JP7627652B2 - Vehicle seat - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle seat.

The following Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle seat structure equipped with an ottoman. The vehicle seat structure described in this document is provided with a slide plate that regulates the position of the ottoman so that when the seat cushion moves downward, the tip of the ottoman in the stored position is higher relative to the seat cushion. This makes it possible to prevent the tip of the ottoman from hitting the floor when the seat cushion is lowered.

JP 2010-137717 A

The configuration described in Patent Document 1 is useful in terms of preventing the ottoman from hitting the floor or the like due to displacement of the seat cushion. However, it requires the installation of a sliding plate on the floor, which complicates the structure around the ottoman.

The present invention takes into consideration the above-mentioned facts and aims to provide a vehicle seat that can lift the front end of the ottoman when the seat cushion is displaced, while preventing the structure from becoming too complicated.

The first aspect is a vehicle seat that includes a seat cushion that is displaceable in the up-down direction of the seat and supports the buttocks of a seated occupant from the seat below, an ottoman whose rear end is rotatably attached to the seat cushion and supports the legs of the seated occupant from the seat below, an ottoman-side shaft portion provided on the ottoman, a displacement-side shaft portion provided on a displacement member that displaces with the displacement of the seat cushion, and an elastic member attached to the ottoman-side shaft portion and the displacement-side shaft portion, and a lifting mechanism that rotates and lifts the front end of the ottoman toward the seat above the seat by the tensile force of the elastic member that increases as the shaft distance increases when the seat cushion is displaced toward the seat below.

In the vehicle seat of the first embodiment, when the seat cushion is displaced toward the lower side of the seat, the displacement member is displaced together with the seat cushion. This increases the axial distance between the ottoman side shaft portion and the displacement side shaft portion of the lifting mechanism, and the tensile force of the elastic member increases. The increased tensile force of the elastic member then causes the front end of the ottoman to rotate and lift up toward the upper side of the seat. In this way, with a simple mechanism, when the seat cushion is displaced toward the lower side of the seat, the front end of the ottoman is lifted up toward the upper side of the seat.

The second aspect is the vehicle seat of the first aspect, in which the seat cushion is displaceable between a seating position where an occupant can sit and a storage position below the seating position, and the displacement member is a link member having one end rotatably connected to the seat cushion and the other end rotatably connected to the vehicle floor.

In the second embodiment of the vehicle seat, when the seat cushion is displaced from the seating position to a storage position below the seat, the displacement member rotates. This widens the axial distance between the ottoman side shaft and the displacement side shaft in the lifting mechanism, and the front end of the ottoman rotates and lifts above the seat due to the tensile force of the elastic member. In this way, with a simple mechanism, when the seat cushion is displaced from the seating position to a storage position below the seat, the front end of the ottoman is lifted above the seat.

Note that "the other end of the link member is rotatably connected to the floor side of the vehicle" includes not only a configuration in which the other end of the link member is directly rotatably connected to the floor, but also a configuration in which the other end of the link member is rotatably connected to a member or the like fixed on the floor.

The third aspect is the vehicle seat according to the second aspect, in which the lifting mechanism is configured such that, when the seat cushion is disposed in the seating position, the tensile force of the elastic member that lifts the front end of the ottoman toward the upper side of the seat is smaller than the pushing force that pushes the front end of the ottoman toward the lower side of the seat due to its own weight, and the tensile force becomes larger than the pushing force as the seat cushion moves from the seating position to the storage position.

In the vehicle seat of the third embodiment, when the seat cushion is in the seating position, the tensile force of the elastic member that lifts the front end of the ottoman toward the upper side of the seat is smaller than the pushing force that lowers the front end of the ottoman toward the lower side of the seat due to its own weight. Therefore, when the seat cushion is in the seating position, the ottoman is not lifted by the tensile force of the elastic member.

The fourth aspect is a vehicle seat according to any one of the first to third aspects, in which the lifting mechanism gradually increases the axis distance as the seat cushion is displaced downward, gradually lifting the front end of the ottoman.

In the fourth embodiment of the vehicle seat, as the seat cushion is displaced downward, the axis distance gradually increases and the front end of the ottoman gradually rises. Therefore, the behavior of the ottoman is smoother than when the front end of the ottoman suddenly rises.

The fifth aspect is the vehicle seat described in any one of the first to fourth aspects, in which the elastic member is a tension coil spring.

In the vehicle seat of the fifth aspect, the elastic member is a tension coil spring, so there is less change over time compared to when the elastic member is made of rubber, and the tensile force is stable over a long period of time.

The vehicle seat according to the present invention has the excellent effect of being able to displace the ottoman relative to the seat cushion when the seat cushion is displaced, while preventing the structure from becoming complicated.

1 is a side view of a vehicle seat according to an embodiment, seen from the left side of the seat, illustrating a state in which a seat cushion is located in a seating position. 1 is a side view of a vehicle seat according to an embodiment, seen from the left side of the seat, illustrating a state in which a seat cushion is located in an intermediate position when being moved from a seating position to a storage position. 1 is a side view of a vehicle seat according to an embodiment, seen from the left side of the seat, showing a state in which a seat cushion is located in a storage position. In FIG. 1, (A) is a side view of the seat cushion in the seating position and the ottoman in the stored position, (B) is a side view of the ottoman in the horizontal position, and (C) is a side view of the ottoman with the front end raised to the highest position. 1, showing a side view of a vehicle seat provided with a lifting mechanism according to a modified example, as viewed from the left side of the seat. FIG.

<Embodiment>
A vehicle seat according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the drawings, the arrow FR indicates the front side of the seat, and the arrow UP indicates the upper side of the seat. In the following description, unless otherwise specified, when the directions of front-rear, up-down, and left-right are used, front-rear refers to front-rear in the front-rear direction of the seat, up-down refers to up-down in the up-down direction of the seat, and left-right refers to left-right in the width direction of the seat.

(structure)
First, the structure of the vehicle seat 10 will be described.

As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle seat 10 of this embodiment includes a seat cushion 12 that supports the buttocks of a seated occupant from below, a seat back 14 that supports the back of the seated occupant from the rear side of the seat, and an ottoman 50 that supports the legs of the seated occupant from the lower side of the seat.

As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the vehicle seat 10 of this embodiment is capable of vertically stacking the seat back 14 and the seat cushion 12 by tilting the seat back 14 forward. The vehicle seat 10 also has a mechanism for displacing the seat cushion 12 and the seat back 14 downward when the seat back 14 is tilted forward. This mechanism is referred to as the tilt-down mechanism.

The vehicle seat 10 of this embodiment is equipped with a lifting mechanism 100 that lifts the front end 52 of the ottoman 50 to prevent the lower end of the ottoman 50 from contacting the vehicle floor 18 when the seat cushion 12 is displaced downward by the tilt-down mechanism. The lifting mechanism 100 will be described later.

As shown in FIG. 1, the seat cushion 12 includes a seat cushion frame 22 that constitutes the framework of the seat cushion 12. The seat cushion pad 16, which is covered with a skin material, is attached to the seat cushion frame 22.

The seat cushion frame 22 is provided with a pair of left and right side frames 24 that are spaced apart in the left-right direction and extend in the front-rear direction. The seat back 14 is supported at the rear ends of the pair of left and right side frames 24 so that it can tilt (rotate) in the front-rear direction. The rear ends of the ottoman support parts 26 are fixed to the front ends 24A of the pair of left and right side frames 24. The rear end 54 of the ottoman 50 is rotatably supported at the front end of the ottoman support part 26.

The front end portions 24A of the pair of left and right side frames 24 are connected to a pair of left and right base members 28 fixed to the vehicle body floor via a pair of left and right link members 30, which are members constituting the tilt-down mechanism and are an example of a displacement member. One end portion 32 (upper end portion in FIG. 1) of the link member 30 is provided to rotate around a seat side rotation shaft 33 extending in the left-right direction on the front end portion 24A of the side frame 24. The other end portion 34 (lower end portion in FIG. 1) of the link member 30 is provided to rotate around a fixed side rotation shaft 35 extending in the left-right direction on a pair of left and right fixing portions 29 provided on the base member 28.

As a result, the link member 30 rotates at one end 32 toward the lower side of the seat around the fixed rotation shaft 35 at the other end 34, allowing the seat cushion 12 to move between the seating position A1 shown in FIG. 1 and the storage position A2 shown in FIG. 3. In this embodiment, when the seat cushion 12 moves from the seating position A1 (see FIG. 1) to the storage position A2 (see FIG. 3), the seat cushion 12 moves downward and forward.

The seat back 14 includes a seat back frame (not shown) that constitutes the framework of the seat back 14. A seat back pad 15 covered with a skin material is attached to the seat back frame. The seat back 14 can be moved between a seating position B1 (see FIG. 1) and a storage position B2 (see FIG. 3). In this embodiment, when the seat back 14 moves from the seating position B1 (see FIG. 1) to the storage position B2 (see FIG. 3), the seat back 14 tilts forward and descends.

The ottoman 50 includes an ottoman frame (not shown) that forms the framework of the ottoman 50. A cushion member 51 covered with a skin material is attached to the ottoman frame. The ottoman 50 has a rear end 54 that is rotatably attached to an ottoman support portion 26 that is attached to the front end 24A of the side frame 24. Specifically, the ottoman 50 has a front end 52 that rotates in the up-down direction of the seat around an ottoman-side rotation shaft 55 that is aligned in the left-right direction of the rear end 54.

Here, the ottoman 50 shown in FIG. 1 is located in the storage position C. When the seat cushion 12 is located in the seating position A1 and the ottoman 50 is located in the storage position C, the ottoman 50 is prevented from coming into contact with the legs of an occupant seated on the seat cushion 12. Also, when the seat cushion 12 is located in the seating position A1 and the ottoman 50 is located in the storage position C, the front end 52 of the ottoman 50 is spaced apart from the vehicle floor 18.

When the seat cushion 12 shown in FIG. 1 is in the seating position A1, as shown in FIG. 4, the ottoman 50 can be positioned at a desired support position where the legs of a seated occupant can be supported from the lower side of the seat by tilting the front end 52 upward from the storage position C (FIG. 4(A)). The configuration for tilting the ottoman 50 from the storage position C (FIG. 4(A)) to the desired support position may be a manual configuration or an electric configuration. Note that FIG. 4(B) shows the ottoman 50 in a horizontal state, and FIG. 4(B) shows the ottoman 50 with the front end 52 raised to the uppermost position.

The configuration for holding the ottoman 50 at the desired support position may be any configuration that does not interfere with the operation of the lifting mechanism 100 described later. As an example, when tilting the ottoman 50 from the storage position C to the support position, only the downward tilt of the ottoman 50 tilted from the storage position C to the desired angle is locked, and the upward tilt is free. When returning the tilted ottoman 50 to the downward side (storage position C side), the configuration may be such that the downward tilt of the ottoman 50 is permitted by operating the retention release part. As an example, as in JP 2010-5216 A, when the ottoman 50 is rotated downward, a coil spring provided on the ottoman side rotation shaft 55 is tightened to lock the rotation, and when the ottoman 50 is rotated upward, the coil spring is opened to allow the ottoman 50 to rotate freely.

The lifting mechanism 100 that lifts the ottoman 50 includes an ottoman side shaft 102, a link member 30 as an example of a displacement member, a link side shaft 104 as an example of a displacement side shaft, and a tension coil spring 110 as an example of an elastic member.

The ottoman-side shaft 102 is provided so as to protrude in the left-right direction from the side of the rear end 54 of the ottoman 50. In this embodiment, the ottoman-side shaft 102 is provided adjacent to the rear side and diagonally above the ottoman-side rotation shaft 55 on the side of the rear end 54 of the ottoman 50.

The link side shaft portion 104 is provided so as to protrude in the left-right direction from the side of one end portion 32 of the link member 30. In this embodiment, the ottoman side shaft portion 102 is provided at a distance from the ottoman side rotation shaft 55, approximately in front of the ottoman side rotation shaft 55.

The tension coil spring 110 has its ends attached to the ottoman side shaft portion 102 and the link side shaft portion 104.

In this embodiment, the ottoman side shaft portion 102, the link side shaft portion 104, and the tension coil spring 110 are provided on both the left and right sides, but this is not limited to the above. The ottoman side shaft portion 102, the link side shaft portion 104, and the tension coil spring 110 may be provided on only the left or right side.

The tensile force of the tension coil spring 110, whose ends are attached to the ottoman side shaft portion 102 and the link side shaft portion 104, acts in a direction that narrows the axial distance between the ottoman side shaft portion 102 and the link side shaft portion 104. The tensile force of this tension coil spring 110 acts in a direction that lifts the front end portion 52 of the ottoman 50 upward.

As described above, in the seating position A1 shown in FIG. 1, as shown in FIG. 4, the front end 52 of the ottoman 50 is tilted upward, so that only the downward tilting of the ottoman 50 is locked, and the ottoman 50 can be freely tilted upward.

At this time, the tensile force of the tension coil spring 110 acting in a direction lifting the front end 52 of the ottoman 50 upward is smaller than the pushing force that pushes the front end 52 of the ottoman 50 downward due to its own weight. Therefore, in the seating position A1 shown in FIG. 1, the front end 52 of the ottoman 50 in the storage position C does not rise as shown in FIG. 4(A). Also, even if the ottoman 50 is rotated as shown in FIG. 4(A) to FIG. 4(C), the pushing force is larger than the tensile force. Therefore, in the seating position A1 shown in FIG. 1, the ottoman 50 can be freely rotated.

(Action and Effects)
Next, the operation and effects of this embodiment will be described.

As shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, when the seat back 14 of the vehicle seat 10 of this embodiment is displaced from the seating position B1 (see Figure 1) to the storage position B2 (see Figure 3), the seat cushion 12 is displaced from the seating position A1 (see Figure 1) to the storage position A2 (see Figure 3). As a result, one end 32 of the link member 30 is tilted forward and downward around the fixed side rotation shaft 35 of the other end 34.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, when one end 32 of the link member 30 is tilted downward and forward, the axial distance between the ottoman side shaft 102 and the link side shaft 104 gradually increases. As the axial distance gradually increases, the tension coil spring 110 stretches and the tensile force gradually increases. As a result, the tensile force of the tension coil spring 110 acting in a direction to lift the front end 52 of the ottoman 50 upward gradually becomes greater than the pushing force that pushes the front end 52 of the ottoman 50 downward due to its own weight. Then, the gradually increasing tensile force gradually lifts the front end 52 of the ottoman 50, separating the front end 52 of the ottoman 50 from the floor 18 of the vehicle.

In other words, in this embodiment, even if the ottoman 50 moves downward as the seat cushion 12 moves from the seating position A1 (see FIG. 1) to the storage position A2 (see FIG. 3), the front end 52 of the ottoman 50 gradually rises, preventing the front end 52 from contacting the vehicle floor 18.

In addition, in this embodiment, a link member 30 is provided that displaces together with the seat cushion 12, and the ottoman 50 and the link member 30 are provided with an ottoman side shaft portion 102, a link side shaft portion 104, and a tension coil spring 110. This simple configuration allows the front end portion 52 of the ottoman 50 to be lifted when the seat cushion 12 is displaced.

In this embodiment, the link member 30, which is an example of a displacement member, is a member that constitutes the lifting mechanism 100 and also a member that constitutes the tilt-down mechanism. Therefore, the number of parts is reduced compared to when a displacement member that constitutes the lifting mechanism 100 is provided separately.

In addition, as described above, in the lifting mechanism 100 of this embodiment, as the seat cushion 12 is displaced toward the seat lower side, the ottoman side shaft 102 and the link side shaft 104 gradually widen, and the front end 52 of the ottoman 50 gradually lifts. Therefore, the behavior of the ottoman 50 is smoother than when, for example, the seat cushion 12 is lowered toward the seat lower side from a predetermined position, and the front end 52 of the ottoman 50 suddenly lifts.

In addition, in this embodiment, when the seat cushion 12 shown in FIG. 3 is placed in the storage position A2, the ottoman side shaft 102, the link side shaft 104, and the tension coil spring 110 that constitute the lifting mechanism 100 do not protrude above the seat, so that the upper surface of the seat cushion 12 can be flattened when viewed from the side of the seat.

In addition, as described above, in the vehicle seat 10 of this embodiment, when the seat cushion 12 is positioned at the seating position A1 (see FIG. 1), the tensile force of the tension coil spring 110 that lifts the front end 52 of the ottoman 50 toward the upper side of the seat is smaller than the pushing force that lowers the front end 52 of the ottoman 50 toward the lower side of the seat due to its own weight. Therefore, when the seat cushion 12 is positioned at the seating position A1 (see FIG. 1), the front end 52 of the ottoman 50 can be freely lifted.

In addition, in this embodiment, the tension force is generated by the tension coil spring 110. Therefore, compared to when the tension force is generated by rubber, for example, there is little change over time and the tension force is stable over a long period of time.

[Modification]
Next, a modification of the lifting mechanism will be described.

As shown in FIG. 5, the lifting mechanism 200 of the modified example is provided with a connecting link member 210 that connects a connecting shaft 202 provided at the longitudinal middle of the link member 30 and a connecting shaft 204 provided at the longitudinal middle of the side frame 24. The link hole 212 at the front end of the connecting link member 210, which is an example of a displacement member, is an elongated hole. The connecting link member 210 is provided with a link side shaft 214.

A tension coil spring 220 is attached to the ottoman side shaft portion 102 and the link side shaft portion 214.

When the seat cushion 12 is displaced from the seating position A1 (see FIG. 1) to the storage position A2 (see FIG. 3), the connecting link member 210 moves downward, the axial distance between the ottoman side shaft portion 102 and the link side shaft portion 214 increases, the tensile force of the tension coil spring 220 increases, the front end portion 52 of the ottoman 50 rises, and the front end portion 52 of the ottoman 50 moves away from the vehicle floor 18.

＜Other＞
It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment and modifications.

In addition, for example, in the above embodiment and modified example, tension coil springs 110, 220 are used as the elastic member, but this is not limited to this. For example, rubber may be used as the elastic member.

In addition, for example, in the above embodiment and modified example, the other end 34 of the link member 30 is rotatably connected to the base member 28 fixed on the vehicle floor, but this is not limited to this. The other end 34 of the link member 30 may be rotatably connected to another member fixed on the vehicle floor, such as the upper rail of a slide rail, or may be rotatably connected directly to the vehicle floor.

In addition, for example, in the above embodiment and modified example, the lifting mechanisms 100, 200 are provided on both left and right sides of the vehicle seat 10, but this is not limited to this. For example, the lifting mechanisms 100, 200 may be provided on only one side of the vehicle seat 10 in the left and right direction, or may be provided in the middle of the left and right direction.

In addition, for example, the link side shaft 104 as an example of a displacement side link member in the above embodiment and modified example is provided on the link member 30 as an example of a displacement member in the lifting mechanism 100, and on the connecting link member 210 as an example of a displacement member in the lifting mechanism 200 of the modified example, but is not limited thereto. The displacement side shaft may be provided on a displacement member that displaces in conjunction with the displacement of the seat cushion.

Furthermore, the present invention may be implemented in various ways without departing from the spirit of the invention. The embodiments and modifications may be implemented in combination as appropriate.

10 Vehicle seat 12 Seat cushion 30 Link member (an example of a displacement member)
50 Ottoman 52 Front end portion 54 Rear end portion 100 Lifting mechanism 102 Ottoman side shaft portion 104 Link side shaft portion (an example of a displacement side shaft portion)
110 tension coil spring (an example of an elastic member)
200 Lifting mechanism 210 Connecting link member (an example of a displacement member)
214 Link side shaft portion (an example of a displacement side shaft portion)
220 Tension coil spring (an example of an elastic member)

Claims (5)

a seat cushion that is displaceable in the up-down direction of the seat and supports the buttocks of a seated occupant from below the seat;
an ottoman having a rear end rotatably attached to the seat cushion and configured to support the legs of the seated occupant from below the seat;
a lifting mechanism having an ottoman-side shaft provided on the ottoman, a displacement-side shaft provided on a displacement member that displaces in accordance with the displacement of the seat cushion, and an elastic member attached to the ottoman-side shaft and the displacement-side shaft, wherein when the seat cushion is displaced toward the lower side of the seat, an axial distance between the ottoman-side shaft and the displacement-side shaft increases, and the tensile force of the elastic member, which increases as the axial distance increases, rotates and lifts a front end of the ottoman toward the upper side of the seat;
A vehicle seat comprising: The seat cushion is displaceable between a seating position where an occupant can be seated and a stored position located below the seat and below the seating position,
The displacement member is a link member having one end rotatably connected to the seat cushion and the other end rotatably connected to a floor side of the vehicle.
The vehicle seat according to claim 1 . When the seat cushion is disposed at the seating position, the lifting mechanism is configured such that a tensile force of the elastic member that lifts the front end of the ottoman toward the upper side of the seat is smaller than a pressing force that presses the front end of the ottoman toward the lower side of the seat due to its own weight,
A pulling force becomes larger than a pushing force as the seat cushion moves from the seating position to the storage position.
The vehicle seat according to claim 2. The lifting mechanism gradually widens the axis distance as the seat cushion is displaced downward, and gradually lifts the front end of the ottoman.
The vehicle seat according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The elastic member is a tension coil spring.
The vehicle seat according to any one of claims 1 to 4.