JP7522072B2 - Seat cushion for vehicle seat - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a seat cushion for a vehicle seat, and in particular to its structure.

Vehicle seats equipped with seat belt devices that restrain an occupant seated in the seat are known. Three-point seat belt devices, which are widely used in passenger cars and the like, have two parts: an outer belt that connects the occupant's left or right shoulder near the waist to the vehicle body, and an inner belt that is connected to the vehicle body on the other side of the occupant near the waist. The occupant's left or right shoulder and waist are restrained by connecting a tongue on the outer belt to a buckle on the inner belt.

In bench seats, i.e., one-piece seats with multiple sections where occupants sit, seats are known in which the seat cushion is provided with through holes or grooves for passing an inner belt through. One end of the inner belt is fixed to a part of the vehicle body located under the seat cushion, and the other end (the end with the buckle) is located on top of the seat cushion.

The following Patent Document 1 shows a seat cushion pad (seat cushion 14) in which a slit (16) is formed from the rear edge (14a). A seat belt webbing (20) is inserted into the slit (16). A seat wire frame (26) is arranged inside the seat cushion (14), and the seat wire frame (26) is arranged so as to surround three sides of the cross section of the slit (16) so as to bypass the slit (16). The space between the opposing parts (26a, 26a) of the seat wire frame (26) facing each other across the slit (16) is such that the slit (20) can pass through but the buckle (18) connected to the end of the slit (20) cannot pass through. The buckle (18) is supported by the opposing parts (26a, 26a) to prevent it from falling off. Note that the names and symbols in parentheses above are the names and symbols used in the patent documents listed below, and are not related to the names and symbols used in the description of the embodiments of this application.

JP 2001-163177 A

Seat cushion pads are generally produced by molding, in which a liquid concentrate is injected into a mold and foamed to form the pad. When the seat cushion pad has a cut groove, as in the seat cushion pad of Patent Document 1, there is a minimum groove width due to molding requirements. On the other hand, the gap between the opposing parts of the seat wire frame needs to be narrow in order to support the buckle. When the opposing parts of the seat wire frame are embedded in the seat cushion pad, there is a minimum groove width for the cut groove, and therefore the groove width cannot be narrowed to a level that allows the frame in the pad to support the buckle.

The present invention aims to provide an easily moldable structure for a seat cushion that can support a seat belt buckle with a seat wire frame.

The seat cushion of the vehicle seat according to the present invention includes a seat cushion pad with a slit that opens at the rear edge and through which the inner belt of the seat belt device passes in the vertical direction, and a seat wire frame that serves as the core of the seat cushion pad and determines the shape of the seat cushion pad. The seat wire frame is routed along the wall surface of the slit in a U-shape that opens at the rear, and has two slit inner parts that extend along the two opposing side wall surfaces of the slit, and these two slit inner parts are located away from the cushion pad, and the distance between them is narrower than the thickness dimension of the buckle of the inner belt.

The two inner slit portions of the seat wire frame can be covered together with the seat cushion pad by a covering material that covers the seat cushion pad.

Furthermore, the two inner slit portions of the seat wire frame can be made so that the front portion extends horizontally and the rear portion is inclined so that it is higher at the rear. Furthermore, the upper surface of the seat cushion pad can have a vertical wall surface at the rear edge that is inclined so that it is higher at the rear, at least around the periphery of the slit.

The two inner slit portions of the seat wire frame, which extend along the two opposing sidewall surfaces of the slit, are positioned away from the cushion pad, so that the groove width of the slit and the distance between the two inner slit portions of the seat wire frame can be determined independently. This improves the formability of the seat cushion.

1 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle seat; FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a configuration around a belt loop groove of the seat cushion. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the configuration around the belt loop groove of the seat cushion. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the periphery of a belt loop groove of the seat cushion. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the periphery of a belt loop groove of the seat cushion. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of an assembly operation of the seat cushion. FIG.

Below, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, unless otherwise specified, terms that indicate relative positions and orientations such as front, back, left, right, up, down, etc., indicate relative positions and orientations with respect to a seated occupant. In each figure, the arrow FR points forward, the arrow UP points upward, and the arrow LH points leftward.

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle seat 10. The vehicle seat 10 shown in the figure is a rear seat of a passenger vehicle. A rear seat of a passenger vehicle is often a one-piece seat designed to seat two or three passengers, and this type of seat is called a bench seat, as opposed to a separate seat designed for one passenger. The vehicle seat 10 includes a seat cushion 12 that supports the buttocks and thighs of a seated passenger from below, and a seat back 14 that supports the upper body of the passenger from behind. In a bench seat, the seat cushion 12 in particular is designed to accommodate multiple passengers.

A vehicle is equipped with a seat belt device 16 for restraining an occupant seated in a vehicle seat 10 to the seat. In FIG. 1, the seat belt device 16 is drawn in a see-through state through the vehicle seat 10, including the parts of the seat belt device 16 that are actually hidden by the vehicle seat 10. The seat belt device 16 includes an outer belt 18 that is provided to connect a vehicle body part near one of the left and right shoulders of the seated occupant to a vehicle body part near the waist on the same side, and an inner belt 20 that is fixed to a vehicle body part near the waist on the opposite side. The outer belt 18 has a tongue 22 through which a webbing is passed, while the inner belt 20 has a buckle 24 that is detachably connected to the tongue 22. By connecting the tongue 22 to the buckle 24, the occupant is restrained to the vehicle seat 10 at one of the occupant's shoulders and waist. The inner belt 20 includes a bracket 28 that is fixed to the floor 26 (see FIG. 6) of the vehicle body on which the vehicle seat 10 is placed, and a webbing 30 that is connected at one end to the bracket 28 and at the other end to the buckle 24.

Figure 2 is a diagram showing the schematic configuration of the seat cushion 12. The seat cushion 12 has a belt threading groove 32 formed in the rear edge portion adjacent to the rear edge 12a, through which the inner belt 20 passes, passing in the vertical direction and opening at the rear edge 12a. The inner belt 20 passes through this belt threading groove 32 and penetrates the seat cushion 12 in the vertical direction, so that the lower end of the inner belt 20 is fixed to the vehicle floor 26 and the buckle 24 at the upper end is located on the upper surface of the seat cushion 12.

Figures 3 to 6 are diagrams showing the belt loop groove 32 of the seat cushion 12 and the configuration of the surrounding area. The following description will be given with reference to Figures 2 to 6. The seat cushion 12 includes a spongy seat cushion pad 34 and a seat wire frame 36 that is mostly embedded in the seat cushion pad 34 and determines the shape of the seat cushion pad 34. The outer shape of the seat cushion 12 is determined by the seat cushion pad 34. As described below, the seat wire frame 36 is exposed from the seat cushion pad 34 within the belt loop groove 32. Furthermore, the seat cushion 12 includes a cover material 38 that covers the seat cushion pad 34 and the exposed portion of the seat wire frame 36. The cover material 38 is omitted in Figures 3 and 5.

The seat cushion pad 34 includes a main body portion 40 that supports the occupant from below, and a standing wall portion 42 that is provided so as to extend upward and rearward from the rear edge of the main body portion 40. The standing wall portion 42 is provided across the entire width of the seat cushion 12, but may be provided at least around the belt threading groove 32 or in adjacent portions on the left and right. The upper surface of the standing wall portion 42, i.e., the standing wall surface 42a that connects to the upper surface of the main body portion 40, is inclined so that it is higher toward the rear. The lower surface 42b of the standing wall portion 42 is also inclined so that it is higher toward the rear.

A slit 44 is formed in the rear edge portion adjacent to the rear edge 34a of the seat cushion pad 34, opening to the rear edge 34a. The slit 44 is provided from the vertical wall portion 42 to the rear edge portion of the main body portion 40, and is defined by the left and right side wall surfaces 44a, 44b and the front wall surface 44c. The seat wire frame 36 is formed in a U-shape with an open rear along the side wall surfaces 44a, 44b and the front wall surface 44c of the slit 44 in the belt passage groove 32. Two portions 36a, 36b of the seat wire frame 36 that are along the side wall surfaces 44a, 44b of the slit, respectively, extend away from the side wall surfaces 44a, 44b and are exposed from the seat cushion pad 34. The portions 36a, 36b of the seat wire frame 36 are located within the slit 44, and hereinafter, these portions will be referred to as the slit inner portions 36a, 36b. The belt guide groove 32 of the seat cushion 12 is defined by the slit 44 formed in the seat cushion pad 34 and the inner slit portions 36a and 36b of the seat wire frame. The front end portion of the U-shaped portion formed along the slit wall surface of the seat wire frame 36 is embedded in the seat cushion pad 34.

The front portions of the slit portions 36a, 36b of the seat wire frame are arranged horizontally, and the rear portions are inclined so that the rear is higher in correspondence with the vertical wall portion 42. The horizontal portions are referred to as horizontal portions 36a1, 36b1, and the inclined portions are referred to as inclined portions 36a2, 36b2. The distance s (see FIG. 4) between the two slit portions 36a, 36b of the seat wire frame is set narrower than the thickness t (see FIG. 6) of the buckle 24. In addition, the cover material 38 covers both the seat cushion pad 34 and the slit portions 36a, 36b of the seat wire frame, so that the rear end of the belt passage groove 32 is formed in a V-shape that opens toward the rear, as shown in FIG. 4.

The seat cushion 12 is molded by insert molding in a state where the seat wire frame 36 is embedded in the seat cushion pad 34. In molding, if the groove width of the slit 44 of the seat cushion pad 34 is narrow, molding is not possible, and there is a lower limit for the groove width. On the other hand, the distance s between the two slit inner parts 36a, 36b of the seat wire frame 36 must be set narrower than the thickness t of the buckle 24. In this embodiment, since the slit inner parts 36a, 36b of the seat wire frame 36 are exposed from the seat cushion pad 34, the distance between the slit inner parts 36a, 36b and the groove width of the slit 44 of the seat cushion pad 34 can be determined independently. This makes it possible to mold the seat cushion pad 34 even if the distance between the slit inner parts 36a, 36b is narrow.

7 is an explanatory diagram of the assembly process of the seat cushion 12. When assembling the seat cushion 12, the inner belt 20 fixed to the floor 26 is pulled upward to taut the webbing 30, the seat cushion 12 is tilted so that the rear is lowered, and in this state, the seat cushion 12 is moved rearward to pass the inner belt 20, particularly the webbing 30, through the belt passage groove 32. Once the webbing 30 is housed in the belt passage groove 32, the seat cushion 12 is placed horizontally to the state shown in FIG. 5. In the subsequent process of assembling the seat back 14, the vertical wall surface 42a acts as an obstacle to prevent the buckle 24 from falling backward. If, in the assembled state of the seat cushion 12, the height of the highest point of the vertical wall portion 42 from the floor 26 is higher than the length from the floor 26 to the base of the buckle 24 when the webbing 30 is taut, the buckle 24 can be more reliably prevented from falling backward beyond the vertical wall portion 42.

As described above, the opening of the belt passage groove 32 formed in a V-shape by the covering material 38 guides the inner belt 20, particularly the webbing 30, into the belt passage groove 32 when the seat cushion 12 is assembled. This makes it easy to align the belt passage groove 32 and the inner belt 20.

When the seat belt device is not used, the buckle 24 can be stored in the belt groove 32. At this time, the buckle 24 is caught by the inside slit parts 36a, 36b of the seat wire frame and does not fall to the underside of the seat cushion 12. By locating the horizontal parts 36a1, 36b1 of the inside slit part at a low position and increasing the distance from the upper surface of the seat cushion 12, it becomes possible to store most of the buckle 24 in the belt groove 32. In addition, the inclined parts 36a2, 36b2 of the inside slit part prevent the buckle 24 stored in the belt groove 32 from falling backward. If the height of the highest point of the inclined parts 36a2, 36b2 from the floor 26 is higher than the length from the floor 26 to the base of the buckle 24 when the webbing 30 is stretched when the seat cushion 12 is assembled, the buckle 24 can be more reliably prevented from falling backward beyond the vertical wall part 42.

10 Vehicle seat, 12 Seat cushion, 14 Seat back, 16 Seat belt device, 18 Outer belt, 20 Inner belt, 22 Tongue, 24 Buckle, 26 Floor, 28 Bracket, 30 Webbing, 32 Belt groove, 34 Seat cushion pad, 36 Seat wire frame, 36a, 36b (Seat wire frame) Slit inner portion, 38 Cover material, 40 (Seat cushion pad) Main body, 42 (Seat cushion pad) Standing wall portion, 42a Standing wall surface, 44 Slit.

Claims (3)

a seat cushion pad having a slit formed at a rear edge thereof through which an inner belt of a seat belt device passes in a vertical direction;
a seat wire frame which serves as a core of the seat cushion pad and defines a shape of the seat cushion pad;
Including,
the seat wire frame is routed along the wall surface of the slit in a U-shape with an open rear end, and two inner slit portions extending along two opposing side wall surfaces of the slit are positioned away from the seat cushion pad, and a distance between them is narrower than a thickness dimension of a buckle of the inner belt;
A seat cushion for a vehicle seat. The seat cushion according to claim 1, wherein the two inner slit portions of the seat wire frame are covered together with the seat cushion pad by a skin material that covers the seat cushion pad. 3. The seat cushion according to claim 1,
The two inner slit portions of the seat wire frame are inclined so that a front portion extends horizontally and a rear portion is higher at the rear,
The upper surface of the seat cushion pad has a vertical wall surface at a rear edge portion, the vertical wall surface being inclined so as to be higher at the rear at least around the periphery of the slit.
Seat cushion.

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