JP7684587B2 - Seat Rotation Device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a seat rotation device that allows a seat to be rotated on a base member.

A seat rotation device that rotatably supports a vehicle seat is known from Patent Document 1.

JP 2010-173491 A

In such a seat rotation device, it is desirable that there be no rattle when the seat is in a stationary, locked state, and in the seat rotation device disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, the rattle prevention function works even when the seat is rotated, so the force required to rotate the seat is greater than necessary.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and has an object to provide a seat rotation device that can contribute to compactness in the height direction .

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a seat rotation device that enables a seat to be rotated on a base member, the seat rotation device comprising: a support member fixed to the base member; an annular rotating member that supports a seat frame and is arranged on one of the outer and inner sides of the support member; a ball that supports the annular rotating member rotatably about a vertical axis above the base member; and a locking member that can operate between a locked position where it engages with the support member to prevent rotation of the annular rotating member and an unlocked position where it is disengaged from the support member to allow rotation of the annular rotating member, the locking member having an engaging arm that engages with a through hole formed in each of the support member and the annular rotating member and is switchable between a locked position where it restricts the rotation of the annular rotating member relative to the support member and an unlocked position where it disengages from the through hole, the base member having a portion that is bent downward and extends radially, the portion being arranged at a height position where it overlaps with the slide rail in the vertical direction .

In addition to the configuration of the first characteristic, the present invention has a second characteristic in that the inner end of the annular rotating member is radially inward from the tip end of the engagement arm portion in the locked position.

In addition to the configuration of the first or second characteristic, the present invention has a third characteristic that, in the locked position, the tip of the engagement arm is inserted into the through hole formed in each of the support member and the annular rotating member, the ball is positioned below the tip of the engagement arm inserted into the through hole, and the ball is positioned above the lower end of the slide rail .

The present invention has a fourth feature in that, in addition to any one of the configurations of the first to third features , a portion of the annular rotating member is positioned lower than the tip of the engagement arm in the locked position .

A fifth feature of the present invention is that, in addition to any of the configurations of the first to fourth features, the support member has a downwardly recessed portion formed by raising the inner and outer ends of a radially extending flat portion, and a rivet for fixing the base member and the support member is disposed within the recess .

A sixth feature of the present invention is that, in addition to any of the configurations of the first to fifth features, a rattle suppression member is provided to prevent the seat from rattling when the seat does not rotate and to make the seat easier to rotate when the seat rotates, and the rattle suppression member is provided radially outward from the ball .

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which the seat frame of the first embodiment is placed on a seat rotating device. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a part of a seat rotating device. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 in FIG. 2. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state where a support member is omitted from FIG. 2 . 5A is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5-5 in FIG. 3, comparing a state in which the locking member is in a locked position (FIG. 5A) with a state in which the locking member is in an unlocked position (FIG. 5B). 6A is a cross-sectional view taken along line 6-6 in FIG. 3, comparing a state in which the lock member is in a locked position (a) with a state in which the lock member is in an unlocked position (b). FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 3 of the second embodiment. 8 is a cross-sectional plan view of the seat rotation device according to the third embodiment in a locked state, taken along line 8-8 in FIG. 9 . 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 9-9 in FIG. 8. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 10-10 in FIG. 9. 1 is a perspective view showing the vicinity of a locking member and a rattle suppressing member with the support member omitted; FIG. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional plan view corresponding to FIG. 8 in an unlocked state. This is a cross-sectional view taken along line 13-13 in Figure 12. 7A is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 5 , showing a state in which the lock member of the fourth embodiment is in a locked position, and a state in which the lock member is in an unlocked position, in contrast to FIG. 5A . 7A is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 5, illustrating a lock member of a fifth embodiment in a locked position (a) and in an unlocked position (b) for comparison;

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the attached drawings.

The first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 6. First, in Fig. 1, the seat 11 is a vehicle seat mounted on a vehicle, and its seat frame 12 is disposed on a first base member 16 that can slide in the front-rear direction of the vehicle by a pair of left and right slide rails 13 provided on the floor surface of the vehicle. The seat frame 12 includes a seat cushion frame 12a that is disposed above the first base member 16 so as to support the seat cushion 11a of the seat 11, and a seat back frame 12b that is connected to the seat cushion frame 12a via a support shaft 14 so as to support the seat back 11b that is disposed above the seat cushion 11a.

2 to 4, the seat frame 12 is supported on the first base member 16, which is supported by the slide rail 13 so as to be slidable in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, via a first seat rotation device 15 according to the present invention so as to be rotatable about a vertical axis. The first seat rotation device 15 includes a first support member 17 fixed to the first base member 16, and a first support member 17 that supports the seat frame 12 and is fixed to one of the outer and inner sides of the first support member 17 (the outer side in this embodiment). and a first annular rotating member 18 that is rotatably supported on the first base member 16; a first locking member 19 that is supported on the first annular rotating member 18 so as to switch between a locked state and an unlocked state of the first annular rotating member 18 relative to the first support member 17; and a first rattle suppressing member 20 that is arranged between the first support member 17 and the first annular rotating member 18 and is formed in an annular shape so as to be linked to the operation of the first locking member 19.

The first support member 17 has an annular first bottom wall portion 17a that abuts on the first base member 16, a tapered first side wall portion 17b that is formed so that its diameter increases slightly toward the top and that rises upward from the outer periphery of the first bottom wall portion 17a, an annular first flat wall portion 17c that protrudes radially outward from the upper end of the first side wall portion 17b, and a cylindrical second side wall portion 17d that rises upward from the outer periphery of the first flat wall portion 17c, and the first bottom wall portion 17a is connected to the first base member 16 at multiple circumferential points with rivets 21.

The first annular rotating member 18 has a second bottom wall portion 18a formed in an annular shape below the first flat wall portion 17c of the first support member 17, a cylindrical third side wall portion 18b rising from the outer periphery of the second bottom wall portion 18a so as to be positioned radially outward of the second side wall portion 17d of the first support member 17, and a first flange portion 18c projecting outward from the upper end portion of the third side wall portion 18b. The third side wall portion 18b is formed so that its upper end portion is higher than the upper end portion of the second side wall portion 17d.

A bearing 22 is interposed between the second bottom wall portion 18a of the first annular rotating member 18 and the first base member 16. The bearing 22 is formed by holding balls 24 at multiple locations in the circumferential direction of an annular retainer 23, and the second bottom wall portion 18a and the first base member 16 are formed with ball holding recesses 25, 26 that rotatably accommodate and hold a portion of the ball 24.

The first rattle suppression member 20 is arranged between the first support member 17 and the first annular rotating member 18 while being formed in an annular shape so as to be able to rotate about an axis coaxial with the first annular rotating member 18. The first rattle suppression member 20 is integrally formed with an annular third bottom wall portion 20a arranged between the first flat wall portion 17c of the first support member 17 and the second bottom wall portion 18a of the first annular rotating member 18, and a cylindrical fourth side wall portion 20b rising upward from the outer periphery of the third bottom wall portion 20a so as to be arranged between the second side wall portion 17d of the first support member 17 and the third side wall portion 18b of the first annular rotating member 18, and is formed so as to have a substantially L-shaped cross-sectional shape. Moreover, the height of the fourth side wall portion 20b is set so that the upper end of the fourth side wall portion 20b is lower than the upper end of the second side wall portion 17d of the first support member 17 and the upper end of the third side wall portion 18b of the first annular rotating member 18.

Referring also to FIG. 5, the first locking member 19 is supported by the first flange 18c of the first annular rotating member 18 and can be operated between a locked position in which it engages with the second side wall portion 17d of the first support member 17 to prevent rotation of the first annular rotating member 18 as shown in FIG. 5(a) and an unlocked position in which it disengages from the second side wall portion 17d of the first support member 17 to allow rotation of the first annular rotating member 18 as shown in FIG. 5(b), and is rotatably supported by the first flange 18c via a shaft 27 having a vertical axis.

The first locking member 19 is integrally formed with a connecting arm 19a, and the first locking member 19 is connected to the first rattle suppressing member 20 by inserting the tip of the connecting arm 19a into a connecting hole 30 formed in the first rattle suppressing member 20. This connecting arm 19a is inserted into an insertion hole 31 formed in the third side wall 18b of the first annular rotating member 18, and as shown in FIG. 5(b), when the first locking member 19 is in the unlocked position, it is connected to the connecting hole 30, and a pressing force in the rotation direction is applied to the first rattle suppressing member 20 from the connecting arm 19a.

The first locking member 19 is integrally formed with an engaging arm 19b that engages with the third side wall 18b of the first annular rotating member 18 and the second side wall 17d of the first support member 17 in the locked position, but disengages from the second side wall 17d of the first support member 17 in the unlocked position, and this engaging arm 19b and the connecting arm 19a are positioned at positions spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction of the first annular rotating member 18.

A torsion spring 32 that surrounds the shaft 27 is provided between the first annular rotating member 18 and the first locking member 19, and the spring force exerted by this torsion spring 32 urges the first locking member 19 to rotate toward the lock position.

A first through hole 33 through which the engaging arm 19b is inserted is formed in the upper part of the third side wall portion 18b of the first annular rotating member 18. The tip of the engaging arm 19b inserted into this first through hole 33 is located above the fourth side wall portion 20b of the first rattle suppressing member 20, and when the first locking member 19 is in the locked position as shown in FIG. 5(a), the tip of the engaging arm 19b inserted into the first through hole 33 and operating to straddle the fourth side wall portion 20b of the first rattle suppressing member 20 is inserted into a second through hole 34 formed in the upper part of the second side wall portion 17d of the first support member 17.

Moreover, the widths W1, W2 of the first and second through holes 33, 34 along the circumferential direction of the first annular rotating member 18 are set so that gaps d1, d2 are generated along the circumferential direction between the engaging arms 19b inserted into those through holes 33, 34.

Referring also to FIG. 6, the first rattle suppressing member 20 is in close contact with both the first support member 17 and the first annular rotating member 18 when the first locking member 19 is in the locked position, but is interlocked and connected to the first locking member 19 so that a gap is created between the first support member 17 and the first annular rotating member 18 when the first locking member 19 is in the unlocked position. First and second wedge-shaped protrusions 35, 37 are formed on one side of the first rattle suppressing member 20 and the first annular rotating member 18, and first and second recesses 36, 38 that accommodate parts of the first and second protrusions 35, 37 are formed on the other side of the first rattle suppressing member 20 and the first annular rotating member 18 so that the first and second protrusions 35, 37 can be fitted into them.

In this first embodiment, in order to enable the first locking member 19 to come into close contact with both the first support member 17 and the first annular rotating member 18 in the radial direction of the first annular rotating member 18 when in the locked position, an elastic arm portion 39 is formed on the fourth side wall portion 20b of the first rattle suppression member 20 so as to extend long in the circumferential direction of the fourth side wall portion 20b, a first protrusion 35 is formed at the tip of the elastic arm portion 39, and a first recess 36 is formed on the fourth side wall portion 20b of the first annular rotating member 18.

The first protrusion 35 is formed in a wedge shape with a first protrusion side slope 35a that gradually decreases in height as it progresses in the movement direction 40 of the first rattle suppression member 20 in response to the operation of the first locking member 19 from the unlocked position to the locked position, and the first recess 36 that allows the first protrusion 35 to fit is formed in a triangular shape that has a first recess side slope 36a that faces the first protrusion side slope 35a and accommodates a part of the first protrusion 35.

In addition, in order to enable the first locking member 19 to come into close contact with both the first support member 17 and the first annular rotating member 18 in the axial direction of the first annular rotating member 18 when in the locked position, a second protrusion 37 is formed on the second bottom wall portion 18a of the first annular rotating member 18, and a second recess 38 is formed on the third bottom wall portion 20a of the first annular rotating member 18.

The second protrusion 37 is formed in a wedge shape with a second protrusion side slope 37a that gradually decreases in height as it advances in the movement direction 40 of the first rattle suppression member 20 in response to the operation of the first locking member 19 from the unlocked position to the locked position, and the second recess 38 that allows the second protrusion 37 to be fitted is formed to accommodate a part of the second protrusion 37 while having a second recess side slope 38a that faces the second protrusion side slope 37a.

When the first locking member 19 is in the locked position, as shown in Figs. 5(a) and 6(a), the first and second protrusion side slopes 35a, 37a of the first and second protrusions 35, 37 come into close contact with the first and second recess side slopes 36a, 38a of the first and second recesses 36, 38, so that the first rattle suppressing member 20 comes into close contact with the first annular rotating member 18 and the first support member 17, and the first rattle suppressing member 20 comes into close contact with both the first support member 17 and the first annular rotating member 18 in the radial and axial directions of the first annular rotating member 18 when the first locking member 19 is in the locked position.

When the first locking member 19 is in the unlocked position, as shown in Figures 5(b) and 6(b), the first rattle suppression member 20 moves to the side where the first and second protrusion side slopes 35a, 37a of the first and second protrusions 35, 37 move away from the first and second recess side slopes 36a, 38a of the first and second recesses 36, 38, and the rattle prevention state is released.

Moreover, the first and second protrusions 35, 37 and the first and second recesses 36, 38 are arranged at multiple locations spaced apart in the circumferential direction of the first annular rotating member 18.

In addition, first biasing members 41 are formed in a substantially U-shape so as to bias the first rattle suppression member 20 toward the side where the first and second protrusions 35, 37 are fitted into the first and second recesses 36, 38, and are arranged at multiple locations along the circumferential direction of the first annular rotating member 18, for example, between the third side wall portion 18b of the first annular rotating member 18 and the fourth side wall portion 20b of the first rattle suppression member 20.

Next, the operation of this first embodiment will be described. The first seat rotation device 15 comprises a first support member 17 fixed to a first base member 16, a first annular rotating member 18 that supports the seat frame 12 and is disposed on one of the outer and inner sides (the outer side in this embodiment) of the first support member 17 and is rotatably supported by the first base member 16, a first locking member 19 supported by the first annular rotating member 18 while enabling operation between a locked position in which the first support member 17 is engaged to prevent rotation of the first annular rotating member 18 and an unlocked position in which the first support member 17 is disengaged to allow rotation of the first annular rotating member 18, and a first locking member 19 that is disposed between the first support member 17 and the first annular rotating member 18 and when the first locking member 19 is in the locked position, The seat 11 includes a first rattle suppressing member 20 that is interlocked and connected to the first locking member 19 so as to be in close contact with both the first support member 17 and the first annular rotating member 18, but to have a gap between the first support member 17 and the first annular rotating member 18 when the first locking member 19 is in the unlocked position. When the first locking member 19 is in the locked position, the first rattle suppressing member 20 is in close contact with both the first support member 17 and the first annular rotating member 18, and when the first locking member 19 is in the unlocked position, a gap is created between the first support member 17 and the first annular rotating member 18. This prevents rattle when the seat 11 is stationary and makes it easier to rotate the seat 11 when it is rotated.

The first rattle suppression member 20 is arranged between the first support member 17 and the first annular rotating member 18 while being formed in an annular shape so as to be able to rotate about an axis that is coaxial with the first annular rotating member 18, and the first locking member 19 is rotatably supported by the first annular rotating member 18. A connecting arm 19a that is connected to the first rattle suppression member 20 is integrally formed with the first locking member 19. This allows the first rattle suppression member 20 to be linked to the operation of the first locking member 19 with a simple structure.

In addition, the engaging arm 19b, which engages with the first annular rotating member 18 and the first support member 17 in the locked position but disengages from the first support member 17 in the unlocked position, is formed integrally with the first locking member 19 at a position spaced apart from the connecting arm 19a in the circumferential direction of the first annular rotating member 18. This allows the mechanism for locking the first annular rotating member 18 and the mechanism for linking the first rattle suppression member 20 to the first locking member 19 to be compactly arranged while avoiding an increase in size in the direction along the rotation axis of the first annular rotating member 18.

In addition, on one of the first rattle suppression member 20 and the first annular rotating member 18, first and second wedge-shaped protrusions 35, 37 having first and second protrusion-side slopes 35a, 37a whose height gradually decreases as the first rattle suppression member 20 moves in the direction of movement of the first rattle suppression member 20 in response to the operation of the first locking member 19 from the unlocked position to the locked position are formed, and on the other of the first rattle suppression member 20 and the first annular rotating member 18, the first and second protrusions 35, 37a are formed. The first and second recesses 36, 38, which have first and second recess side slopes 36a, 38a facing the protrusion side slopes 35a, 37a and accommodate parts of the first and second protrusions 35, 37, are formed to allow the first and second protrusions 35, 37 to fit together, so that when the first locking member 19 is actuated from the locked position to the unlocked position, the first and second protrusions 35, 37 and the first and second recesses 36, 38 can be easily disengaged from each other.

The first rattle suppression member 20 is biased by the first biasing member 41 toward the side where the first and second protrusions 35, 37 are fitted into the first and second recesses 26, 38, so that the first and second protrusions 35, 37 can be more tightly maintained in the locked state to the first and second recesses 36, 38, and rattle occurrence can be more reliably suppressed.

In addition, first and second through holes 33, 34, through which the engaging arm 19b is inserted in the locked position, are formed in the first annular rotating member 18 and the first support member 17, respectively, and widths W1, w2 of the first and second through holes 33, 34 along the circumferential direction of the first annular rotating member 18 are set so that gaps d1, d2 are generated along the circumferential direction between the engaging arm 19b inserted into those through holes 33, 34. Therefore, in the locked state, rattle is suppressed by the first and second protrusions 35, 37 being fitted into the first and second recesses 36, 38, and no rattle is generated between the engaging arm 19b and the first annular rotating member 18 and the first support member 17. This makes it possible to set dimensional tolerances between the engaging arm 19b and the first and second through holes 33, 34 more loosely, which facilitates production and assembly and contributes to cost reduction.

The first and second protrusions 35, 37 and the first and second recesses 36, 38 are arranged at multiple locations spaced apart in the circumferential direction of the first annular rotating member 18, so that the first and second protrusions 35, 37 engage with the first and second recesses 36, 38 at multiple locations spaced apart in the circumferential direction of the first annular rotating member 18, and the engagement load is dispersed in the circumferential direction, avoiding concentration at one location.

In addition, the first rattle suppression member 20 is arranged between the first support member 17 and the first annular rotating member 18, enabling it to come into close contact with both the first support member 17 and the first annular rotating member 18 in the radial and axial directions of the first annular rotating member 18 when the first locking member 19 is in the locked position, thereby suppressing rattle of the first annular rotating member 18 in the radial, circumferential and axial directions.

Furthermore, since the seat 11 is a vehicle seat that has a seat cushion 11a and a seat back 11b that is disposed above the seat cushion 11a and is slidably supported by a pair of slide rails 13 that are provided on the floor surface of the vehicle, the present invention can be effectively applied as a rotation device for a vehicle seat.

The second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 7. The parts corresponding to those in the first embodiment are simply shown with the same reference numerals, and detailed descriptions are omitted.

The second seat rotation device 45 includes a second support member 47 fixed to a second base member 46, a second annular rotating member 48 arranged on the outside of the second support member 47 and rotatably supported on the second base member 46, a first locking member 19 (see the first embodiment) supported by the second annular rotating member 48 to switch between a locked state and an unlocked state of the second annular rotating member 48 relative to the second support member 47, and a first rattle suppressing member 20 arranged between the second support member 47 and the second annular rotating member 48 in an annular shape in conjunction with the operation of the first locking member 19.

The second base member 46 has a fourth bottom wall portion 46a that is annular, a first tapered portion 46b that is connected to the outer periphery of the fourth bottom wall portion 46a and that increases in diameter as it goes upward, and a second flange portion 46c that protrudes outward from the upper end of the first tapered portion 46b, and the second flange portion 46c is slidably supported on the slide rail 13.

The second support member 47 has an annular fifth bottom wall portion 47a that abuts on the fourth bottom wall portion 46a of the second base member 46, a second tapered portion 47b that rises upward from the outer periphery of the fifth bottom wall portion 47a and is disposed above the first tapered portion 46b so that the diameter increases toward the top, an annular second flat wall portion 47c that protrudes radially outward from the upper end of the second tapered portion 47b, and a cylindrical fifth side wall portion 47d that rises upward from the outer periphery of the second flat wall portion 47c. The fifth bottom wall portion 47a is connected to the fourth bottom wall portion 46a of the second base member 46 at multiple circumferential locations with rivets 51.

The second annular rotating member 48 is integrally formed with a third tapered portion 48a disposed between the first tapered portion 46b of the second base member 46 and the second tapered portion 47b of the second support member 47 and formed so as to have a larger diameter as it goes upward, a third flat wall portion 48b extending radially outward from the upper end of the third tapered portion 48a and disposed between the second flange portion 46c of the second base member 46 and the second flat wall portion 47c of the second support member 47, a cylindrical sixth side wall portion 48c rising from the outer periphery of the third flat wall portion 48b, and a third flange portion 48d extending outward from the upper end of the sixth side wall portion 48c.

The first rattle suppression member 20 is arranged between the second support member 47 and the second annular rotating member 48 while being formed in an annular shape so as to be able to rotate around an axis coaxial with the second annular rotating member 48. The first rattle suppression member 20 is integrally formed with an annular third bottom wall portion 20a arranged between the second flat wall portion 47c of the second support member 47 and the third flat wall portion 48b of the second annular rotating member 48, and a cylindrical fourth side wall portion 20b rising upward from the outer periphery of the third bottom wall portion 20a so as to be arranged between the fifth side wall portion 47d of the second support member 47 and the sixth side wall portion 48c of the second annular rotating member 48, and is formed so as to have a substantially L-shaped cross-sectional shape.

A first annular bearing member 52 is interposed between the second base member 46 and the second annular rotating member 48, and a second annular bearing member 53 is interposed between the second support member 47 and the second annular rotating member 48.

The first and second bearing members 52, 53 are formed into an annular shape from a low-friction material. The first bearing member 52 is interposed between the first tapered portion 46b and the second flange portion 46c of the second base member 46 and the third tapered portion 48a and the third flat wall portion 48b of the second annular rotating member 48, and is formed to have a curved cross-sectional shape corresponding to the curved shapes of the first tapered portion 46b and the second flange portion 46c and the third tapered portion 48a and the third flat wall portion 48b.

The second bearing member 53 is interposed between the second tapered portion 47b and the second flat wall portion 47c of the second support member 47 and the third tapered portion 48a and the third flat wall portion 48b of the second annular rotating member 48, and is formed to have a curved cross-sectional shape corresponding to the curved shapes of the second tapered portion 47b and the fourth flat wall portion 47c and the third tapered portion 48a and the third flat wall portion 48b.

According to this second embodiment, it is possible to further reduce the sliding resistance during rotation of the second annular rotating member 48, and because the first and second bearing members 52, 53 are planar, the second seat rotation device 45 can be made smaller in height, and the first and second bearing members 52, 53 can be easily positioned.

The third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 8 to 13. First, in Figures 8 to 10, a third seat rotation device 55 according to the present invention is disposed on a third base member 56 supported by slide rails 13 so as to be slidable in the vehicle longitudinal direction. The third seat rotation device 55 includes a third support member 57 fixed to the third base member 56 and a seat frame 12 (see the first embodiment) that supports the seat frame 12 and is fixed to one of the outer and inner sides of the third support member 57 (see the third embodiment). The third annular rotating member 58 is disposed on the third base member 56 (outside the third base member 56) and rotatably supported by the third base member 56; a second locking member 59 is supported by the third annular rotating member 58 so as to switch between a locked state and an unlocked state of the third annular rotating member 58 relative to the third support member 57; and a second annular rattle suppressing member 60 is disposed between the third support member 57 and the third annular rotating member 58 and can be linked to the operation of the second locking member 59.

The third base member 56 has a ring-shaped sixth bottom wall portion 56a, a ring-shaped seventh bottom wall portion 56b that is connected to the outer periphery of the sixth bottom wall portion 56a with a step and is positioned lower than the sixth bottom wall portion 56a, a cylindrical seventh side wall portion 56c that rises upward from the outer periphery of the seventh bottom wall portion 56b, and a fourth flange portion 56d that protrudes outward from the upper end portion of the seventh side wall portion 56c, and the fourth flange portion 56d is supported slidably on the slide rail 13 .

The third support member 57 includes an annular eighth bottom wall portion 57a whose inner periphery abuts on the sixth bottom wall portion 56a of the third base member 56, a fourth tapered portion 57b formed to have a larger diameter toward the top and connected to the outer periphery of the eighth bottom wall portion 57a, a cylindrical eighth side wall portion 57c rising upward from the upper end of the fourth tapered portion 57b, an annular fourth flat wall portion 57d protruding radially outward from the upper end of the eighth side wall portion 57c, and a fourth flat wall portion 57d formed to have a larger diameter toward the bottom. The eighth bottom wall portion 57a has a fifth tapered portion 57e formed to have a diameter of 1 mm and connected to the outer periphery of the fourth flat wall portion 57d, a ring-shaped fifth flat wall portion 57f extending radially outward from the lower end of the fifth tapered portion 57e, and a fifth flange portion 57g connected to the outer periphery of the fifth flat wall portion 57f with a step and extending outward above the fifth flat wall portion 57f, and the eighth bottom wall portion 57a is joined to the sixth bottom wall portion 56a of the third base member 56 at multiple circumferential points with rivets 61 .

The third annular rotating member 58 is formed to have a sixth tapered portion 58a that is formed to have a larger diameter as it goes upward and is disposed below the fourth tapered portion 57b of the third support member 57, a cylindrical ninth side wall portion 58b that rises upward from the upper end of the sixth tapered portion 58a and is disposed outside the eighth side wall portion 57c, an annular sixth flat wall portion 58c that protrudes radially outward from the upper end of the ninth side wall portion 58b, a seventh tapered portion 58d that is formed to have a larger diameter as it goes upward and is connected to the outer periphery of the sixth flat wall portion 58c, and a sixth flange portion 58e that protrudes outward from the upper end of the seventh tapered portion 58d.

A bearing 62 is interposed between the sixth tapered portion 58a of the third annular rotating member 58 and the seventh bottom wall portion 56b and the seventh side wall portion 56c of the third base member 56, and this bearing 62 is formed by holding balls 64 at multiple points in the circumferential direction of an annular retainer 63 .

Referring also to FIG. 11, the second rattle suppression member 60 moves from the locked position to the unlocked position by being pushed by a first push member 66 that is formed in an annular shape so as to rotate in response to the operation of the second lock member 59, and the first push member 66 is slidably placed on the fifth flat wall portion 58c of the third annular rotating member 58.

The first pushing member 66 is formed to have an annular ninth bottom wall portion 66a disposed on the fifth flat wall portion 58c, a cylindrical inner wall portion 66b rising upward from the inner periphery of the ninth bottom wall portion 66a while facing the eighth side wall portion 57c of the third support member 57 from the outside, and a tapered outer wall portion 66c rising upward from the outer periphery of the ninth bottom wall portion 66a so as to have a larger diameter as it goes upward, and the outer wall portion 66c is slidably abutted against the seventh tapered portion 58d of the third annular rotating member 58.

The first push-out member 66 has circumferentially long, slot-shaped openings 67 formed at multiple locations spaced apart in the circumferential direction of the ninth bottom wall portion 66a, and reinforcing ribs 66d connecting the inner wall portion 66b and the outer wall portion 66c are provided at multiple locations spaced apart in the circumferential direction of the ninth bottom wall portion 66a in the areas where these openings 67 are not located.

In addition, a pressing protrusion 66e that protrudes inward from the outer wall portion 66c is provided on the ninth bottom wall portion 66a outside the portion corresponding to the longitudinal middle portion of the opening 67.

The second locking member 59 is disposed below the sixth flat wall portion 58c of the third annular rotating member 58, and is supported by the sixth flat wall portion 58c so as to be operable between a locked position in which it engages with the eighth side wall portion 57c of the third support member 57 to prevent rotation of the third annular rotating member 58 as shown in Figures 9 and 10, and an unlocked position in which it disengages from the eighth side wall portion 57c to allow rotation of the third annular rotating member 58 as shown in Figure 12.

The second locking member 59 is rotatably supported on the sixth flat wall portion 58c via a shaft 68 having a vertical axis, and this shaft 68 is fixed to the second locking member 59 and penetrates the sixth flat wall portion 58c so as to be positioned within the opening 67 on one circumferential side of the pressing protrusion 66e provided on the third annular rotating member 58, and is rotatably supported on the sixth flat wall portion 58c.

The second locking member 59 has an engagement arm 59a formed in a substantially L-shape so as to engage with the ninth side wall portion 58b of the third annular rotating member 58 and the eighth side wall portion 57c of the third support member 57 in the locked position, but disengage from the ninth side wall portion 58b and the eighth side wall portion 57c in the unlocked position, and the shaft 68 is fixed to the base end of this engagement arm 59a.

A third through hole 69 is formed in the ninth side wall portion 58b , through which the engaging arm portion 59a is inserted when the second locking member 59 is in the locked position, and a fourth through hole 70 is formed in the eighth side wall portion 57c, through which the tip portion of the engaging arm portion 59a inserted into the third through hole 69 is inserted and engaged when the second locking member 59 is in the locked position .

The second locking member 59 has an operating arm 59b that extends outward in a straight line from the base end of the engagement arm 59a and whose tip protrudes outward beyond the sixth flange 58e of the third annular rotating member 58. By operating the tip of this operating arm 59b, the second locking member 59 can be rotated between the locked position and the unlocked position.

A spiral spring 71 for urging the second locking member 59 to rotate toward the locked position is provided between the third annular rotating member 58 and the second locking member 59. The spiral spring 71 is accommodated in the first pushing member 66 so as to surround the shaft 68, one end of the spiral spring 71 is engaged with the shaft 68, and the other end of the spiral spring 71 is engaged with a pin 77 implanted in the sixth flat wall portion 58c of the third annular rotating member 58.

At a position circumferentially adjacent to the pressing protrusion 66e of the outer wall portion 66c of the first pushing member 66, a pressure receiving arm portion 66f is integrally provided which is pressed by the operating arm portion 59b of the second locking member 59 when the second locking member 59 rotates from the locked position to the unlocked position, and this pressure receiving arm portion 66f passes through a long hole 72 provided in the sixth flange portion 58e of the third annular rotating member 58 and extends downward to a position where it abuts against the operating arm portion 59b. The long hole 72 is formed to have a length that allows the operation of the pressure receiving arm portion 66f when the second locking member 59 rotates between the locked position and the unlocked position. In addition, a substantially U-shaped second biasing member 73 is provided between the first pushing member 66 and the third annular rotating member 58 to bias the first pushing member 66 toward the side where the pressure-receiving arm 66f abuts against the operating arm 59b of the second locking member 59, and this second biasing member 73 is disposed within the opening 67 between the pressing protrusion 66e and the shaft 68.

The second rattle suppression member 60 is disposed within the first push-out member 66 at a position where the pressing protrusion 66e is sandwiched between the second locking member 59 in the circumferential direction of the first push-out member 66, and at a position corresponding to the second rattle suppression member 60, the third annular rotating member 58 is provided with a protrusion 74 that protrudes upward through the opening 67 of the first push-out member 66, and this protrusion 74 is formed in a triangular shape with an inclined surface 74a that faces the fifth tapered portion 57e of the third support member 57 in parallel from the inside.

The second rattle suppression member 60 has a pressure receiving portion 60a that is in sliding contact with the ninth bottom wall portion 66a of the first push-out member 66 outside the opening 67 and is in sliding contact with the sixth flat wall portion 58c of the third annular rotating member 58 inside the opening 67 and abuts against the pressing protrusion 66e from the opposite side to the second locking member 59, and a wedge portion 60b that extends obliquely upward from the pressure receiving portion 60a, inclining so as to be in a radially inner position of the first push-out member 66 as it moves upward. The wedge portion 60b is disposed between the fifth tapered portion 57e of the third support member 57 and the protrusion 74 of the third annular rotating member 58.

The first surface 60ba of the wedge portion 60b facing the fifth tapered portion 57e is formed as a slightly curved surface so that its entire surface can be abutted against the fifth tapered portion 57e, while the second surface 60bb of the wedge portion 60b facing the inclined surface 74a of the protrusion 74 is formed with an inclination so that the distance between the second surface 60bb and the first surface 60ba decreases as it approaches the pressing protrusion 66e, and the wedge portion 60 is formed so that its cross-sectional shape is wedge-shaped.

A third biasing member 75 having a substantially U-shape is provided between the second rattle prevention member 60 and the third annular rotating member 58 to bias the second rattle suppression member 60 in the direction that presses the pressure receiving portion 60a against the pressing protrusion 66e. This third biasing member 75 is disposed within the opening 67 on the opposite side of the pressing protrusion 66e from the second biasing member 73.

When the second locking member 59 is in the locked position, as shown in FIG. 8, the second rattle suppressing member 60 is in a position where the second surface 60bb of the wedge portion 60b is in contact with the inclined surface 74a of the protrusion 74 at the thicker portion, and the second rattle suppressing member 60 is in close contact with the inclined surface 74a of the protrusion 74 of the third annular rotating member 58 and the fifth tapered portion 57e of the third support member 57.

When the second locking member 59 is in the unlocked position, as shown in FIG. 12, the second locking member 59 is pressed by the pressing protrusion 66e of the first pushing member 66, and the second rattle suppressing member 60 moves while compressing the third biasing member 75, and the second rattle suppressing member 60 is in a position where the second surface 60bb contacts the inclined surface 74a of the protrusion 74 at the thin part of the wedge portion 60b, and as shown in FIG. 13, a gap is generated between the fifth tapered portion 57e of the third support member 57 and the wedge portion 60b, and the rattle prevention state is released.

As with the first and second embodiments, this third embodiment can prevent rattling of the seat 11 (see the first embodiment) when it is stationary and facilitates rotation of the seat 11 when it is rotated. Moreover, compared to the first and second embodiments, the second locking member 59 does not have a connecting arm for connecting to the second rattle suppressing member 60, and it is not necessary to provide a through hole for inserting the connecting arm in the ninth side wall portion 58b of the third annular rotating member 58. This reduces the height of the ninth side wall portion 58b, which contributes to making the third seat rotation device 55 more compact in the height direction.

Figure 14 shows a fourth embodiment of the present invention, and parts corresponding to those in the first embodiment are shown with the same reference numerals, and detailed explanations are omitted.

A ring-shaped second push-out member 79 is disposed between the cylindrical second side wall portion 17d of the first support member 17 and the cylindrical third side wall portion 18b of the first annular rotating member 18. This second push-out member 79 has accommodation holes 81 extending circumferentially of the second push-out member 79 at multiple locations spaced apart in the circumferential direction, and a third rattle suppression member 82 interposed between the second side wall portion 17d and the third side wall portion 18b is accommodated in the accommodation holes 81.

On the other hand, a first locking member 19 is rotatably supported on the first annular rotating member 18, and this first locking member 19 is capable of rotating between a locked position in which it engages with the second side wall portion 17d of the first support member 17 to prevent rotation of the first annular rotating member 18 as shown in FIG. 14(a) and an unlocked position in which it disengages from the second side wall portion 17d of the first support member 17 to allow rotation of the first annular rotating member 18 as shown in FIG. 14(b).

The connecting arm 19a of the first locking member 19 is inserted into the insertion hole 31 formed in the third side wall 18b of the first annular rotating member 18, and the tip of the connecting arm 19a can be inserted into the connecting hole 80 formed in the second pushing member 79, and the first locking member 19 is connected to the second pushing member 79 by inserting the tip of the connecting arm 19a into the connecting hole 80. As shown in FIG. 14(b), when the first locking member 19 is in the unlocked position, the connecting arm 19a is connected to the connecting hole 80, and a pressing force in the rotation direction is applied to the second pushing member 79 from the connecting arm 19a.

The engagement arm 19b of the first locking member 19 engages with the first through hole 33 formed in the third side wall portion 18b of the first annular rotating member 18 and the second through hole 344 in the second side wall portion 17d of the first support member 17 in the locked position shown in FIG. 14(a), but disengages from the second through hole 34 and releases the engagement with the first support member 17 in the unlocked position shown in FIG. 14(b). Between the locked position and the unlocked position, the engagement arm 19b operates to straddle the second push-out member 79.

The third side wall portion 18b of the first annular rotating member 18 is formed with a first recess 36 that accommodates a portion of the third rattle suppression member 82 and allows the third rattle suppression member 82 to be fitted into it.

The third rattle suppression member 82 is formed in a wedge shape with a slope 82a that gradually decreases in height as it advances in the movement direction 83 of the second push-out member 79 in response to the operation of the first locking member 19 from the unlocked position to the locked position, and the first recess 36 that allows the third rattle suppression member 82 to be fitted is formed in a triangular shape that has a first recess side slope 36a that faces the slope 82a and accommodates a part of the third rattle suppression member 82.

A coil spring 84 is compressed between the front end of the accommodating hole 81 formed in the second push-out member 79 along the moving direction 83 and the third rattle suppression member 82, and the third rattle suppression member 82 is biased in the direction opposite to the moving direction 83.

When the first locking member 19 is in the locked position, as shown in FIG. 14(a), the inclined surface 82a of the third rattle suppressing member 82 comes into close contact with the first recess side inclined surface 36a of the first recess 36, so that the first rattle suppressing member 20 comes into close contact with the first annular rotating member 18 and the first support member 17, thereby preventing rattle of the first annular rotating member 18.

When the first locking member 19 is in the unlocked position, as shown in FIG. 14(b), the rear end of the longitudinal end of the accommodation hole 81 along the moving direction 83 comes into contact with the third rattle suppressing member 82, and the third rattle suppressing member 82 is pushed in the moving direction 83 against the biasing force of the coil spring 84, and the third rattle suppressing member 82 moves to the side where the inclined surface 82a of the third rattle suppressing member 82 moves away from the first recess side inclined surface 36a, and the rattle prevention state is released.

As with the first to third embodiments, this fourth embodiment can prevent the seat 11 (see the first embodiment) from wobbling when stationary and facilitates rotation of the seat 11 when it is rotated.

Figure 15 shows a fourth embodiment of the present invention, and parts corresponding to those in the fourth embodiment are simply shown with the same reference numerals, and detailed explanations are omitted.

The annular rattle suppression member main part 90a of the fourth rattle suppression member 90 is disposed between the cylindrical second side wall part 17d of the first support member 17 and the cylindrical third side wall part 18b of the first annular rotating member 18.

The connecting arm 19a of the first locking member 19 is inserted into the insertion hole 31 formed in the third side wall portion 18b of the first annular rotating member 18, and the tip of the connecting arm 19a can be inserted into the connecting hole 91 formed in the rattle suppression member main portion 90a of the fourth rattle suppression member 90. By inserting the tip of the connecting arm 19a into the connecting hole 91, the first locking member 19 is connected to the fourth rattle suppression member 90. As shown in FIG. 15(b), this connecting arm 19a is connected to the connecting hole 91 when the first locking member 19 is in the unlocked position, and a pressing force in the rotation direction is applied to the fourth rattle suppression member 90 from the connecting arm 19a.

In addition, the engagement arm 19b of the first locking member 19 engages with the first through hole 33 formed in the third side wall portion 18b of the first annular rotating member 18 and the second through hole 344 of the second side wall portion 17d of the first support member 17 in the locked position shown in FIG. 15(a), but disengages from the second through hole 34 and releases the engagement with the first support member 17 in the unlocked position shown in FIG. 15(b). Between the locked position and the unlocked position, the engagement arm 19b operates to straddle the rattle suppression member main portion 90a of the fourth rattle suppression member 90.

A wedge portion 94 and an elastic portion 95 that connects the wedge portion 94 and the wobble suppression member main portion 94 are integrally formed in the rattle suppression member main portion 90a. The wedge portion 94 and the elastic portion 95 are formed by cutting and raising a part of the rattle suppression member main portion 90a so that the wedge portion 94 and the elastic portion 95 are arranged in the rattle suppression member main portion 90a.

The fourth rattle suppression member 90 moves in the movement direction 92 in response to the operation of the first locking member 19 from the unlocked position to the locked position, and the wedge portion 94 is formed in a wedge shape with a slope 94a whose height gradually decreases as it moves in the movement direction 83. The front end of the accommodation hole 93 and the wedge portion 94 are connected together by the corrugated elastic portion 95, which has peaks and valleys alternately connected along the circumferential direction of the rattle suppression member main portion 90a, and this elastic portion 95 exerts an elastic force that urges the wedge portion 94 in the opposite direction to the movement direction 92.

On the other hand, the third side wall portion 18b of the first annular rotating member 18 has a triangular first recess 36 having a first recess side slope 36a that faces the slope 94a of the wedge portion 94, and is formed so as to accommodate a portion of the wedge portion 94 while allowing the wedge portion 93 to be fitted into it.

When the first locking member 19 is in the locked position, as shown in FIG. 15(a), the inclined surface 94a of the wedge portion 94 tightly contacts the first recess side inclined surface 36a of the first recess 36, so that the fourth rattle suppression member 90 tightly contacts the first annular rotating member 18 and the first support member 17, thereby preventing rattle of the first annular rotating member 18.

When the first locking member 19 is in the unlocked position, as shown in FIG. 15(b), the rear end of the longitudinal ends of the accommodation hole 93 along the moving direction 92 comes into contact with the wedge portion 94, and the wedge portion 94 is pushed in the moving direction 92 against the biasing force of the elastic portion 95, and the inclined surface 94 of the wedge portion 94 moves away from the first recess side inclined surface 36a, thereby releasing the rattle prevention state.

As with the first to fourth embodiments, this fifth embodiment can prevent rattling of the seat 11 (see the first embodiment) when it is stationary, and facilitates rotation of the seat 11 when it is rotated. Furthermore, since the fourth rattle suppression member 90 has the wedge portion 94 and the elastic portion 95 integrally therewith, this can contribute to reducing the number of parts.

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.

11: Seat 11a: Seat cushion 11b: Seat back 13: Slide rail
5 5...Seat rotation device (third seat rotation device)
5 6...Base member (third base member)
56b: A portion bent downward and extending in the radial direction of the annular rotating member (seventh bottom wall portion)
5 7...Support member (third support member)
57a: Recess (eighth bottom wall portion)
57f...Flat surface (fifth flat wall part)
5 8... Annular rotating member (third annular rotating member)
58c...Flat wall part (sixth flat wall part)
58a, 58b...Side wall portion (sixth tapered portion, ninth side wall portion)
5 9... Lock member (second lock member)
59a ... Engagement arm
60 : Rattle suppression member (second rattle suppression member)
61...Rivet
63...Retainer
64...Ball
69, 70 ... through holes (third and fourth through holes)
71 ... Urging member (spiral spring)

Claims (6)

A seat rotating device capable of rotating a seat (11) on a base member (56),
a support member (57) fixed to the base member (56); an annular rotating member (58) supporting the seat frame (12) and disposed on one of the outer side and the inner side of the support member (57); and a ball (64) supporting the annular rotating member (58) rotatably about a vertical axis above the base member (56);
a locking member (59) operable between a locking position in which the locking member (59) engages with the support member (57) to prevent rotation of the annular rotating member (58) and an unlocking position in which the locking member (59) is released from engagement with the support member (57) to allow rotation of the annular rotating member (58);
the locking member (59) has an engaging arm portion (59a) that is switchable between a locked position in which the locking member (59) engages with through holes (69, 70) formed in the support member (57) and the annular rotating member (58) to restrict rotation of the annular rotating member (58) relative to the support member (57) and an unlocked position in which the locking member (59) is disengaged from the through holes (69, 70),
The seat (11) is a vehicle seat having a seat cushion (11a) and a seat back (11b) arranged above the seat cushion (11a), and slidably supported by a pair of slide rails (13) provided on a floor surface of the vehicle;
The ball (64) and the slide rail (13) are disposed at a height position where they overlap in the vertical direction ,
A seat rotation device characterized in that the base member (56) has a portion (56b) that bends downward and extends radially, and the portion (56b) is positioned at a height position where it overlaps with the slide rail (13) in the vertical direction . The seat rotation device according to claim 1, characterized in that the inner end of the annular rotating member (58) is located radially inward from the tip of the engagement arm (59a) in the locked position. The seat rotation device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that in the locked position, the tip of the engagement arm (59a) is inserted into the through-holes (69, 70) formed in the support member (57) and the annular rotating member (58), the ball (64) is positioned below the tip of the engagement arm (59a) inserted into the through-holes (69, 70), and the ball is positioned above the lower end of the slide rail. The seat rotation device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , characterized in that a portion of the annular rotation member (58) is positioned lower than the tip of the engagement arm portion (59a) in the locked position. A seat rotation device as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the support member (57) has a downwardly recessed recess (57a) formed by raising the inner and outer ends of a radially extending flat portion, and a rivet (61) for fixing the base member ( 56 ) and the support member (57) is arranged within the recess (57a). A seat rotation device as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that a rattle suppression member (60) is provided to prevent rattling of the seat (11) when the seat (11) does not rotate and to make the seat (11) easier to rotate when the seat (11 ) rotates, and the rattle suppression member (60) is provided radially outward of the ball (64).

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