JP7132171B2 - Driving device for vehicle seat - Google Patents

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vehicle seat drive device used to tilt or raise a backrest of a vehicle seat.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventional vehicle seats installed in railroad vehicles include those that can adopt a reclining configuration in which the backrest is tilted rearward and an upright configuration in which the backrest is upright. Further, this vehicle seat includes a driving device having a damper for restoring the reclining position to the standing position and a locking mechanism for holding the angle of the backrest at an arbitrary position. The dampers are constructed by air cylinders or gas springs. The lock mechanism is constructed using a cylinder.

In the above-described conventional vehicle seat driving device, the driving source is an air cylinder or a gas spring, so it is difficult to finely adjust the angle. Therefore, there is a problem that controllability during operation is low. Also, in order to stop the backrest at the correct position, a locking mechanism using a hydraulic circuit must be used. This configuration significantly increases manufacturing costs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle seat driving device that has high controllability and is inexpensive.

In order to achieve this object, a vehicle seat driving device according to the present invention has a piston rod connected to a vehicle seat and a cylinder body into which a piston provided on the piston rod is fitted. A hydraulic cylinder whose interior is divided into an oil chamber on the head cover side and an atmospheric pressure chamber on the rod cover side by the piston, and an oil reservoir connected to the oil chamber via an oil amount control device and storing hydraulic oil. and an air-hydraulic converter having an air reservoir in which air for pressing hydraulic oil in the oil reservoir is stored; a switching valve that adopts a supply form for supplying to the reservoir or an exhaust form for exhausting the air in the air reservoir, wherein the oil amount control device controls the amount of oil between the oil chamber and the oil reservoir. An on-off valve for opening and closing the passage is provided, and the on-off valve includes a check valve portion that allows hydraulic oil to flow only from the oil reservoir side to the oil chamber side, and a check valve portion that allows the hydraulic oil to pass through the check valve portion. and an operation unit for operating.

In the vehicle seat driving device according to the present invention, the hydraulic cylinder is connected to the vehicle seat in such a manner that the cylinder body extends in the vertical direction and the piston rod projects upward from the cylinder body, The oil reservoir and the air reservoir are formed in an annular shape surrounding the cylinder body, and the oil reservoir is positioned below the air reservoir. a sub-cylinder having a cylinder hole extending vertically and having an upper end communicating with the oil chamber; and a free piston movably fitted in the cylinder hole. A lower oil chamber formed in the upper portion of the cylinder and filled with hydraulic oil may be partitioned from an air pressure chamber formed in the lower portion of the cylinder bore and filled with pressurized air.

In the vehicle seat drive device according to the present invention, the oil amount control device further includes a variable throttle valve that changes the flow rate of hydraulic oil flowing from the on-off valve toward the oil reservoir, and the variable throttle valve may include a valve body that moves against the spring force of a spring member in a direction in which the flow rate decreases when pushed by the hydraulic pressure on the opening/closing valve side.

In the vehicle seat drive device according to the present invention, the variable throttle valve includes a throttle portion for changing the flow rate of hydraulic oil by the valve body, and hydraulic oil only from the oil reservoir side to the on-off valve side. It may be provided in parallel with a check valve portion for passing through.

In the vehicle seat drive device according to the present invention, the pneumatic-hydraulic converter is integrally formed with a tubular wall portion surrounding the cylinder body of the hydraulic cylinder and a rod cover of the hydraulic cylinder. Formed in a housing including a first lid portion that closes one end of the cylinder wall portion and a second lid portion that is integrally formed with the head cover of the hydraulic cylinder and closes the other end of the cylinder wall portion The oil reservoir and the air reservoir are formed between the cylinder main body and the cylinder wall, and the valve component and the switching valve included in the oil amount control device are provided in the housing. an oil passage through which hydraulic oil flows between the valve parts, between the valve part and the oil chamber, and between the valve part and the oil reservoir; the switching valve and the air reservoir; The air passage through which air flows between may be formed in each of the housings.

According to the present invention, by setting the switching valve to the supply mode, the hydraulic pressure in the oil reservoir rises, and the hydraulic oil flows from the oil reservoir through the check valve portion of the on-off valve toward the oil chamber of the hydraulic cylinder. . As the amount of hydraulic oil in the oil chamber increases, the piston rod protrudes from the cylinder body and the driving force is transmitted to the seat. By transmitting the driving force to the seat in this manner, for example, the backrest of the seat can be raised. When the switching valve is switched from the supply mode to the exhaust mode, the hydraulic pressure in the oil reservoir decreases, the check valve portion of the on-off valve closes, and the piston rod stops in synchronism with this.

On the other hand, when the switching valve is in the exhaust mode, the occupant pushes the piston rod of the hydraulic cylinder through the seat, thereby increasing the hydraulic pressure in the oil chamber of the hydraulic cylinder. At this time, by operating the operation part of the on-off valve so that the hydraulic oil passes through the check valve part, the hydraulic oil passes through the check valve part of the on-off valve and moves from the oil chamber to the oil reservoir. flow. By reducing the hydraulic oil in the oil chamber, for example, the seat can be reclining with an inclined backrest. By stopping the operation of the check valve portion by the operating portion of the on-off valve, the check valve portion closes, and the piston rod stops in synchronism with this.

Therefore, the operation of changing the seat configuration between the upright configuration and the reclining configuration can be controlled by hydraulic pressure using a single cylinder, so that the movement and stoppage associated with the change in the configuration of the seat can be performed with good responsiveness. . Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a vehicle seat driving device that has high controllability and is inexpensive.

1 is a circuit diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle seat driving device according to the present invention; FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of a cylinder unit. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of a cylinder unit. It is a top view of a cylinder unit. It is a bottom view of a cylinder unit. It is a sectional view of a cylinder unit. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the mechanical valve in the exhaust configuration; 1 is a cross-sectional view of a mechanical valve in a delivery configuration; FIG. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the housing of the mechanical valve; FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a variable throttle valve; FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the check valve portion in the open state of the variable throttle valve; FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the housing of the variable throttle valve; FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a throttle portion of the variable throttle valve; FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing an enlarged part of the throttle portion of the variable throttle valve; Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the check mechanical valve in the closed state; Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a check mechanical valve in an open state;

An embodiment of a vehicle seat driving device according to the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 16. FIG.
A vehicle seat driving device 1 shown in FIG. 1 is for changing the height of a vehicle seat 2 (hereinafter simply referred to as seat 2) and the inclination angle of a backrest 2a. It is configured by attaching a plurality of functional parts to 3. The plurality of functional parts, which will be described later in detail, include a mechanical valve 4 attached to the front surface 3a of the cylinder unit 3 (the right side surface in FIG. 1), a variable throttle valve 5, and a rear surface 3b of the cylinder unit 3. Check mechanical valve 6 attached.

(Description of Cylinder Unit 3)
The cylinder unit 3 includes a hydraulic cylinder 12 having a piston rod 11 connected to the seat 2, a sub cylinder 15 having a lower oil chamber 14 communicating with the oil chamber 13 of the hydraulic cylinder 12, and a hydraulic cylinder 12 and a sub cylinder 15 arranged horizontally. It is composed of a pneumatic-hydraulic converter 16 and the like positioned so as to line up.

The seat 2 is installed on the vehicle floor (not shown) via a reclining mechanism 7 . The reclining mechanism 7 has a structure in which the seat surface 17 moves forward to raise the height, the backrest 2a stands up, and the seat surface 17 moves rearward to incline the backrest 2a. The upper end of the piston rod 11 is connected to the reclining mechanism 7 so that the seat 2 can be driven. The cylinder unit 3 is swingably supported on the floor of the vehicle, and swings following the behavior of the seat 2 .

The piston rod 11 according to this embodiment is pushed down from above by the weight of the occupant (not shown) or the force of the occupant pushing the backrest 2a, and is raised by the hydraulic pressure converted from the air pressure by the air-hydraulic converter 16. .
The cylinder unit 3 according to this embodiment is constructed by accommodating all parts in a prismatic housing 21 (see FIGS. 2 and 3). A piston rod 11 protrudes from one end of the housing 21 . This cylinder unit 3 is used in a posture in which the piston rod 11 extends vertically and protrudes from the upper surface of the housing 21 .

In the following description of the configuration of the cylinder unit 3, for the sake of convenience, the front surface 3a of the cylinder unit 3 (the front surface 21a of the housing 21) is defined as the surface oriented obliquely downward to the left in FIG. When the cylinder unit 3 is viewed so as to face the front surfaces 3a and 21a, the upper side is the upper side of the cylinder unit 3, and the right side is the right side of the cylinder unit 3. As shown in FIG.
A mechanical valve 4 and a variable throttle valve 5, which will be described later, are attached to the front surface 21a of the housing 21, as shown in FIG. A check mechanical valve 6, which will be described later, is attached to the rear surface 21b of the housing 21, as shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 6 , the housing 21 has a square tubular wall 22 surrounding the hydraulic cylinder 12 located at the center of the housing 21 . A rod cover 23 of the hydraulic cylinder 12 closes the opening at the upper end of the cylinder wall 22 . A head cover 24 of the hydraulic cylinder 12 closes the opening at the lower end of the cylinder wall 22 . The housing 21 is composed of these tubular wall 22 , the rod cover 23 and the head cover 24 . A variable throttle valve 5, which will be described later, is attached to the front surface 24a (the right side surface in FIG. 6) of the head cover 24, and a check mechanical valve 6, which will be described later, is attached to the rear surface 24b of the head cover 24. As shown in FIG.

The hydraulic cylinder 12 comprises a piston rod 11 whose upper end is connected to the seat 2, a piston 25 provided at the lower end of the piston rod 11, and a cylinder into which the piston 25 is fitted so as to be vertically movable. It includes a cylinder body 26 , a rod cover 23 that closes the upper end of the cylinder body 26 with the piston rod 11 penetrating therethrough, and a head cover 24 that closes the lower end of the cylinder body 26 .

The piston rod 11 and the piston 25 shown in FIG. 6 are drawn so that their vertical positions are changed between the left side and the right side of the axis C1 of the piston rod 11 in FIG. The left side of the axis C1 shows the piston rod 11 and the piston 25 that have moved to the lowest position (moved so that the amount of protrusion is minimized), and the right side of the axis C1 shows the position that has moved to the highest position (the amount of protrusion is maximized). The piston rod 11 and the piston 25 are shown (moved so as to be aligned).
The piston 25 is disc-shaped and is fixed to the lower end of the piston rod 11 by a fixing bolt 27 passing through the axial center. Sealing members 28 and 29 are provided on the outer periphery of the piston 25 to seal with the cylinder body 26 .

The piston 25 partitions the inside of the cylinder body 26 into an oil chamber 13 on the side of the head cover 24 and an atmospheric pressure chamber 30 on the side of the rod cover 23 . The oil chamber 13 is filled with hydraulic oil 31 . The atmospheric pressure chamber 30 communicates with a first air hole 33 in the cylinder wall 22 through an air passage 32 formed in the rod cover 23 and is open to the atmosphere. The first air hole 33 opens in the rear surface 21 b of the housing 21 . A silencer 34 is attached to the first air hole 33 .

The cylinder main body 26 is connected to the rod cover 23 and the head cover 24 in such a manner that the center portion of the rod cover 23 is fitted into the upper end portion and the center portion of the head cover 24 is fitted into the lower end portion. Seal members 35 and 36 seal between the upper end of the cylinder body 26 and the rod cover 23 and between the lower end of the cylinder body 26 and the head cover 24, respectively.

The rod cover 23 is formed in a disc shape, is fitted into the upper end portion of the cylindrical wall 22, and is fixed to the cylindrical wall 22 by a retaining ring 37 engaged with the cylindrical wall 22 so as not to move upward. . A fitting portion between the rod cover 23 and the cylinder wall 22 is sealed by a seal member 38, and a portion of the rod cover 23 through which the piston rod 11 penetrates is sealed by a seal member 39. As shown in FIG.
A ring-shaped cushion pad 40 is provided at the central portion of the rod cover 23 and facing the inside of the cylinder body 26 .

The head cover 24 is formed in a prism shape, and is fixed to the cylinder wall 22 in such a manner that a portion of the head cover 24 is fitted into the lower end portion of the cylinder wall 22 . This fixation is performed by a plurality of fixing bolts 41 (see FIG. 5) that pass through the head cover 24 in the vertical direction. A seal member 42 (see FIG. 6) seals between the head cover 24 and the cylinder wall 22 .
A ring-shaped cushion pad 43 is provided in the central portion of the head cover 24 and facing the inside of the cylinder body 26 .

The head cover 24 constitutes the "lower end of the hydraulic cylinder" referred to in the second aspect of the invention. The head cover 24 is provided with an auxiliary cylinder 15 having a cylinder hole 44 located on the same axis as the cylinder body 26 and a free piston 45 movably fitted in the cylinder hole 44 . The cylinder hole 44 is a non-through hole that opens to the lower end of the head cover 24 . A guide rod 46 and an annular cushion pad 47 are provided at the central portion of the head cover 24 that forms the upper wall of the cylinder hole 44 . The guide rod 46 is formed in a cylindrical shape and extends vertically along the axis C<b>1 of the piston rod 11 at the axial center of the cylinder hole 44 .

The lower end of the guide rod 46 is fitted and fixed to a disk-shaped cover 48 fitted into the lower end of the cylinder hole 44 . The cover 48 is fitted into the opening of the cylinder hole 44 and fixed to the head cover 24 by a retaining ring 48a engaged with the head cover 24 so as not to move downward. A sealing member 49 seals between the lid 48 and the cylinder hole 44 . An annular cushion pad 50 is provided in a central portion of the lid 48 and facing the cylinder hole 44 .

The free piston 45 is formed in an annular shape and is fitted in the cylinder hole 44 with a guide rod 46 penetrating through the axial center portion. The free piston 45 vertically partitions the inside of the cylinder hole 44 . A seal member 51 seals between the free piston 45 and the cylinder hole 44 , and a seal member 52 seals between the free piston 45 and the guide rod 46 .

A portion above the free piston 45 in the cylinder hole 44 communicates with the oil chamber 13 of the hydraulic cylinder 12 through a plurality of first oil holes 53 extending vertically in the head cover 24 , and a lower portion filled with hydraulic oil 31 . It is the oil chamber 14 . The first oil hole 53 connects the upper end of the cylinder hole 44 and the lower end of the oil chamber 13 . The lower oil chamber 14 is connected to a second oil hole 54 extending from the upper end of the lower oil chamber 14 toward the rear surface 24b of the head cover 24. As shown in FIG. The second oil hole 54 is an oil amount control device including a check mechanical valve 6 attached to the rear surface 24b of the head cover 24 and a variable throttle valve 5 attached to the front surface 24a of the head cover 24, although the details will be described later. 61 (see FIG. 1) to a third oil hole 62 (see FIG. 6) on the front side of the head cover 24 .

The third oil hole 62 opens in the front surface 24 a of the head cover 24 and extends from this opening to a tubular space 63 between the hydraulic cylinder 12 and the tubular wall 22 .
Below the free piston 45 in the cylinder hole 44 is an air pressure chamber 65 filled with pressurized air supplied from a sub-cylinder ventilation hole 64 drilled in the rear side of the head cover 24 . The sub-cylinder air hole 64 opens in the rear surface 24b of the head cover 24, and is connected to an air pipe 66 (see FIG. 1) when the air pressure chamber 65 is filled with pressurized air. The air pipe 66 is supplied with pressurized air from an air pressure source 67 (see FIG. 1). The air pipe 66 is removed from the auxiliary cylinder ventilation hole 64 after the air pressure chamber 65 is filled with pressurized air at a predetermined pressure. At this time, the sub-cylinder air hole 64 is closed by a plug member (not shown) so as to maintain an airtight state.

The pneumatic-hydraulic converter 16 is formed in a housing 21 of the cylinder unit 3 so as to surround the hydraulic cylinder 12 . More specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, the pneumatic-hydraulic converter 16 includes a cylindrical wall portion 71, which is a part of the cylindrical wall 22 surrounding the cylinder body 26 of the hydraulic cylinder 12, and a rod of the hydraulic cylinder 12. A first lid portion 72 configured by the outer peripheral portion of the cover 23 to close the upper end of the cylinder wall portion 71 , and a second cover portion 72 configured by the outer portion of the head cover 24 of the hydraulic cylinder 12 to close the lower end of the cylinder wall portion 71 . and a lid portion 73 of .

A predetermined amount of hydraulic oil 31 is stored in a tubular space 63 formed between the cylinder body 26 and the tubular wall portion 71 of the hydraulic cylinder 12 . An oil reservoir 74 is formed in the cylindrical space 63 below the oil level of the hydraulic oil 31 , and an air reservoir 75 is formed above the oil level. An annular float 76 floats on the surface of the hydraulic oil 31 . The inner peripheral portion of the float 76 is loosely fitted to the cylinder body 26 , and the outer peripheral portion of the float 76 is loosely fitted to the cylindrical wall portion 71 .

The oil reservoir 74 is supplied through the third oil hole 62 described above, the oil amount control device 61 described later, the second oil hole 54 and the lower oil chamber 14 of the head cover 24, the first oil hole 53, and the like. It communicates with the oil chamber 13 of the hydraulic cylinder 12 . An oil passage extending from the oil reservoir 74 to the oil chamber 13 is filled with hydraulic oil 31 .
A first air hole 77 is bored through the upper end portion of the cylinder wall portion 71 in the front-rear direction. The first vent hole 77 is connected to the air pressure source 67 via the mechanical valve 4 (see FIG. 1) attached to the upper portion of the front surface 21a of the housing 21. As shown in FIG.
A baffle plate 78 is provided at the upper end of the air reservoir 75 according to this embodiment to disperse the pressurized air blown from the first vent hole 77 in the circumferential direction of the air reservoir 75 .

(Description of mechanical valve 4)
The mechanical valve 4 corresponds to the "switching valve" of the present invention, and is provided between the air reservoir 75 and the air pressure source 67 as shown in FIG. This mechanical valve 4 is a valve operated by the passenger when the seat 2 is lifted or the backrest 2a is raised. The mechanical valve 4 according to this embodiment, as shown in FIG. and an operation portion 84 including an operation lever 83 provided at the end.

The housing 81 is fixed to the top of the front surface 21a of the housing 21 with a plurality of fixing bolts 85 (see FIG. 4). The fixing bolt 85 is passed through the through-hole 86 of the housing 81 , penetrates the housing 81 in the front-rear direction, and is screwed to the cylinder wall 22 .
As shown in FIG. 9, the housing 81 is formed with a hole 87 penetrating in the left-right direction, and the components of the mechanical valve 4 are assembled using this hole 87 .

This hole 87 is composed of a first hole 87a opening at the left end face of the housing 81, a second hole 87b opening at the right end face of the housing 81, and these first hole 87a and second hole 87b. It is formed by a connecting third hole 87c. The hole diameter of the third hole 87c is smaller than those of the first and second holes 87a and 87b. A lateral hole 88 is connected to the third hole 87c. A second ventilation hole 89 opens in the lateral hole 88 . The lateral hole 88 is closed by the plug member 81a.

A second vent hole 89 opens into the rear face of the housing 81 and extends from this opening to the lateral hole 88 . 4, when the mechanical valve 4 is attached to the cylinder wall 22 of the cylinder unit 3, the second ventilation hole 89 is the second vent hole 89 of the cylinder wall 22. As shown in FIG. 1 vent hole 77 . Therefore, the inside of the third hole 87 c communicates with the air reservoir 75 via the horizontal hole 88 , the second vent hole 89 and the first vent hole 77 .
A third ventilation hole 91 opens in the first hole 87a, and a fourth ventilation hole 92 opens in the second hole 87b.

These third vent holes 91 open in the rear surface of the housing 81 and extend from this opening to the first hole 87a. A fourth vent hole 92 opens in the rear surface of the housing 81 and extends from this opening to the second hole 87b.
When the mechanical valve 4 is attached to the cylinder wall 22 of the cylinder unit 3, the third vent hole 91 is connected to the fifth vent hole 93 of the cylinder wall 22, as shown in FIG. A vent hole 92 is connected to a sixth vent hole 94 in the barrel wall 22 .

The fifth vent hole 93 opens in the left wall surface 22b of the cylinder wall 22 and is connected to the air pressure source 67 via an air pipe 95 (see FIG. 1) connected to this opening. Therefore, pressurized air is supplied into the first hole 87a.
The sixth vent hole 94 opens to the right wall surface 22c of the cylinder wall 22 and is open to the atmosphere through a silencer 96 (see FIG. 1) connected to this opening.

As shown in FIG. 7, the check valve portion 82 of the mechanical valve 4 has a first hole 87a opened in the left end face of the housing 81 and a bottomed cylindrical holder 101 fitted in the first hole 87a. A valve body 102 and the like are fitted in the cylindrical portion 101a of the holder 101 so as to be movable in the left-right direction. An annular space 103 is formed between the cylindrical portion 101a of the holder 101 and the hole wall surface of the first hole 87a.
The valve body 102 is formed in a cylindrical shape. A through hole 104 is formed in the axial center of the valve body 102 . A seat member 102 a that abuts against a cylindrical valve seat 105 is provided at the right end of the valve body 102 . The valve seat 105 is formed at the boundary between the first hole 87a and the third hole 87c so as to protrude into the first hole 87a.

A compression coil spring 106 provided between the valve body 102 and the holder 101 urges the valve body 102 rightward, that is, in the direction in which the seat member 102 a contacts the valve seat 105 . The holder 101 is held by being pressed by the spring force of a compression coil spring 106 against a retaining ring 107 engaged with the opening side end of the first hole 87a. A seal member 108 seals between the holder 101 and the first hole 87a. A seal member 109 seals between the holder 101 and the valve body 102 .

The operating lever 83 of the operating portion 84 is swingably supported by the housing 81 via a lever support member 111 . One end of an operation wire 112 is connected to the swing end of the operation lever 83 as shown in FIG. The other end of the operating wire 112 is connected to an operator (not shown) near the seat 2 so that the passenger seated on the seat 2 can operate it by hand.
As shown in FIG. 7, the operating portion 84 includes an operating lever 83, a cylindrical pin 113 whose right end contacts the intermediate portion of the operating lever 83, and a spool 114 that contacts the left end of the pin 113. .

The pin 113 is supported by the housing 81 via a pin guide member 115 so as to be freely movable in the horizontal direction. The pin guide member 115 is formed in a columnar shape, fits into the right end of the second hole 87b in the housing 81, and is held by the lever support member 111 so as not to come out of the housing 81. . A seal member 116 seals between the outer peripheral portion of the pin guide member 115 and the housing 81 . A seal member 117 seals between the pin guide member 115 and the pin 113 .

The spool 114 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom, and is supported by the housing 81 so as to be movable in the left-right direction via a spool guide member 118 with a cylindrical portion 114a opening toward the left. The left end of the spool 114 faces the valve body 102 in the vicinity of the valve body 102 of the check valve portion 82 .
The right end of the spool 114 is provided with a communication hole 119 for communicating the inside and outside of the cylindrical portion 114a, and a flange 120 having an outer diameter larger than that of the cylindrical portion 114a.
The spool guide member 118 is formed in a cylindrical shape that fits into the left end of the second hole 87b. A seal member 121 seals between the outer peripheral portion of the spool guide member 118 and the housing 81 .

The inner peripheral portion of the spool guide member 118 is formed by a small diameter hole 122 into which the cylindrical portion 114a of the spool 114 is movably fitted, and a large diameter hole 123 into which the flange 120 of the spool 114 is movably fitted. ing. A sealing member 124 seals between the spool 114 and the hole wall surface of the small diameter hole 122 .
A compression coil spring 126 that biases the spool 114 away from the valve element 102 is provided between a stepped portion 125 that serves as a boundary between the small diameter hole 122 and the large diameter hole 123 and the flange 120 of the spool 114. It is The spool 114 is pressed against the pin 113 by the spring force of this compression coil spring 126 .

An annular groove 127 and a plurality of communication holes 128 communicating between the annular groove 127 and the inside of the large-diameter hole 123 are formed in the outer peripheral portion of the spool guide member 118 . A fourth ventilation hole 92 of the housing 81 opens into an annular space 129 formed by the annular groove 127 and the hole wall surface of the second hole 87b of the housing 81. As shown in FIG.

(Description of the operation of the mechanical valve 4)
In the mechanical valve 4 constructed in this manner, the valve body 102 of the check valve portion 82 is pushed by the spring force of the compression coil spring 106 when the operation lever 83 is not operated as shown in FIG. The pressurized air supplied from the air pressure source 67 side is stopped by the check valve portion 82 in order to be seated on the valve seat 105 . In this state, the second vent hole 89 and the fourth vent hole 92 of the housing 81 are connected to the horizontal hole 88, the third hole 87c, the inside of the spool 114, the communicating hole 119, and the large diameter hole 123. They communicate with each other via an air passage composed of the inside, the communication hole 128 and the annular space 129 . Therefore, the air reservoir 75 is open to the atmosphere.

When the operating lever 83 is operated, the pin 113 is pushed leftward by the operating lever 83 and the pin 113 and the spool 114 move leftward with respect to the housing 81, as shown in FIG. Then, the spool 114 pushes the valve body 102 against the spring force of the compression coil spring 106 , and the valve body 102 separates from the valve seat 105 .
In this state, the opening at the left end of spool 114 is closed by valve body 102 (the path for opening to the atmosphere is cut off), and the inside of first hole 87a and the inside of third hole 87c are communicated with each other. Therefore, the pressurized air supplied into the first hole 87a is supplied from the third hole 87c to the air reservoir 75 through the lateral hole 88, the second vent hole 89 and the first vent hole 77. .

That is, the mechanical valve 4 adopts either a supply form in which the compressed air is supplied from the air pressure source 67 to the air reservoir 75 or an exhaust form in which the air in the air reservoir 75 can be exhausted. be.
When the mechanical valve 4 is in the supply mode and the pressurized air is supplied into the air reservoir 75, the hydraulic oil 31 in the air-hydraulic converter 16 is pushed from above by the air, and the operation in the oil reservoir 74 is performed. Oil 31 flows into the variable throttle valve 5 through the third oil hole 62 .

(Description of variable throttle valve 5)
The variable throttle valve 5 corresponds to the "variable throttle valve" in the present invention, and is provided between the oil reservoir 74 of the cylinder unit 3 and the check mechanical valve 6 described later in the circuit diagram shown in FIG. there is This variable throttle valve 5 changes the flow rate of hydraulic oil 31 passing between the oil reservoir 74 and the check mechanical valve 6 .
The variable throttle valve 5 according to this embodiment, as shown in FIG. I have.

The housing 131 is fixed to the lower portion of the front surface 24a of the head cover 24 with a plurality of fixing bolts 134 (see FIG. 5). The fixing bolt 134 is passed through a through hole 135 (see FIGS. 10 and 12) of the housing 131 to pass through the housing 131 in the front-rear direction and is screwed to the cylindrical wall 22 .
As shown in FIG. 12, the housing 131 is formed with a fourth hole 136 and a fifth hole 137 penetrating in the left-right direction. Components are assembled. Of these holes 136 and 137, the lower fourth hole 136 is formed by a small diameter hole 138 opening at the left end face of the housing 131 and a large diameter hole 139 opening at the right end face of the housing 131. formed.

The left open end of the small-diameter hole 138 is closed by a plug member 131a. Also, the small diameter hole 138 is connected to the fifth hole 137 by the first communication hole 141 .
A fourth oil hole 142 opens in the small diameter hole 138 . This fourth oil hole 142 opens in the rear surface of the housing 131 and extends from this opening to the small diameter hole 138 . The fourth oil hole 142 is connected to the third oil hole 62 of the head cover 24 when the variable throttle valve 5 is attached to the head cover 24 . That is, the inside of the small-diameter hole 138 communicates with the oil reservoir 74 .

The large diameter hole 139 is connected to the large diameter hole 137 by a second communicating hole 143 . The configuration of the second communication hole 143 will be described later.
A fifth oil hole 144 is opened in the large-diameter hole 139 . This fifth oil hole 144 opens in the rear surface of the housing 131 and extends from this opening to the large diameter hole 139 . When the variable throttle valve 5 is attached to the head cover 24, the fifth oil hole 144 is connected to the front end of the sixth oil hole 145 (see FIG. 6) that traverses the inside of the head cover 24 in the longitudinal direction. The sixth oil hole 145 extends through the head cover 24 above the cylinder hole 44 in the front-rear direction. A rear end of the sixth oil hole 145 is connected to a check mechanical valve 6, which will be described later.

A cylindrical spring bearing member 146 is screwed into the right opening of the large-diameter hole 139, as shown in FIG. A seal member 147 seals between the spring receiving member 146 and the large diameter hole 139 . A plug member 148 is screwed into the hollow portion of the spring receiving member 146 and closed by the plug member 148 .
A valve body 150 is attached to the left side of the spring bearing member 146 via a compression coil spring 149 . The valve body 150 is pressed by the spring force of a compression coil spring 149 against a cylindrical valve seat 151 provided at the boundary between the small diameter hole 138 and the large diameter hole 139 . The valve body 150 opens away from the valve seat 151 when the pressure of the hydraulic oil 31 propagated from the oil reservoir 74 to the small diameter hole 138 exceeds the spring force of the compression coil spring 149. to close the small-diameter hole 138 and the large-diameter hole 139 . Therefore, the check valve portion 132 allows the hydraulic oil 31 to flow only from the oil storage portion 74 side to the check mechanical valve 6 side.

As shown in FIG. 12, the fifth hole 137 of the housing 131 is formed by a valve hole 153 opening on the left end face of the housing 131 and a screw hole 154 opening on the right end face of the housing 131 . The valve hole 153 is connected to the small diameter hole 138 and the large diameter hole 139 of the fourth hole 136 via the first and second communicating holes 141 and 143 . A first adjustment screw 155 is screwed into the screw hole 154 .
The opening of the valve hole 153 is closed by a cap 156 screwed thereto. A second adjusting screw 157 is screwed into the cap 156, and a spring bearing member 158 is movably inserted.

A bottomed cylindrical valve body 161 is fitted in the valve hole 153 so as to be movable in the left-right direction with the opening facing the cap 156 . The valve main body 161 shown in FIG. 13 is drawn with different positions in the left-right direction between the upper side and the lower side of the axis C2. The valve body 161 depicted on the upper side is positioned at the throttle position where the open end 161a serving as the left end is in contact with the cap 156, and the valve body 161 depicted on the bottom is located on the right side. The leading end portion 161b is located at the open position where it contacts the first adjusting screw 155. As shown in FIG.
A tip portion 161b of the valve body 161 is formed to have a smaller diameter than other portions of the valve body 161 so that a clearance is formed between the tip portion 161b and the hole wall surface of the valve hole 153 .
A seal member 162 seals between the opening end 161 a of the valve body 161 and the valve hole 153 .

The valve body 161 is urged in a direction away from the spring receiving member 158 (rightward) by a compression coil spring 163 provided between the valve body 161 and the spring receiving member 158 . The spring receiving member 158 is pressed against the second adjusting screw 157 by the spring force of the compression coil spring 163 . In this embodiment, the compression coil spring 163 corresponds to the "spring member" in the third aspect of the invention.
The internal space of the valve body 161 is opened to the atmosphere by a communicating passage 164 formed in the spring receiving member 158, a communicating passage 165 formed in the cap 156, and a communicating passage 166 formed in the housing 131. there is A communication passage 166 of the housing 131 is provided with a filter 167 (see FIG. 10) for preventing foreign matter from entering.

As shown in FIG. 13, the outer peripheral portion of the valve body 161 has a large diameter portion 171 that fits into the valve hole 153 on the side of the tip portion 161b, a small diameter portion 172 that is positioned on the side of the opening end portion 161a, and these large diameter portions. A tapered portion 173 positioned between the diameter portion 171 and the small diameter portion 172 is formed. The large-diameter portion 171 partitions the inside of the valve hole 153 in the left-right direction, and forms a main oil chamber 174 at the right end portion of the valve hole 153 .
The tapered portion 173 is formed such that the outer diameter of the valve body 161 gradually decreases from the large diameter portion 171 toward the small diameter portion 172 .
An annular oil chamber 175 is formed between the small diameter portion 172 and the tapered portion 173 of the valve body 161 and the valve hole 153 .
An annular groove 176 is formed in a portion of the valve hole 153 facing the large diameter portion 171 and the tapered portion 173 of the valve body 161 .

The annular groove 176 is formed at a position facing the large-diameter portion 171 of the valve body 161 positioned at the throttle position and the right end portion of the tapered portion 173 . Since the annular groove 176 is formed in this manner, the interior of the annular groove 176 and the annular oil chamber 175 are communicated through a minute gap S as shown in FIG. be done. This gap S extends in the circumferential direction of the valve hole 153 and is formed in an annular shape.

Of the first and second communication holes 141 and 143 that connect the valve hole 153 and the fourth hole 136, the first communication hole 141 located on the left side is the central portion of the valve hole 153 in the left-right direction. Thus, the valve body 161 always opens at a position facing the annular oil chamber 175 in the process of moving between the open position and the throttle position.
The second communication hole 143 opens at two locations on the right side of the valve hole 153 . Of these two openings, the right opening 143 a is formed in a portion of the valve hole 153 that will become the main oil chamber 174 . The right opening 143a according to this embodiment is formed at a position facing the tip portion 161b of the valve body 161 in the open position. A left opening 143 b of the second communication hole 143 is formed in the annular groove 176 of the valve hole 153 .

Hydraulic oil 31 flows into the main oil chamber 174 in the valve hole 153 through the opening 143a on the right side of the second communication hole 143, causing the valve body 161 to move toward the cap 156 against the spring force of the compression coil spring 163. Moving. The amount of movement of the valve body 161 increases or decreases in accordance with the hydraulic pressure inside the second communication hole 143 . When the hydraulic oil 31 flows into the main oil chamber 174 from the right opening 143a, the hydraulic oil 31 also flows into the valve hole 153 (annular oil chamber 175) from the left opening 143b. As will be described later, the hydraulic fluid 31 flows through the annular oil chamber 175 into the first communication hole 141 at a flow rate corresponding to the cross-sectional area of the passage that increases or decreases depending on the position of the tapered portion 173 . That is, the flow rate of the hydraulic oil 31 is throttled and passes through the throttle portion 133 .

The amount of hydraulic oil 31 that flows into the annular oil chamber 175 from the left opening 143 b depends on the position of the valve body 161 . More specifically, the amount of hydraulic oil 31 flowing into the valve hole 153 from the left opening 143b is becomes the most common in When the valve body 161 moves from the open position toward the throttle position, the taper portion 173 narrows the flow path of the hydraulic oil 31, so the amount of the hydraulic oil 31 flowing into the valve hole 153 gradually decreases. By moving the valve body 161 to the throttling position as depicted above the axis C2, the hydraulic oil 31 passes through the minute gap S, and the hydraulic oil 31 flowing into the valve hole 153 is reduced. quantity is minimal.
That is, the valve main body 161 is pushed by the hydraulic pressure on the side of the second communication hole 143 (the side of the check mechanical valve 6), so that the compression coil spring 163 moves in the direction in which the flow rate of the hydraulic oil 31 passing through the throttle portion 133 decreases. move against the spring force.

Hydraulic oil 31 thus flowing from the second communication hole 143 through the valve hole 153 into the first communication hole 141 flows into the fourth oil hole 142 through the small diameter hole 138 of the fourth hole 136. do. That is, the variable throttle valve 5 has a throttle portion 133 in which the flow rate of the hydraulic oil 31 is changed by the valve body 161, and a check valve portion 132 that allows the hydraulic oil 31 to flow only from the oil storage portion 74 side to the check mechanical valve 6 side. are provided in parallel.

(Description of check mechanical valve 6)
The check mechanical valve 6 corresponds to the "on-off valve" in the present invention, and is operated when the passenger puts his or her weight on the seat 2 or pushes the backrest 2a to tilt the backrest 2a. An oil amount control device 61 according to the present invention is composed of this check mechanical valve 6 and the variable throttle valve 5 described above.

The check mechanical valve 6 is provided in an oil passage 181 between the oil chamber 13 of the hydraulic cylinder 12 and the oil reservoir 74 of the air-hydraulic converter 16 as shown in FIG. . The variable throttle valve 5 described above is provided between the check mechanical valve 6 and the oil reservoir 74 .
The check mechanical valve 6 is opened only by the operation of the occupant when the hydraulic oil 31 flows from the oil chamber 13 side to the variable throttle valve 5 side, and when the hydraulic oil 31 flows from the variable throttle valve 5 side to the oil chamber 13 side, the hydraulic pressure is increased. is pushed open.

The check mechanical valve 6 according to this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 15 has an operation portion 185 including an operation lever 184 provided at the left end).
The housing 182 is fixed to the lower portion of the rear surface 24b of the head cover 24 by a plurality of fixing bolts 186 (see FIGS. 4 and 5). The fixing bolt 186 is passed through a through hole 187 (see FIG. 15) of the housing 182 to pass through the housing 182 in the front-rear direction and is screwed to the head cover 24 .

As shown in FIG. 15, the housing 182 is formed with a hole 191 penetrating in the left-right direction, and the components of the check mechanical valve 6 are assembled using this hole 191 . The hole 191 is formed by a sixth hole 192 opening at the left end surface of the housing 182 and a seventh hole 193 opening at the right end surface of the housing 182 .
A seventh oil hole 194 opens into the sixth hole 192 . A seventh oil hole 194 opens in the front surface of the housing 182 and extends from this opening to the sixth hole 192 . The seventh oil hole 194 is connected to the rear end of the second oil hole 54 of the cylinder unit 3 with the check mechanical valve 6 attached to the rear surface 24 b of the head cover 24 . Therefore, the sixth hole 192 is connected to the oil chamber 13 of the hydraulic cylinder 12 via the seventh oil hole 194 , the second oil hole 54 and the first oil hole 53 .

The seventh hole 193 is connected with a lateral hole 195 that opens to the upper surface of the housing 182 . An eighth oil hole 196 opens into this lateral hole 195 . The upper end opening of the lateral hole 195 is closed by a plug member 182a. The eighth oil hole 196 opens in the front surface of the housing 182 (the surface on the back side of the paper in FIG. 15) and extends from this opening to the lateral hole 195 . The eighth oil hole 196 is connected to the sixth oil hole 145 of the cylinder unit 3 with the check mechanical valve 6 attached to the rear surface 24 b of the head cover 24 .
Therefore, the eighth oil hole 196 is connected to the oil reservoir 74 via the sixth oil hole 145 , the variable throttle valve 5 and the third oil hole 62 .

A cylindrical spring receiving member 197 is screwed into the opening on the left side (the right side in FIG. 13) of the sixth hole 192 . A sealing member 198 seals between the spring receiving member 197 and the sixth hole 192 . A plug member 199 is screwed into the hollow portion of the spring receiving member 197 and closed by the plug member 199 .
A valve body 201 is attached to the right side of the spring receiving member 197 via a compression coil spring 200 . The valve body 201 is pressed against a cylindrical valve seat 202 provided at the boundary between the sixth hole 192 and the seventh hole 193 by the spring force of the compression coil spring 200 . The valve body 201 opens away from the valve seat 202 when the pressure of the hydraulic oil 31 in the seventh hole 193 exceeds the spring force of the compression coil spring 200 and when pushed by the operation part 185 described later, Otherwise, it abuts against the valve seat 202 to close the gap between the sixth hole 192 and the seventh hole 193 .

An operation lever 184 of the operation portion 185 is swingably supported by the housing 182 via a lever support member 203 . One end of an operation wire 204 is connected to the swing end of the operation lever 184 as shown in FIG. The other end of the operating wire 204 is connected to an operator (not shown) near the seat 2 so that the passenger seated on the seat 2 can operate it by hand.
The operating portion 185 includes an operating lever 184, a cylindrical pin 205 whose tip contacts an intermediate portion of the operating lever 184, a compression coil spring 206 that biases the pin 205 toward the operating lever 184, and the like. .

The pin 205 is supported by the housing 182 via a pin guide member 207 so as to be freely movable in the horizontal direction. The pin guide member 207 is formed in a cylindrical shape, fits into the right end of the seventh hole 193 in the housing 182, and is held by the lever support member 203 so as not to come out of the housing 182. . A seal member 208 seals between the outer peripheral portion of the pin guide member 207 and the housing 182 . A seal member 209 seals between the pin guide member 207 and the pin 205 .

In this check mechanical valve 6, when the operating lever 184 is not operated, as shown in FIG. is doing.
When the operating lever 184 is operated by an occupant, the pin 205 pushes the valve body 201 against the spring force of the compression coil spring 200, and the valve body 201 is separated from the valve seat 202 to open as shown in FIG. That is, the operating portion 185 operates the check valve portion 183 so that the hydraulic oil 31 passes through. When the check valve portion 183 opens in a state in which the weight of the occupant and the force of the occupant pushing the backrest 2 a are applied to the oil chamber 13 of the hydraulic cylinder 12 , the hydraulic oil 31 flows from the oil chamber 13 to the first oil hole 53 . , the second oil hole 54 and the seventh oil hole 194 to the sixth hole 192 , and flows from the sixth hole 192 through the check valve portion 183 into the seventh hole 193 . The hydraulic oil 31 flows from the seventh hole 193 through the horizontal hole 195, the eighth oil hole 196, and the sixth oil hole in the head cover 24 into the fifth oil hole 144 of the variable throttle valve 5. do.

In the drive device 1 for the seat 2 configured as described above, the mechanical valve 4 is operated by the passenger to enter the supply mode as shown in FIG. be done. As the pressure in the air reservoir 75 rises, the hydraulic pressure in the oil reservoir 74 rises, and the hydraulic oil 31 flows from the oil reservoir 74 through the third oil hole 62 to the fourth oil hole of the variable throttle valve 5 . 142 and the check valve portion 132 opens. The hydraulic oil 31 that has passed through the check valve portion 132 flows from the fifth oil hole 144 through the sixth oil hole 145 of the head cover 24 into the eighth oil hole 196 of the check mechanical valve 6 .

As the hydraulic oil 31 flows into the eighth oil hole 196 in this manner, the check valve portion 183 of the check mechanical valve 6 opens, and the hydraulic oil 31 flows through the seventh oil hole 194 and the first and second oil holes of the head cover 24 . flows into the oil chamber 13 of the hydraulic cylinder 12 through the oil holes 53 and 54 of the hydraulic cylinder 12 .
As the amount of hydraulic oil 31 in the oil chamber 13 increases, the piston rod 11 moves upward and protrudes from the cylinder body 26 , and the driving force is transmitted to the seat 2 . By transmitting the driving force to the seat 2 in this way, for example, the backrest 2a of the seat 2 can be raised.

When the mechanical valve 4 is switched from the supply mode to the exhaust mode, the inside of the air reservoir 75 becomes atmospheric pressure, the oil pressure in the oil reservoir 74 decreases, and the check valve portion 183 of the variable throttle valve 5 and the check mechanical valve 6 is opened. closes, and the piston rod 11 stops synchronously therewith. Stopping the piston rod 11 means that the lifting motion of the seat 2 and the erecting motion of the backrest 2a are stopped.

On the other hand, when the mechanical valve 4 is in the exhaust mode, the passenger presses the piston rod 11 of the hydraulic cylinder 12 through the seat 2, so that the hydraulic pressure in the oil chamber 13 of the hydraulic cylinder 12 increases. At this time, the operating portion 185 of the check mechanical valve 6 is operated so that the hydraulic oil 31 passes through the check valve portion 183 (hereinafter, this operation is simply referred to as "opening operation"), thereby allowing the hydraulic oil 31 to pass through the check mechanical valve. The oil flows through the check valve portion 183 of the valve 6 , the eighth oil hole 196 , the sixth oil hole 145 of the head cover 24 , and the fifth oil hole 144 of the variable throttle valve 5 . Hydraulic oil 31 that has flowed into fifth oil hole 144 passes through large diameter hole 139 , second communicating hole 143 , constricted portion 133 , and first communicating hole 141 and enters small diameter hole 138 .

At this time, the greater the hydraulic pressure pushing the valve main body 161 of the throttle portion 133, the smaller the cross-sectional area of the passage of the throttle portion 133. Therefore, the flow rate varies according to the magnitude of the force (for example, body weight) of the occupant pushing the seat 2. Hydraulic oil 31 passes through throttle portion 133 so as to decrease. The hydraulic oil 31 that has flowed into the small-diameter hole 138 flows from the fourth oil hole 142 through the third oil hole 62 of the head cover 24 into the oil reservoir 74 . Therefore, at this time, the hydraulic oil 31 flows from the oil chamber 13 toward the oil reservoir 74 so that the flow rate decreases according to the force applied by the occupant. When the hydraulic fluid 31 in the oil chamber 13 flows out and the piston 25 and the piston rod 11 are lowered, for example, the backrest 2a of the seat 2 can be reclining. By returning the operating lever 184 of the check mechanical valve 6 to stop the "opening operation" of the operating portion 185, the check valve portion 183 is closed, and the piston rod 11 is stopped synchronously.

Therefore, the operation of changing the configuration of the seat 2 between the upright configuration and the reclining configuration can be controlled by hydraulic pressure, so that the movement and stopping associated with the configuration change can be performed with good responsiveness. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a vehicle seat driving device with high controllability.

At the lower end of the hydraulic cylinder 12 is a sub-cylinder 15 comprising a cylinder hole 44 extending vertically and communicating with the oil chamber 13 at its upper end, and a free piston 45 movably fitted in the cylinder hole 44 . is provided. The free piston 45 has a lower oil chamber 14 formed at the upper portion within the cylinder hole 44 and filled with the working oil 31, and an air pressure chamber 65 formed at the lower portion within the cylinder hole 44 and filled with pressurized air. partitioning.
Therefore, if the opening operation of the check mechanical valve 6 is stopped while the piston rod 11 is being pushed down by the passenger, the pressure in the oil chamber 13 of the hydraulic cylinder 12 rises rapidly, and the pressurized air in the air pressure chamber 65 is compressed and the free piston 45 is lowered. At this time, the sub-cylinder 15 substantially functions as an air spring to mitigate the impact when the piston rod 11 stops. As a result, the movement of the seat 2 is stopped without causing the passenger to feel uncomfortable.

The oil reservoir 74 and the air reservoir 75 according to this embodiment are formed in an annular shape surrounding the cylinder body 26 , and the oil reservoir 74 is positioned below the air reservoir 75 .
Therefore, since the pneumatic-hydraulic converter 16 is arranged around the hydraulic cylinder 12 and does not interfere with the sub-cylinder 15, the vehicle can be compact even though the sub-cylinder 15 is substantially an air spring. It is possible to provide a driving device for a seat for a vehicle.

The oil quantity control device 61 according to this embodiment has a variable throttle valve 5 that changes the flow rate of the hydraulic oil 31 flowing from the check mechanical valve 6 toward the oil reservoir 74 . The variable throttle valve 5 has a valve body 161 that moves against the spring force of a compression coil spring 163 in the direction in which the flow rate decreases when pushed by the hydraulic pressure on the side of the check mechanical valve 6 .
Therefore, as the force applied to the piston rod 11 by the occupant increases, the flow rate of the hydraulic oil 31 flowing from the oil chamber 13 to the oil reservoir 74 decreases. Therefore, for example, when a relatively heavy occupant is seated, the seat 2 is gently lowered against the weight of the occupant. Also, when an occupant with a relatively light weight sits on the seat 2, the seat 2 descends at a speed corresponding to the weight of the occupant.

The variable throttle valve 5 according to this embodiment operates only from the throttle portion 133 in which the flow rate of the hydraulic oil 31 is changed by the valve body 161 that moves against the spring force, and from the oil storage portion 74 side to the check mechanical valve 6 side. A check valve portion 183 through which the oil 31 is passed is provided in parallel.
Therefore, when the hydraulic fluid 31 flows from the oil storage portion 74 side to the check mechanical valve 6 side, the hydraulic fluid 31 passes through the check valve portion 183 and bypasses the throttle portion 133 . Therefore, for example, when the backrest 2a is erected, the hydraulic oil 31 does not have to pass through the constricted portion 133, so that the seat 2 can be quickly moved at this time.

The air-hydraulic converter 16 according to this embodiment includes a tubular wall portion 71 surrounding the hydraulic cylinder 12, a first lid portion 72 formed integrally with the rod cover 23 of the hydraulic cylinder 12, The head cover 24 and a second lid portion 73 integrally formed therein.
The oil storage portion 74 and the air storage portion 75 are formed between the hydraulic cylinder 12 and the cylinder wall portion 71, and include valve parts (the variable throttle valve 5 and the check mechanical valve 6) included in the oil amount control device 61 and the mechanical The valves 4 are attached to the housing 21 respectively.

An oil passage (sixth oil hole 145) through which hydraulic oil 31 flows between the valve parts of the oil amount control device 61 and an oil passage (first oil hole 145) through which hydraulic oil 31 flows between this valve part and the oil chamber 13 an oil hole 53 and a second oil hole 54), an oil passage (third oil hole) through which the hydraulic oil 31 flows between the valve component and the oil reservoir 74, the mechanical valve 4, and the air reservoir 75 An air passage (first air hole 77 ) through which air flows between is formed in the housing 21 .

Therefore, it is possible to realize a driving device for a vehicle seat without using piping. Therefore, it is possible to provide a vehicle seat driving device that is compact and easy to install. In addition, the oil passage through which the hydraulic oil 31 flows can be formed short, and air is less likely to accumulate in this oil passage, thereby increasing the reliability of operation.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Driving device of vehicle seat, 2... Vehicle seat, 4... Mechanical valve (switching valve), 5... Variable throttle valve (variable throttle valve), 6... Check mechanical valve (open/close valve), 11... Piston rod, DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 12... Hydraulic cylinder, 13... Oil chamber, 14... Lower oil chamber, 15... Secondary cylinder, 16... Air-hydraulic converter, 21... Housing, 23... Rod cover, 24... Head cover, 25... Piston, 26... Cylinder body , 30... Atmospheric pressure chamber 44... Cylinder hole 45... Free piston 53... First oil hole (oil passage) 54... Second oil hole (oil passage) 61... Oil amount control device 62... Third oil hole (oil passage) 65 Air pressure chamber 67 Air pressure source 71 Cylindrical wall 72 First cover 73 Second cover 74 Oil reservoir 75 Air storage portion 77 First vent hole (air passage) 132, 183 Check valve portion 133 Throttle portion 145 Sixth oil hole (oil passage) 161 Valve main body 163 Compression Coil spring (spring member), 181... Oil passage, 185... Operation part.

Claims (4)

The cylinder body has a piston rod connected to the vehicle seat and a cylinder body into which a piston provided on the piston rod is fitted, and the inside of the cylinder body is divided into an oil chamber on the head cover side and an atmospheric pressure chamber on the rod cover side by the piston. a hydraulic cylinder divided into
an air-hydraulic converter having an oil reservoir that is connected to the oil chamber via an oil amount control device and that stores hydraulic oil, and an air reservoir that stores air that presses the hydraulic oil in the oil reservoir; ,
a switching valve provided between the air reservoir and the air pressure source, and adopting a supply form in which compressed air is supplied from the air pressure source to the air reservoir or an exhaust form capable of exhausting the air in the air reservoir; prepared,
The oil amount control device includes an on-off valve that opens and closes an oil passage between the oil chamber and the oil reservoir, and a variable throttle valve that changes the flow rate of hydraulic oil flowing from the on-off valve toward the oil reservoir. has
The on-off valve is
a check valve portion that allows hydraulic oil to flow only from the oil reservoir side to the oil chamber side;
and an operating portion that operates the check valve portion so that the hydraulic oil passes through ,
The variable throttle valve is provided with a valve body that moves against the spring force of a spring member in a direction in which the flow rate decreases when pushed by hydraulic pressure on the side of the on-off valve . drive. In the vehicle seat driving device according to claim 1,
The hydraulic cylinder is connected to the vehicle seat in a posture in which the cylinder body extends vertically and the piston rod protrudes upward from the cylinder body,
The oil reservoir and the air reservoir are formed in an annular shape surrounding the cylinder body, and the oil reservoir is positioned below the air reservoir,
A secondary cylinder is provided at the lower end of the hydraulic cylinder and has a cylinder hole extending in the vertical direction and having an upper end communicating with the oil chamber, and a free piston movably fitted in the cylinder hole,
The free piston separates a lower oil chamber formed in the upper portion of the cylinder hole and filled with hydraulic oil from an air pressure chamber formed in the lower portion of the cylinder hole and filled with pressurized air. A driving device for a vehicle seat, characterized by: In the vehicle seat driving device according to claim 1 ,
The variable throttle valve is
a throttle portion in which the flow rate of hydraulic oil is changed by the valve body;
A driving device for a vehicle seat, comprising: a check valve portion that allows hydraulic oil to flow only from the oil reservoir side to the on-off valve side. In the vehicle seat driving device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 ,
The pneumatic-hydraulic converter is
a tubular wall portion surrounding the cylinder body of the hydraulic cylinder;
a first lid portion that is integrally formed with a rod cover of the hydraulic cylinder and that closes one end of the cylindrical wall portion;
formed in a housing including a second lid portion that is integrally formed with the head cover of the hydraulic cylinder and closes the other end of the cylindrical wall portion;
The oil reservoir and the air reservoir are formed between the cylinder body and the cylinder wall,
A valve component included in the oil amount control device and the switching valve are each attached to the housing,
an oil passage through which hydraulic oil flows between the valve parts, between the valve part and the oil chamber, and between the valve part and the oil reservoir;
A driving device for a vehicle seat, wherein an air passage through which air flows between the switching valve and the air reservoir is formed in the housing.

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