JP4352971B2 - Footrest device and method for controlling vehicle seat with ottoman device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for controlling a vehicle seat installed in a passenger cabin of a vehicle such as a vehicle, an aircraft, or a ship. In particular, the present invention relates to a footrest device having a separate ottoman device provided at the front portion of the seat cushion and a footrest device provided in a front position away from the seat cushion, and a method for controlling a vehicle seat with the ottoman device.

Conventionally, various types of vehicle seats are known. For example, a vehicle seat of the type according to Patent Document 1 is known, and the vehicle seat has an ottoman device at the front portion of the seat cushion. The ottoman device has an electric actuator that deploys the ottoman body, and a footrest is slidably provided at the tip of the ottoman body.
Therefore, the ottoman device is configured to expand the ottoman body by extending the ottoman body toward the lower leg of the seated person and pulling the footrest forward from the tip of the ottoman body in that state.
JP 2002-240598 A

However, the ottoman device according to Patent Document 1 has a structure that is not easy to be accommodated in the front portion of the seat cushion because the longitudinal direction of the seat becomes longer and becomes larger overall. Further, since the footrest and the ottoman main body are integrated, the footrest cannot be used separately from the ottoman main body.
Therefore, a mode in which the ottoman device and the footrest are separately provided is also conceivable, but in this case, the operation relationship becomes complicated, and the usability is not good as it is. For example, when a heel is placed on the footrest, the seated person needs to lift his / her foot by himself / herself.
Then, this invention makes it a subject to provide the control method of the footrest apparatus and the vehicle seat with an ottoman apparatus which are easy to use in the vehicle seat which equips a footrest apparatus and an ottoman apparatus separately.

In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention is a footrest device and a vehicle seat control method with an ottoman device having the structure described in each claim.
According to the first aspect of the present invention, the control means that receives the one signal operates the actuator of the ottoman device to deploy the ottoman body toward the lower leg of the seated person. Subsequently, by the same control means, the actuator of the footrest device is operated to move the footrest main body upward from the lower position below the seated person's heel toward the heel.

Therefore, first, the ottoman body supports the lower leg of the seated person. This raises the occupant's heel. Next, the footrest body supports the occupant's heel. For this reason, the occupant can support the lower leg and the heel without lifting the foot by himself. Moreover, the operation is easy because it is performed by giving one signal to the control means.
The footrest device is configured separately from the ottoman device. Therefore, the footrest device can be used separately from the ottoman device. Also, the ottoman device can be made smaller.

Moreover, according to the invention described in claim 1, the control means receiving the first signal, prior to deploying the ottoman body, wherein the control means receives the first signal, the footrest main body by operating the actuator of the footrest device Is moved from the storage position to the lower position.
Therefore, the usability of the footrest device can be improved. For example, since it is possible to wait for a footrest main body at retract and position, it is possible to wait for a footrest main body at a position that does not narrow the legroom.

Moreover, according to the invention described in claim 1, ottoman device is provided in the rear row seat, footrest device is pre-arranged in a column sheet.
Therefore, the footrest device is attached to the vehicle together with the front row seat by being set to the front row seat, and can be easily attached to the vehicle .

Moreover, according to the invention described in claim 1, the slide by the control means for receiving the first signal, prior to moving the footrest body down position, the control means receiving said one signal, towards front front row seat Or / and tilt the seat back of the front row seat forward.
And slide towards front front row seat by or control means which receives the first signal. Alternatively, the seat back of the front row seat is tilted forward. Or with sliding the front row seat in front towards, and tilted forward the seat back of the front row seat. In this state, the footrest body is moved to the lower position.
Therefore, a sufficient space can be secured before the footrest body is moved to the lower position. Therefore, the footrest body can be moved toward the lower position without worrying about the feet of the seated person in the rear row seat .

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the control unit that receives the one signal causes the ottoman main body to be unfolded and, at the same time, the seat back of the rear row seat is tilted backward.
Therefore, the seated person can be put in an easy posture in a short time.

(Embodiment 1)
The first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.
As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle seat 1 is provided in a passenger compartment of a vehicle (for example, an automobile), and has a seat cushion 2 and a seat back 3.
The seat cushion 2 is attached to the vehicle body 80 via the rail 20. An actuator 20 a that slides the seat cushion 2 back and forth along the rail 20 is provided between the seat cushion 2 and the vehicle body 80.

  The seat back 3 has a lower end attached to a rear end of the seat cushion 2 so as to be tiltable. The upper end portion is attached to the vehicle body 80 via the bracket 30 so as to be movable up and down. Therefore, the seat back 3 tilts with respect to the seat cushion 2 by moving the seat cushion 2 back and forth.

As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle seat 1 includes an ottoman device 4 and a footrest device 5.
The ottoman device 4 is provided at the front end of the seat cushion 2 and includes an ottoman main body 40 and an actuator 41.
The ottoman body 40 is provided so as to be able to swing with respect to the front end portion of the seat cushion 2. Then, the ottoman main body 40 is swung to move between a drooping position depending on the front end of the seat cushion 2 and a deployed position extending substantially horizontally from the seat cushion 2 (see FIG. 3). ).
The actuator 41 is provided between the ottoman body 40 and the seat cushion 2 and moves the ottoman body 40 between the hanging position and the deployed position using electric power or pressure as a driving source.

As shown in FIG. 1, the footrest device 5 is provided separately from the ottoman device 4, and is provided at a front position away from the seat cushion 2.
The footrest device 5 includes a footrest body 50 and an actuator 51.
The footrest body 50 is plate-shaped and is attached to the rear surface of the seat back 61 of the front row seat 6 so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction.
The actuator 51 is provided between the footrest body 50 and the seat back 61 of the front row seat 6, and rotates the footrest body 50 using electric power or pressure as a drive source. Thereby, the footrest main body 50 moves to the storage position shown in FIG. 1, the lower position shown in FIG. 2, and the use position shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1, the storage position is a position where the tip of the footrest body 50 is lifted and the footrest body 50 is placed along the rear surface of the seat back 61.
The lower position is a position where the front end portion of the footrest body 50 is lowered as shown in FIG.
The use position is an intermediate position between the upper position and the lower position as shown in FIG. 4 and is a position where the footrest body 50 is substantially horizontal.

As shown in FIG. 1, the front row seat 6 is a seat positioned on the front side of the vehicle seat 1 (rear row seat), and includes a seat cushion 60 and a seat back 61.
The seat cushion 60 is attached to the vehicle floor via a rail 63. An actuator 63a that slides the seat cushion 2 back and forth along the rails is provided between the seat cushion 60 and the vehicle floor.
The seat back 61 is attached to the rear end portion of the seat cushion 60 so as to be tiltable. An actuator 62 that tilts the seat back 61 relative to the seat cushion 60 is provided between the seat back 61 and the seat cushion 60.

The vehicle seat 1 has a control means 70, sensors (72 to 75), and a switch 71 as shown in FIG. 5 in order to control each actuator (20a, 41, 51, 62, 63a).
The control means 70 receives signals from the switch 71 and the sensors (72 to 75). Based on the signal, the actuator (20a, 41, 51, 62, 63a) is controlled. The control means 70 is provided on the lower side of the seat cushion 2, for example, as shown in FIG.

The switch 71 is provided at a position where the seated person can reach in the reclining state. For example, the switch 71 is provided on the armrest of the rear row seat (not shown).
As shown in FIG. 1, the front row seat 6 is provided with a lycra sensor 73 that detects the inclination angle of the seat back 61 and a slide sensor 74 that detects the position of the seat cushion 60 in the front-rear direction.

The vehicle seat (rear row seat) 1 is provided with a slide sensor 75 that detects the position of the seat cushion 2 in the front-rear direction. And not only the position of the seat cushion 2 but also the inclination angle of the seat back 3 can be detected by a signal from the slide sensor 75.
The footrest device 5 is provided with an angle sensor 72 that detects a rotation angle of the footrest body 50 with respect to the seat back 61.

Below, the control method of the footrest apparatus 5 and the ottoman apparatus 4 is demonstrated according to FIG.
First, the switch 71 is pressed to transmit one signal to the control means 70 (step S1).
The control means 70 that has received one signal detects the position of the front row seat 6 in response to the signals from the lycra sensor 73 and the slide sensor 74 (step S2).
Next, is the seat cushion 60 in the foremost position by the control means 70? It is determined whether the seat back 61 is in the forward tilt position (step S3).
When it is determined that it is not in the foremost position or the forward tilt position, the control means 70 operates the actuators 62 and 63 of the front row seat 6 to move the front row seat 6 to the foremost position and the forward tilt position shown in FIG. Step S4).

Next, the control means 70 receives the signal from the lycra sensor 73 and detects the angle of the footrest body 50 (step S5).
The control means 70 determines whether or not the footrest body 50 is in the lower position (lowermost position) (step S6).
If it is determined that the footrest body 50 is not in the lower position, the control means 70 operates the actuator 51 of the footrest device 5 to move the footrest body 50 to the lower position shown in FIG. 2 (step S7).

Next, the control means 70 receives the signal from the slide sensor 75 and detects the posture of the vehicle seat (rear row seat) 1 (step S8).
The control means 70 determines whether or not the vehicle seat 1 is in a reclining posture, that is, a posture in which the seat back 3 is tilted backward with respect to the seat cushion 2 (step S9).
If it is determined that the vehicle seat 1 is not in the reclining posture, the control means 70 operates the actuator 20a to place the vehicle seat 1 in the reclining posture (step S10).

  Next, the actuator 41 of the ottoman device 4 is operated by the control means 70, and the ottoman body 40 is expanded upward as shown in FIG. As a result, the ottoman body 40 lifts the lower leg Ha of the seated person and lifts the heel Hb to a predetermined position. Then, the actuator 41 is stopped (step S11).

Next, the actuator 51 of the footrest device 5 is operated by the control means 70, and the footrest body 50 is moved upward from the lower position below the heel Hb toward the heel Hb. Thereby, the footrest main body 50 supports the occupant's heel Hb from below. Then, the actuator 51 is stopped at a predetermined position (step S12).
Thus, the seated person is in the optimum posture (step S13).

The vehicle seat 1 is configured and controlled as described above.
That is, the ottoman body 40 supports the lower leg Ha of the seated person as shown in FIG. This lifts the occupant's heel Hb. Next, as shown in FIG. 4, the footrest body 50 supports the occupant's heel Hb. For this reason, the occupant can support the lower leg Ha and the heel Hb without lifting the foot by himself. Moreover, the operation is easy because it is performed by giving one signal to the control means 70.
The footrest device 5 is configured separately from the ottoman device 4. Therefore, the footrest device 5 can be used separately from the ottoman device 4. Also, the ottoman device 4 can be made smaller.

Also, as shown in FIG. 2, before the ottoman body 40 is deployed, the actuator 51 of the footrest device 5 is operated by the control means 70 to move the footrest body 50 to the lower position.
Therefore, the usability of the footrest device 5 can be improved. For example, since the footrest main body 50 can be made to stand by at the storage position shown in FIG. 1 different from the lower position, the footrest main body 50 can be made to wait at a position where the foot space is not narrowed. Further, by arranging the footrest body 50 in a place where it is difficult to see, it is possible to improve the aesthetics of the footrest device 5.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the ottoman device 4 is provided in the rear row seat (1) for the vehicle, and the footrest device 5 is provided in the front row seat 6 for the vehicle.
Therefore, the footrest device 5 is attached to the vehicle together with the front row seat 6 by being set to the front row seat 6, and can be easily attached to the vehicle.

As shown in FIG. 2, the front row seat 6 is slid back and forth by the control means 70 and the seat back 61 of the front row seat 6 is tilted forward. In this state, the footrest body 50 is moved to the lower position.
Therefore, a sufficient space can be secured before the footrest body 50 is moved to the lower position. Therefore, the footrest body 50 can be moved toward the lower position without worrying about the feet of the seated person in the rear row seat 1.

(Embodiment 2)
The second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
The second embodiment is a vehicle seat having a configuration substantially similar to that of the first embodiment, and the control method is performed in substantially the same manner. However, although the control method is the same as in the first embodiment up to steps S1 to S7, the subsequent methods are slightly different. Hereinafter, the second embodiment will be described focusing on the different points.

The front row sheet 6 is set to the foremost position and the forward tilt position in steps S1 to S4. Next, the footrest body 50 is set to the lower position in steps S5 to S7.
Subsequently, the control means sets the posture of the vehicle seat (rear row seat) to the reclining posture, that is, the posture in which the seat back is tilted backward with respect to the seat cushion. At the same time, the actuator of the ottoman device is operated by the control means to expand the ottoman body upward, and when each reaches a predetermined position, the actuators 20a and 41 are stopped (see step S20, FIG. 3).
Next, the actuator of the footrest device is operated by the control means, the footrest body is moved upward from the lower position toward the heel, and the actuator 51 is stopped when the predetermined position is reached (step S21).
Thus, the seated person is in the optimum posture (step S22).

The vehicle seat is controlled as described above.
That is, the control means causes the ottoman main body to be unfolded, and at the same time, the seat back of the rear row seat is tilted backward.
Therefore, the seated person can be put in an easy posture in a short time.

(Other embodiments)
The present invention is not limited to the first and second embodiments, and may be the following modes.
(1) In the first and second embodiments, the footrest body is moved upward from the lower position toward the heel, and is stationary at a preset use position. However, the footrest main body may be provided with a sensor such as a pressure sensor, and the footrest main body may be stopped by a control unit that receives a signal from the sensor. By setting it as this form, a footrest main body can be made to rest in the suitable position according to the body shape of the seated person.
(2) In the first and second embodiments, the ottoman device is attached to the rear row seat, and the footrest device is provided to the front row seat. However, the Ottoman device may be provided on the front row seat, and the footrest device may be provided on the front inner panel of the vehicle, the lower side surface of the glow box, or the like.
(3) In the first and second embodiments, the front row seat is moved to the foremost position by the control means (see FIG. 2). However, the front row sheet may be moved back and forth and positioned at a suitable position. For example, the front row seat may be positioned at a suitable position according to the occupant's body shape together with the footrest device. As a result, the usability of the footrest device can be improved.

It is a left view of a vehicle seat. It is a left view of a vehicle seat. It is a left view of a vehicle seat. It is a left view of a vehicle seat. It is a component block diagram for controlling a vehicle seat. It is a flowchart of the control method of a vehicle seat. 6 is a flowchart of a vehicle seat control method according to Embodiment 2. FIG.

Explanation of symbols

1 ... Vehicle seat (back row seat)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 2,60 ... Seat cushion 3,61 ... Seat back 4 ... Ottoman device 5 ... Footrest device 6 ... Front row seat 20a, 41, 51, 62, 63a ... Actuator 40 ... Ottoman main body 50 ... Footrest main body 70 ... Control means 72 ... Angle Sensor 73 ... Licra sensor 74, 75 ... Slide sensor 80 ... Vehicle body Ha ... Lower leg Hb ... 踵

Claims (2)

A control method for a footrest device and a vehicle seat with an ottoman device separately having an ottoman device provided at a front portion of a seat cushion of a rear row seat and a footrest device provided at a front row seat at a front position away from the seat cushion. And
The footrest body of the footrest device is rotatably provided on the front row seat, and the front end portion is located above the rotation center and the storage position along the back surface of the seat back of the front row seat, and the front end portion is the Rotate and move between lower positions below the center of rotation,
The front row seat is slid forward or / and the seat back of the front row seat is tilted forward by the control means that has received one signal,
By the control means that has received the one signal, the actuator of the footrest device is operated to move the footrest body from the storage position to the lower position,
The control means that has received the one signal operates the actuator of the ottoman device to deploy the ottoman body toward the lower leg of the seated person, and subsequently operates the actuator of the footrest device by the control means. footrest device and ottoman-equipped vehicle seat control method, characterized in that to move upwardly toward the footrest main body to said heel from the lower position below the heel of the seated person Te. A control method for a vehicle seat with a footrest device and an ottoman device according to claim 1 ,
A footrest device and a method for controlling a vehicle seat with an ottoman device, wherein the ottoman body is expanded by the control means that receives the one signal and at the same time the seat back of the rear row seat is tilted backward.

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