JP7671002B2 - Rotation mechanism - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle seat device in which a rotating member that supports a seat body is rotatably supported by a base member, and a rotation drive device having an actuator, an output gear that rotates with the rotational power exerted by the actuator, and an input gear that meshes with the output gear is provided between the rotating member and the base member to enable the rotating member to be rotationally driven.

Such a vehicle seat device is known, for example, from Patent Document 1.

JP 2004-123044 A

In the device disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, an arc-shaped rotating gear (corresponding to the input gear of the present invention) is fixed to a rotating mechanism main body (corresponding to the base member of the present invention) that supports a rotating ring (corresponding to the rotating member of the present invention), an actuator including a rotating motor is attached to a bracket extending from the rotating ring and disposed outside the rotating mechanism main body, and an output gear of the actuator is meshed with the rotating gear. This results in an increase in size of the vehicle seat device in the direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the rotating member.

The present invention was made in consideration of these circumstances, and aims to provide a vehicle seat device that allows for miniaturization in the direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the rotating member.

To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a vehicle seat device in which a rotating member that supports a seat body is rotatably supported by a base member, and a rotation drive device having an actuator, an output gear that rotates by the rotational power exerted by the actuator, and an input gear that meshes with the output gear is provided between the rotating member and the base member to enable rotational driving of the rotating member, and the first feature of the present invention is that at least a portion of the input gear is positioned inside the outer periphery of the rotating member in a plan view.

In addition to the configuration of the first characteristic, the second characteristic of the present invention is that at least a portion of the gear portion of the input gear is positioned inside the outer periphery of the rotating member in a plan view.

The third feature of the present invention is that, in addition to the configuration of the second feature, the gear portion is arranged facing the rotation axis of the rotating member.

In addition to the configuration of the first or second characteristic, the fourth characteristic of the present invention is that at least a portion of the output gear is positioned inside the outer periphery of the rotating member in a plan view.

In addition to any of the configurations of the first to fourth characteristics, the fifth characteristic of the present invention is that the actuator is positioned inside the outer periphery of the rotating member in a plan view.

In addition to any of the configurations of the first to fifth characteristics, the sixth characteristic of the present invention is that an attachment member is attached to the rotating member, the attachment member being positioned on the inside of the outer periphery of the rotating member in a plan view, and the output gear is disposed on the attachment member.

The seventh feature of the present invention is that, in addition to the sixth feature, the actuator is attached to the mounting member.

In addition to any of the configurations of the first to seventh characteristics, the eighth characteristic of the present invention is that a circular storage section that is open at least upward is formed in the center of the rotating member, and at least a portion of the output gear is disposed within the storage section.

The ninth feature of the present invention is that, in addition to the configuration of the sixth feature, a circular storage section that opens at least upward is formed in the center of the rotating member, and the mounting member having a storage portion that is stored in the storage section is attached to the rotating member.

In addition to the configuration of the ninth characteristic, the present invention has a tenth characteristic in that the seat body includes a seat cushion supported by a seat cushion frame connected to the rotating member via a connecting member, a seat back supported by a seat back frame connected to the seat cushion frame and positioned above the seat cushion, and a headrest supported so as to be height adjustable by a guide tube provided on the seat back frame, the connecting member being positioned above the upper end opening of the storage portion, and the actuator being attached to the upper surface of the storage portion of the mounting member.

According to the first feature of the present invention, at least a portion of the input gear is located inside the outer periphery of the rotating member in a plan view, so the vehicle seat device can be made smaller in size in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the rotating member compared to conventional devices in which the input gear is located outside the rotating member.

In addition, according to the second feature of the present invention, at least a portion of the gear portion of the input gear is located inside the outer periphery of the rotating member in a plan view, so that the vehicle seat device can be made smaller in size in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the rotating member.

According to the third feature of the present invention, since the gear portion of the input gear faces the rotation axis of the rotating member, the output gear is positioned inside the input gear, which contributes to miniaturization of the vehicle seat device in the direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the rotating member.

According to the fourth feature of the present invention, at least a portion of the output gear is located inside the outer periphery of the rotating member in a plan view, which allows the vehicle seat device to be made smaller in size in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the rotating member.

According to the fifth feature of the present invention, the actuator is positioned inside the outer periphery of the rotating member in a plan view, so that the vehicle seat device can be made smaller in size in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the rotating member.

According to the sixth feature of the present invention, an attachment member that is positioned inside the outer periphery of the rotating member in a plan view is attached to the rotating member, and an output gear is disposed on this attachment member. Therefore, even when the attachment member for disposing the output gear is disposed, it is possible to avoid the vehicle seat device becoming larger in size in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the rotating member.

According to the seventh feature of the present invention, since the actuator is attached to the mounting member, the mounting member on which the output gear is disposed also has the function of supporting the actuator, thereby making it possible to prevent the vehicle seat device from becoming too large in the direction perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the rotating member while suppressing an increase in the number of parts.

According to the eighth feature of the present invention, at least a portion of the output gear is disposed within a circular housing in the center of the rotating member, so that the output gear can be disposed compactly by effectively utilizing the free space in the center of the rotating member.

According to the ninth feature of the present invention, the circular housing in the center of the rotating member houses the housing portion of the mounting member to be attached to the rotating member, thereby improving the workability of mounting the mounting member and facilitating confirmation of the mounting.

Furthermore, according to the tenth feature of the present invention, the connecting member that connects the seat cushion frame to the rotating member is located above the upper end opening of the storage portion, and the actuator is attached to the upper surface of the storage portion of the mounting member, so that the actuator is not enlarged in the vertical direction even when attached to the mounting member, and this contributes to making the vehicle seat device more compact in the vertical direction.

1 is a perspective view showing a vehicle seat device with a seat body omitted; 2 is a plan view of a main part of the vehicle seat device as viewed from above. FIG. FIG. 3 is a view of the slide rail and the rotation mechanism as seen from the same direction as FIG. 2 . 4 is a view of the slide rail and the rotation mechanism as viewed from the opposite side to FIG. 3 . This is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5-5 in Figure 3.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the attached drawings. In the following description, "front/back," "left/right," and "up/down" refer to directions as seen by a seated occupant with the seat facing forward.

First, in FIG. 1, the vehicle seat device includes a pair of slide rails 13 that extend linearly and parallel to each other with a space between them in the left-right direction to allow the seat body 11 to slide, and a rotation mechanism 14 that supports the seat body 11 in a rotatable manner and can move along the slide rails 13.

The seat body 11 includes a seat cushion 11a supported by a seat cushion frame 16, a seat back 11b supported by a seat back frame 17 connected to the seat cushion frame 16 and positioned above the seat cushion 11a, and a headrest 11c supported by a guide tube 18 provided on the seat back frame 17 so that the height can be adjusted.

The seat cushion frame 16 has a pair of side frames 16a arranged to extend linearly in the front-rear direction while being spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction, a pan frame 16b as a one-end connecting member that connects the front ends of the side frames 16a, and a rear pipe 16c as the other-end connecting member that connects the rear ends of the pair of side frames 16a.

In FIG. 2, the seat cushion frame 16 is fitted with a cushion-side pressure-receiving member 19 that receives a load from above the seat cushion 11a. This cushion-side pressure-receiving member 19 has multiple seat springs 20 (four in this embodiment) that are made of metal wire bent in a zigzag pattern so that it snakes left and right. The seat springs 20 are arranged so that adjacent seat springs 20 are symmetrical, and adjacent seat springs 20 are connected to each other by multiple resin intermediate connecting members 21 that are molded integrally with the seat springs 20 by insert molding.

The front ends of the seat springs 20 are engaged with locking portions 22 provided on the pan frame 16b of the seat cushion frame 16. The rear ends of adjacent seat springs 20 are engaged with the rear pipe 16c of the seat cushion frame 16 and are connected by a resin rear end connecting member 23 that is molded integrally with the seat springs 20 by insert molding, and the rear end connecting member 23 is formed to cover the rear pipe 16c.

That is, the cushion side pressure-receiving member 19 is bridged between the pan frame 16b and the rear pipe 16c of the seat cushion frame 16, and is disposed between a pair of the side frames 16a in a plan view.

Referring again to FIG. 1, the seatback frame 17 has a pair of seatback side frames 17a extending vertically and spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction, an upper frame 17b connecting the upper ends of the seatback side frames 17a, and a lower frame 17c connecting the lower ends of the pair of seatback side frames 17a.

Between the pair of seatback side frames 17a, a back-side pressure-receiving member 24 made of resin or the like and capable of elastic deformation is disposed, and this back-side pressure-receiving member 24 is bridged between the left and right seatback side frames 17a via an upper connecting wire 25 and a lower connecting wire 26.

Referring also to Figures 3 to 5, the seat cushion frame 16 is placed on the rotation mechanism 14, which includes a base member 29 that is movable along the slide rail 13, a rotation member 30 that supports the seat frame 15 and is rotatably supported on the base member 29, and a cover member 31 that covers a portion of the rotation member 30 from above and is fixed to the base member 29.

The base member 29 has a first bottom wall portion 29a that is annular, a first cylindrical side wall portion 29b that rises upward from the outer periphery of the first bottom wall portion 29a, and a first flange portion 29c that protrudes outward from the upper end portion of the first side wall portion 29b, and the first flange portion 29c is formed in a rectangular shape.

The cover member 31 also has an annular second bottom wall portion 31a that abuts against the first bottom wall portion 29a of the base member 29 from above, a cylindrical second side wall portion 31b that rises slightly upward from the outer periphery of the second bottom wall portion 31a, a first tapered portion 31c that is formed to have a larger diameter as it goes upward and is connected to the upper end of the second side wall portion 31b, an annular first flat wall portion 31d that protrudes laterally from the upper end of the first tapered portion 31c, and a cylindrical third side wall portion 31e that rises upward from the outer periphery of the first flat wall portion 31d, and the second bottom wall portion 31a is connected to the first bottom wall portion 29a of the base member 29 with a plurality of rivets 32.

The rotating member 30 has a second tapered portion 30a that is disposed in a position facing the first tapered portion 31c of the cover member 31 from the outside and is formed so as to have a larger diameter as it goes upward, a cylindrical fourth side wall portion 30b that rises upward from the upper end of the second tapered portion 30a so as to face the third side wall portion 31e of the cover member 31 from the outside, and a second flange portion 30c that protrudes outward from the fourth side wall portion 30b, and the second flange portion 30c is formed in a rectangular shape. In addition, a connecting member 33 that extends parallel to the slide rail 13 is fastened to the second flange portion 30c by a plurality of first bolts 34 and second nuts 35. The side frames 16a of the seat cushion frame 16 are connected to the connecting member 33, and the side frames 16a extend linearly while being spaced apart from each other and are fixedly positioned on the second flange 30c of the rotating member 30 via the connecting member 33.

The rotating member 30 is rotatably supported by a ring-shaped rotating support portion 36 of the base member 29 via a bearing 37, and the rotating support portion 36 is formed so that the cross-sectional shape of the first bottom wall portion 29a of the base member 29 and the first side wall portion 29b is approximately L-shaped.

The bearing 37 is made up of balls 39 held at multiple locations in the circumferential direction of an annular retainer 38, and an annular recess 40 for rolling the balls 39 is formed in the first tapered portion 31c of the rotating member 30.

In the center of the rotating member 30, a circular storage section 41 formed by the second tapered section 30a and the fourth side wall section 30b of the rotating member 30 is formed so as to open upward and downward, and the cover member 31 is stored and disposed within the storage section 41. Moreover, since the connecting member 33 for connecting the side frame 16a of the seat cushion frame 16 is fixed to the upper surface of the second flange section 30c of the rotating member 30, the connecting member 33 is disposed above the upper end opening of the storage section 41.

The slide rail 13 is composed of a fixed rail 45 that extends in the front-rear direction of the vehicle and a movable rail 46 that is slidably fitted to the fixed rail 45, and the first flange 29c of the base member 29 is fastened to the movable rail 46 by a plurality of second bolts 47 and second nuts 48.

The rotating member 30 is rotated by a rotation drive device 49 provided between the rotating member 30 and the base member 29, and this rotation drive device 49 includes an actuator 50, an output gear 51 that rotates with the rotational power exerted by the actuator 50, and an input gear 52 that meshes with the output gear 51.

The actuator 50 and the output gear 51 are disposed on one of the rotating member 30 and the base member 29, on the rotating member 30 side in this embodiment, and the input gear 52 is fixed to the other of the rotating member 30 and the base member 29, on the base member 29 in this embodiment.

The actuator 50 includes an electric motor 53 having a rotation axis extending in the vehicle width direction, a gear box 55 connected to a case 54 of the electric motor 53, and an output shaft 56 protruding from the gear box 55 with its rotation axis parallel to the rotation axis C of the rotating member 30, and the output gear 51 is provided on the output shaft 56. The gear box 55 houses a gear reduction mechanism (not shown) that reduces the rotational power of the electric motor 53 while changing the direction of rotation by 90 degrees and transmits it to the output shaft 56. This gear reduction mechanism includes a worm gear to prevent the rotational power from the output shaft 56 from being transmitted to the electric motor 53.

At least a portion of the input gear 52 is positioned inward from the outer periphery 30d of the rotating member 30, i.e., the outer edge of the second flange portion 30c, in a plan view, and at least a portion of the gear portion 52a of the input gear 52 is positioned inward from the outer periphery 30d of the rotating member 30 in a plan view.

In this embodiment, the rotating member 30 is driven to rotate in a range of 180 degrees, and the input gear 52 has a gear portion 52a on its inner circumference, is formed in an arc shape spanning approximately 180 degrees, and is fixed to the underside of the inner circumference of the first bottom wall portion 29a of the base member 29 so that the gear portion 52a protrudes radially inward from the inner circumference of the first bottom wall portion 29a. As a result, the gear portion 52a is positioned facing the rotation axis C of the rotating member 30.

When the input gear 52 is fixed to the base member 29, some of the rivets 32 that connect the second bottom wall portion 31a of the cover member 31 to the first bottom wall portion 29a of the base member 29 are used to connect the second bottom wall portion 31a and the input gear 52 to the first bottom wall portion 29a across the first bottom wall portion 29a. In this case, when the circumferential end of the input gear 52 is disposed at a position corresponding to the rivets 32 for connecting the second bottom wall portion 31a and the input gear 52 to the first bottom wall portion 29a, a notch 57 may be formed in the circumferential end of the input gear 52 as shown in FIG. 4 in order to avoid unnecessarily increasing the circumferential length of the input gear 52.

At least a portion of the output gear 51 is positioned inside the outer periphery 30d of the rotating member 30 in a plan view. In this embodiment, the input gear 52 with its gear portion 52a facing the rotation axis C of the rotating member 30 is fixed to the first bottom wall portion 29a of the base member 29, and the output gear 51 meshes with the gear portion 52a of the input gear 52. As a result, the entire output gear 51 is positioned inside the outer periphery 30d of the rotating member 30 in a plan view.

The actuator 50, which has an output shaft 56 on which the output gear 51 is mounted, is also positioned inside the outer periphery 30d of the rotating member 30 in a plan view.

The rotating member 30 is attached to a mounting member 58 that is positioned inside the outer periphery 30d of the rotating member 30 in a plan view, and the output gear 51 is disposed on the mounting member 58, and the actuator 50 is attached to the mounting member 58. That is, in this embodiment, the gear box 55 of the actuator 50 is attached to the upper surface of the mounting member 58, and the output gear 51 is provided on the output shaft 56 that passes through the mounting member 58, so that the output gear 51 is disposed on the mounting member 58.

The inner peripheral lower surface of the first bottom wall portion 29a of the base member 29 is at approximately the same height as the lower end of the rotating member 30, i.e., the lower small diameter end of the second tapered portion 30a, and the input gear 52 fixed to the inner peripheral lower surface of the first bottom wall portion 29a is located below the lower end of the storage portion 41 that the rotating member 30 has in its center. Therefore, the meshing portion of the output gear 51 that meshes with the input gear 52 is located below the lower end of the storage portion 41, but the portion above the meshing portion is stored in the storage portion 41, and at least a portion of the output gear 51 is disposed in the storage portion 41.

In this embodiment, the mounting member 58 is disposed forward of the rotation axis C of the rotating member 30, has a plate portion 58a at both ends that is connected to the upper surface of the second flange portion 30c of the rotating member 30, and extends perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the slide rail 13. Between the pair of plate portions 58a, a recessed accommodated portion 58b is formed so as to enter the accommodation portion 41 whose upper end opening is lower than the connecting member 33, and the actuator 50 is attached to the upper surface of the accommodated portion 58b. The actuator 50 is disposed below the cushion side pressure receiving member 19 while avoiding interference with the cushion side pressure receiving member 19, and the actuator 50 is attached to the upper surface of the accommodated portion 58b of the mounting member 59 below the cushion side pressure receiving member 19.

Between the first tapered portion 31c of the cover member 31 and the second tapered portion 30a of the rotating member 30, an annular slider 60 is interposed, which slides against the tapered portions 31c and 30a. This slider 60 is used to share the cover member 31 and the rotating member 30 with a vehicle seat device in which the rotating member 30 is rotated by applying human power to the rotation mechanism 14 instead of the electric power of the actuator 50. In a vehicle seat device in which rotation by human power is possible, an annular member constituting part of a mechanism for suppressing rattling of the rotating member 30 in a locked state in which the rotation of the rotating member 30 is prevented is interposed between the first tapered portion 31c and the second tapered portion 30a in place of the slider 60.

The operation of this embodiment will now be described. The rotation drive device 49, which is provided between the rotating member 30 and the base member 29 and enables the rotating member 30 to be rotationally driven, has an actuator 50, an output gear 51 which rotates with the rotational power generated by the actuator 50, and an input gear 52 which meshes with the output gear 51. At least a portion of the input gear 52 is positioned inside the outer periphery 30d of the rotating member 30 in a plan view. This allows the vehicle seat device to be made smaller in size in the direction perpendicular to the rotation axis C of the rotating member 30, compared to conventional devices in which the input gear is located outside the rotating member.

In addition, at least a portion of the gear portion 52a of the input gear 52 is positioned inside the outer periphery 30d of the rotating member 30 in a plan view, so the vehicle seat device can be made smaller in size in the direction perpendicular to the rotation axis C of the rotating member 30.

In addition, since the gear portion 52a is positioned facing the rotation axis C of the rotating member 30, the output gear 51 is positioned inside the input gear 52, which contributes to the miniaturization of the vehicle seat device in the direction perpendicular to the rotation axis C of the rotating member 30.

In addition, at least a portion of the output gear 51 is positioned inside the outer periphery 30d of the rotating member 30 in a plan view, so the vehicle seat device can be made smaller in size in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis C of the rotating member 30.

In addition, since the actuator 50 is disposed inside the outer periphery 30d of the rotating member 30 in a plan view, the vehicle seat device can be made smaller in size in the direction perpendicular to the rotation axis C of the rotating member 30.

In addition, a mounting member 58 is attached to the rotating member 30, which is positioned inside the outer periphery 30d of the rotating member 30 in a plan view, and the output gear 51 is disposed on the mounting member 58. Therefore, the arrangement of the mounting member 58 for disposing the output gear 51 also makes it possible to avoid an increase in size of the vehicle seat device in the direction perpendicular to the rotation axis C of the rotating member 30.

In addition, since the actuator is attached to the mounting member 58, the mounting member 58 on which the output gear 51 is disposed also has the function of supporting the actuator 50, thereby making it possible to prevent the vehicle seat device from becoming too large in the direction perpendicular to the rotation axis C of the rotating member 30 while suppressing an increase in the number of parts.

In addition, a circular storage section 41 that is open at least upward is formed in the center of the rotating member 30, and at least a portion of the output gear 51 is disposed within the storage section 41, so that the output gear 51 can be disposed compactly by effectively utilizing the free space in the center of the rotating member 30.

In addition, the mounting member 58, which has a receiving portion 58b that is received in the receiving portion 41 in the center of the rotating member, is attached to the rotating member 30, which improves the workability of mounting the mounting member 58 and makes it easy to check the mounting.

Furthermore, the connecting member 33 that connects the seat cushion frame 16 that supports the seat cushion 11a of the seat body 11 to the rotating member 30 is located above the upper end opening of the storage portion 41, and the actuator 50 is attached to the upper surface of the storage portion 58b of the mounting member 58. Therefore, the mounting of the actuator 50 to the mounting member 58 prevents the seat device from becoming larger in the vertical direction, and contributes to making the vehicle seat device more compact in the vertical direction.

Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various design changes can be made without departing from the invention described in the claims.

Reference Signs List 11: Seat body 11a: Seat cushion 11b: Seat back 11c: Headrest 16: Seat cushion frame 17: Seat back frame 18: Guide tube 29: Base member 30: Rotating member 30d: Outer periphery of rotating member 33: Connecting member 41: Storage portion 49: Rotation drive device 50: Actuator 51: Output gear 52: Input gear 52a: Gear portion 58: Mounting member 58b: Storage portion C: Rotation axis

Claims (10)

A rotation mechanism that rotatably supports a seat body,
A base member;
a rotation member rotatably supported on the base member to support the seat main body;
a mounting member attached to the rotating member;
an actuator attached to the mounting member;
an output gear disposed on the mounting member and rotated by rotational power generated by the actuator;
an input gear provided on the base member and meshing with the output gear,
The base member is supported by a pair of slide rails that extend linearly and are parallel to each other with a gap in between in the left-right direction,
the input gear and the mounting member are disposed in a position that is inward from an outer periphery of the rotating member and avoids a rotation axis of the rotating member in a plan view,
In a plan view, the mounting member is a rotation mechanism that is arranged inside the outer edges of the pair of slide rails in the left-right direction. The rotation mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein a portion of the mounting member is disposed below an upper end of each of the slide rails. A storage section that is open upward and downward is formed in the center of the rotating member,
The mounting member is formed with a recessed accommodated portion so as to fit into the accommodation portion,
The rotation mechanism according to claim 2 , wherein the actuator is attached to an upper surface of the accommodated portion. The rotation mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein, in a plan view, the attachment member extends in a normal direction of an imaginary circle centered on the rotation axis. The rotation mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein, when the seat body is facing forward, the attachment member is disposed between a front end of the rotation member and the rotation axis. The rotating member is rotatably supported on the base member via a bearing,
The output gear extends vertically,
The rotation mechanism according to claim 2 , wherein a portion of the bearing is disposed below an upper end of the output gear and above a lower end of the output gear. the input gear is disposed below an upper end of the output gear and above a lower end of the output gear,
The rotation mechanism according to claim 6 , wherein a portion of the bearing is disposed below an upper end of the input gear and above a lower end of the input gear. The bearing includes an annular retainer and a plurality of balls held by the retainer,
The retainer is disposed about the axis of rotation,
The rotation mechanism according to claim 6 , wherein, in a plan view, the output gear is disposed inside the retainer, and the pair of slide rails are disposed outside the retainer. The output gear is provided on an output shaft of the actuator,
2. The rotation mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the output shaft extends vertically and passes through the mounting member. The rotation mechanism according to claim 9 , wherein the output gear is disposed at a position overlapping the mounting member in a plan view.

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