation links 23a and 23b on the other mounting bracket 23d side are the movement links 23c. Support. The movement links 22c and 23c face each other in parallel and are connected to the rotation links 22a, 22b, 23a and 23b, respectively, at connection points on the same axis. In such a configuration, the rotation links 22a and 22b, the movement link 22c, and the mounting bracket 22d constitute one (in this embodiment, the drive side) four-link mechanism 22 according to claim 1, and the rotation links 23a, 23b, the moving link 23c, and the mounting bracket 23d constitute the other four-link mechanism 23 according to claim 1 (the driven side in the present embodiment).
[0012]
A sector-shaped tooth portion 24 is formed on the moving link 22c, and a drive mechanism 25 is supported on the mounting bracket 22d. The drive mechanism 25 includes a motor and a speed reduction mechanism, and its output pinion gear (not shown) meshes with the tooth portion 24 of the moving link 22c.
[0013]
The front / rear adjustment mechanism 3 includes a crank rod 31. The crank rod 31 extends in the seat back width direction, and is bent in a crank shape at one end and the other end thereof. One end 31 a of the crank rod 31 is supported by the arm portion of the moving link 22 c of the drive-side four link mechanism 22, and the other end 31 b is fixed to the sector gear 32. A through hole 26 is formed in the arm portion of the moving link 22c, and one end 31a of the crank rod 31 is inserted into the through hole 26 so as to be rotatable and movable in the axial direction. The sector gear 32 is rotatably supported on the moving link 23c of the four-link mechanism on the driven side by a pin 33 on the same axis as the one end 31a of the crank rod 31. The sector gear 32 is formed with a notch 32a and a through hole 32b. The other end 31b of the crank rod 31 is engaged with the notch 32a, bent into a U shape, inserted into the through hole 32b, and moved in the axial direction. It is considered impossible. Further, a pressing pad 6 is wound around the central portion of the crank rod 31, and this portion supports the lumbar spine of the seated person. The pressing pad 6 corresponds to the support member according to the first aspect. However, the pressing pad 6 may be plate-shaped or the center portion of the crank rod 31 itself.
[0014]
A driving mechanism 34 is supported on the moving link 23 c of the driven four-link mechanism 23. The drive mechanism 34 includes a motor and a speed reduction mechanism, and an output pinion gear (not shown) meshes with the sector gear 32.
[0015]
Next, the operation will be described.
[0016]
When the drive mechanism 34 is operated, the sector gear 32 is rotated by the meshing of the output pinion gear and the sector gear 32. The rotation of the sector gear 32 pushes and pulls the other end 31b of the crank rod 31 in the front-rear direction of the seat back, the crank rod 31 rotates about the axis connecting the one end 31a and the pin 33, and the central portion is the seat back. Move back and forth. As a result, the lumbar support force of the seated person by the pressing pad 6 is adjusted.
[0017]
When the drive mechanism 28 is operated, the moving link 22c tends to rotate due to the engagement between the output pinion gear and the tooth portion 24 of the moving link 22c of the four link mechanism 22 on the driving side. However, since the rotation of the moving link 22c is restricted by the rotation links 22a and 22b, as a result, the movement link 22c rotates the rotation links 22a and 22b while rotating the rotation links 22a and 22b. The seat back moves in the vertical direction along the end turning trajectory. At this time, the rotation of the rotation link 22a is transmitted to the rotation link 23a of the other four link mechanism via the torque rod 21, and as a result, the rotation link 23a also rotates in the same manner as the rotation link 22a. Similarly to the movement link 22c, the movement link 23c moves in the vertical direction of the seat back along the rotation trajectory of the rotation links 23a and 23b. The movement of the movement links 22c and 22d in the vertical direction of the seat back also moves the crank rod 31 in the vertical direction of the seat back, and as a result, the seating person's lumbar support position by the pressing pad 6 is adjusted.
[0018]
Next, a first embodiment of the torque rod 21 which is the main part of the present invention will be described.
[0019]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the torque rod 21 includes a first rod member 41 and a second rod member 42 that are arranged coaxially. The first rod member 41 has a rotation link 22a of the four link mechanism 22 on the driving side fixed to one end thereof, and a flat portion 41a formed on the other end. The second rod member 42 has a rotation link 23a of the drive-side four-link mechanism 23 fixed to the other end, and a flat portion 42a formed at one end. A pair of screw holes 41 b are arranged in parallel on the flat surface portion 41 a of the first rod member 41 at a predetermined interval in the axial direction of the torque rod 21. Between the pair of screw holes 41b, a long hole 41c extending in the axial direction of the torque rod 21 is provided. In addition, a pair of elongated holes 42 b extending in the axial direction of the torque rod 21 are arranged in parallel on the flat surface portion 42 a of the second rod member 42 at a predetermined interval in the axial direction of the torque rod 21. A protrusion 42c is provided between the pair of screw holes 42b. In such a configuration, the flat surface portion 41a of the first rod member 41 and the flat surface portion 42a of the second rod member 42 are overlapped with each other so that the protrusion 42c is inserted into the elongated hole 41c and is inserted into the elongated hole 42b. The screw 43 is fastened by screwing it into the screw hole 41b, thereby connecting the first rod member 41 and the second rod member 42 so as to rotate integrally in a coaxial arrangement, and a four-link mechanism on the driving side. 22 is made to function as a torque rod 21 that transmits the operation of 22 to the four-link mechanism 23 on the driven side. Further, by loosening the screw 43 and unfastening the flat portions 41a and 42a, the torque rod 21 can be expanded and contracted by relatively moving the first rod member 41 and the second rod member 42 in the axial direction. Such a connecting structure of the first rod member 41 and the second rod member 42 constitutes a connecting member 44 according to claim 2.
[0020]
In the above-described configuration, the lumbar support device 1 is sub-assembled by assembling the vertical adjustment mechanism 2, the front / rear adjustment mechanism 3, and the pressing pad 6. When the lumbar support device 1 thus subassembled is assembled to the seat back frame, first, the screw 43 is loosened, and the first rod member 41 and the second rod member 42 are moved relative to each other in the axial direction. 21 is contracted so that the distance in the seat width direction between the drive-side 4 link mechanism 22 and the driven-side 4 link mechanism 23 is smaller than the distance between the side portions 4 and 5 of the seat back frame. At this time, the one end 31a of the crank rod 31 also moves relative to the moving link 22c of the four-link mechanism 22 on the driving side in the axial direction in response to the contraction of the torque rod 21. In this state, the sub-assembled lumbar support device 1 is positioned between both side portions 4 and 5 of the seat back frame, and the torque rod 21 is attached to the drive and driven four link mechanism mounting brackets 22d and 23d. The frame is extended to the mounting position with respect to both side portions 4 and 5 (one end 31a of the crank rod 31 is also relatively moved), and the mounting brackets 22d and 23d are fixed to both side portions 4 and 5 of the seat back frame. Thereafter, by tightening the screw 37, the first rod member 41 and the second rod member 42 are connected so as to rotate together to form the torque rod 21. At this time, the long holes 41c and 42b function as absorption of dimensional errors for each product, improving the versatility of the lumbar support device. As described above, the lumbar support device 1 can be assembled to the seat back frame in a sub-assembled state, so that the assemblability is greatly improved.
[0021]
Next, a second embodiment of the torque rod 21, which is a main part of the present invention, will be described.
[0022]
As shown in FIG. 3, the torque rod 21 includes a first rod member 45 and a second rod member 46 that are arranged coaxially. The first rod member 45 has a rotation link 22a of the drive-side four-link mechanism 22 fixed to one end thereof in the same manner as the first rod member 41 of the first embodiment, and the other end has an inner peripheral surface. A cylindrical portion 45b with serrations 45a is formed. As for the 2nd rod member 46, the rotation link 23a of the drive side 4 link mechanism 23 is being fixed to the other end similarly to the 2nd rod member 42 of 1st Embodiment, and it serrated on the outer peripheral surface at one end. A shaft portion 46b provided with 46a is formed. The shaft portion 46b has a smaller diameter than the cylindrical portion 45b, and is inserted into the cylindrical portion 45b so that the serration 45a and the serration 46a mesh with each other. As a result, the first rod member 45 and the second rod member 46 are connected so as to rotate integrally in a coaxial arrangement and move relative to each other in the axial direction, and the operation of the four link mechanism 22 on the driving side is connected to the four on the driven side. It functions as a torque rod 21 that transmits to the link mechanism 23. Such a connecting structure of the first rod member 45 and the second rod member 46 constitutes a connecting member 47 according to claim 2. Even in such a configuration, as in the first embodiment, the torque rod 21 is expanded and contracted by relatively moving the first rod member 45 and the second rod member 46.
[0023]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, the torque rod can be expanded and contracted in the axial direction, and the distance between the left and right four link mechanisms can be made smaller than the distance between the side portions of the seat back. It can be assembled to the seat back, and the assemblability can be improved as compared with the conventional case. As a result, the productivity can be improved and the cost can be improved.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a lumbar support device according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of a torque rod of the lumbar support device according to the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a second embodiment of a torque rod of the lumbar support device according to the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Lumber support device 4, 5 Side portion 6 of seat back frame Press pad (support member)
21 Torque rod 22 4 link mechanism on the drive side (one 4 link mechanism)
23 Four-link mechanism on the driven side (the other four-link mechanism)
25 Drive mechanism (first drive mechanism)
31 Crank rod 32 Sector gear 34 Drive mechanism (second drive mechanism)
41, 45 First rod member 42, 46 Second rod member 44, 47 Connecting member

Claims (4)

In a lumbar support device having support members that are supported on both side portions of a seat back frame so as to be movable in the vertical direction of the seat back via a pair of left and right four link mechanisms, the lumbar support device is linked to the one of the four link mechanisms. A first drive mechanism that operates a link mechanism, and the other four link mechanisms that are arranged extending in the seat back width direction between the both side portions of the seat back frame and driven by the first drive mechanism. A lumbar support device having an axially extendable torque rod to be operated. The torque rod includes a first rod member coupled to the pivot link of the one four-link mechanism, a second rod member coupled to the pivot link of the other four-link mechanism, and the first rod member. The lumbar support device according to claim 1, further comprising: a connecting member that connects the second rod member and the second rod member in a coaxial arrangement so as to be relatively movable in the axial direction. One end is supported by the moving link of the one four-link mechanism so as to be relatively movable in the axial direction, and the other end is fixed to the moving link of the other four-link mechanism so as not to be relatively movable in the axial direction, and the support member is supported. The lumbar support device according to claim 1, further comprising a crank rod. A sector gear rotatably supported by the moving link of the other four link mechanism and fixed at the other end of the crank rod; and supported by the moving link of the other four link mechanism and linked to the sector gear; The lumbar support device according to claim 3, further comprising: a second drive mechanism that operates the crank rod so as to move the support member in the front-rear direction of the seat back.

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