JP7614706B2 - Covering structure for vehicle seat device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a covering structure for a vehicle seat device that rotates the seat body on a base between a normal position and a boarding/alighting position.

This type of vehicle seat device is described in Patent Document 1. The vehicle seat device in Patent Document 1 has a base (pedestal portion) installed on the vehicle floor and a seat body disposed on the base. This seat body is supported by a rotating base (rotating device) provided on the base, and is configured so that it can rotate between a normal position facing forward of the vehicle and a boarding/disembarking position facing the door opening.

The seat body is provided with a rotating frame and a hanging part (cover) attached to the rotating frame on the side of the seat in the seat width direction. The rotating frame is made of a substantially rectangular wire material and is attached to a bracket fixed to the upper edge of the seat so that it can rotate outward in the seat width direction. The hanging part is a surface material that forms part of the trim cover (seat cover) and extends from the side of the seat to the base side. The hanging part is attached to the seat outer side of the rotating frame so that the hanging part can rotate together with the rotating frame. In the above configuration, when the seat body rotates from the normal position to the boarding/disembarking position, first, the hanging part and the rotating frame provided on the side of the seat are brought into contact with the side of the base. Then, the rotating frame rotates outward in the seat width direction together with the hanging part, so that the hanging part is lifted up to the top surface of the base.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 7-223473

In this type of vehicle seat device, the seat body rotates from the normal position, causing the upper surface of the base (pedestal portion) to become partially exposed. For this reason, there is a demand to cover the exposed upper surface of the base, and in particular, if there is a mechanism on the exposed upper surface of the base, measures should be taken to prevent foreign matter from entering this mechanism. Of course, a separate member can be provided to cover the upper surface of the base, but in this case, the number of parts increases and costs increase. Also, in the above-mentioned technology, the rotating frame that supports the hanging part (covering cover) must be attached to the seat portion so that it can rotate, and an increase in the number of parts is unavoidable. The present invention was devised in consideration of the above points, and the problem that the present invention aims to solve is to cover the appropriate parts of the pedestal portion with a covering cover provided on the seat body while minimizing the increase in the number of parts.

As a means for solving the above problems, the covering structure for a vehicle seat device of the first invention includes a seat body disposed on a base portion, and a rotation device that rotates the seat body relative to the base portion between a general position facing the front of the vehicle and a boarding/alighting position facing the door opening. A covering cover is provided on the seat portion of the seat body so as to extend toward the base portion with the general position as a reference, and the covering cover is integrally formed with a first cover portion that covers the outer peripheral surface of the seat portion and a second cover portion that covers the outer peripheral surface of the base portion. In this type of configuration, it is desirable to cover appropriate locations of the base portion with the covering cover provided on the seat body while minimizing the increase in the number of parts.

The covering cover of the present invention is therefore formed with a fold line portion that serves as a base point for the second covering portion, which follows the first covering portion, to displace between the upper surface forming the ceiling of the base portion and the outer peripheral surface when the seat body rotates. With the covering cover of the present invention, when the seat body rotates from the normal position, the second covering portion, which follows the first covering portion, can be displaced from the outer peripheral surface of the base portion to the upper surface, using the fold line portion as a base point. This makes it possible to cover the outer peripheral surface and upper surface of the base portion with just the covering cover, thereby minimizing the increase in the number of parts.

The covering structure for a vehicle seat device of the second invention is the covering structure for a vehicle seat device of the first invention, in which the second cover portion is configured so that the area covering the upper surface of the base portion gradually increases as the seat body rotates from the normal position. In this invention, the area of the second cover portion covering the upper surface of the base portion increases as the seat body rotates, so that appropriate locations on the upper surface of the base portion can be covered more reliably.

The covering structure for a vehicle seat device of the third invention is the covering structure for a vehicle seat device of the first or second invention, in which the base portion is formed with a guide portion that guides the second cover portion to the upper surface of the base portion when the seat body rotates from the boarding/alighting position. In this invention, when the seat body reaches the boarding/alighting position, there is a possibility that the covering cover will fall to a position lower than the upper surface of the base portion. Even in such a case, the covering cover can be guided to the upper surface of the base portion by the guide portion when the seat body rotates from the boarding/alighting position to the normal position.

The covering structure for a vehicle seat device of the fourth invention is the covering structure for a vehicle seat device of any one of the first to third inventions, in which the seat body is stopped at an intermediate position between the normal position and the boarding/alighting position, so that the mechanism of the base is exposed on the upper surface side, and the second cover portion is formed with dimensions that allow it to cover the mechanism at the intermediate position. In this invention, when the mechanism is exposed on the upper surface side of the base by stopping the seat body at the intermediate position, this exposed mechanism can be covered by the second cover portion.

The covering structure for a vehicle seat device of the fifth invention is the covering structure for a vehicle seat device of any one of the first to fourth inventions, in which the covering cover is heavier and more rigid than the seat cover that covers the seat portion. In this invention, when the seat body rotates and moves, the second cover portion, which is highly rigid and difficult to deform, can cover the upper surface of the base portion. Also, the covering cover in the normal position can cover the outer peripheral surface of the base portion by hanging down under its own weight.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the cover provided on the seat body can cover appropriate locations of the base while minimizing the increase in the number of parts. According to the second aspect of the present invention, the cover can cover the top surface of the base more reliably. According to the third aspect of the present invention, the cover can be guided to the top surface of the base more reliably. According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the cover can cover the mechanism exposed on the top surface of the base. And according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the cover can cover the top surface and outer circumferential surface of the base more reliably.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a vehicle showing a seat body in a normal position. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the vehicle showing the seat body in an intermediate position. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the vehicle showing the seat body in the boarding and alighting position. 1 is a top view of a vehicle seat device in an intermediate position; FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the seat body showing the seat portion in a normal position. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of the seat portion corresponding to the cross section taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 5. 1 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of a rotation device showing a rear link in a normal position as viewed from the rear. FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of the rotating device, showing the front link in a normal position as viewed from the rear. 4 is a schematic plan view of the vehicle seat device, illustrating an initial stage of operation of the rotation device; FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view of the vehicle seat device, illustrating a rotation device during an operation thereof; FIG. 11 is a schematic plan view of the vehicle seat device, illustrating a later stage of operation of the rotation device; FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view of the vehicle seat device, illustrating a final stage of operation of the rotation device; FIG. 4 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a rear link in a boarding/disembarking position as viewed from the rear. FIG. 4 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a front link in a boarding/disembarking position as viewed from the rear. FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the seat body showing the seat portion in an intermediate position. 16 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the seat portion corresponding to the cross section taken along line XVI-XVI in FIG. 4. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle seat device in a getting-in and getting-out position; 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle seat apparatus moving from a boarding/alighting position to a normal position;

Below, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 18. In each figure, arrows indicating the front-rear, left-right, and up-down directions of the vehicle seat and the vehicle are appropriately illustrated, based on the state in which the vehicle seat device is installed in the vehicle in the normal position. For convenience, the base is illustrated by a two-dot dashed line in Figs. 5 and 15.

The vehicle 2 shown in FIG. 1 has a door opening 4 in the vehicle body 3 on the front left side of the vehicle, which is configured to be opened and closed by a front door 5. A center pillar 6 is erected on the vehicle rear side of the door opening 4. The vehicle 2 has a vehicle seat device 7 installed at the seat position on the front left side of the vehicle. The vehicle seat device 7 has a seat body 10, a base portion 20, and a rotation device 30 (see FIGS. 7 to 9) that rotates the seat body 10 relative to the base portion 20. The vehicle seat device 7 is configured to be slidable back and forth by a slide device 8 installed between the base portion 20 and the vehicle floor. The slide device 8 is configured to be able to slide and lock the slide position of the seat body 10 in multiple stages by a multi-stage locking mechanism (not shown).

[Vehicle seat device]
The vehicle seat device 7 is configured such that the seat body 10 on the base portion 20 can be rotated between a seating position facing the front of the vehicle and a boarding/alighting position facing the door opening 4, as shown in Figs. 1 to 3. When rotating the vehicle seat device 7, the seat body 10 and the base portion 20 shown in Fig. 1 are first slid toward the front of the vehicle to a position where they do not interfere with the center pillar 6. Next, the seat body 10 is temporarily stopped at an intermediate position set between the seating position and the boarding/alighting position, as shown in Fig. 2. Then, at the intermediate position, the occupant is made to change the direction of his/her feet (to assume a posture in preparation for disembarking), and then the seat body 10 is rotated and moved to the boarding/alighting position shown in Fig. 3.

In the above-mentioned vehicle seat device 7, as shown in FIG. 4, the seat body 10 rotates to the intermediate position, exposing the upper surface (right upper surface 21) of the base portion 20. For this reason, the vehicle seat device 7 uses a cover 40 provided on the seat body 10, which will be described later, to cover the upper surface (21) of the base portion 20. In this type of configuration, from the viewpoint of suppressing cost increases, care should be taken not to excessively increase the number of parts of the vehicle seat device 7. Therefore, in the covering structure of the vehicle seat device 7, the cover 40 provided on the seat body 10 covers appropriate parts of the base portion 20 while minimizing the increase in the number of parts by using the configuration described later. Below, each component of the covering structure of the vehicle seat device 7 will be described in detail in the order of the base portion 20, the seat body 10, the cover 40, and the rotating device 30.

[Base part]
First, the base 20 shown in Fig. 4 is formed in a generally rectangular shape when viewed from above. When the seat body 10 in the normal position rotates to the right (counterclockwise rotation indicated by the arrow A1 in Fig. 4) and reaches the intermediate position, the right upper surface 21 of the base 20 is exposed. The right upper surface 21 of the base 20 is formed to extend in the front-rear direction of the seat, and a mechanism 22 is formed on the front side of the seat. The mechanism 22 is formed in a groove shape along the rotation trajectory of the seat body 10 so that the rear impact hook 110 of the seat part 11 described later can be introduced. That is, the mechanism 22 is formed to extend in the seat width direction, and is gradually inclined toward the rear side of the seat from the left side to the right side of the seat. The front end 220 of the mechanism 22 opens at the left edge of the right upper surface 21 of the base 20 so that the rear impact hook 110 can be received. Further, a striker-shaped locking portion 23 for locking the rear collision hook 110 is provided at the rear end portion of the mechanism portion 22 .

[Guide section]
4, a loop-handle-shaped operation guide portion 24 for operating the multi-stage locking mechanism and an inclined guide portion 25 are provided at the front of the base portion 20. The operation guide portion 24 is formed to extend in the seat width direction at the front of the base portion 20, and the end of the operation guide portion 24 in the seat width direction is bent toward the rear of the seat and inserted into the base portion 20. As described later, the cover 40 is placed on the operation guide portion 24 when the seat body 10 rotates. In addition, an inclined guide portion 25 for the cover 40 is formed at the left front corner of the right upper surface 21 of the base portion 20 so as to protrude to the left side of the seat. The inclined guide portion 25 has an inclined surface 26 that gradually inclines downward toward the left side of the seat, and the lower end of the inclined surface 26 is located at a lower position than the operation guide portion 24 (see FIGS. 17 and 18). The inclined guide portion 25 is formed between the right upper surface 21 of the base portion 20 and the operation guide portion 24, and is positioned in a position where the covering cover 40 can be seen when the seat body 10 rotates from the boarding/alighting position to the general position.

[Seat body]
5, the seat body 10 has a seat portion 11 on which an occupant can sit and a backrest portion 12 on which the occupant can lean back. The backrest portion 12 is a generally rectangular member in a front view, and rises from the rear portion of the seat portion 11 when the normal position is taken as a reference. The lower portion of the backrest portion 12 and the rear portion of the seat portion 11 are connected to each other via a recliner R covered with a side shield SD so that the backrest portion 12 can be raised and lowered. The seat portion 11 is a generally rectangular member in an upward view, and a rear impact hook 110 housed in the above-mentioned mechanism portion 22 is provided on the lower surface of the seat portion 11 so as to protrude downward from the seat. In the seat portion 11, a seat pad 11P that forms the outer shape of the seat and elastically supports the occupant is supported by a seat frame 11F that forms the seat skeleton, as shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6. 5, the seating surface 11a of the seat 11 and its outer peripheral surfaces (front surface 11b, rear surface 11c, right side surface 11d, and left side surface 11e) are covered with a seat cover 11S that forms the design surface of the seat. A covering cover 40, which will be described later, is provided on the right side surface 11d, which forms the outer peripheral surface of the seat 11.

[Cover]
The covering cover 40 shown in Fig. 5 is made of a surface material extending in the front-rear direction of the seat based on a general position so as to cover the right side surface 11d of the seat portion 11. In addition, the covering cover 40 is formed so as to extend in the up-down direction of the seat, i.e., toward the base portion 20, in a state in which it is sewn to the seat cover 11S covering the right side surface 11d of the seat portion 11 in the vertical cross-sectional view shown in Fig. 6. Here, the material of the covering cover 40 is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that the material is heavier or more rigid than the seat cover 11S covering the seat portion 11. For example, when the seat cover 11S is made of fabric or leather, the covering cover 40 can be made of thicker fabric, leather, or felt, and the covering cover 40 can also be made of a material heavier than the seat cover 11S.

[First cover part, second cover part]
5 and 6, the covering cover 40 is formed with a first cover portion 41 covering the right side surface 11d of the seat portion 11 and a second cover portion 42 covering the right side surface 21d of the base portion 20, based on the general position. The first cover portion 41 extends in the seat front-rear direction so as to cover the right side surface 11d of the seat portion 11. A first reinforcing plate 51 having a rectangular shape elongated in the seat front-rear direction is attached and integrated to the back side of the first cover portion 41. The second cover portion 42 extends in the seat front-rear direction so as to cover the right side surface 21d of the base portion 20, and a front portion 420 of the second cover portion 42 is notched in a triangular shape. A second reinforcing plate 52 having a rectangular shape elongated in the seat front-rear direction is also attached and integrated to the back side of the second cover portion 42. The covering cover 40 is made more rigid and heavier than the above-mentioned seat cover 11S by attaching the first reinforcing plate 51 and the second reinforcing plate 52.

[Bent line section]
5 and 6, a folding line portion 43 is formed as a base point when the second cover portion 42 is displaced between the right upper surface 21 and the right side surface 21d (outer peripheral surface) of the base portion 20. That is, in the covering cover 40, the covering cover 40 portion between the first reinforcing plate 51 and the second reinforcing plate 52 is relatively easy to bend and deform, and this easy-to-bend covering cover portion constitutes the folding line portion 43. The folding line portion 43 is formed so as to extend in the seat front-rear direction between the two reinforcing plates 51 and 52 shown in FIG. 5, and is provided so as to cut the covering cover 40 vertically. Here, referring to FIG. 6, the folding mode of the covering cover 40 will be described based on the vehicle seat device 7 in the normal position. In this vehicle seat device 7 in the normal position, the right side surface 21d of the base portion 20 protrudes to the right side of the seat with respect to the right side surface 11d of the seat portion 11 of the seat body 10. Therefore, in the covering cover 40 attached to the right side 11d of the seat portion 11, the first cover portion 41 is gradually inclined toward the right side of the seat as it moves from the upper end to the lower end. The covering cover 40 is bent in a mountain shape with the above-mentioned folding line portion 43 as a base point, and the second cover portion 42 hangs down to cover the right side 21d of the base portion 20.

Also, referring to FIG. 4, it is desirable to set the front-rear dimension of the covering cover 40 so that it can adequately cover the right upper surface 21 of the base portion 20 with the seat body 10 in the intermediate position as a reference. For example, the covering cover 40 shown in FIG. 4 is formed so as to extend in the seat front-rear direction as described above, and the front end side (X1) of the covering cover 40 is disposed near the front end of the seat portion 11. Then, in the seat body 10 in the intermediate position described below, the seat portion 11 rotates left from the normal position and is inclined to the left side of the seat, and the right front end (X2) of the seat portion 11 protrudes in front of the operation guide portion 24. Then, the covering cover 40 configured as described above is inclined to the left together with the seat portion 11, so that the front end side (X1) of the covering cover 40 is placed on and supported by the operation guide portion 24. Also, with the intermediate position as a reference, the seat width direction dimension of the second cover portion 42 (seat vertical direction dimension in the normal position) is set so that it can cover the mechanism portion 22 of the base portion 20. For example, the dimension of the second cover portion 42 in the seat width direction can be set to cover the area from the front end portion 220 of the mechanism portion 22 to the locking portion 23, or can be set to completely cover the mechanism portion 22. If the intrusion of foreign matter into the mechanism portion 22 can be prevented, it is acceptable for the locking portion 23 to be slightly exposed from the second cover portion 42.

[Rotation device]
7 to 9 is a mechanism for rotating the seat body 10 on the base 20. The rotation device 30 includes a four-joint link mechanism 30r for rotating the support table 31, which supports the seat body 10, on the base 20, and a rotation lock device (not shown) for locking the rotation of the support table 31. The four-joint link mechanism 30r is composed of a front link 341 and a rear link 342. The front link 341 and the rear link 342 are connected to the base 20 and the support table 31 in a state in which they are inclined toward the door opening 4, i.e., the left side, is lower.

As shown in Figs. 8 and 9, the rotation center side of the front link 341 is connected to the right side of the front part of the base 20 in the width direction via the lower connecting shaft 341d in a rotatable state. Here, as shown in Fig. 8, the part of the base 20 to which the front link 341 is connected is an inclined part 335k, and the inclined part 335k is inclined so that it is lower on the left side (door opening 4 side). The lower connecting shaft 341d is connected to the base 20 at a right angle to the inclined part 335k. In other words, the lower connecting shaft 341d is erected on the base 20 in a state inclined to the left side. In addition, the tip side of the front link 341, i.e., the free rotating end side, is connected to the approximately center part of the support table 31 via the upper connecting shaft 341u in a rotatable state, as shown in Fig. 9. As shown in FIG. 8, the portion of the support table 31 to which the front link 341 is connected is an inclined portion 345k, which is inclined so that the left side is lower at an angle equal to that of the inclined portion 335k of the base portion 20. The upper connecting shaft 341u is connected to the support table 31 at a right angle to the inclined portion 345k. In other words, the upper connecting shaft 341u is provided on the underside of the support table 31 at the same inclination angle as the lower connecting shaft 341d.

The pivot center side of the rear link 342 is pivotally connected to the rear widthwise center of the base 20 via the lower connecting shaft 342d, as shown in Figs. 7 and 9. Here, the base 20 has an inclined portion 335k at the portion to which the rear link 342 is connected, as shown in Fig. 7. The lower connecting shaft 342d is connected to the base 20 at a right angle to the inclined portion 335k. That is, the lower connecting shaft 342d is erected on the base 20 at an inclination angle equal to that of the lower connecting shaft 341d of the front link 341. The tip side of the rear link 342, i.e., the free pivot end side, is pivotally connected to the rear left corner of the support table 31 via the upper connecting shaft 342u, as shown in Fig. 9. Here, the support table 31 has an inclined portion 345k at the portion to which the rear link 342 is connected, as shown in Fig. 7. The upper connecting shaft 342u is connected to the support table 31 at a right angle to the inclined portion 345k. In other words, the upper connecting shaft 342u is provided on the lower side of the support table 31 at the same inclination angle as the upper connecting shaft 341u of the front link 341.

[Outline of rotational operation of the rotation mechanism]
Next, an outline of the rotation operation of the rotation device 30 will be described (details of the positional displacement of the seat body will be described later). With the above-described configuration, when an external force is applied in the leftward rotation direction to the support table (seat body) in the normal position (see FIG. 9), the tip end (the free rotation end) of the front link 341 of the four-bar link mechanism 30r receives the external force in the leftward direction via the support table 31. As a result, the front link 341 rotates rightward from the position shown in FIG. 9 around the lower connecting shaft 341d. That is, the upper connecting shaft 341u connected to the tip end of the front link 341 moves in an arc so as to approach the door opening 4.

And at the beginning of the arcuate motion, that is, until the front link 341 rotates θ1° to the right from the first position (see FIG. 9), as shown in FIG. 10, the upper connecting shaft 341u and the support table 31 connected to this upper connecting shaft 341u move backward while moving toward the door opening 4 (left side). Also, as the upper connecting shaft 341u connected to the front link 341 moves backward, the upper connecting shaft 342u connected to the tip side of the rear link 342 receives a force in the rear direction via the support table 31. As a result, the rear link 342 rotates slightly left around the lower connecting shaft 342d. As a result, the support table 31 (seat body) moves backward while moving toward the door opening 4 (left side) as shown in FIG. 10 (see white arrow).

When an external force is applied to the support table 31 (seat body) in the left rotation direction from the state in which the front link 341 has rotated right by θ1° from the normal position (see FIG. 10), the support table 31 rotates leftward while moving leftward, and the front link 341 rotates right from the position of angle θ1, as shown in FIG. 11. Then, with the front link 341 rotated right by angle θ2 from the position of angle θ1, the lower connecting shaft 341d and upper connecting shaft 341u of the front link 341 and the upper connecting shaft 342u of the rear link 342 are held in a straight line in a plan view. In this state, the support table 31 faces leftward by approximately angle θ2, and the rear left corner of the support table 31 protrudes rearward from the rear edge of the base portion 20. This position is the rearmost position of the support table 31.

When an external force is applied to the support table 31 (seat body) in the backward limit position in a further left rotation direction, as shown in FIG. 12, the front link 341 and the rear link 342 both rotate to the right, and the support table 31 moves forward while rotating left. That is, the support table 31 rotates leftward while moving the center of rotation forward. Then, when the front link 341 has rotated an angle θ3 from the backward limit position (see FIG. 12), the support table 31 reaches the boarding/disembarking position.

As described above, the front link 341 and rear link 342 of the four-bar link mechanism 30r are connected to the base 20 and the support table 31 in a tilted state so that the door opening 4 side (left side) is lower (see Figures 7 to 9). Therefore, when the front link 341 and rear link 342 rotate right from the rearmost position and the support table 31 and the seat body 10 rotate leftward while moving the center of rotation forward, the seat body 10 tilts so that its front side is lower, as shown in Figures 13 and 14. Thus, in this embodiment, the seat body 10 provided on the door opening 4 side can be tilted forward by rotating and moving it from the normal position to the boarding and disembarking position.

[Seat body in normal position]
Next, the positional displacement of the seat body 10 will be described. First, the seat body 10 in the normal position shown in FIG. 1 is disposed on the base 20 facing the front of the vehicle. At this time, referring to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the right upper surface 21 (mechanism 22) of the base 20 is hidden by the seat body 10 facing the front on the base 20. The right side surface 11d of the seat 11 and the right side surface 21d of the base 20 are covered by the covering cover 40 provided on the seat 11 of the seat body 10. Then, the seat body 10 is rotated from the normal position to the intermediate position on the base 20 as shown in FIG. 2. The seat body 10 in this intermediate position is stopped at a position rotated leftward (rotated counterclockwise in FIG. 4) from the normal position with reference to FIG. Then, the seat body 10 stops at the intermediate position, and the right upper surface 21 of the base 20 is exposed together with the mechanism 22.

In the covering structure of the vehicle seat device 7 shown in FIG. 4, the covering cover 40 provided on the seat portion 11 is used to cover the right upper surface 21 of the base portion 20. In this type of configuration, an increase in the number of parts of the vehicle seat device 7 should be avoided as much as possible from the viewpoint of suppressing cost increases. Therefore, the covering cover 40 is formed with a fold line portion 43 that serves as a base point when the second cover portion 42, which follows the first cover portion 41, displaces between the right upper surface 21 and the right side surface 21d of the base portion 20 during rotational movement of the seat body 10. According to the above-mentioned configuration, the second cover portion 42 can be displaced from the right side surface 21d of the base portion 20 to the right upper surface 21 with the fold line portion 43 as a base point. Therefore, the behavior of the covering cover 40 accompanying the positional displacement of the seat body 10 will be described below.

[Rotational movement of the seat body from the normal position to the intermediate position]
First, a case where the seat body 10 in the normal position shown in Fig. 1 is rotated toward the intermediate position shown in Fig. 2 will be described. During this rotation of the seat body 10, the second cover portion 42 shown in Fig. 4 rotates left (counterclockwise in Fig. 4) following the first cover portion 41 of the seat body 10. Then, the fold line portion 43 of the covering cover 40 reaches the right upper surface 21 of the base portion 20. As a result, the covering cover 40 is bent in a valley shape with the fold line portion 43 as a base point, as shown in Figs. 15 and 16. Next, as the seat body 10 approaches the intermediate position, the second cover portion 42 is lifted up onto the base portion 20, and the area of the second cover portion 42 covering the right upper surface 21 of the base portion 20 becomes larger in a plan view (see Fig. 4).

As shown in FIG. 4, when the seat body 10 reaches the intermediate position, the area of the second cover portion 42 covering the right upper surface 21 of the base portion 20 becomes sufficiently large. In addition, in the seat body 10 in the intermediate position, the front end side (X1) of the seat portion 11 protrudes to the front side of the operation guide portion 24, so that the covering cover 40 provided on the seat portion 11 is supported by the operation guide portion 24. At this time, the covering cover 40 is not easily deformed because the rigidity is increased by each reinforcing plate 51, 52, so that it is not easily dropped between the operation guide portion 24 and the base portion 20. As shown in FIG. 15 and FIG. 16, the second cover portion 42 of the covering cover 40 is arranged so as to follow the right upper surface 21 of the base portion 20, so that the mechanism portion 22 exposed on the right upper surface 21 side can be covered. By covering the mechanism portion 22 on the right upper surface 21 with the second cover portion 42 of the covering cover 40 in this way, foreign objects are less likely to enter the mechanism portion 22. In this way, the covering structure of the vehicle seat device 7 can cover the right side surface 21d (outer peripheral surface) and the right upper surface 21 of the base portion 20 with only the covering cover 40, making it possible to suppress an increase in the number of parts. And since the covering structure of the vehicle seat device 7 does not require any other components than the covering cover 40, it is possible to reduce costs by reducing the number of parts (reducing the cost of the seat parts and reducing the number of steps required to assemble the seat).

[Rotational movement of the seat body from the middle position to the boarding and disembarking position]
Next, by rotating and moving the seat body 10 from the intermediate position shown in Fig. 2 to the entry/exit position shown in Fig. 3, an occupant (not shown) on the seat body 10 can exit the vehicle or sit on the seat body 10. In addition, in the entry/exit position, the seat body 10 is tilted forward and swung out toward the door opening 4 as described above, which contributes to ensuring excellent ease of entry and exit.

[Rotational movement of the seat body from the boarding/alighting position to the normal position (function of the guide section)]
Next, a case where the seat body 10 is rotated from the boarding/alighting position shown in Fig. 3 to the normal position shown in Fig. 1 will be described. In the seat body 10 in the boarding/alighting position, as shown in Figs. 3 and 17, the seat part 11 faces the door opening 4, and the covering cover 40 is raised on the operation guide part 24, protruding from the front side of the base part 20. Therefore, the covering cover 40 is supported by the operation guide part 24 and held at an appropriate height position, so that it does not fall excessively toward the vehicle floor side. Furthermore, the base part 20 is formed with the inclined guide part 25 (inclined surface 26) that guides the covering cover 40 to the right upper surface 21 of the base part 20, as described above. As a result, the seat body 10 rotates toward the normal position (rotates clockwise as indicated by the arrow A2 in Figs. 17 and 18), and the covering cover 40 can be guided to the right upper surface 21 of the base part 20 by the action of both guide parts 24 and 25. In the above-described configuration, it is also assumed that the covering cover 40 may fall between the base 20 and the operation guide 24 for some reason. Therefore, in the inclined guide 25, the lower end of the inclined surface 26 is disposed at a position lower than the operation guide 24. Therefore, when the seat body 10 is rotated to the normal position as shown in FIG. 18 , the falling covering cover 40 moves upward along the inclined surface 26 of the inclined guide 25 and is guided to the right upper surface 21 of the base 20.

When the seat body 10 reaches the normal position, the first cover portion 41 of the covering cover 40 covers the right side surface 11d of the seat portion 11 as shown in Fig. 5. The covering cover 40 is also bent in a mountain fold shape around the fold line portion 43 as shown in Fig. 6, so that the second cover portion 42 hangs down to cover the right side surface 21d of the base portion 20. At this time, since the covering cover 40 is heavier than the seat cover 11S as described above, the second cover portion 42 naturally hangs down under its own weight.

As described above, in the covering cover 40 of this embodiment, when the seat body 10 rotates from the normal position, the second cover portion 42 that follows the first cover portion 41 can be displaced from the right side surface 21d (outer peripheral surface) of the base portion 20 to the right upper surface 21, using the folding line portion 43 as a base point. Therefore, the right side surface 21d and the right upper surface 21 of the base portion 20 can be covered by the covering cover 40 alone, and an increase in the number of parts can be suppressed. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the appropriate parts of the base portion 20 can be covered by the covering cover 40 provided on the seat body 10, while minimizing the increase in the number of parts.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the area of the second cover portion 42 covering the upper surface of the base portion 20 increases as the seat body 10 rotates, so that the appropriate part of the right upper surface 21 of the base portion 20 can be covered more reliably. In this embodiment, when the seat body 10 reaches the boarding/alighting position, the covering cover 40 may fall to a position lower than the right upper surface 21 of the base portion 20. Even in such a case, when the seat body 10 rotates from the boarding/alighting position to the normal position, the covering cover 40 can be guided to the right upper surface 21 of the base portion 20 by the operation guide portion 24 and the inclined guide portion 25. In this embodiment, when the mechanism portion 22 is exposed on the right upper surface 21 side of the base portion 20 by stopping the seat body 10 at the intermediate position, the exposed mechanism portion 22 can be covered by the second cover portion 42. In this embodiment, the right upper surface 21 of the base portion 20 can be covered by the second cover portion 42, which is highly rigid and difficult to deform, when the seat body 10 rotates. In addition, the covering cover 40 in the normal position hangs down under its own weight, allowing it to cover the right side surface 21d of the base 20.

The covering structure of the vehicle seat device of this embodiment is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and may take various other embodiments. In this embodiment, the configuration of the covering cover is exemplified, but the configuration of the covering cover is not limited to this. For example, a single reinforcing plate can be attached to the covering cover, and an integral hinge-like fold line portion (fold line portion as a thin portion) can be formed on this reinforcing plate. The first reinforcing plate and the second reinforcing plate can also be connected by a hinge. In addition, a plurality of reinforcing plates can be attached to the second cover portion, and the second cover portion can be displaced to the upper surface in stages when the seat body rotates. The covering cover can be attached to an appropriate position on the outer peripheral surface of the seat body, and is not necessarily limited to the right side surface (the inner side of the seat). A surface material (mat material) having sufficient thickness and high rigidity can also be used as the covering cover. In this case, the reinforcing plate can be omitted, and a weak portion (thin portion, cut, etc.) can be formed in the surface material, and this weak portion can be the fold line portion. The configuration of the covering (shape and dimensions of each covering part, etc.) can be set appropriately taking into account the configuration of the base part, and is not necessarily limited to the shapes and dimensions of the embodiment.

The configuration of the seat body and the base of the vehicle seat device can also be set appropriately depending on the vehicle model. For example, the vehicle seat device can be installed in any suitable position on the vehicle, not limited to the front left side of the vehicle. The rotation direction of the seat body is also determined according to the position where the seat is installed, and the exposed upper surface position of the base is also determined according to the rotation movement direction of the seat. The type of mechanism of the base is also not particularly limited, and a concave mechanism that is easily penetrated by foreign objects and a convex mechanism (sensors, etc.) that is easily hit by foreign objects can be assumed. The upper surface of the base may be configured so that the mechanism is not exposed, and in this case, the upper surface (especially the uneven part) is covered with a covering cover in consideration of appearance, etc. At least one of an operation guide portion and an inclined guide portion can be formed as the guide portion, and the operation guide portion can be provided separately from the operation portion of the multi-stage locking mechanism. If the covering cover does not sag excessively, one or both of the operation guide portion and the inclined guide portion can be omitted.

In addition, in this embodiment, the configuration of each device of the vehicle seat device is exemplified, but the configuration of each device is not intended to be limited. For example, a rotation device having an inner wheel and an outer wheel can be used as a rotation device of the vehicle seat device. Also, a device that rotates the seat body without tilting it can be used as a rotation device. The configuration of the sliding device can also be changed as appropriate, and the sliding device can be omitted depending on the vehicle model.

2 Vehicle 3 Vehicle body 4 Door opening 5 Front door 6 Center pillar 7 Vehicle seat device 8 Slide device 10 Seat body 11 Seat portion 11S Seat cover 11P Seat pad 11F Seat frame 11a Seating surface (of seat portion) 11b Front surface (of seat portion) 11c Rear surface (of seat portion) 11d Right side surface (of seat portion) 11e Left side surface (of seat portion) 110 Rear impact hook 12 Backrest portion 20 Base portion 21d Right side surface (of base portion) 21 Right upper surface 22 Mechanism portion 220 Front end portion (of mechanism portion) 23 Locking portion 24 Operation guide portion (guide portion of the present invention)
25 Inclined guide portion (guide portion of the present invention)
26 Inclined surface 30 Rotation device 31 Support table 30r Four-bar link mechanism 341d Lower connecting shaft 341u Upper connecting shaft 341 Front link 342d Lower connecting shaft 342 Rear link 342u Upper connecting shaft 40 Cover 41 First cover portion 42 Second cover portion 420 Front portion 43 (of second cover portion) Folded line portion 51 First reinforcing plate 52 Second reinforcing plate R Recliner SD Side shield

Claims (5)

A covering structure for a vehicle seat device, comprising: a seat body disposed on a base portion; and a rotation device that rotates and moves the seat body relative to the base portion between a normal position facing forward of the vehicle and a boarding/alighting position facing a door opening,
A covering cover is provided on the seat portion of the seat body so as to extend toward the base portion with respect to a general position, and the covering cover integrally has a first cover portion that covers an outer peripheral surface of the seat portion and a second cover portion that covers an outer peripheral surface of the base portion,
A covering structure for a vehicle seat device, in which the covering cover has a fold line portion that serves as a base point when the second cover portion, which follows the first cover portion, displaces between the upper surface forming the ceiling of the base portion and the outer peripheral surface when the seat body rotates and moves. The covering structure for a vehicle seat device according to claim 1, wherein the second cover portion is configured so that the area covering the upper surface of the base portion gradually increases as the seat body rotates from the normal position. The covering structure for a vehicle seat device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the base portion is formed with a guide portion that guides the covering cover to the upper surface of the base portion when the seat body rotates from the boarding/disembarking position. The seat body is configured to stop at an intermediate position between a normal position and a boarding/disembarking position, so that a mechanism of the base is exposed on an upper surface side thereof,
4. The covering structure for a vehicle seat device according to claim 1, wherein the second cover portion is formed to have a size capable of covering the mechanism portion at an intermediate position. 5. The covering structure for a vehicle seat device according to claim 1, wherein the covering cover is heavier and has higher rigidity than a seat cover that covers the seat portion.

Images