JP2009050522A - Vehicle seats - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vehicle seat capable of preventing a monitor device from being damaged even if a vehicle collides with a collision object when a user at a rear seat is viewing the monitor device. <P>SOLUTION: The vehicle seat 1 includes the monitor device 60 that is movably disposed between a retracted position in an interior of a seat back 20 and a use position in an exterior of the seat back 20, by a drive mechanism 52a. The vehicle seat 1 also includes a first control unit 80 is constructed to determine if the monitor device 60 is located in the use position when a collision prediction system for predicting a possible collision between the vehicle and an object against which the vehicle collides, determines that a vehicle collision cannot be avoided, and actuates the drive mechanism 52a to move the monitor device 60 from the use position to the retracted position when it is determined that the monitor device 60 is located in the use position. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle seat, and more particularly to a vehicle seat provided with a display monitor on the back surface of a seat back.

Conventionally, a vehicle seat provided with a display monitor on the back of a seat back is known. This vehicle seat is, for example, a front seat such as a driver seat or a passenger seat, so that a passenger in the rear seat (hereinafter referred to as “user”) can view (use) this display monitor. .
Here, in the following Patent Documents 1 and 2, an example of an assembly structure of a display monitor is disclosed. Patent Document 1 discloses a structure of a type in which a display monitor in a storage position is inverted upward and shifted to a use position. Patent Document 2 discloses a structure of a type in which a display monitor at a storage position is slid upward to shift to a use position.

As prior art document information related to the invention of this application, for example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 are known.
JP 2004-352239 A JP 2005-77716 A

  However, in the above-described vehicle seat, when the display monitor is shifted from the storage position to the use position, the display monitor is arranged at a position behind the headrest of the front seat. For this reason, if the vehicle collides with a collision object while the user is viewing (using) the display monitor, the user may come into contact with the display monitor. This contact has caused a problem that the display monitor is broken.

  The present invention is intended to solve such a problem, and its purpose is to display even if the vehicle collides with a collision object while the user of the rear seat is watching the display monitor. An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle seat that can prevent damage to a monitor.

The present invention is for achieving the above object, and is configured as follows.
The invention according to claim 1 is a vehicle seat provided with a display monitor that is assembled so as to be movable by a driving device between a storage position inside the seat back and a use position outside the seat back. When the collision is predicted to be unavoidable by the collision prediction device that predicts the possibility of collision between the vehicle and the collision object, it is determined whether the display monitor is in the use position and the display monitor is in the use position. A first control device that moves the display monitor from the use position to the storage position by the drive device when the display device is determined to be.
According to this configuration, the display monitor at the use position can be forcibly moved to the storage position by the drive device (for example, a motor) before the vehicle and the collision target collide. Therefore, even if a collision occurs, the user of the rear seat can be prevented from contacting the display monitor. Therefore, the display monitor is not broken.

The invention according to claim 2 is the vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the first control device stores the display monitor once it is determined that the collision is unavoidable by the collision prediction device. After the movement to the position, when the collision is predicted to be unavoidable again by the collision prediction device, the display monitor is moved from the storage upper body to the use position by the driving device.
According to this configuration, even if the collision is determined to be unavoidable by the collision prediction device and the display monitor at the use position is forcibly moved to the storage position by the drive device, a collision actually occurs thereafter. Otherwise, the display monitor can be returned to the use position without bothering the user of the rear seat.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle seat having a display monitor on the back of the seat back, and the collision is unavoidable by a collision prediction device that predicts the possibility of collision between the vehicle and a collision target. If predicted, a second control device is provided for determining whether or not the display monitor is in the use position, and for stopping the supply of power to the display monitor if it is determined that the display monitor is in the use position. It is characterized by that.
According to this configuration, the supply of power to the display monitor at the use position can be forcibly stopped before the vehicle and the collision target collide. Therefore, even if a collision occurs and the display monitor is disconnected, a fire or the like can be prevented. Therefore, the display monitor does not burn.

According to a fourth aspect of the invention, there is provided the vehicle seat according to the third aspect of the invention, wherein the second control device determines whether or not the collision is unavoidable by the collision prediction device. After the supply of power is stopped, when a collision is predicted again by the collision prediction device, the supply of power to the display monitor is resumed.
According to this configuration, even if it is determined that the collision is unavoidable by the collision prediction device and the power supply to the display monitor at the use position is forcibly stopped, the collision should not actually occur thereafter. Thus, the power supply to the display monitor can be restored without bothering the user of the rear seat.

The invention according to claim 5 is the vehicle seat according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the display monitor is used at a rear position of the headrest assembled to the top of the seat back. When the display monitor is in the use position, the display monitor and the user of the rear seat come into contact with each other due to the collision between the vehicle and the object to be collided. However, it is characterized in that it has a fragile structure that can absorb an impact when the display monitor assembly part falls off.
According to this configuration, even when the user of the rear seat is watching the display monitor, the user may come into contact with the display monitor due to the collision of the vehicle with the collision object. Both guides are assembled with a fragile structure that falls off both guide portions, so that the impact received by the user when colliding with the display monitor is buffered. Therefore, damage to the user can be further prevented.

Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
(Example 1)
First, Example 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle to which a vehicle seat according to a first embodiment of the present invention is applied as viewed from the front. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the vehicle seat in FIG. 1 as viewed from the rear, and shows a state in which the display monitor is in the storage position. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the vehicle seat in FIG. FIG. 6 shows a state where the display monitor is in the use position in FIG. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the vehicle seat in FIG.

  The vehicle seat 1 according to the first embodiment to be described has a function of moving a display monitor at a use position to a storage position by a driving device based on a collision prediction signal from a collision prediction device. Therefore, first, the configurations of the vehicle seat and the collision prediction device will be described individually.

  First, the mechanical configuration of the vehicle seat 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle seat 1 is, for example, a passenger seat of a passenger car. Therefore, the rear seat 2 exists in the rear position of the vehicle seat 1. A user who is a passenger in the rear seat 2 can view (use) a display monitor 60 described later. As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle seat 1 includes a seat cushion 10 that serves as a seating portion for an occupant, a seat back 20 that serves as a backrest portion of the occupant and can tilt with respect to the seat cushion 10, and a top portion of the seat back 20. And a headrest 30 that supports the back of the occupant.

  Of these configurations, the seat back 20 will be described in detail. As shown in FIGS. 3 to 4, the seat back 20 includes a pair of left and right side frames 21 and a back attached to both the side frames 21 in an enclosed manner. The seat cushion 22 includes a seat cushion 23 and a seat cover 23 that covers the seat cushion 22.

  A backboard 40 for covering the recess 22a formed on the back side of the back cushion 22 is assembled with bolts (not shown). The backboard 40 is formed in a substantially panel shape, and is formed as an integral body, for example, with a synthetic resin having rigidity. By this back board 40, the concave portion 22a on the back side of the back cushion 22 can be covered with good appearance.

  Returning to FIG. 2, a cutout 41 that is horizontally long along the vehicle width direction is formed on the upper edge among the four edges of the upper, lower, left, and right sides of the backboard 40. By this cutout portion 41, the inside of the seat back 20 (the recess 22a on the back side of the back cushion 22) and the outside are in communication. Thereby, a display monitor 60 to be described later can be pulled out from the storage position inside the seat back 20 to the outside use position. Here, the storage position is a position where the display monitor 60 is completely stored inside the backboard 40 (see FIG. 2). On the other hand, the use position is a position where the display monitor 60 is pulled out of the backboard 40 via the notch 41 (a rear position of the headrest 30), and the user of the rear seat 2 can monitor the monitor surface of the display monitor 60. This is the position when viewing 61.

  The display monitor 60 is assembled to the gantry 50 so as to be rotatable about an axis whose axis is the vehicle width direction. The gantry unit 50 is a member that supports the display monitor 60, and is composed of, for example, a case-like box member. A gear box 52 having a motor 52 a is assembled inside the gantry 50. A shaft 53 connected to the shaft of the motor 52a is assembled to the gear box 52. A pair of left and right gears 54 are assembled to both ends of the shaft 53, respectively. In addition, a pair of left and right cutout holes 51 for projecting a part of the outer periphery of both gears 54 toward the inner surface of the backboard 40 are provided on the surface of the gantry 50 facing the inner surface of the backboard 40. Is formed.

  On the other hand, on the inner surface of the backboard 40, a pair of left and right racks 42 that can mesh with both gears 54 protruding from both cutout holes 51 of the pedestal 50 are formed in the vertical direction. Further, a pair of left and right guide portions 40 a for guiding the gantry portion 50 are provided on the inner surface of the backboard 40 so as to protrude in the vertical direction. A pair of left and right guides 43 are assembled to the guide portions 40a along the vertical direction. The both sides of the gantry 50 are sandwiched between the guides 40a and the guides 43. As a result, the meshing state of the gears 54 of the gantry 50 and the racks 42 of the backboard 40 will not drop off.

  When the display monitor 60 at the use position receives a large force from the rear of the vehicle toward the front of the vehicle, the gantry 50 that supports the display monitor 60 also receives a large force toward the front of the vehicle. When this force acts on both guides 43 from the gantry 50, both guides 43 are assembled so as to drop off from both guides 40a. That is, both guides 43 are assembled to both guide portions 40a in a state where the strength of the assembly is weak. This corresponds to the “fragile structure” described in the claims. The display monitor 60 is supplied with power from a power supply device (not shown) inside the vehicle.

  Next, an electrical configuration of the vehicle seat 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. A first seat control ECU 80, which is a computer, is provided inside the seat back 20 of the vehicle seat 1. The vehicle seat 1 is provided with an open switch 81 and a close switch 82 that can be operated by the user of the rear seat 2 (not shown in FIG. 1). The open switch 81 is a switch that moves the display monitor 60 from the storage position to the use position. The close switch 82 is a switch for moving the display monitor 60 from the use position to the storage position.

  An upper limit switch 83 and a lower limit switch 84 are provided above and below the rack 42 of the backboard 40, respectively. The upper limit switch 83 is a switch that detects that the display monitor 60 is in the use position. The lower limit switch 84 is a switch that detects that the display monitor 60 is in the storage position. These four switches 81, 82, 83, 84 and the motor 52a are electrically connected to the first seat control ECU 80, respectively.

  Next, returning to FIGS. 1 and 5, the configuration of the collision prediction apparatus will be described. The collision prediction apparatus includes a camera 101, an image processing ECU 102, a millimeter wave radar 103, and a vehicle control ECU 104. When describing each of these members individually, the camera 101 is attached to the front ceiling portion of the vehicle, and photographs a predetermined area in front of the vehicle. This captured image is sent to the image processing ECU 102. The image processing ECU 102 is installed in the engine room, and can detect an obstacle (a collision object) in front of the vehicle by performing image processing on the captured image that has been sent.

  The millimeter wave radar 103 is mounted near the center of the front bumper of the vehicle, and can detect an obstacle by scanning the front of the vehicle with radio waves. The vehicle control ECU 104 predicts the possibility of collision between its own vehicle and an obstacle based on signals sent from the image processing ECU 102 and the millimeter wave radar 103. When the collision is predicted to be unavoidable, the vehicle control ECU 104 is configured to transmit a collision unavoidable signal to the first seat control ECU 80. Further, if the vehicle control ECU 104 transmits a collision unavoidable signal to the first seat control ECU 80 and then predicts that a collision can be avoided, the vehicle control ECU 104 transmits the collision avoidance signal to the first seat control ECU 80 again. .

  Finally, with reference to FIG. 7, the operation of the vehicle seat 1 will be described. When receiving the collision inevitable signal from the vehicle control ECU 104 (step S102), the first seat control ECU 80 determines whether or not the display monitor 60 is in use (step S104). When the first seat control ECU 80 determines that the display monitor 60 is in use (Yes in step S104), the first seat control ECU 80 drives the motor 52a in reverse to forcibly move the display monitor 60 from the use position to the storage position. (Step S106).

  Thereafter, the first seat control ECU 80 determines whether or not a collision avoidance signal has been received from the vehicle control ECU 104 (step S108). When first seat control ECU 80 determines that a collision avoidance signal has been received from vehicle control ECU 104 (Yes in step S108), motor 52a is driven to rotate forward to return display monitor 60 from the storage position to the use position ( Step S110) The program is temporarily terminated.

  On the other hand, when the first seat control ECU 80 determines in step S104 that the display monitor 60 is in the retracted state (No in step S104), the program is temporarily terminated. If the first seat control ECU 80 determines in step S108 that a collision avoidance signal has not been received from the vehicle control ECU 104 (No in step S108), the program is temporarily terminated. Thereafter, the first seat control ECU 80 repeatedly executes the above-described program.

  The vehicle seat 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is configured as described above. According to this configuration, when the user of the rear seat 2 depresses the open switch 81, the first seat control ECU 80 drives the motor 52a to rotate forward, and the driving force is transmitted to both gears 54 via the shaft 53. The As a result, the gantry 50 can be moved upward along the rack 42 and the display monitor 60 can be pulled out from the storage position inside the seat back 20 (see FIG. 2) to the outside use position (see FIG. 6). ).

  Conversely, when the user of the rear seat 2 depresses the close switch 82, the first seat control ECU 80 rotates the motor 52 a in the reverse direction, and the driving force is transmitted to both gears 54 via the shaft 53. As a result, the gantry 50 can be moved downward along the rack 42, and the display monitor 60 can be stored from the external use position (see FIG. 6) of the seat back 20 to the internal storage position (see FIG. 2). ). When the upper and lower limit switches 83 and 84 detect the display monitor 60, the first seat control ECU 80 is configured to stop the forward / reverse driving of the motor 52a.

  Further, according to this configuration, the display monitor 60 in the use position can be forcibly moved to the storage position by the motor 52a before the vehicle and the collision target collide. Therefore, even if a collision occurs, the user of the rear seat 2 can be prevented from contacting the display monitor 60. Therefore, the display monitor 60 is not broken. In addition, according to this configuration, even when the collision is determined to be unavoidable by the collision prediction device and the display monitor 60 in the use position is forcibly moved to the storage position by the motor 52a, the actual movement is actually performed thereafter. If a collision does not occur, the display monitor 60 can be returned to the use position without bothering the user of the rear seat 2.

  In addition, according to this configuration, when the user of the rear seat 2 is viewing the display monitor 60, the user may contact the display monitor 60 by the collision of the vehicle with the collision target. Even if this happens, both guides 43 are assembled in a fragile structure that drops off from both guide portions 40a, so that the impact received by the user when touching the display monitor 60 is buffered. At this time, the display monitor 60 is pressed until it collides with the back surface of the headrest 30 due to the dropout of both guides 43. Therefore, the impact received by the user by a pad (not shown) that covers the headrest 30 is further buffered.

(Example 2)
Next, Example 2 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the vehicle to which the vehicle seat according to the second embodiment of the present invention is applied as viewed from the front. FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the vehicle seat in FIG. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of the vehicle seat in FIG.

  The vehicle seat 3 according to the second embodiment to be described below has a function of stopping the supply of power to the display monitor 60 at the use position based on the collision prediction signal from the collision prediction device. Therefore, when the second embodiment is compared with the first embodiment, the power supply configuration to the display monitor 60 is different. In the description of the second embodiment, members having the same or equivalent configuration as in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals in the drawings, and redundant description is omitted.

  First, the vehicle seat 3 will be described with reference to FIG. Similar to the vehicle seat 1 described in the first embodiment, the vehicle seat 3 includes a seat cushion 10, a seat back 20, and a headrest 30. Similarly to the first embodiment, a backboard 40 having a display monitor 60 is assembled on the back surface of the backrest cushion 22 of the seat back 20.

  Further, not only the first seat control ECU 80 described in the first embodiment but also a second seat control ECU 180, which is another computer, is provided inside the seat back 20 of the vehicle seat 3. As shown in FIG. 9, the collision inevitable signal and the collision avoidance signal sent from the vehicle control ECU 104 are transmitted to the second seat control ECU 180 instead of the first seat control ECU 80. Further, the display monitor 60 is supplied with power from the second seat control ECU 180.

  Next, the operation of the vehicle seat 3 will be described with reference to FIG. When the second seat control ECU 180 receives the collision inevitable signal from the vehicle control ECU 104 (step S202), the second seat control ECU 180 determines whether or not the display monitor 60 is in use (step S204). When the second seat control ECU 180 determines that the display monitor 60 is in use (Yes in step S204), the second seat control ECU 180 forcibly stops the supply of power to the display monitor 60 (step S206).

  Thereafter, second seat control ECU 180 determines whether or not a collision avoidance signal has been received from vehicle control ECU 104 (step S208). When second seat control ECU 180 determines that a collision avoidance signal has been received from vehicle control ECU 104 (Yes in step S208), power supply to display monitor 60 is forcibly returned (step S210). End once.

  On the other hand, when the second seat control ECU 180 determines in step S204 that the display monitor 60 is in the retracted state (No in step S204), the program is temporarily terminated. In step S208, if second seat control ECU 180 determines that a collision avoidance signal has not been received from vehicle control ECU 104 (No in step S208), the program is temporarily terminated. Thereafter, the second seat control ECU 180 repeatedly executes the above-described program.

  The vehicle seat 3 according to the second embodiment of the present invention is configured as described above. According to this configuration, the supply of power to the display monitor 60 at the use position can be forcibly stopped before the vehicle and the collision target collide. Therefore, even if a collision occurs and the display monitor 60 is disconnected, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of a fire or the like. Therefore, the display monitor 60 does not burn. Further, according to this configuration, even when the collision prediction device determines that the collision is unavoidable and the power supply to the display monitor 60 at the use position is forcibly stopped, the collision is actually performed thereafter. If it does not occur, the supply of power to the display monitor 60 can be restored without bothering the user of the rear seat 2.

The contents described above are only related to one embodiment of the present invention, and do not mean that the present invention is limited to the above contents.
In the embodiment, the case where the display monitor 60 is assembled on the back surface of the passenger seat has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and it may be assembled on the back of the driver's seat.

  Further, in the first embodiment, the vehicle seat 1 having the function of moving the display monitor 60 at the use position to the storage position by the motor 52a based on the collision prediction signal from the collision prediction device has been described. On the other hand, in the second embodiment, the vehicle seat 3 having the function of stopping the supply of power to the display monitor 60 at the use position is described based on the collision prediction signal from the collision prediction device. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a vehicle seat having both of these functions may be used. In that case, the timing for moving the display monitor 60 and the timing for stopping the supply of power to the display monitor 60 may be the same or may be earlier.

1 is a perspective view of a vehicle to which a vehicle seat according to a first embodiment of the present invention is applied as viewed from the front. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the vehicle seat in FIG. 1 as viewed from the rear, and shows a state in which the display monitor is in the stored state. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the vehicle seat in FIG. FIG. 6 shows a state in which the display monitor is in use in FIG. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the vehicle seat in FIG. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the vehicle to which the vehicle seat according to the second embodiment of the present invention is applied as viewed from the front. FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the vehicle seat in FIG. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of the vehicle seat in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

1 Vehicle seat (Example 1)
3 Vehicle seat (Example 2)
20 Seat back 52a Motor (drive device)
60 display monitor 80 first seat control ECU (first control device)
180 Second seat control ECU (second control device)

Claims (5)

A vehicle seat provided with a display monitor that is movably assembled by a drive device between a storage position inside the seat back and a use position outside the seat back,
When a collision is predicted to be unavoidable by a collision prediction device that predicts the possibility of collision between a vehicle and a collision object, it is determined whether or not the display monitor is in the use position, and the display monitor is in the use position. In this case, the vehicle seat is provided with a first control device that moves the display monitor from the use position to the storage position by the driving device. The vehicle seat according to claim 1,
The first control device displays the display once the collision is predicted to be unavoidable by the collision prediction device after moving the display monitor to the storage position once the collision prediction device determines that the collision is unavoidable. A vehicle seat, wherein a monitor is moved from a storage upper body to a use position by a driving device. A vehicle seat equipped with a display monitor on the back of the seat back,
When a collision is predicted to be unavoidable by a collision prediction device that predicts the possibility of collision between a vehicle and a collision object, it is determined whether or not the display monitor is in the use position, and the display monitor is in the use position. In this case, the vehicle seat is provided with a second control device that stops supply of power to the display monitor. The vehicle seat according to claim 3,
The second control device once again predicts that a collision is unavoidable by the collision prediction device after stopping the supply of power to the display monitor because the collision prediction device has determined that the collision is unavoidable. A vehicle seat characterized by resuming the supply of power to the display monitor. The vehicle seat according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The use position of the display monitor is the rear position of the headrest assembled to the top of the seat back,
When the display monitor is in the use position, the display monitor and the user of the rear seat come into contact with each other due to the collision between the vehicle and the collision object, and even if the user is shocked by this contact, the display monitor A vehicular seat characterized by having a fragile structure that can absorb an impact when the assembly part of the vehicle falls off.

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