JP7617405B2 - Vehicle seats - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle seat, and in particular to a vehicle seat that has a bridging member that is installed between side frames.

In vehicle seats, the strength required for the side frames of the seatback frame varies in different parts, so a technique is known for thickening parts of the side frames (Patent Document 1).

More specifically, in the technology of Patent Document 1, the side frame of the seat back frame is composed of a side frame main body and a side frame that is formed thicker than the side frame main body and welded to the lower part of the side frame main body, thereby ensuring the strength of the hinge connection part of the lower part of the side frame of the seat back frame to the seat cushion frame.

Patent No. 5691769

To prevent the weight of the side frames from increasing while still ensuring the necessary strength, it is desirable to vary the thickness of the side frames more finely, but if a mounting member is provided between the side frames, it is necessary to position the mounting member appropriately.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above problems, and its purpose is to provide a vehicle seat in which installation members can be appropriately positioned for a seat frame having side frames with different plate thicknesses.

The above problem is solved by a vehicle seat of the present invention, which provides a vehicle seat including a seat frame, the seat frame including a pair of side frames disposed on sides of the vehicle seat, and a first bridging member, a second bridging member, and a third bridging member bridged between the pair of side frames, the side frames having a thick portion of a first plate thickness, a medium portion of a second plate thickness formed continuously with the thick portion and thinner than the thick portion, and a thin portion of a third plate thickness formed continuously with the medium portion and thinner than the medium portion, a first fixing portion of the first bridging member to the side frame is formed in the thick portion, a second fixing portion of the second bridging member to the side frame is formed in the medium portion, and a third fixing portion of the third bridging member to the side frame is formed in the thin portion, the seat frame is a seat back frame, and a rear end of the first fixing portion is disposed forward of the second fixing portion and the third fixing portion in the seat front-rear direction .

In the vehicle seat of the present invention configured as described above, it is possible to apply a load in a balanced manner to the side frames having different plate thicknesses. Also, it is possible to apply a load in a balanced manner to the side frames having different plate thicknesses provided on the seat back frame.

In the above-mentioned vehicle seat , the first fixing portion is formed on the thick portion located at the lower part of the side frame, and in the fore-and-aft direction of the seat, the rear end of the second fixing portion is located rearward of the first fixing portion and forward of the third fixing portion .

In the above-mentioned vehicle seat, the thick portion and the intermediate portion are continuous at a first boundary, the intermediate portion and the thin portion are continuous at a second boundary, the side frame is formed so that its thickness gradually decreases toward the top, the second fixing portion is positioned above the first boundary and below the second boundary, and the third fixing portion is positioned above the second boundary .

In the vehicle seat described above, the side frames may have an inner surface with a step and an outer surface with a flush surface, so that the thickness of the side frames is gradually reduced .

In the above-mentioned vehicle seat, the side frame is provided with a recess that is recessed toward the inside , the second fixing portion is provided at a position surrounded by the recess , and the recess extends so as to surround the above, below and rear of the second fixing portion in a side view .
In the above configuration, by arranging the fixing portion at a position surrounded by the recess for increasing the strength of the side frame, it becomes possible to apply an appropriate load to the side frame.

In the vehicle seat described above, the recess may be provided across the second boundary portion and positioned above an upper end of the first boundary portion .
In the above configuration, the recess for increasing the strength of the side frame spans the boundary portion, making it possible to appropriately increase the strength at the boundary portion where the plate thicknesses differ.

In the above vehicle seat, the first bridging member, the second bridging member and the third bridging member may be elastic members extending in a seat width direction.
In the above-described configuration, the elastic member allows a load to be applied in a balanced manner to side frames having different plate thicknesses.

In the above vehicle seat, the first bridging member, the second bridging member and the third bridging member may be elastic members attached to a plate-shaped pressure-receiving member.
In the above-described configuration, the elastic member attached to the plate-shaped pressure-receiving member makes it possible to apply a load in a balanced manner to the side frames having different plate thicknesses.

The vehicle seat may further include a padding member placed on the seat frame, and a cover material covering the padding member.
With the above configuration, in a vehicle seat having side frames with different plate thicknesses, it is possible to apply a load to the side frames in a well-balanced manner.

According to the vehicle seat of the present invention, it is possible to apply a load in a well-balanced manner to side frames having different plate thicknesses .
Furthermore , according to the vehicle seat of the present invention, by arranging the fixing portion at a position surrounded by the recessed portion for increasing the strength of the side frame, it becomes possible to apply an appropriate load to the side frame.
Furthermore, according to the vehicle seat of the present invention, the recess for increasing the strength of the side frame spans the boundary portion, making it possible to appropriately increase the strength at the boundary portion where the plate thicknesses differ.
Furthermore, according to the vehicle seat of the present invention, it is possible to apply a load in a well-balanced manner to the side frames having different plate thicknesses by means of the elastic members.
Furthermore, according to the vehicle seat of the present invention, it is possible to apply a load in a well-balanced manner to side frames having different plate thicknesses by means of the elastic members attached to the plate-shaped pressure-receiving member.
Furthermore, according to the vehicle seat of the present invention, it is possible to apply a load in a balanced manner to the side frames having different plate thicknesses that are provided in the seatback frame.
Furthermore, according to the vehicle seat of the present invention, in a vehicle seat having side frames with different plate thicknesses, it becomes possible to apply a load to the side frames in a well-balanced manner.

1 is an external view of a vehicle seat according to an embodiment of the present invention; 2 is a perspective view of a seat frame included in the vehicle seat; FIG. FIG. This is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. FIG. 11 is a side view of a seatback side frame according to a modified example. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a seat frame according to a modified example.

Hereinafter, a vehicle seat according to one embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter, this embodiment) will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 6. As the vehicle seat according to this embodiment, a vehicle seat mounted in a vehicle will be described as an example.

The embodiment described below is merely an example to facilitate understanding of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the present invention. In other words, the shape, dimensions, arrangement, etc. of the components described below may be modified or improved without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and the present invention naturally includes equivalents.

In this specification, the terms indicating directions are defined as shown in FIG. 1. Specifically, in the following description, the "front-rear direction" refers to the front-rear direction as seen by a person sitting in the vehicle seat, and is the same as the direction in which the vehicle travels. The "seat width direction" refers to the width direction of the vehicle seat, and is the same as the left-right direction as seen by a person sitting in the vehicle seat. Additionally, the "up-down direction" refers to the height direction of the vehicle seat, and is the same as the up-down direction as seen from the front of the vehicle seat.

[1. Configuration of the vehicle seat S]
The vehicle seat S according to the present embodiment has an appearance as shown in Fig. 1. In Fig. 1, a part of the vehicle seat S is shown with a trim cover removed for convenience of illustration. The vehicle seat S has as its main components a seat back S1 which is a backrest portion supporting the back of a seated occupant, a seat cushion S2 which is a seating portion supporting the buttocks of the seated occupant, and a headrest S3 which is disposed on the upper part of the seat back S1 and supports the head of the seated occupant. As shown in Fig. 2, the vehicle seat S has a seat frame F as a skeleton, the main components of which are a seat back frame F1 and a seat cushion frame F2.

The seat back S1 is constructed by placing a seat back pad S11 on a seat back frame F1, which is then covered with a trim cover S12. The seat cushion S2 is constructed by placing a seat cushion pad S21 on the seat cushion frame F2, which serves as the framework, which is then covered with a trim cover S22. The headrest S3 is formed by placing a headrest pad S31 on a core material (not shown) and covering it with a trim cover S32. The seat back pad S11 of the seat back S1 and the seat cushion pad S21 of the seat cushion S2 are urethane base materials molded by foam molding using urethane foam material.

The seat cushion frame F2 is connected to the upper rail RU of the slide rail device R located below it. With this configuration, when the upper rail RU moves along the lower rail RL fixed to the vehicle floor, the entire vehicle seat S, including the seat cushion frame F2, slides.

[2. Configuration of the seat frame F]
(Seat back frame F1)
As shown in FIG. 2 , the seatback frame F1 has a pair of seatback side frames 10 extending in the vertical direction and aligned at a distance from each other in the seat width direction, an upper frame 15 attached to the upper part of the pair of seatback side frames 10 to connect the pair of seatback side frames 10, and a lower frame 16 attached to the lower ends of the pair of seatback side frames 10 to connect the pair of seatback side frames 10.

The seatback side frame 10 is integrally formed with a side plate portion 10a, a front flange portion 10b that protrudes inward from the front edge of the side plate portion 10a, and a rear flange portion 10c that protrudes inward from the rear edge of the side plate portion 10a. The seatback side frame 10 has a generally U-shaped cross section that opens inward, and is formed by press molding of a metal plate material.

The upper frame 15 is formed into a downward U-shape when viewed from the front, and is made of a hollow metal pipe member. Both free ends (lower ends) of the upper frame 15 are joined to the upper parts of the pair of seatback side frames 10. A square pillar guide 15a that supports the headrest pillar is attached to the front of the horizontal part located above the upper frame 15.

Three wire members, a first wire member W1, a second wire member W2, and a third wire member W3 (bridging member), which are S-springs that support the occupant's back from behind, are arranged side by side between a pair of seatback side frames 10. The first wire member W1, the second wire member W2, and the third wire member W3 are curved in a zigzag pattern so that the metal wires snake up and down. The first wire member W1, the second wire member W2, and the third wire member W3 are arranged from the bottom up between the pair of seatback side frames 10.

As shown in FIG. 4, which is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 3, the seatback side frame 10 is formed in a shape in which the thickness changes at multiple plate thickness boundary sections (plate thickness boundary lines) arranged in the longitudinal direction (approximately the vertical direction). In this embodiment, a first boundary section L1 (first plate thickness boundary line) and a second boundary section L2 (second plate thickness boundary line) are set in the seatback side frame 10. The first boundary section L1 is arranged toward the lower part of the seatback side frame 10. The second boundary section L2 is arranged above the first boundary section L1 and at a central position in the longitudinal direction of the seatback side frame 10.

The seatback side frame 10 has a thick portion 11 (first portion) that is a portion of plate thickness t1 below the first boundary L1, a medium portion 12 (second portion) that is a portion of plate thickness t2 above the first boundary L1 and below the second boundary L2, and a thin portion 13 (third portion) that is a portion of plate thickness t3 above the second boundary L2 (t3<t2<t1).

The thickness t2 of the intermediate portion 12 between the first boundary portion L1 and the second boundary portion L2 is smaller than the thickness t1 of the thick portion 11 below the first boundary portion L1, and the thickness t3 of the thin portion 13 above the second boundary portion L2 is smaller than the thickness t2 of the intermediate portion 12. In other words, the seatback side frame 10 is formed so that its thickness gradually decreases upward.

(Seat cushion frame F2)
2, the seat cushion frame F2 has a pair of seat cushion side frames 20 extending in the front-rear direction so as to be aligned at positions spaced apart from each other in the seat width direction, a pan frame 21 connecting front ends of the pair of seat cushion side frames 20, and a rear pipe 22 connecting rear ends of the pair of seat cushion side frames 20, which are integrally joined by welding or the like to form a frame. The seat cushion side frames 20 and the pan frame 21 are formed by pressing a metal plate or the like, and the rear pipe 22 is formed from a metal pipe.

Between the pan frame 21 and the rear pipe 22, a seat spring 23 is stretched as a pressure-receiving member that elastically deforms when it receives the load of a seated person via the seat cushion pad S21. The seat cushion frame F2 has a plurality of seat springs 23 (three in this embodiment) that are made of metal wire bent in a zigzag pattern so as to snake left and right. The front ends of the plurality of seat springs 23 are engaged with locking portions 21a provided on the pan frame 21. The rear ends of the seat springs 23 are engaged with the rear pipe 22 and are connected by a resin rear end connecting member 24 that is molded integrally with the seat springs 23 by insert molding, and the rear end connecting member 24 is formed to cover the rear pipe 22.

[3. Features of the seat frame F]
As shown in Fig. 3, the side plate portion 10a of the seatback side frame 10 is provided with a first recess 14a, a second recess 14b, and a third recess 14c as recesses 14, which are reinforcing portions recessed toward either the inside or the outside in the seat width direction. The first recess 14a is provided extending in the up-down direction along the rear edge of the side plate portion 25a. The second recess 14b and the third recess 14c extend in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the seatback side frame 10 (in other words, in the front-rear direction), and the second recess 14b is provided in the side plate portion 25a, extending forward from a vertical middle portion of the first recess 14a.

The third recess 14c is provided on the side plate portion 25a so as to extend forward while inclining upward as it moves forward from the lower end of the first recess 14a. In this embodiment, the first recess 14a, the second recess 14b, and the third recess 14c are formed so as to protrude inward during the press processing of the seatback side frame 10.

The first recess 14a is provided in the side plate portion 10a across the second boundary portion L2. The second recess 14b and the third recess 14c are provided in positions that avoid the first boundary portion L1 and the second boundary portion L2. In other words, the second recess 14b and the third recess 14c are provided in the side plate portion 10a so as to be positioned between the first boundary portion L1 and the second boundary portion L2 in the up-down direction.

On the inside of the side plate portion 10a of the seatback side frame 10, fixing portions (first fixing portion K1, second fixing portion K2, and third fixing portion K3) are formed for attaching the ends of the first wire member W1 (first bridging member), the second wire member W2 (second bridging member), and the third wire member W3 (third bridging member).

The first fixing portion K1, which is a hook portion for attaching the first wire member W1 (first bridging member) to the side plate portion 10a, is provided on the side plate portion 10a below the first boundary portion L1 in the thick portion 11, i.e., at a position avoiding the first boundary portion L1. The second fixing portion K2, which is a hook portion for attaching the second wire member W2 (second bridging member) to the side plate portion 10a, is provided on the side plate portion 10a above the first boundary portion L1 and below the second boundary portion L2 in the intermediate portion 12, i.e., at a position avoiding the first boundary portion L1 and the second boundary portion L2. Furthermore, the third fixing portion K3, which is a hook portion for attaching the third wire member W3 (third bridging member) to the side plate portion 10a, is provided on the side plate portion 10a above the second boundary portion L2 in the thin portion 13, i.e., at a position avoiding the second boundary portion L2.

As shown in FIG. 3, the first fixing portion K1 of the first wire member W1 (first bridging member) to the seatback side frame 10 is formed in the thick portion 11. The second fixing portion K2 of the second wire member W2 (second bridging member) to the seatback side frame 10 is formed in the medium portion 12. The third fixing portion K3 of the third wire member W3 (third bridging member) to the seatback side frame 10 is formed in the thin portion 13. In the vehicle seat S according to this embodiment configured in this manner, it is possible to apply a load in a balanced manner to the seatback side frames 10 having different plate thicknesses.

The first fixing portion K1, the second fixing portion K2, and the third fixing portion K3 are hooks provided on the inner surface of the seatback side frame 10. The first wire member W1 (first bridging member), the second wire member W2 (second bridging member), and the third wire member W3 (third bridging member) are attached to these hooks. In this configuration, by attaching each wire member (bridging member) to each fixing portion, which is a hook, it becomes possible to apply a load in a balanced manner to the seatback side frame 10 having different plate thicknesses.

The thick portion 11 and the intermediate portion 12 are continuous at the first boundary L1, and the intermediate portion 12 and the thin portion 13 are continuous at the second boundary L2. However, the first fixing portion K1 is provided to avoid the first boundary L1, the second fixing portion K2 is provided to avoid the first boundary L1 and the second boundary L2, and the third fixing portion K3 is provided to avoid the second boundary L2. In this configuration, the fixing portions are provided to avoid the boundaries (boundaries) between the portions with different plate thicknesses, which allows a balanced load to be applied to the seatback side frames 10 with different plate thicknesses.

The seatback side frame 10 is provided with a second recess 14b and a third recess 14c that are recessed inward, and the second fixing part K2 is provided at a position surrounded by the first recess 14a, the second recess 14b, and the third recess 14c (Figure 3). In this configuration, by arranging the fixing part at a position surrounded by the recesses that increase the strength of the seatback side frame 10, it becomes possible to apply an appropriate load to the seatback side frame 10.

The first recess 14a is also provided across the second boundary L2. In this configuration, the recess for increasing the strength of the seatback side frame 10 is located across the boundary, making it possible to appropriately increase the strength at the boundary between the different plate thicknesses.

The first wire member W1 (first bridging member), the second wire member W2 (second bridging member), and the third wire member W3 (third bridging member) are elastic members (S springs) that extend in the seat width direction. In this configuration, the elastic members can apply a balanced load to the seatback side frames 10, which have different plate thicknesses.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the seatback side frames 10 with different plate thicknesses are used as an example, but the above technical idea can also be applied to the seat cushion side frames 20. In other words, it becomes possible to apply a load in a balanced manner to the side frames with different plate thicknesses provided on the seatback frame F1 and the seat cushion frame F2.

The vehicle seat S also includes a seatback pad S11 (pad member) placed on the seatback frame F1 and a trim cover S12 (skin material) that covers the seatback pad S11. This configuration allows a balanced load to be applied to the seatback side frames 10, which have different plate thicknesses, via the seatback pad S11.

<Modification>
Although the configuration of the vehicle seat S according to this embodiment has been described above, the above embodiment is merely an example for facilitating understanding of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. In other words, the present invention may be modified or improved without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, and of course, the present invention includes equivalents thereof.

The seatback side frame 10X according to the modified example will be described below with reference to FIG. 5. The seatback side frame 10X has a fourth recess 14X recessed inward at a position spanning the first boundary portion L1. A first fixing portion K1 is provided in this fourth recess 14x. In this example, at least a portion of the first fixing portion K1 is provided in the thick portion 11. In this configuration, by arranging the fixing portion in a recess intended to increase the strength of the side frame, it becomes possible to appropriately apply a load to the side frame.

In the above embodiment, each wire member (bridging member) is an S-spring that is installed between the seatback side frames 10, but each wire member is not limited to an S-spring. As shown in FIG. 6, the first wire member WX1, the second wire member WX2, and the third wire member WX3 (bridging members) may be elastic members attached to the plate-shaped pressure-receiving member PX. In this configuration, it is possible to apply a balanced load to side frames with different plate thicknesses by using the elastic members attached to the plate-shaped pressure-receiving member.

In the above embodiment, the first fixing portion K1, the second fixing portion K2, and the third fixing portion K3 were hook portions provided on the inner surface of the seatback side frame 10, but each fixing portion may be a through hole that penetrates the side plate portion 10a of the seatback side frame 10.

The vehicle seat according to this embodiment has been described above using an example of a vehicle seat mounted on a vehicle. The vehicle seat according to this embodiment is not limited to a vehicle seat mounted on a ground-traveling vehicle having wheels, such as an automobile or train, but may also be a seat mounted on an aircraft, ship, or other vehicle that travels other than on the ground.

S Vehicle seats (vehicle seats)
S1 Seat back S2 Seat cushion S3 Headrest F Seat frame F1, F1X Seat back frame F2, F2X Seat cushion frame S11 Seat back pad (pad member)
S12 Trim cover (skin material)
S21 Seat cushion pad (pad member)
S22 trim cover (skin material)
S31 Headrest pad (pad member)
S32 trim cover (skin material)
R Slide rail device RU Upper rail RL Lower rail 10, 10X Seat back side frame (side frame)
10a Side plate portion 10b Front flange portion 10c Rear flange portion 11 Thick portion 12 Medium thickness portion 13 Thin portion L1 First boundary portion L2 Second boundary portion 14 Recess 14a First recess (recess)
14b Second recess (recess)
14c Third recess (recess)
14x Fourth recess (recess)
15 Upper frame 15a Pillar guide 16 Lower frame W1, WX1 First wire member (first bridging member)
W2, WX2 Second wire member (second bridging member)
W3, WX3 Third wire member (third bridging member)
K1: First fixing portion K2: Second fixing portion K3: Third fixing portion 20: Seat cushion side frame 21: Pan frame 21a: Locking portion 22: Rear pipe 23: Seat spring 24: Rear end connecting member PX: Plate-shaped pressure receiving member

Claims (9)

A vehicle seat having a seat frame,
The seat frame includes:
A pair of side frames disposed on sides of the vehicle seat;
A first bridging member, a second bridging member, and a third bridging member are provided between the pair of side frames,
the side frame has a thick portion having a first plate thickness, a middle portion having a second plate thickness formed continuously with the thick portion and thinner than the thick portion, and a thin portion having a third plate thickness formed continuously with the middle portion and thinner than the middle portion,
a first fixing portion of the first bridging member with respect to the side frame is formed on the thick portion,
a second fixing portion of the second bridging member relative to the side frame is formed in the intermediate thickness portion,
a third fixing portion of the third bridging member with respect to the side frame is formed on the thin-walled portion ,
the seat frame is a seat back frame,
A vehicle seat, characterized in that , in a seat front-rear direction, a rear end of the first fixing portion is located forward of the second fixing portion and the third fixing portion . The first fixing portion is formed on the thick portion arranged in a lower portion of the side frame,
2. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein a rear end of the second fixing portion is disposed rearward of the first fixing portion and forward of the third fixing portion in a seat front-rear direction. the thick portion and the medium thickness portion are continuous at a first boundary portion,
the intermediate thickness portion and the thin thickness portion are continuous at a second boundary portion,
The side frame is formed so that its thickness gradually decreases upward.
the second fixing portion is disposed above the first boundary portion and below the second boundary portion,
The vehicle seat according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the third fixing portion is disposed above the second boundary portion . 4. The vehicle seat according to claim 3, wherein the side frame has an inner surface formed with a step and an outer surface formed with a flush surface, so that the thickness of the side frame is gradually reduced. The side frame is provided with a recess that is recessed toward the inside ,
The second fixing portion is provided at a position surrounded by the recess ,
4. The vehicle seat according to claim 3, wherein the recess extends so as to surround the upper, lower and rear sides of the second fixing portion . The vehicle seat according to claim 5 , wherein the recess is provided across the second boundary portion and is positioned above an upper end of the first boundary portion . The vehicle seat according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the first bridging member, the second bridging member, and the third bridging member are elastic members extending in the seat width direction. The vehicle seat according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the first bridging member, the second bridging member, and the third bridging member are elastic members attached to a plate-shaped pressure-receiving member. A pad member placed on the seat frame;
9. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, further comprising a cover material that covers the pad member.