JP7604073B2 - Seat - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a seat.

Conventionally, there are seats that have a heat insulating material made of high-density urethane between the seat pad and the heater (for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2017-87754 A

However, in the above technology, the high-density urethane that constitutes the insulation material tends to store heat, so it does not have a sufficient insulating effect, and as a result, the heat from the heater cannot be efficiently transferred to the seated occupant.

The present invention aims to provide a seat that can efficiently transfer heat from a heater to an occupant.

The seat of the present invention is
Seat pad and
A skin covering the seat pad on the seat occupant side;
A heater disposed between the seat pad and the cover;
a bag body disposed between the seat pad and the heater and having a gas sealed therein;
It is equipped with:
According to the seat of the present invention, heat from the heater can be efficiently transferred to the seated occupant.

In the seat of the present invention,
It is preferable that a plurality of the bags are stacked in the thickness direction of the seat.
This allows heat from the heater to be transferred to the occupant more efficiently.

In the seat of the present invention,
The plurality of bags may be disposed at positions different from one another on a projection plane in a thickness direction of the seat.
This improves the overall durability of the bag body.

In the seat of the present invention,
The surface of the seat pad facing the seat occupant has a recess,
It is preferable that the bag body is housed in the recess.
This can prevent the bag body from protruding from the seat pad.

In the seat of the present invention,
The bag may be located only within an area of the heater in a projection plane in a thickness direction of the seat.
This allows the heat from the heater to be efficiently transferred to the seated occupant while preventing any decrease in seating comfort.

In the seat of the present invention,
It is preferable that the bag body is configured so that, when a seat occupant is seated on the seat, a pair of wall portions of the bag body opposing each other in the thickness direction of the seat do not come into contact with each other.
This allows heat from the heater to be transferred to the occupant more efficiently.

In the seat of the present invention,
The seat may be a vehicle seat.

The present invention provides a seat that can efficiently transfer heat from a heater to an occupant.

1 is a perspective view showing a seat according to a first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a projection view in the thickness direction showing the cushion sheet of the seat of FIG. 1 . 3 is a cross-sectional view of the cushion sheet of FIG. 2 taken along the line AA of FIG. 2. FIG. 6 is a projection view in the thickness direction showing a cushion sheet of a seat according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 3 and showing a cushion sheet of a seat according to a third embodiment of the present invention. 11 is a graph showing experimental results of seats according to an embodiment and a comparative example.

The seat of the present invention can be applied to any type of seat, and can be suitably used, for example, in any vehicle seat, and can be particularly suitably used in a vehicle seat. When used in a vehicle seat, the seat of the present invention can be used in any seat, such as the driver's seat, passenger seat, or rear seat.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of a seat according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
The same components are designated by the same reference numerals in the various figures.

1 to 3 show a seat 300 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the seat 300 of the present embodiment.
1 to 3, the seat 300 is configured as a vehicle seat. However, the seat 300 may be configured as any type of seat (e.g., a vehicle seat).
The seat 300 includes a seat pad 302 , a cover 330 covering the seat occupant side of the seat pad 302 , one or more heaters 350 , and one or more bags 360 .
The seat 300 may further include a frame (not shown) installed on the rear side of the seat pad 302, and a headrest 340 for supporting the head of a seated occupant.

As shown by the dashed line in FIG. 1, the seat pad 302 includes a cushion pad 310 on which the seated person sits, and a back pad 320 for supporting the back of the seated person. The cushion pad 310 and the back pad 320 each constitute the seat pad 302. Below, the cushion pad 310 or the back pad 320 may be simply referred to as the "seat pad 302."

In this specification, as shown in Figure 1, the directions "up," "down," "left," "right," "front," and "rear" when viewed from a person seated on the seat 300 (and thus the seat pad 302) are simply referred to as "up," "down," "left," "right," "front," and "rear," respectively.

The cushion pad 310 has a main pad section 311 configured to support the buttocks and thighs of a seated person from below, a pair of side pad sections 312 located on both the left and right sides of the main pad section 311, raised higher than the main pad section 311, and configured to support the seated person from both the left and right sides, and a back pad opposing section 313 located behind the main pad section 311 and configured to face the back pad 320. The main pad section 311 consists of a lower thigh section 311t configured to support the thighs of a seated person from below, and a lower buttock section 311h located behind the lower thigh section 311t and configured to support the buttocks of the seated person from below.

The back pad 320 has a main pad portion 321 configured to support the back of the seated person from the rear, and a pair of side pad portions 322 located on both the left and right sides of the main pad portion 321, raised further forward than the main pad portion 321, and configured to support the seated person from both the left and right sides.

The seat 300 includes a cushion sheet 300A on which a seated person sits, and a back sheet 300B for supporting the back of the seated person. The seat 300 may include only one of the cushion sheet 300A and the back sheet 300B. The seat 300 may further include a headrest 340.
The cushion sheet 300A includes a cushion pad 310 which is a seat pad 302,
and a cover 330 covering the seat occupant side of the cushion pad 310. The cushion sheet 300A may further include a heater 350 and a bag body 360, as in the example of Fig. 1. The cushion sheet 300A may not include the heater 350 and/or the bag body 360. The cushion sheet 300A may further include a frame (not shown) installed on the back side (lower side) of the cushion pad 310.
The back seat 300B includes a back pad 320, which is a seat pad 302, and a cover 330 that covers the seat occupant side of the back pad 320. The back seat 300B may further include a heater 350 and a bag body 360, as in the example of FIG. 1. The back seat 300B may not include the heater 350 and/or the bag body 360. The back seat 300B may further include a frame (not shown) that is installed on the back side (rear side) of the back pad 320.
The heater 350 and the bag body 360 may be provided in at least one of the cushion sheet 300A and the back sheet 300B.

In the example of Fig. 1, the cushion pad 310 and the back pad 320 are configured separately from each other, but they may be configured integrally with each other. That is, in the example of Fig. 1, the cushion sheet 300A and the back sheet 300B are configured separately from each other, but they may be configured integrally with each other.
In addition, in the example of FIG. 1, the headrest 340 is configured separately from the back pad 320 (and thus the back seat 300B), but the headrest 340 may be configured integrally with the back pad 320 (and thus the back seat 300B).

In this specification, the "thickness direction TD" of the seat pad 302 refers to the up-down direction in the case of the cushion pad 310 (FIG. 1), and refers to the direction in which the main pad portion 321 of the back pad 320 extends from the surface (front surface) FS of the main pad portion 321 on the seat occupant side to the back surface BS in the case of the back pad 320 (FIG. 1). The thickness direction TD of the seat 300 is the same as the thickness direction TD of the seat pad 302.
In this specification, the "extension direction LD" of the seat pad 302 is a direction perpendicular to the left-right direction and thickness direction TD of the seat pad 302, and refers to the front-rear direction in the case of the cushion pad 310 (FIG. 1), and refers to the direction in which the main pad portion 321 of the back pad 320 extends from the lower surface to the upper surface of the main pad portion 321 of the back pad 320 (FIG. 1). The extension direction LD of the seat 300 is the same as the extension direction LD of the seat pad 302.
Moreover, the "seat occupant side surface (front surface) FS" of the seat pad 302 refers to the upper surface in the case of the cushion pad 310 ( FIG. 1 ), and refers to the front surface in the case of the back pad 320 ( FIG. 1 ). The "back surface BS" of the seat pad 302 is the surface opposite to the seat occupant side surface FS of the seat pad 302, and refers to the lower surface in the case of the cushion pad 310 ( FIG. 1 ), and refers to the rear surface in the case of the back pad 320 ( FIG. 1 ). The "side surface SS" of the seat pad 302 is the surface between the seat occupant side surface FS and the back surface BS of the seat pad 302, and refers to any one of the front surface, rear surface, left surface, or right surface in the case of the cushion pad 310 ( FIG. 1 ), and refers to any one of the lower surface, upper surface, left surface, or right surface in the case of the back pad 320 ( FIG. 1 ).

The seat 300 of this embodiment will be described in more detail below with reference to FIGS.
2 and 3 show the cushion sheet 300A of the seat sheet 300 of this embodiment shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a projection view in the thickness direction TD showing the cushion sheet 300A of the seat sheet 300 of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is an A-A cross-sectional view showing the cushion sheet 300A of FIG. 2 in a cross section taken along the line A-A of FIG. 2. The line A-A of FIG. 2 is parallel to the left-right direction. Although not shown, the back sheet 300B of the seat sheet 300 of this embodiment shown in FIG. 1 can also be configured in the same manner as the example of FIGS. 2 and 3.
In the following, unless otherwise specified, the cushion sheet 300A and the back sheet 300B are collectively referred to as the "seat sheet 300." The configuration of the seat sheet 300 described below is applicable to both the cushion sheet 300A and the back sheet 300B. Similarly, in the following, unless otherwise specified, the cushion pad 310 and the back pad 320 are collectively referred to as the "seat pad 302." The configuration of the seat pad 302 described below is applicable to both the cushion pad 310 and the back pad 320.

The seat pad 302 is made of, for example, a foam made of a flexible resin. For example, polyurethane is a suitable resin.

The skin 330 is preferably made of a material with good breathability (such as cloth). The skin 330 may also be made of a material with low breathability (such as synthetic leather or leather).

As shown in Fig. 3, the heater 350 is disposed between the seat pad 302 and the cover 330 in the thickness direction TD. The heater 350 is configured to be operated, for example, by electricity. The heater 350 is configured, for example, in a strip shape. The heater 350 has, for example, a strip-shaped member and a heating wire fixed to the strip-shaped member. The strip-shaped member is made of, for example, cloth, felt, etc.
The seat 300 may include only one heater 350 or may include a plurality of heaters 350.

As shown in Fig. 3, the bag body 360 is disposed between the seat pad 302 and the heater 350 in the thickness direction TD. The bag body 360 has a gas sealed therein, that is, the gas is sealed inside. The bag body 360 is made of, for example, a flexible resin. Examples of the resin include polyethylene and polypropylene. The gas sealed inside the bag body 360 may be any gas, but for example, the atmosphere (air), an inert gas, and the like are preferable. As the inert gas, nitrogen is preferable from the viewpoint of availability.
The seat 300 may include only one bag body 360 or may include a plurality of bags 360 .

As described above, the seat 300 of this embodiment is provided with a bag 360 that is disposed between the seat pad 302 and the heater 350 and has a gas sealed therein. Gas has a lower thermal conductivity than, for example, the high-density urethane or other resin that constitutes the insulating material of Patent Document 1. Therefore, the bag 360 with the gas sealed therein has a higher insulating effect than, for example, the insulating material of Patent Document 1. Therefore, the bag 360 can more effectively prevent the heat from the heater 350 from being transmitted to the seat pad 302, and accordingly, the heat from the heater 350 can be efficiently transmitted to the seated occupant.

When manufacturing the seat 300, the bag body 360 may be attached to the preformed seat pad 302 by, for example, pasting, or may be molded integrally with the seat pad 302 (e.g., foamed integrally) when the seat pad 302 is molded.

Below, preferred configurations and other embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 4 and 5 as appropriate. Fig. 4 is a projection plane view in the thickness direction TD showing the cushion sheet 300A of the seat sheet 300 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, the projection plane in the thickness direction TD will be referred to as "projection plane P". Fig. 5 is a drawing corresponding to Fig. 3, and is a cross-sectional view in the left-right direction showing the cushion sheet 300A of the seat sheet 300 according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

In each embodiment described in this specification, it is preferable that a plurality of bags 360 are stacked in the thickness direction TD of the seat sheet 300 as in each embodiment of Fig. 3 and Fig. 5. In this case, the gases sealed in the bags 360 are separated, and heat is less likely to be conducted between the bags 360, so that the insulating effect of the bags 360 is enhanced. Therefore, compared to a case where only one bag 360 is provided in the thickness direction TD, the heat from the heater 350 can be more effectively prevented from being transmitted to the seat pad 302, and the heat from the heater 350 can be efficiently transmitted to the seated person.
However, in each embodiment described in this specification, only one bag body 360 may be provided in the thickness direction TD.

In each embodiment described in this specification, as in each embodiment of Fig. 3 and Fig. 5, it is preferable that the surface FS of the seat pad 302 on the seat occupant side has a recess 302c, and one or more bag bodies 360 are housed in the recess 302c. This can prevent the bag body 360 from protruding from the seat pad 302. In addition, it can prevent the bag body 360 from protruding from the seat pad 302, which makes it difficult to attach the cover 330 to the seat pad 302. In addition, it can prevent the bag body 360 from protruding from the seat pad 302, which makes the seat occupant feel uncomfortable.
The recess 302c opens on the surface FS of the seat pad 302 facing the seat occupant, and terminates just before reaching the back surface BS of the seat pad 302.
From the same viewpoint, the total thickness in the thickness direction TD of one or more bag bodies 360 housed in the recess 302c is preferably 1.3 times or less, and more preferably 1.1 times or less, the depth of the recess 302c. Also, from the viewpoint of suppressing discomfort felt by the seated occupant, the total thickness in the thickness direction TD of one or more bag bodies 360 housed in the recess 302c is preferably 0.7 times or more, and more preferably 0.9 times or more, the depth of the recess 302c.
However, in each embodiment described in this specification, the surface FS of the seat pad 302 facing the occupant may not have a recess 302c, and one or more bag bodies 360 may be disposed on the surface FS of the seat pad 302 facing the occupant.

In each embodiment described in this specification, as in the embodiment of Fig. 4, the plurality of bag bodies 360 may be disposed at different positions from each other on the projection plane P in the thickness direction TD of the seat sheet 300. In this case, even if any one of the plurality of bag bodies 360 is damaged, for example, by a hole or the like, the remaining bag bodies 360 can still exert a heat insulating effect, so that the durability of the bag body 360 as a whole can be improved compared to the case where only one bag body 360 is provided on the projection plane P.
It is preferable that the plurality of bag bodies 360 are arranged so as not to overlap each other on the projection plane P. In this case, the plurality of bag bodies 360 may be spaced apart from each other or may be in contact with each other.
Furthermore, at each position of the multiple bag bodies 360 arranged so as not to overlap each other on the projection plane P, the bag body 360 may be provided in only one position in the thickness direction TD, or multiple bag bodies 360 may be stacked in the thickness direction TD.
The multiple bag bodies 360 arranged so as not to overlap each other on the projection plane P may be positioned at the same position in the thickness direction TD or at different positions.
However, in each embodiment described in this specification, on the projection plane P, only one bag body 360 may be provided.

In each embodiment described in this specification, as in each embodiment of Fig. 2, Fig. 3, and Fig. 4, the bag body 360 may be located only within the area of the heater 350 on the projection plane P in the thickness direction TD of the seat sheet 300. In this case, since the bag body 360 is disposed only in a necessary portion, it is possible to efficiently transfer heat from the heater 350 to the seated occupant while suppressing a decrease in seating comfort that may occur due to the presence of the bag body 360.
From a similar viewpoint, it is particularly preferable that the area of the bag body 360 substantially coincides with the area of the heater 350 on the projection plane P as in the embodiment of FIG. 2 and FIG.
However, on the projection plane P, only a portion of the bag body 360 may be located within the area of the heater 350.

In each embodiment described in this specification, from the viewpoint of improving the insulating effect of the bag body 360, it is preferable that the portion where the heater 350 and one or more bag bodies 360 overlap on the projection plane P occupy 80% or more of the area of the heater 350, and it is even more preferable that the portion occupy 90% or more of the area of the heater 350.
In each embodiment described in this specification, from the viewpoint of suppressing deterioration in seating comfort, the total area of one or more pouches 360 overlapping with the heater 350 is preferably 120% or less, and more preferably 110% or less, of the area of the heater 350. Here, "the total area of one or more pouches 360 overlapping with the heater 350" refers to the area including the area of the portion where the heater 350 and one or more pouches 360 overlap, and, if there is a portion of the one or more pouches 360 that does not overlap with the heater 350, the area including the area of the portion of the one or more pouches 360 that does not overlap with the heater 350.

In each embodiment described in this specification, it is preferable that the bag body 360 is configured so that a pair of wall portions 361 (FIG. 3) facing each other in the thickness direction TD of the seat sheet 300 do not come into contact with each other in the bag body 360 (and thus the bag body 360 does not collapse) when a seated person sits on the seat sheet 300. This makes it possible to suppress a decrease in the insulating effect due to the disappearance of the gas layer partitioned inside the bag body 360 when a seated person sits on the seat sheet 300. Therefore, heat from the heater 350 can be more efficiently transferred to the seated person.
Specifically, it is preferable that the bag body 360 be configured so that a pair of wall portions 361 facing each other in the thickness direction TD in the bag body 360 do not come into contact with each other when a load of 450 N or more is applied to the seat sheet 300 when a seated person is seated, and it is even more preferable that the bag body 360 be configured so that a pair of wall portions 361 facing each other in the thickness direction TD in the bag body 360 do not come into contact with each other when a load of 600 N or more is applied to the seat sheet 300 when a seated person is seated.
This can be achieved, for example, by selecting a material for the bag 360 such that the stretchability of the bag 360 is sufficiently low. Examples of materials for the bag 360 include polyethylene and polypropylene.

In each embodiment described in this specification, from the viewpoint of improving the insulating effect of the bag body 360, in a natural state in which no external force is applied to the seat sheet 300, the layer thickness (thickness in the thickness direction TD) of each bag body 360 is preferably 3 mm or more, and more preferably 5 mm or more.
In each embodiment described in this specification, from the viewpoint of suppressing a decrease in seating comfort, in a natural state in which no external force is applied to the seat sheet 300, the layer thickness (thickness in the thickness direction TD) of each bag body 360 is preferably 30 mm or less, and more preferably 15 mm or less.

In each embodiment described herein, the heater 350 and the bladder 360 may be located in any portion of the seat pad 302.
In the case of the cushion pad 310 (and thus the cushion sheet 300A), from the viewpoint of more effectively warming the seated occupant, it is preferable that the heater 350 and the bag body 360 are disposed in the main pad portion 311 as in the example of Fig. 1, but in addition to or instead of this, they may be disposed in the side pad portion 312. From the viewpoint of suppressing a decrease in comfort, it is preferable that the bag body 360 is not disposed in the under-buttocks portion 311h as in the example of Fig. 1, but is preferably disposed in the under-thigh portion 311t and/or the side pad portion 312. However, the bag body 360 may be disposed in the under-buttocks portion 311h.
In the case of the back pad 320 (and thus the back seat 300B), from the viewpoint of warming the seated occupant more effectively, it is preferable that the heater 350 and the bag body 360 are arranged in the main pad portion 321 as in the example of Figure 1, but in addition to or instead of this, they may also be arranged in the side pad portion 322.

In each embodiment described in this specification, the heater 350 may be fixed to the back surface of the skin 330 by sewing or pasting, etc. Alternatively, as in the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, when the heater 350 has a portion 350a that does not overlap with the bag body 360 in the thickness direction TD, the portion 350a may be fixed to the seat pad 302 by pasting, etc.

In each embodiment described in this specification, the seat 300 may not have a load sensor, as in the example of FIG. 3, or may have a load sensor at any position in the thickness direction TD.

Experiments were carried out using comparative example 1 and examples 1 to 3 of the seat 300, which will now be described.
The seat 300 of Comparative Example 1 was provided with a seat pad 302, a cover 330 covering the occupant side of the seat pad 302, and a heater 350 arranged between the seat pad 302 and the cover 330, but was not provided with a bag body 360.
The seat 300 in Examples 1 to 3 included a seat pad 302, a skin 330 covering the seat pad 302 on the side of the seat occupant, a heater 350 disposed between the seat pad 302 and the skin 330, and a bag body 360 disposed between the seat pad 302 and the heater 350 and filled with air. Example 1 included only one bag body 360. Example 2 included two bag bodies 360 stacked in the thickness direction TD. Example 3 included six bag bodies 360 stacked in the thickness direction TD. In Examples 1 to 3, the thickness of each bag body 360 was approximately the same.
As described above, Comparative Example 1 and Examples 1 to 3 differed only in the number of bags 360, and the other configurations were substantially the same.
In the experiment, the temperature of the surface of the cover 330 facing the seat occupant was continuously measured immediately after the start of heating by the heater in each of Comparative Example 1 and Examples 1 to 3. The results are shown in FIG.

As can be seen from Figure 6, in Examples 1 to 3, the temperature of the surface of the cover 330 facing the occupant increased more quickly than in Comparative Example 1, and heat from the heater 350 was able to be transferred to the occupant more efficiently.

The seat of the present invention can be applied to any type of seat, and can be suitably used, for example, in any vehicle seat, and can be particularly suitably used in a vehicle seat. When used in a vehicle seat, the seat of the present invention can be used in any seat, such as the driver's seat, passenger seat, or rear seat.

300: Seat, 300A: Cushion seat, 300B: Back seat,
302: seat pad; 302c: recess;
310: Cushion pad, 311: Main pad portion (seating portion), 311t: Lower thigh portion, 311h: Lower buttocks portion, 312: Side pad portion, 313: Back pad facing portion,
320: back pad, 321: main pad section, 322: side pad section,
330: epidermis,
340: Headrest,
350: heater; 350a: part not overlapping with the bag body;
360: Bag body, 361: Wall part,
FS: surface facing the seated person (front surface), SS: side surface, BS: back surface, TD: thickness direction, LD: extension direction

Claims (6)

Seat pad and
A skin covering the seat pad on the seat occupant side;
A heater disposed between the seat pad and the cover;
One or more bags arranged between the seat pad and the heater, each containing only gas therein;
A seat comprising:
The seat is configured such that when a load of 600 N is applied to the seat, a pair of wall portions of each of the bag bodies that face each other in the thickness direction of the seat do not come into contact with each other. The seat according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the bags are stacked in the thickness direction of the seat. The seat according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the plurality of bags are arranged at different positions from each other on a projection plane in the thickness direction of the seat. The surface of the seat pad facing the seat occupant has a recess,
The seat according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the bag body is housed in the recess. The seat according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the bag is located only within the area of the heater in a projection plane in the thickness direction of the seat. The seat according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the seat is a vehicle seat.

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