JP7108215B2 - vehicle seat - Google Patents

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vehicle seat, and more particularly to a vehicle seat having a seat frame that is lighter than conventional products as a skeleton.

In order to reduce the weight of a vehicle seat, it is generally conceivable to reduce the thickness of each part of the seat frame or to reduce the occupancy of each part (shortening long members, forming holes, etc.). However, as the thickness of each portion of the seat frame is reduced, the rigidity of the portion is reduced.
Therefore, efforts have been made to reduce the weight and to reinforce the lightened portion (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

In the technique described in Patent Document 1, there are two side frames that define both sides, an upper frame that bridges the upper ends of these side frames to define the upper side, and a lower end that bridges the lower ends of these side frames to define the lower side. A back frame formed in a rectangular frame state by a lower frame is disclosed.
The lower frame is formed with a flange extending forward from the lower end side, and a resin bracket is attached to the flange that spans the entire width of the flange (the length in the seat width direction). It is
With such a configuration, the flange portion extending forward from the lower end side of the lower frame is reinforced from the inside.

JP 2015-003598 A

The seatback frame, particularly the lower frame, has a role of supporting the waist of the seated person, so it is required to have sufficient rigidity to receive the load from the seated person. On the other hand, as described above, there is a demand to reduce the weight of the seat frame itself including the seat back frame.
In order to satisfy these contradictory requirements, the technique according to Patent Document 1 uses brackets for reinforcement.
However, there has been a demand for a technique that satisfies both further weight reduction and rigidity improvement.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicular seat that achieves weight reduction and ensures high rigidity at the same time.

According to the vehicle seat of the present invention, the vehicle seat includes a seat back having a seat back frame and a seat back pad placed on the seat back frame, wherein the seat back frame is a pair of side frames; an S spring provided between the pair of side frames and supporting the back of the occupant from behind; and a lower member frame, wherein the seat back pad has a soft pad arranged in front of the S spring and a hard pad arranged immediately in front of the lower member frame, and the soft pad and the hard pad are integrally formed, and the hard pad is positioned below the S spring to support the waist of the occupant .

At this time, the lower member frame extends along the width direction of the vehicle seat, the hard pad is an elongated member, and extends along the lower member frame in the width direction in the longitudinal direction of the hard pad. is preferably formed along the .
Further, it is preferable that the hard pad is formed with a substantially rectangular concave portion .

Moreover, it is preferable that a plurality of the rectangular concave portions are provided.
Moreover, it is preferable that the rectangular recessed portion is provided on the upper surface of the hard pad and the front surface of the hard pad, which is the joint surface with the soft pad .

Furthermore, it is preferable that a plurality of the rectangular recesses are provided on the front surface of the hard pad, which is the joint surface with the soft pad .
Moreover, it is preferable that the lower member frame and the hard pad have matching portions that enable positioning of the two.

Further, the aligning portion comprises an aligning projection formed to project on the front surface of the lower member frame, and an aligning groove formed in the hard pad so as to align with the aligning projection. good.

Moreover, it is preferable that the alignment protrusion is formed to be elongated in the width direction .

Also, a seat cushion frame connected to the seat back frame via a reclining device, and a seat cushion configured by placing a pad material on the seat cushion frame and covering the surface of the pad material with a skin material. , a headrest supported at the upper end of the seat back frame, and a slide rail device arranged at the lower portion of the seat cushion frame.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a vehicle seat that achieves weight reduction and ensures high rigidity.

1 is an overall view of a vehicle seat according to an embodiment of the invention; FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a seat frame according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a rear perspective view of a seatback frame according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a position where a lower member-frame arrangement member according to one embodiment of the present invention is arranged; FIG. 4 is an explanatory view of one end side of a lower member-frame arrangement member according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 4 is an explanatory view of the other end side of the lower member frame arrangement member according to the embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing a mounting state of the lower member frame arrangement member according to the embodiment of the present invention to the lower member; FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional equivalent view showing a lower member frame arrangement member after arrangement according to one embodiment of the present invention;

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below. The embodiments described below are merely examples for facilitating understanding of the present invention, and do not limit the present invention. The present invention may be modified and improved without departing from its spirit, and the present invention includes equivalents thereof. Furthermore, in the following description, the material, shape, and size of each device and its component parts are merely examples, and do not limit the present invention. In other words, the material, shape and size of each device and its component parts can be freely designed as long as they satisfy the specific requirements of the present invention.

Further, in the following description, the term "front-rear direction" means the front-rear direction of the vehicle seat, and specifically, the direction that coincides with the running direction of the vehicle. Further, the "width direction" means the width direction of the vehicle seat, and specifically, it is the direction that coincides with the vehicle width direction (horizontal direction).

Furthermore, the following description assumes that the vehicle seat is in use (a state in which the seated person can sit), unless otherwise specified. That is, in the following description, the posture, position, positional relationship with other members, and the like of each part of the vehicle seat are those when the vehicle seat is in use.

<<About the basic structure of the vehicle seat and seat frame>>
First, the basic configuration of a vehicle seat (hereinafter referred to as "main seat S") according to the present embodiment and a seat frame F forming the skeleton of the vehicle seat will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG. The seat S has a seat back S1, a seat cushion S2, and a headrest S3, as shown in FIG. The seat back S1 and the seat cushion S2 are constructed by placing a pad material P on each seat frame shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 and covering the surface of the pad material P with a skin material W. The headrest S3 is constructed by arranging a pad material P on a core material (not shown) and covering the surface of the pad material P with a skin material W. As shown in FIG. A pair of downwardly extending headrest pillars (not shown) are provided below the headrest S3. The headrest S3 is supported by the upper end portion of the seatback S1 (strictly speaking, the seatback frame F1) via the pair of headrest pillars.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the seat S has a seat back frame F1 of the seat back S1 and a seat cushion frame F2 of the seat cushion S2. The seat cushion frame F2 is connected to an upper rail RU of a slide rail device R arranged below it. With such a configuration, when the upper rail RU moves along the lower rail RL fixed to the vehicle body floor, the entire seat S including the seat cushion frame F2 slides.

In addition, in this embodiment, the seat cushion frame F2 is connected to the upper rail RU via the rotation link XL as shown in FIG. The rotation links XL are link members arranged on both sides of the seat cushion S2 in the width direction, and rotate around rotation shafts extending in the width direction. The position of the seat cushion S2 in the vertical direction is adjusted by rotating the rotating link XL with the seat cushion S2.

A lower end portion of the seatback frame F1 is connected to a rear end portion of the seat cushion frame F2 via a reclining device 80. As shown in FIG. With this reclining device 80, the seatback S1 including the seatback frame F1 is connected to the seat cushion S2 in a state in which the inclination angle with respect to the seat cushion S2 can be adjusted. That is, the seat back S1 can rotate relative to the seat cushion S2 about the reclining shaft 81 extending in the width direction.

The seat S differs from conventional general vehicle seats in the structure of the seat frame. Hereinafter, the configuration of the seatback frame F1 as a seat frame provided in the seat S will be described in detail.

<<About the detailed structure of the seat back frame>>
The configuration of the seat back frame F1 of the seat S will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3 already described. As shown in FIG. 2, the seat back frame F1 forms a square frame when the seat frame F is viewed from the front. In addition, the seat back frame F1 is lighter than the seat back frame of a conventional general vehicle seat. Specifically, a material that is lighter than the material used for the conventional seat back frame is used as the material that configures the seat back frame F1 (for example, a steel plate that configures the side frame 10 described later). . Further, when the parts constituting the seatback frame F1 are fastened/connected to each other, the parts are fastened/connected by laser welding without using fasteners such as bolts, nuts, and screws. By adopting such a configuration, the seatback frame F1 according to this embodiment is made lighter.

The structure of the seatback frame F1 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the seatback frame F1 has a pair of side frames 10 provided at both ends in the width direction. The seat back frame F1 has an upper frame 30 that connects the side frames 10 by being attached to the upper ends of the side frames 10, as shown in FIG.
Furthermore, the seatback frame F1 has a lower member frame 50 that connects the side frames 10 by being attached to the lower end of each side frame 10, as shown in the figure. Furthermore, an S spring 60 is installed between the side frames 10 to support the back of the occupant from behind.

The upper frame 30 is a part formed in a downward U shape when viewed from the front, and is composed of a metal hollow pipe member. However, the structure is not limited to this, and the upper frame 30 may be made of a solid member.
Both free end sides of the upper frame 30 are joined above the side frames 10 , 10 respectively.
A square tubular pillar guide 34 for supporting the headrest pillar is attached to the front surface of the upper horizontal portion of the upper frame 30 . A pair of the pillar guides 34 are provided with an interval in the width direction.

Next, the side frame 10 has a spindle-shaped outer shape when viewed from the side. That is, when the side frame 10 is viewed from the side, the front end portion of the side frame 10 protrudes in an arcuate shape from the middle position in the vertical direction. When the seat S is in use (more precisely, when the seat back S1 is at the reference position), the side frames 10 are tilted slightly (rearward) with respect to the vertical direction. It is long overdue.
Further, as described above, the free end side of the upper frame 30 is joined to one end portion (upper end portion) of the side frame 10 in the extending direction.
In this embodiment, the side frame 10 is made of a thin steel plate, more specifically, an ultra-high tensile strength steel plate with a thickness of 1 mm or less, which contributes to weight reduction.

Next, the lower member frame 50 will be explained. The lower member frame 50 is constructed by processing sheet metal and spans between the lower ends of the side frames 10 .
In addition, the upper edge and lower edge of the lower member frame 50 are each formed to have a shape bent forward (hereinafter, these flange portions are referred to as "upper and lower flanges 50d, 50d"). .
A detailed configuration of the lower member frame 50 is the main configuration of the present embodiment, and will be described later.

A waist support member 70 is arranged on the front surface of the lower member frame 50 .
The waist support member 70 is an elongated member made of resin, and is arranged along the width direction along the lower member frame 50 extending along the width direction.
As the material, for example, a resin foam material such as urethane foam, polypropylene foam, or polyethylene foam may be used, and its hardness is configured to be higher than that of the pad material P covered over the seatback frame F1. I hope it is.
Therefore, the moldability is good, and the degree of freedom in molding is improved.

In addition, it is preferable that the waist support member 70 has an amount of deflection equivalent to that of a metal steel plate bracket that has been conventionally used.
At this position, the waist support member 70 functions as a reinforcing member for reinforcing the strength of the lower member frame 50 and also functions as a waist support member for supporting the waist of the seated person.

1 to 4 show the final arrangement position of the waist support member 70 for the sake of explanation, and the waist support member 70 according to this example is assembled when the seat back frame F1 is assembled. It is not intended to be used in isolation. That is, the waist support member 70 is manufactured integrally with the pad material P, and is attached to the seatback frame F1 afterward.
Since this configuration is the main configuration of the present invention, it will be described in detail later.

<Detailed Configuration of Lumbar Support Member>
The configuration of the waist support member 70 will be described in detail.
The waist support member 70 is an elongated three-dimensional rod-shaped member, and includes bottom surfaces 71, 71 of the mounting member that define the left and right ends in the width direction, and side surfaces extending between the bottom surfaces 71, 71 of the mounting member. The side surface 70A forms a substantially prismatic shape.
The side surface 70A has an arrangement member mounting surface 72 facing the lower member frame 50, a front surface 73 defining the front side, an upper surface 74 defining the upper side, and a lower surface 75 defining the lower side. is configured as
A groove-like alignment groove 72a extending in the width direction is formed in the vicinity of the vertical central portion of the mounting member mounting surface 72. As shown in FIG.
In addition, two upper surface recesses 74a, which are substantially rectangular recesses, are formed in the upper surface 74 in this example.
Further, the front surface 73 is a gently curved surface, and below it, two front surface recesses 73a, which are approximately rectangular recesses, are formed in this example.

<Detailed configuration of the lower member frame>
Next, a detailed configuration of the lower member frame 50 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6. FIG.
The lower member frame 50 is configured as a rectangular steel plate elongated in the width direction.
Further, the lower member frame 50 is formed with an alignment protrusion 50a which is driven from the rear surface so as to protrude toward the front surface.
The alignment protrusion 50a is formed in a shape along the inner wall surface shape of the alignment groove 72a so as to be aligned with the alignment groove 72a.
In other words, the alignment protrusion 50a is configured to be aligned and positioned with the alignment groove 72a. This "alignment" may be of a degree that specifies the position, and may be in a loose fitting state, or may have a temporary fixing function as an engaged state.
In this example, the alignment protrusion 50a is formed to be elongated in the width direction.
However, the formation state is not limited to this, and a configuration in which two matching protrusions 50a are formed near both ends of the lower member frame may also be used.
As will be described later, in this example, the waist support member 70 can be positioned by aligning the alignment projections 50a with the alignment grooves 72a. (That is, by forming the concave-convex shape on the flat plate), the strength of the lower member frame 50 can be increased and the thickness of the lower member frame can be reduced.

As described above, the position, number, and method of forming the alignment projections 50a are not limited to this. It may be configured such that it protrudes forward so as to extend vertically, or one piece may be formed in the central portion in the width direction. Further, instead of the configuration in which the lower member frame 50 is driven from the back side, for example, a configuration in which a protrusion made of a lightweight material is welded to the front side of the lower member frame 50 may be employed.
Furthermore, as an optimal application configuration, as in the present embodiment, the alignment protrusion 50a is formed to be long in the width direction, and is longer than the width direction length of the waist support member 70 described later. It is preferable that the widthwise length of the alignment projection 50a is increased.
With this configuration, it is possible to efficiently position the waist support member 70 on the alignment protrusion 50a.

Inwardly cutout portions 50b, 50b are formed at both ends of the lower member frame 50 in the width direction.
An end flange 50c standing forward is raised from the periphery of the notch 50b.
Since the cutouts 50b, 50b are formed in this way, the weight of the lower member frame 50 can be reduced. can be raised. That is, it is possible to achieve both weight reduction and rigidity.

<How to arrange the waist support member>
First, the waist support member 70 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4, 7, 8, and the like.
The waist support member 70 is formed as a hard foamed resin material.
The waist support member 70 formed in this way is inserted when the pad material P is foam-formed by a mold, and is integrally formed.
At this time, since the waist support member 70 is formed with the upper surface recess 74a and the front surface recess 73a, a large joint area with the pad material P can be secured, thereby improving the integration. In other words, the waist support member 70 is preferably formed with a hardness higher than that of the pad material P. However, in order to integrate the hard member and the soft member, the contact area is increased to improve integration efficiency. We decided to make it bigger.

In this example, the upper surface recess 74a and the front surface recess 73a are formed in order to improve integration, but the present invention is not limited to this. A configuration in which a portion or a slit is formed may also be used.

Then, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, when arranging the pad material P1, the waist support member 70 is inserted between the upper and lower flanges 50d, 50d of the lower member frame 50, and the matching projections of the lower member frame 50 are inserted. The portion 50a is placed in alignment with the alignment groove 72a of the waist support member 70 for positioning.
Also, at this time, the nonwoven fabric G is interposed between the waist support member 70 and the lower member frame 50 .
With this configuration, since the waist support member 70 and the lower member frame 50 do not come into direct contact with each other, it is possible to effectively suppress the generation of noise due to friction during use.

As described above, even when the thickness of the lower member frame 50 is reduced to reduce the weight of the lower member frame 50, the rigidity can be kept high, and the waist support member 70 can be replaced by the pad material P. Since it is provided on the side of the lower member frame 50 and arranged at the same time as the pad material P is assembled, the mounting workability is improved.
The waist support member 70 of this example functions as a reinforcement member for the lower member frame 50 and also functions as a waist support member that supports the waist of the passenger.

10 side frame 13 side wall portion 30 upper frame 34 pillar guide 50 lower member frame 50a alignment protrusion (alignment portion)
50b Notch 50c End flange 50d Upper and lower flange 60 S spring 70 Waist support member 71 Bottom surface of disposing member 70A Side surface 72 Mounting surface of disposing portion 72a Alignment groove (part to be aligned)
73 Front surface 73a Front surface concave portion 74 Upper surface 74a Upper surface concave portion 75 Lower surface 80 Reclining device 81 Reclining axis F Seat frame F1 Seat back frame F2 Seat cushion frame R Slide rail device RL Lower rail RU Upper rail S Main seat (vehicle seat)
S1 Seat back S2 Seat cushion S3 Headrest P Pad material G Nonwoven fabric W Skin material XL Rotating link

Claims (10)

A vehicle seat comprising a seat back having a seat back frame and a seat back pad placed on the seat back frame,
The seat back frame is
a pair of side frames;
an S spring provided between the pair of side frames and supporting the back of the occupant from behind;
a lower member frame attached to the lower ends of the pair of side frames and connecting the pair of side frames;
The seat back pad has a soft pad arranged in front of the S spring and a hard pad arranged immediately in front of the lower member frame,
The soft pad and the hard pad are integrally formed,
The vehicle seat, wherein the hard pad is positioned below the S spring to support the lumbar region of the occupant. The lower member frame extends along the width direction of the vehicle seat,
2. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the hard pad is an elongated member formed along the lower member frame so that the longitudinal direction of the hard pad extends in the width direction. . 3. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the hard pad is formed with a substantially rectangular recess. 4. The vehicle seat according to claim 3, wherein a plurality of said rectangular concave portions are provided. 5. The vehicle seat according to claim 3 , wherein the rectangular recess is provided on the upper surface of the hard pad, which is a joint surface with the soft pad, and the front surface of the hard pad . 6. The vehicle seat according to claim 5, wherein a plurality of said rectangular concave portions are provided on the front surface of said hard pad which is said joint surface with said soft pad . 7. The vehicle seat according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the lower member frame and the hard pad have matching portions for positioning both. The matching unit is
an alignment protrusion formed to be convex on the front surface of the lower member frame;
and an alignment groove formed in the hard pad so as to align with the alignment projection. 9. The vehicle seat according to claim 8, wherein the alignment protrusion is elongated in the width direction. a seat cushion frame connected to the seat back frame via a reclining device;
a seat cushion configured by placing a pad material on the seat cushion frame and covering the surface of the pad material with a skin material;
a headrest supported at the upper end of the seat back frame;
The vehicle seat according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising a slide rail device arranged under the seat cushion frame.

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