JP7618921B2 - Vehicle seat device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle seat device equipped with a rotation mechanism that rotates the seat body between a normal position facing the front of the vehicle and a boarding/alighting position facing the door opening.

A related vehicle seat device is described in Patent Document 1. This vehicle seat device has a tilt mechanism that tilts the seat body forward, and a rotation mechanism that rotates the seat body. Here, the rotation mechanism is configured to rotate the seat body between a position facing the front of the vehicle and a position facing the boarding/alighting entrance (door opening). In the above configuration, the seat body is rotated from a position facing the front of the vehicle to a position facing the boarding/alighting entrance, and the entire seat body is further tilted forward by the tilt mechanism, allowing the occupant to place their feet on the road surface, etc.

JP 2007-99185 A

In the field of vehicle seat devices, it is desirable to achieve a variety of performances related to ease of getting on and off. Examples of such performances include the ability of the occupant to reach the ground when getting on and off, and an excellent seating comfort for the occupant. For example, when tilting the seat body forward, care should be taken to ensure an excellent seating comfort so that the occupant does not feel a sense of sliding forward, but depending on the vehicle model, it may be difficult to achieve both the ability to reach the ground and the seating comfort. It is also possible to protrude the seat body from the entrance/exit door by sliding the entire seat body to the side and downward of the vehicle after rotating the seat body. However, such a configuration may limit the amount of protrusion of the seat body in consideration of usability in parking lots, and the weight and cost of the seat body tend to increase from the perspective of ensuring rigidity. The present invention was devised in consideration of the above points, and the problem that the present invention aims to solve is to achieve a variety of performances related to ease of getting on and off in a vehicle seat device equipped with a rotation mechanism.

As a means for solving the above problem, the vehicle seat device of the first invention includes a rotation mechanism that rotates the seat body between a general position facing the front of the vehicle and a boarding/disembarking position facing the door opening. In this type of seat configuration, it is desirable to achieve both various performances related to boarding/disembarking (e.g., foot placement and seating comfort). Therefore, the seat cushion of the seat body of the present invention has a first cushion part that forms the front part of the general position, a second cushion part that is located behind the first cushion part and can support the hip point of a seated occupant, and a connecting mechanism that rotatably connects the first cushion part and the second cushion part , and an ottoman mechanism that can move between a deployed position extending forward of the first cushion part and a stored position extending below the first cushion part is connected to the front end of the first cushion part . Then, while maintaining the posture of the seat back and the second cushion part of the seat body in the boarding/disembarking position, only the first cushion part can be rotated by the connecting mechanism so that the seat surface angle can be changed relative to the second cushion part. In the present invention, the seat body in the boarding/exiting position can be configured to minimize the feeling of forward slippage for the occupant by maintaining the posture of the seat back and the second cushion part (the seat surface angle, the torso angle, etc. of the second cushion part). In addition, by changing the seat surface angle of the first cushion part and orienting the front part of the seat cushion downward, the configuration contributes to ensuring the ease of the occupant's feet touching the ground when boarding/exiting.
Furthermore, in the present invention, the ottoman mechanism in the deployed position can support the legs of the occupant, which contributes to ensuring a comfortable seating experience for the occupant.

The vehicle seat device of the second invention is the vehicle seat device of the first invention, in which the attitude of the first cushion part is adjustable between an upward attitude inclined upward with respect to the second cushion part and a downward attitude inclined downward with respect to the second cushion part. Therefore, in the present invention, when the occupant dismounts from the vehicle, the first cushion part is maintained in the upward attitude while the seat body rotates from the normal position to the boarding/disembarking position, and the first cushion part is controlled to change from the upward attitude to the downward attitude at the seat body at the boarding/disembarking position. In the present invention, the occupant's legs are supported by the first cushion part in the upward attitude while the seat body rotates when the occupant dismounts, thereby making it possible to prevent unintended contact between the occupant's legs and the floor, etc., as much as possible. In addition, by setting the first cushion part in the downward attitude at the seat body at the boarding/disembarking position, a configuration is achieved that contributes to ensuring foot placement when disembarking.

The vehicle seat device of the third invention is the vehicle seat device of the first or second invention, in which the attitude of the first cushion part is adjustable between an upward attitude inclined upward with respect to the second cushion part and a downward attitude inclined downward with respect to the second cushion part. In this invention, when an occupant gets on, the first cushion part is in a downward attitude at the seat body in the boarding/alighting position, and the first cushion part is changed from the downward attitude to an upward attitude as the rotational movement of the seat body starts, and the first cushion part is controlled so as to be maintained in the upward attitude while the seat body rotates from the boarding/alighting position to the normal position. In this invention, by putting the first cushion part in a downward attitude at the seat body in the boarding/alighting position, a configuration is achieved that contributes to ensuring foot contact when getting on. In addition, by supporting the occupant's legs with the first cushion part in the upward attitude while the seat body rotates from the boarding/alighting position to the normal position, unintended contact between the occupant's legs and the floor, etc. can be avoided as much as possible. Furthermore, with the seat body in the normal position, the first cushion portion can be adjusted between an upward and downward position, making it possible to adjust the seating surface angle of the front part of the seat cushion according to the occupant.

The vehicle seat device of a fourth invention is the vehicle seat device of any one of the first to third inventions , in which the ottoman mechanism in the stored position has a link arm that forms the skeleton of the ottoman mechanism, a support plate supported by the link arm, and an elastic portion disposed on the link arm and the support plate, and the link arm is disposed at a position rearward of the seat from an imaginary line that extends vertically downward from the front end of the first cushion portion. In this invention, when an occupant gets in and out of the seat, the ottoman mechanism can be stored so as not to protrude as much as possible from below the first cushion portion toward the front of the seat, which is a configuration that contributes to ensuring ease of getting in and out of the seat.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, in a vehicle seat device having a rotation mechanism, it is possible to achieve compatibility between various performances related to ease of getting in and out of the vehicle. According to the second aspect of the present invention, it is possible to achieve compatibility between various performances related to ease of getting out of the vehicle. According to the third aspect of the present invention, it is possible to achieve compatibility between various performances related to ease of getting in and out of the vehicle . And according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a configuration that contributes to ensuring excellent ease of getting in and out of the vehicle.

1 is a schematic perspective view of a vehicle seat device in a normal position; 1 is a schematic perspective view of a vehicle seat device in a getting-in and getting-out position; 1 is a schematic side view of a vehicle seat device in a normal position; 4 is a schematic perspective top view showing a frame portion and a rotation mechanism of the seat cushion. FIG. 11 is a schematic side view showing the movement of a frame portion of the first cushion portion. FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the vehicle seat device during rotational movement; FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a vehicle seat device in a getting-on/off position; 1 is a schematic side view of a vehicle seat device in which an ottoman mechanism is activated; FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a rotation mechanism. FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of a rotation lock mechanism.

Below, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 10. For convenience, arrows indicating the front-rear, left-right, and up-down directions of the vehicle are appropriately illustrated in each figure. Also, Fig. 3 and Figs. 6 to 8 show the main components of the seat body, and other components are simplified or omitted.

[Outline of vehicle seat device]
The vehicle seat device 10 shown in Fig. 1 is a seat device installed on the left side of the front part of the vehicle interior. A windshield FG is provided in front of the vehicle seat device 10, and a door opening D is provided on the left side of the vehicle seat device 10. The vehicle seat device 10 includes a longitudinal slide mechanism 30 for sliding a seat body 20 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, a rotation mechanism 40 for rotating the seat body 20 above the longitudinal slide mechanism 30, and a rotation lock mechanism 50 for locking the rotational movement of the seat body 20. Here, the longitudinal slide mechanism 30 includes a pair of left and right lower rails 32 fixed on a floor F in the vehicle interior and extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and a pair of left and right upper rails 33 that slide longitudinally along the pair of left and right lower rails 32 (for convenience, in Fig. 1, the lower rails are given a common reference number 32, and the upper rails are given a common reference number 33). Each upper rail 33 is configured to be slide-locked in multiple stages relative to each lower rail 32 by a multi-stage lock mechanism (not shown).

The seat body 20 shown in FIG. 1 is equipped with a seat cushion 20A that serves as a seating portion and a seat back 20B that serves as a backrest, with the seat back 20B standing upright from the rear of the seat cushion 20A. As will be described later, the seat cushion 20A is configured so that the seat angle of the front portion (21) can be changed, and furthermore, an ottoman mechanism 26 is provided at the front end portion. In addition, a recliner R that adjusts the inclination angle (reclining angle) of the seat back 20B is provided at the connection position between the seat cushion 20A and the seat back 20B.

In the vehicle seat device 10, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the seat body 20 is rotated by the rotation mechanism 40 from a general position facing the front of the vehicle to a boarding/disembarking position facing the door opening D. That is, the rotation mechanism 40 is configured to rotate the support member 42 that supports the seat body 20 relative to the base member 41 on the front-rear slide mechanism 30, as described below. In this type of seat configuration, it is desirable to achieve various performances related to boarding/disembarking, such as foot placement when boarding/disembarking and seating comfort for the occupant. Therefore, in this embodiment, it is intended to achieve various performances related to boarding/disembarking by using the configuration described below. Below, each configuration of the vehicle seat device 10 will be described in detail.

[Seat cushion]
The seat cushion 20A shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 is formed in a generally rectangular shape when viewed from above, and includes a first cushion portion 21, a second cushion portion 22, a connecting mechanism 23 that connects the divided cushion portions 21 and 22, and an ottoman mechanism 26. The first cushion portion 21 shown in FIG. 3 is a portion that forms the front of the seat cushion 20A based on a general position, and is capable of supporting the legs of a seated occupant CM, particularly the upper side of the knees. The second cushion portion 22 is a portion that forms the rear of the seat cushion 20A, and is capable of supporting a hip point HP of the seated occupant CM. Here, the dimensions of the first cushion portion 21 and the second cushion portion 22 can be set based on an occupant model that complies with, for example, the SAE standard. That is, an occupant model with a size between the AM95 occupant model and the JF05 occupant model can be selected, and the dimensions of the two cushion portions 21 and 22 can be set based on the hip point HP and leg positions of the occupant model.

3 and 4, the first cushion portion 21 has a pair of first frames 21F forming the left and right framework (in FIG. 4, the left and right first frames are given a common reference number 21F for convenience). A first elastic portion 21P (a pad covered with a cover) that elastically supports the occupant is disposed on each first frame 21F via a plate material or wire material (not shown) that is stretched between them. The second cushion portion 22 also has a pair of second frames 22F forming the left and right framework and a second elastic portion 22P (in FIG. 4, the left and right second frames are given a common reference number 22F for convenience). Each first frame 21F of the first cushion portion 21 and each second frame 22F of the second cushion portion 22 are rotatably connected via a connecting mechanism 23 described later.

[Connecting mechanism]
Referring to Fig. 4, the connecting mechanism 23 is a mechanism for connecting the first cushion portion 21 to the second cushion portion 22 so that the seat surface angle of the first cushion portion 21 can be changed. The connecting mechanism 23 is composed of a front rotating shaft 24 and a front driving unit 25. That is, the front rotating shaft 24 extending in the seat width direction is fixed to the rear end of the left and right first frames 21F of the first cushion portion 21, and the front rotating shaft 24 is rotatably connected to the front end of the left and right second frames 22F of the second cushion portion 22. The front driving unit 25 is fixed to the second frame 22F, and the front rotating shaft 24 is rotated around its axis by the front driving unit 25, so that the first frame 21F can be rotated up and down relative to the second frame 22F as shown in Fig. 5.

Referring to Figs. 5 to 7, in the seat cushion 20A, only the first cushion portion 21, which forms the front portion, can be rotated up and down relative to the second cushion portion 22 by the connecting mechanism 23. That is, the first cushion portion 21 can be adjusted between an upward orientation (indicated by X in the figure) and a downward orientation (indicated by Y in the figure) by rotating the first frame 21F shown in Fig. 5. In Fig. 5, the first cushion portion 21 is in a normal orientation in which it faces slightly downward, and is aligned with the seat surface angle of the second cushion portion 22. In Fig. 6, the first cushion portion 21 is in an upward orientation inclined upward relative to the second cushion portion 22. In Fig. 7, the first cushion portion 21 is in a downward orientation inclined downward relative to the second cushion portion 22.

The posture of each first frame 21F of the first cushion portion 21 shown in FIG. 5 can be controlled by a control portion (not shown) and can also be adjusted by operating an operating portion (not shown). For example, in the case of control by the control portion, the operation status of the rotation mechanism 40 described later, the opening and closing information of the door opening D, and information from a sensor (not shown) that detects an occupant are input to the control portion. The control portion can then determine whether the occupant is getting off or on, and can operate the front drive portion 25 of the connecting mechanism 23 based on the result of this determination. When the first cushion portion 21 rotates up and down, referring to FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, it is possible to maintain the posture of the seat back 20B and the second cushion portion 22, that is, to maintain the seat surface angle and torso angle θ of the second cushion portion 22 constant.

[Ottoman mechanism]
The ottoman mechanism 26 shown in Figures 3 and 8 is a mechanism capable of pushing up the legs (part below the knees) of the occupant, and is connected to the front end of the first cushion portion 21 so as to be vertically rotatable. With reference to Figures 3 and 4, the ottoman mechanism 26 includes an ottoman body 27 and a drive mechanism (ottoman rotation shaft 28, ottoman drive portion 29). The ottoman body 27 includes a pair of left and right link arms 271 that form the framework of the ottoman body 27, and a support plate 272 that is stretched between the link arms 271 (for convenience, the left and right link arms are given the same reference numeral 271 in Figure 4). An elastic portion 27P for the ottoman is provided on each of the link arms 271 and the support plate 272. Further, ottoman rotation shafts 28 extending in the seat width direction are fixed to rear ends of the left and right link arms 271 of the ottoman main body 27, and each ottoman rotation shaft 28 is rotatably connected to a front end of the left and right first frames 21F of the first cushion portion 21. The ottoman rotation shafts 28 are rotated about their axis by an ottoman drive unit 29 fixed to the first frames 21F. In this manner, each link arm 271 of the ottoman main body 27 can be rotated up and down relative to each first frame 21F of the first cushion portion 21, as shown in Figures 3 and 8.

The ottoman body 27 can be moved between the deployed position shown in FIG. 3 and the stored position shown in FIG. 8 by the ottoman drive mechanism. The position adjustment of the ottoman body 27 can be controlled by a control unit (not shown) and can also be adjusted by operating an operating unit (not shown). The ottoman body 27 in the deployed position shown in FIG. 8 is extended forward with respect to the first frame 21F of the first cushion portion 21 based on the normal position, and can push up the occupant's legs. The ottoman body 27 in the stored position shown in FIG. 3 is extended below the seat cushion 20A and is positioned so as not to come into contact with the occupant's legs as much as possible. That is, in the ottoman body 27 in the stored position, each link arm 271 forming the skeleton is positioned rearward of the imaginary line VL extending vertically downward from the front end of the first cushion portion 21 (first elastic portion 21P).

[Rotation mechanism]
The rotation mechanism 40 shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is a mechanism for rotating the seat body 20 between the normal position and the boarding/disembarking position, and is disposed between a base member 41 and a support member 42. Here, the base member 41 is a part that does not follow the rotational movement of the seat body 20, and is composed of a plate material that is rectangular when viewed from above and is stretched between the left and right upper rails 33. The support member 42 is a member that supports the seat body 20 and is rectangular when viewed from above, and can follow the rotational movement of the seat body 20. As shown in Fig. 9, the rotation mechanism 40 includes an inner ring 43 fixed on the base member 41 and an outer ring 44 supported rotatably relative to the inner ring 43 (outer periphery side), and the support member 42 is fixed on the outer ring 44. The base member 41 or the support member 42 is provided with a drive unit (not shown) that rotates the outer ring 44 relative to the inner ring 43. As a result, the seat body 20 supported by the support member 42 can be rotated (rotated approximately 90° when viewed from above) around the axis of the inner ring 43 and the outer ring 44 relative to the base member 41. The rotational movement of the seat body 20 by the rotation mechanism 40 can be locked by a rotation lock mechanism 50, which will be described later.

[Rotation lock mechanism]
The rotation lock mechanism 50 shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 10 is a mechanism that locks the rotational movement of the seat body 20 by the rotation mechanism 40 at a predetermined position, i.e., the normal position. The rotation lock mechanism 50 has a locking part 51 provided on the seat body 20 side and a locked part 52 that does not follow the rotational movement of the seat body 20. Here, the locked part 52 is provided on the left side of the vehicle of the base member 41 of the rotation mechanism 40, and is composed of a horizontal pin 521 extending in the vehicle width direction, and a vertical pin 522 extending downward from the left and right ends of the horizontal pin 521 and fixed to the base member 41. The locking part 51 is a member that is long in the front-rear direction based on the seat body 20 in the normal position, and is provided on the left side of the support member 42 so as to be vertically rotatable. A locking part 511 that is bent downward is provided at the rear end of the locking part 51, and a plate-shaped load receiving part 512 is provided in the vicinity of the front end of the locking part 51. The lock portion 51 is connected to the support member 42 via a rotation center pin 513 inserted in the center between the rear end and the front end so as to be vertically rotatable.

1 and 10, when the seat body 20 is in the normal position, the rear end of the locking portion 51 of the rotation lock mechanism 50 is biased downward by a biasing portion (not shown). This causes the rear end of the locking portion 51 to rotate downward, and the engaging portion 511 provided at this rear end is engaged with the horizontal pin 521 of the locked portion 52 (see the state shown by the solid line in FIG. 10). In this way, the locking portion 51 is stopped by the locked portion 52, and the support member 42 equipped with this locking portion 51 cannot rotate relative to the base member 41, thereby locking the rotational movement of the seat body 20 by the rotation mechanism 40. In addition, in the engaged state, the front end of the locking portion 51 faces upward, and the load receiving portion 512 provided at this front end is positioned in an upper position. When the load receiving portion 512 is pressed downward by an external force, the rear end of the locking portion 51 rotates upward against the biasing force, causing the engaging portion 511 to disengage from the horizontal pin 521 of the locked portion 52 (see the state shown by the dashed line in FIG. 10). In this way, the locking portion 51 moves to disengage from the locked portion 52, and the rotation lock mechanism 50 is unlocked, allowing the support member 42 supporting the seat body 20 to rotate relative to the base member 41. Note that the input of an external force to the load receiving portion 512 can be performed by electrical components (not shown), or can also be performed by mechanically transmitting a manual operating force.

[Behavior of the vehicle seat device when a passenger gets off the vehicle]
1 and 2, when an occupant gets off the vehicle, the seat body 20 in the normal position is rotated to the boarding/disembarking position by the rotation mechanism 40, and the occupant CM on the seat body 20 faces the door opening D. Then, the occupant CM stands up from the seat body 20 to get off the vehicle, and in this type of seat configuration, it is desired to achieve both various performances related to boarding/disembarking (e.g., foot reach and seating comfort). Therefore, in the vehicle seat device 10, as described above, the first cushion portion 21 is rotatable by the connecting mechanism 23 so that the seat surface angle can be changed relative to the second cushion portion 22 while maintaining the posture of the seat back 20B and the second cushion portion 22.

Therefore, when the occupant dismounts, first, the rotation lock mechanism 50 is unlocked to allow the rotational movement of the seat body 20 by the rotation mechanism 40 shown in FIG. 1. Next, while the seat body 20 rotates from the normal position to the boarding/alighting position, the first cushion portion 21 is maintained in an upward position relative to the second cushion portion 22, as shown in FIG. 6. In this way, while the seat body 20 rotates when the occupant dismounts, the occupant's legs are supported by the first cushion portion 21 in the upward position, thereby making it possible to prevent unintended contact between the occupant's legs and the floor F, etc., as much as possible. Then, with the seat body 20 in the boarding/alighting position shown in FIG. 7, the first cushion portion 21 is controlled to change from an upward position to a downward position while the position of the seat back 20B and the second cushion portion 22 is maintained. In this way, by maintaining the posture of the second cushion portion 22 and the seat back 20B, i.e., the seat surface angle and torso angle θ of the second cushion portion 22, as much as possible when getting off the vehicle, it is possible to achieve a configuration that minimizes the feeling of forward slippage for the occupant CM when getting on and off the vehicle. In addition, by displacing the first cushion portion 21 from an upward posture to a downward posture and bringing the occupant's legs (parts below the knees) closer to the road surface RS, etc., it is possible to achieve a configuration that helps ensure that the occupant CM can reach the ground with their feet when getting off the vehicle. In addition, with the seat body 20 in the getting on and off position, the posture of the first cushion portion 21 ensures that the occupant can reach the ground with their feet, so there is no need to excessively protrude the seat cushion 20A out of the door opening D, resulting in a configuration that is easy to use in parking lots, etc.

When the occupant dismounts, the ottoman mechanism 26 is moved to the stored position as shown in FIG. 7. In this stored position, each link arm 271 of the ottoman mechanism 26 is positioned behind the imaginary line VL that extends vertically downward from the front end of the first cushion portion 21. As a result, when the occupant CM tries to stand up from the seat main body 20, the ottoman mechanism 26 (particularly the frame portion) is less likely to interfere excessively with the legs of the occupant, making it possible to minimize the possibility of the ottoman mechanism 26 interfering with the ingress/egress motion.

[Behavior of the vehicle seat device when a passenger is seated]
7, when an occupant gets on, the occupant CM is seated in the seat body 20 in the boarding/alighting position with the first cushion portion 21 in a downward position. Then, as the seat body 20 starts to rotate, the first cushion portion 21 is controlled to change from the downward position to an upward position. Then, while the seat body 20 rotates from the boarding/alighting position to the normal position, the first cushion portion 21 is maintained in an upward position relative to the second cushion portion 22, as shown in FIG. 6. In this way, while the seat body 20 rotates when the occupant gets on, the legs of the occupant are supported by the first cushion portion 21 in the upward position, thereby making it possible to prevent unintended contact between the legs of the occupant and the floor F, etc., as much as possible.

3 and 10, the rotation lock mechanism 50 is locked after the seat body 20 reaches the normal position. In this way, the seat body 20 can be held in a position facing forward of the vehicle as shown in FIG. 3. By adjusting the position of the first cushion portion 21 between the upward and downward positions, it is possible to adjust the seating surface angle of the front part of the seat cushion 20A according to the occupant CM. For example, the first cushion portion 21 can be placed in the normal position so that the seating surface angles of both cushion portions 21, 22 can be matched. Also, by operating the ottoman mechanism 26 to lift the occupant's legs as shown in FIG. 8, this configuration contributes to ensuring an excellent seating comfort for the occupant CM.

As described above, in this embodiment, the seat body 20 in the boarding/exiting position maintains the posture of the seat back 20B and the second cushion portion 22, thereby minimizing the feeling of forward slippage for the occupant CM. In addition, by changing the seat surface angle of the first cushion portion 21 and orienting the front portion of the seat cushion 20A downward, a configuration is achieved that helps ensure that the occupant CM can reach the ground with their feet when boarding/exiting. Therefore, according to this embodiment, a vehicle seat device 10 equipped with a rotation mechanism 40 can achieve a balance between various performances related to boarding/exiting.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, while the seat body 20 rotates when the occupant gets off, the occupant's legs are supported by the first cushion portion 21 in the upward position, so that unintended contact between the occupant's legs and the floor F can be avoided as much as possible. In addition, by setting the first cushion portion 21 in the downward position in the seat body 20 in the boarding/alighting position, it is possible to ensure that the occupant's feet can reach the ground when getting off. In addition, in this embodiment, by setting the first cushion portion 21 in the downward position in the seat body 20 in the boarding/alighting position, it is possible to ensure that the occupant's feet can reach the ground when getting on. In addition, while the seat body 20 rotates from the boarding/alighting position to the normal position, the occupant's legs are supported by the first cushion portion 21 in the upward position, so that unintended contact between the occupant's legs and the floor F can be avoided as much as possible. Furthermore, in the seat body 20 in the normal position, the position of the first cushion portion 21 can be adjusted between the upward position and the downward position, so that the seat surface angle of the front part of the seat cushion 20A can be adjusted according to the occupant CM. In this embodiment, when the seat body 20 is in the normal position, the ottoman mechanism 26 in the deployed position can support the legs of the occupant, which contributes to ensuring a comfortable seating experience for the occupant CM. In this embodiment, when the occupant CM gets in and out of the seat, the ottoman mechanism 26 can be stored so that it does not protrude as much as possible from below the first cushion portion 21 toward the front of the seat, which further contributes to ensuring ease of getting in and out of the seat.

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 seat cushion is exemplified, but the configuration of the seat cushion is not limited. For example, the connecting mechanism may connect the first cushion portion and the second cushion portion via a front rotating shaft (hinged connection), or may connect via various link mechanisms such as a four-bar link. The ottoman mechanism may be configured to operate independently of the first cushion portion, or may be configured to operate in conjunction with the first cushion portion. The ottoman mechanism is configured to be attached to the seat cushion as necessary, and may be omitted.

In the present embodiment, the seat cushion control method when an occupant gets in and out of the seat has been exemplified, but various control methods can be used. For example, while the seat body is rotating and moving, the first cushion portion does not necessarily need to be maintained in an upward position, but it can be maintained in a more upward position than the downward position, for example, in a normal position.

In addition, in this embodiment, the configurations of the rotation mechanism and the rotation lock mechanism are exemplified, but the configuration of each mechanism is not limited. For example, a rotation mechanism that rotates the base member and the support member via a link can be adopted. The rotation lock mechanism can be configured to lock the locking part and the locked part not only in the vertical direction but also in the front-rear direction of the vehicle or the width direction of the vehicle, and the configuration of the locking part and the locked part can be changed as appropriate. The locking position of the rotational movement of the seat body by the rotation lock mechanism does not necessarily have to be limited to a general position, and can be set to various positions such as the boarding and disembarking position. The vehicle seat device may have a seat body for one person or multiple people.

10 Vehicle seat device 20 Seat body 20A Seat cushion 20B Seat back 21 First cushion portion 21F First frame 21P First elastic portion 22 Second cushion portion 22F Second frame 22P Second elastic portion 23 Connecting mechanism 24 Front rotation shaft 25 Front drive portion 26 Ottoman mechanism 27 Ottoman body 27P Elastic portion for ottoman 271 Link arm 272 Support plate 28 Ottoman rotation shaft 29 Ottoman drive portion 30 Front-rear slide mechanism 32 Lower rail 33 Upper rail 40 Rotation mechanism 41 Base member 42 Support member 43 Inner wheel 44 Outer wheel 50 Rotation lock mechanism 51 Lock portion 511 Engagement portion 512 Load receiving portion 513 Rotation center pin 52 Locked portion 521 Horizontal pin 522 Vertical pin D Door opening F Floor FG Front glass HP Hip point R Recliner RS Road surface T Rotation trajectory VL Virtual line θ Torso angle

Claims (4)

A vehicle seat device including a rotation mechanism that rotates a seat body between a normal position facing forward of the vehicle and a boarding/exiting position facing a door opening,
the seat cushion of the seat body has a first cushion portion forming a front portion thereof , a second cushion portion located behind the first cushion portion and capable of supporting a hip point of a seated occupant, and a connecting mechanism rotatably connecting the first cushion portion and the second cushion portion , and an ottoman mechanism is connected to a front end portion of the first cushion portion and is movable between a deployed position extending forward of the first cushion portion and a stored position extending below the first cushion portion,
A vehicle seat device in which, while maintaining the posture of the seat back of the seat body and the second cushion portion in the boarding/exiting position, only the first cushion portion is rotatable by the connecting mechanism so as to change the seat surface angle relative to the second cushion portion. The orientation of the first cushion portion is adjustable between an upward orientation inclined upward with respect to the second cushion portion and a downward orientation inclined downward with respect to the second cushion portion,
2. The vehicle seat device according to claim 1, wherein, when an occupant gets off the vehicle, the first cushion portion is maintained in an upward position while the seat body is rotated and moved from the normal position to the boarding/alighting position, and the first cushion portion is controlled so as to change from the upward position to the downward position when the seat body is in the boarding/alighting position. The orientation of the first cushion portion is adjustable between an upward orientation inclined upward with respect to the second cushion portion and a downward orientation inclined downward with respect to the second cushion portion,
3. The vehicle seat device according to claim 1, wherein when an occupant gets in, the first cushion portion is in a downward position with the seat body in the boarding/alighting position, and the first cushion portion changes from the downward position to an upward position as the seat body starts to rotate and move, and the first cushion portion is controlled to be maintained in the upward position while the seat body rotates and moves from the boarding/alighting position to a normal position. The ottoman mechanism in the storage position has a link arm that forms a skeleton thereof, a support plate supported by the link arm, and an elastic portion disposed on the link arm and the support plate,
The vehicle seat apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the link arm is disposed at a position rearward of the seat with respect to an imaginary line extending vertically downward from a front end of the first cushion portion .

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