JP7481615B2 - Vehicle seats - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle seat.

2. Description of the Related Art A so-called dive-down type vehicle seat is known as a vehicle seat such as a car seat (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
A dive-down type vehicle seat is configured so that the seat back can be tilted forward (so-called fall-down) so that it is placed on top of the seat cushion, and then both the seat back and the seat cushion can be tilted further forward to dive down.

JP 2019-188842 A

The technology described in Patent Document 1 is applied to a hatchback, but if the fall-down technology of this technology is applied to a sedan, for example, the seat cushion 101 and seat back 102 of the sedan seat 100 shown in FIG. 20(A) are formed to be soft and flexible, so that when the seat back 102 is folded down as shown in FIG. 20(B), the seat back 102 that has been tilted forward is pushed back by the seat cushion 101 and begins to rock up and down (in other words, to sway).

However, when the seat back 102 is tilted forward and swings up and down, for example, when luggage is placed on the upper side of the back surface 102a of the seat back 102 (the upper surface side in the state shown in FIG. 20(B)), it may become difficult to place the luggage or the luggage may become unstable. Also, for example, when a person lies down on the back surface 102a of the seat back 102, the lying position may become unstable, causing discomfort.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a vehicle seat that can prevent the seat back from rocking up and down on the seat cushion when the seat back is tilted forward.

In order to solve the above problems, the invention described in claim 1 is:
A vehicle seat including a seat cushion and a seat back,
The seat back can be folded forward and overlapped on the seat cushion,
a lock mechanism that locks and fixes the seat back in position so that the seat back does not rotate from a state in which the seat back is overlapped with the seat cushion;
When the seat back is folded forward and locked by the locking mechanism, the seat cushion or the seat back is in a contracted state, and the back surface of the seat back folded forward is configured to be substantially horizontal ,
A stretchable member capable of stretching in the vertical direction is disposed in a front portion of the interior of the seat cushion,
The one telescopic member is in a contracted state when the seat back that has been tilted forward is locked by the locking mechanism, and in a stretched state when the seat back is not locked by the locking mechanism until it is caught by a stopper and obstructed,
The seat cushion is configured such that, as the stopper moves rearward in accordance with the action of tilting the seat back rearward, the one elastic member extends as it is no longer obstructed by the stopper, causing the front portion of the seat cushion to rise upward .

The invention described in claim 2 is the vehicle seat described in claim 1,
The lock mechanism includes an engaging portion and an engaged portion,
The seat back is characterized in that, when the seat back is folded forward and overlapped on the seat cushion, the engaging portion engages with the engaged portion, thereby locking the seat back and fixing it in position.

The invention described in claim 3 is the vehicle seat described in claim 2,
A lever is provided on the rear side of the seat back,
The lever is connected to the engagement portion via a wire that is inserted into the seat back,
When the lever is operated, the engagement between the engaging portion and the engaged portion is released via the wire.

The invention described in claim 4 is characterized in that in the vehicle seat described in any one of claims 1 to 3, the seat cushion does not move relative to the floor, and only the seat back can be tilted forward and overlapped on the seat cushion.

The invention described in claim 5 is the vehicle seat described in any one of claims 1 to 4,
Another elastic member capable of expanding and contracting in the vertical direction is disposed in the front portion of the interior of the seat back when the seat back is in the forward folded state,
The other elastic member is
When the seat back is folded forward and locked by the locking mechanism, the seat back is in a contracted state.
The seat back is characterized in that it is in an extended state when not locked by the locking mechanism.

The invention described in claim 6 is characterized in that in the vehicle seat described in any one of claims 1 to 5 , the one elastic member is configured so that its contraction rate can be adjusted.

The invention described in claim 7 is the vehicle seat described in any one of claims 1 to 6 ,
A plate-like member is disposed at each end portion of the one of the elastic members, and both or at least one of the plate-like members is divided into left and right,
The present invention is characterized in that one of the expansion and contraction members is disposed on each of the divided plate-like members.

The invention described in claim 8 is the vehicle seat described in any one of claims 1 to 7 ,
The one elastic member is configured using an air cell,
An airbag is disposed within the air cell.

The invention described in claim 9 is the vehicle seat described in any one of claims 1 to 7 ,
The one elastic member is configured using an air cell,
The air cell is characterized in that an inflator is disposed in the air cell.

The invention described in claim 10 is
a seat cushion including a seat cushion frame, a cushion pad provided on the seat cushion frame, and a skin that covers the seat cushion frame and the cushion pad to form a seat surface;
a seat back including a seat back frame, a cushion pad provided on the seat back frame, and a skin that covers the seat back frame and the cushion pad to form a seat surface;
In a vehicle seat comprising:
The seat back can be folded forward and overlapped on the seat cushion,
a lock mechanism that locks and fixes the seat back in position so that the seat back does not rotate from a state in which the seat back is overlapped with the seat cushion;
When the seat back is folded forward and locked by the locking mechanism, the seat cushion or the seat back is in a contracted state, and the back surface of the seat back folded forward is configured to be substantially horizontal ,
An expandable member that is expandable in the vertical direction is disposed in a front portion of the interior of the seat cushion,
The telescopic member is in a contracted state when the seat back that has been tilted forward is locked by the locking mechanism, and in a stretched state when the seat back is not locked by the locking mechanism until it is caught by a stopper and obstructed,
The seat cushion is configured such that, as the stopper moves rearward in accordance with the movement of the seat back tilting rearward, the obstruction caused by the stopper is removed, the elastic member extends, and the front portion of the seat cushion rises upward.

According to the inventions described in claims 1 and 10 , when the seat back is tilted forward and overlapped on the seat cushion, a locking mechanism is activated to lock and fix the seat back in position so that the seat back does not rotate from the position where it is overlapped on the seat cushion. Therefore, when the seat back is tilted forward, it is possible to prevent the seat back from swinging up and down on the seat cushion.
Therefore, even in cases where the seat cushion and seat back are formed to be soft and flexible, such as in a sedan seat, the locking mechanism effectively prevents the seat back from swinging up and down on the seat cushion when it is tilted forward.
In addition, since the back surface (top surface) of the seat back when tilted forward and locked becomes approximately horizontal, for example, luggage placed on it will not tilt and can be placed in a stable manner.
In addition, according to this invention, an expandable member (one expandable member) that is expandable in the vertical direction in the front part of the interior of the seat cushion is in a contracted state when the seat back is tilted forward and locked, so that even if the front part of the seat cushion is raised upward, when the seat back is locked in a forwardly tilted position, it is possible to make the back surface (top surface) of the seat back approximately horizontal.
When the seat back is tilted backward to recline, the elastic member (one of the elastic members) extends and causes the front part of the seat cushion to rise upward, preventing the occupant's body from lowering relative to the seat back and allowing the occupant to assume a relaxed posture.

According to the invention described in claim 2, when the seat back is folded forward and overlapped with the seat cushion, the engaging portion of the locking mechanism engages with the engaged portion, so that the seat back can be reliably locked and fixed in position.

According to the invention described in claim 3, the engagement portion of the locking mechanism is disengaged from the engaged portion by operating a lever provided on the rear side of the seat back, making it possible for an occupant to easily release the lock of a seat back that has been tilted forward.

According to the invention described in claim 4, it is possible to obtain the beneficial effects not only when the vehicle seat is of the dive-down type as described in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, but also when the vehicle seat is of the fall-down type in which the seat back is simply tilted forward.

According to the invention described in claim 5 , another elastic member capable of expanding and contracting in the vertical direction in the front part inside the seat back is in a contracted state when the seat back is tilted forward and locked, so that even if the front part of the seat cushion is raised upward, the seat back side deforms to accommodate the raised part of the front part of the seat cushion, so that when the seat back is locked after being tilted forward, the back surface (top surface) of the seat back can be made approximately horizontal.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the contraction rate of one of the elastic members can be changed in accordance with the preference of the occupant, so that the vehicle seat becomes comfortable for the occupant to sit on.

According to the invention described in claim 7 , each of the divided plate-like members moves independently using a single expandable member, so that the seating comfort can be tailored to the occupant's preferences even if there are individual differences in the occupant's body.

According to the invention described in claim 8 , by arranging an airbag of an air cell constituting a single elastic member, it becomes possible to arrange both the single elastic member including the air cell and the airbag in the front part of the interior of the seat cushion, and it becomes possible to appropriately operate the single elastic member and the airbag, respectively.

According to the invention described in claim 9 , it becomes possible to use the air cell constituting one of the elastic members as an airbag, and it becomes possible to appropriately operate the air cell arranged in the front part of the interior of the seat cushion as one of the elastic members and as an airbag, respectively.

1 is a side view showing a configuration of a vehicle seat according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a lock mechanism. 1A is a side view showing a state in which the seat back is locked by a locking mechanism, and FIG. 1B is an enlarged view of a portion including the locking mechanism in FIG. FIG. 1A is a partial cross-sectional view from the side showing a state in which a seat back is placed on a seat cushion having a built-in spring as an elastic member, and FIG. 1B is a partial cross-sectional view from the side showing a state in which the seat back is locked. 11A and 11B are diagrams showing examples of levers and the like provided on the rear side of a seat back. FIG. 1A is a partial cross-sectional view from the side showing a state in which a seat back having a built-in spring as an elastic member is superimposed on a seat cushion, and FIG. 1B is a partial cross-sectional view from the side showing a state in which the seat back is locked. 7A is a diagram showing the seat cushion of FIG. 6A from above, in which (A) shows a case where a single spring is provided, and (B) shows a case where a plurality of springs are provided. FIG. 1A and 1B are diagrams showing a plate-like member and the like divided from above, in which (A) shows a plate-like member divided into two, and (B) shows a plate-like member divided into three. 1A is a partial cross-sectional view of an example of a stopper provided on a vehicle seat as viewed from the side, and FIG. 1B is a view from above. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view of the vehicle seat of FIG. 9A when the seat back is tilted backward to perform a reclining operation, as viewed from the side. FIG. 1A is a partial cross-sectional view from the side showing a state in which a seat back is placed on a seat cushion having an air cell built in as an elastic member, and FIG. 1B is a partial cross-sectional view from the side showing a state in which the seat back is locked. 11A is a view of the seat cushion as viewed from above, showing a case in which a single air cell is provided (A) and a case in which a plurality of air cells are provided (B). FIG. 1 is a top view of a state in which a plurality of air cells are connected by pipes or the like. 1 is a partial cross-sectional view seen from the side of an air cell serving as an elastic member in a seat cushion and an air cell disposed in a seat back, the air cell being connected by a pipe or the like. FIG. 15 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the configuration shown in FIG. 14 . FIG. 1A is a partial cross-sectional view from the side showing a state in which a seat back is placed on a seat cushion having an air cell and a spring built in as an elastic member, and FIG. 1B is a partial cross-sectional view from the side showing a state in which the seat back is locked. 16A is a view of the seat cushion from above, in which (A) a single spring is provided, and (B) ...B) a plurality of springs are provided. FIG. FIG. 2A is a partial cross-sectional view showing an airbag disposed inside an air cell as viewed from the side, and FIG. 2B is a view showing the seat cushion of FIG. FIG. 2A is a partial cross-sectional view showing a state in which an inflator is disposed inside an air cell, as viewed from the side; FIG. 2B is a view showing the seat cushion of FIG. 1A is a side view showing an example of a sedan seat, and FIG. 1B is a side view showing a state in which the seat back is folded down.

Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiments described below are subject to various technically preferable limitations for carrying out the present invention, but the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments and illustrated examples.
In the following, we will explain the case where the vehicle seat is a seat for a vehicle, but the vehicle seat may also be, for example, an aircraft seat or a ship seat, and the present invention is not limited to the case where the vehicle seat is a vehicle seat.
In addition, although the following description will be given of a case where the seat is a front seat, the seat may be a rear seat, etc.

Fig. 1 is a side view showing the configuration of a vehicle seat according to this embodiment. Note that illustrations of a headrest and the like are omitted in Fig. 1 and the following figures. Also, F in Fig. 1 represents a floor.
As shown in FIG. 1, a vehicle seat 10 (hereinafter referred to as the seat 10) includes a seat cushion 11 that supports the buttocks and thighs of an occupant, a seat back 15 that stands upright behind the seat cushion 11 and serves as a backrest for the occupant, and a headrest (not shown) that is provided on an upper portion of the seat back 15 and supports the head of the occupant.
In addition, the chair may be provided with auxiliary supports such as a neck rest, arm rest, foot rest, ottoman, etc.

The seat cushion 11 is mainly composed of a seat cushion frame 12 which serves as a skeleton, a cushion pad 13 provided on the seat cushion frame 12, and a skin 14 which covers the seat cushion frame 12 and the cushion pad 13 to form the surface of the seat.
The seat back 15 is also mainly composed of a seat back frame 16 which serves as a skeleton, a cushion pad 17 provided on the seat back frame 16, and a skin 18 which constitutes the surface of the seat by covering the seat back frame 16 and the cushion pad 17. A headrest pillar holding portion 19 which holds a headrest pillar of a headrest (not shown) is provided on the upper portion of the seat back frame 16.

A reclining mechanism 20 for changing the angle of the seat back frame 16 relative to the seat cushion frame 12 is provided between the rear end of the seat cushion frame 12 and the lower end of the seat back frame 16, and the seat cushion frame 12 and the seat back frame 16 are connected to each other via the reclining mechanism 20.
The reclining mechanism 20 also incorporates a coil spring (not shown), and the seat back frame 16 (seat back 15) is biased in a direction rotating clockwise in the figure around the reclining mechanism 20.
The seat back 15 is rotatable about a reclining mechanism 20 and can be tilted forward to be placed on top of the seat cushion 11 (see FIG. 3A, which will be described later).

In this embodiment, the seat 10 is provided with a locking mechanism 30 for locking and fixing the seat back 15 in position so that when the seat back 15 is tilted forward and overlapped with the seat cushion 11, the seat back 15 does not rotate from that position (i.e., does not rock up and down in that state).
In the following, the locking mechanism 30 is described as being provided inside the seat cushion frame 12 or the seat back frame 16, but the locking mechanism 30 may be provided outside them. It is also possible to configure the locking mechanism 30 to be provided in the reclining mechanism 20 (i.e., to configure the reclining mechanism 20 to also function as the locking mechanism).

In this embodiment, the locking mechanism 30 has an engaging portion and an engaged portion, and when the seat back 15 is tilted forward and overlapped with the seat cushion 11, the engaging portion engages with the engaged portion, thereby locking the seat back 15 and fixing it in position so that it cannot rotate from that state.

A specific example of the configuration of the lock mechanism 30 will now be described with reference to FIG.
In the following, we will explain the case where the engaging portion (the convex member 33 described later) is fixed to the seat cushion frame 12 and the engaged portion (the notch 32 of the circular plate 31 described later) is provided on the seat back frame 16, but the engaging portion may also be provided on the seat back frame 16 and the engaged portion may be provided on the seat cushion frame 12.

In the configuration example of Figure 2, a circular plate 31 is attached to the connecting pivot shaft 21 that connects the seat cushion frame 12 and the seat back frame 16 or to the seat back frame 16, and when the seat back frame 16 rotates relative to the seat cushion frame 12, the circular plate 31 rotates accordingly.
A notch 32 is provided in a portion of the periphery of the disk 31, and this notch 32 serves as an engaged portion of the locking mechanism 30 (hereinafter referred to as the engaged portion 32).

In addition, a case 34 that houses an upwardly facing convex member 33 is attached to the seat cushion frame 12. The convex member 33 is biased upward by a spring (not shown) built into the case 34, and in the side portion of the disc 31 other than the notch 32 (engaged portion 32), the upper end of the convex member 33 is pressed against the side portion of the disc 31 by the biasing force of the spring.
In this configuration example, the convex member 33 corresponds to the engaging portion (hereinafter referred to as the engaging portion 33).

In this state, when the seat back frame 16 rotates relative to the seat cushion frame 12, the engaging portion 33 (the convex member 33) slides against the side portion of the disk 31 which rotates accordingly while being pressed against the side portion.
Although not shown in the figure, it is also possible to configure the upper end of engagement portion 33 (convex member 33) to rotate by attaching a rotating member to the upper end portion of engagement portion 33, and configure the upper end of engagement portion 33 to rotate in accordance with the rotation of disc 31, instead of configuring the side portion of disc 31 and engagement portion 33 to slide as described above.

Then, as shown in Figures 3(A) and (B), when an occupant or the like rotates the seat back 15 (seat back frame 16) relative to the seat cushion 11 (seat cushion frame 12) to a position where it can be tilted forward, the engaged portion 32 (notch 32 of the disc 31) moves to a position directly above the engaging portion 33 (convex member 33).
Then, the engaging portion 33 (the convex member 33) moves upward due to the biasing force of the spring inside the case 34 and fits into the engaged portion 32 (the notch 32 of the disk 31).

In this example configuration of the locking mechanism 30, when the seat back 15 is tilted forward and overlapped on the seat cushion 11, the engaging portion 33 (convex member 33) engages with the engaged portion 32 (notch 32 of the disc 31).
Conversely, the engaged portion 32, i.e., the notch 32 of the disc 31, is provided at a position such that the engaging portion 33 engages with the engaged portion 32 when the seat back 15 is rotated to a position where it reclines forward relative to the seat cushion 11.

When the engaging portion 33 engages with the engaged portion 32 in this manner, the seat back frame 16 is prevented from rotating relative to the seat cushion frame 12 .
Therefore, this exemplary configuration of the locking mechanism 30 locks the seat back 15 in a fixed position so that the seat back 15 does not rotate from the state in which the seat back 15 is superimposed on the seat cushion 11 (see FIG. 3A).

The locking mechanism 30 is not limited to the above-mentioned configuration example, and any mechanism can be used as long as it can lock and fix the seat back 15 in position so that the seat back 15 does not rotate and stand up when the seat back 15 is tilted forward and placed on the seat cushion 11.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3(A) etc., if the back surface 15a of the seat back 15 is not horizontal (slightly inclined) when the seat back 15 is tilted forward and locked by the locking mechanism 30, luggage placed on the back surface 15a of the seat back 15 may tilt, so it may be preferable for the back surface 15a of the seat back 15 that is tilted forward to be approximately horizontal.

Therefore, in this embodiment, the seat 10 is configured so that the back surface 15a thereof is substantially horizontal when the seat back 15 is tilted forward and locked by the locking mechanism 30.
In this way, if the rear surface 15a of the seat back 15 that has been tilted forward and locked becomes substantially horizontal, there is an advantage in that luggage placed on the rear surface 15a of the seat back 15 will not tilt.

One of the reasons why the back surface 15a of the seat back 15 tilts when the seat back 15 is tilted forward is that the front portion of the seat cushion 11 is raised upward, as shown in Figure 3 (A) etc.
In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4A, an expandable member 40 that is expandable and contractable in the vertical direction is disposed in the front portion inside the seat cushion 11. As shown in FIG.

In this case, the elastic member 40 can be formed of a spring 40A.
4A, a cavity is provided in the front portion inside the seat cushion 11, and plate-like members 41A and 41B are disposed on the upper side (ceiling portion) and lower side (bottom portion) of the cavity, respectively. An expandable member 40 is disposed between the upper and lower plate-like members 41A and 41B.

As shown in FIG. 4A, when the seat back 15 is not locked by the locking mechanism 30, the expandable member 40 is in an expanded state, and the front portion of the seat cushion 11 is maintained in an upwardly raised state.
However, as shown in FIG. 4B, when the seat back 15 is tilted forward and locked by the locking mechanism 30, the expandable member 40 is in a contracted state.

Therefore, by configuring in this manner, even if the front portion of the seat cushion 11 is raised upward as shown in Figure 1, etc., when the seat back 15 is tilted forward and locked by the locking mechanism 30, the expandable member 40 contracts, thereby suppressing the bulging of the front portion of the seat cushion 11.
Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4B, when the seat back 15 is tilted forward and locked by the locking mechanism 30, the back surface 15a can be made substantially horizontal.

As described above, according to the seat 10 (vehicle seat 10) of this embodiment, when the seat back 15 is tilted forward and placed on the seat cushion 11, the locking mechanism 30 is activated and the seat back 15 is locked and fixed in position so that the seat back 15 does not rotate from the state in which it is placed on the seat cushion 11.
Therefore, when the seat back 15 is tilted forward, it is possible to prevent the forward tilted seat back 15 from rocking up and down on the seat cushion 11 .

Therefore, even in the case where the seat cushion 11 and the seat back 15 are formed to be soft and flexible, such as in the case of a sedan seat, the locking mechanism 30 accurately prevents the seat back 15, which is tilted forward, from rocking up and down on the seat cushion 11.
Therefore, for example, even if luggage is placed on the rear surface 15a (see FIG. 3A) of the seat back 15 that is tilted forward, it is possible to prevent the luggage from becoming difficult to place or the luggage from becoming unstable. Also, for example, even if a person sleeps on the rear surface 15a of the seat back 15, the sleeping position is stable, and it is possible to prevent the person from feeling uncomfortable.

In addition, in the seat 10 (vehicle seat 10) according to this embodiment, the back surface (top surface) of the seat back 15 becomes approximately horizontal when it is tilted forward and locked, so that, for example, luggage placed on it will not tilt and can be placed in a stable manner.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the seat 10 is attached to the floor F, the seat cushion 11 does not move relative to the floor F, and only the seat back 15 can be folded forward and overlapped on the seat cushion 11 (i.e., the seat 10 is of a fall-down type). However, the present invention can also be applied to the dive-down type seat 10 described in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1.
This also applies to the following modified examples.

The present invention exerts its beneficial effects in both cases, whether the seat 10 is folded down or dived down, and when the seat back 15 is tilted forward to fall down or dive down, it is possible to appropriately prevent the forward-tilted seat back 15 from rocking up and down on the seat cushion 11.

On the other hand, when raising the seat back 15 from the state in which the seat back 15 is superimposed on the upper surface of the seat cushion 11 (see Figures 3 (A) and (B), etc.), it is necessary to release the engagement between the engaging portion 33 (convex member 33) and the engaged portion 32 (notch 32 of the disc 31).
Therefore, in this embodiment, the following mechanism is provided to release the engagement.

That is, as shown in FIG. 5, a lever 23 is provided on the back surface 15a side of the seat back 15, and the lever 23 is connected to an engagement portion 33 (convex member 33) via a wire 24 inserted inside the seat back 15 (see FIG. 2).
In this embodiment, the wire 24 is formed of a control wire in which an inner wire 24a is inserted into an outer wire 24b, and when an occupant or the like operates the lever 23 on the back surface 15a of the seat back 15 in a state in which the seat back is reclined forward, the inner wire 24a moves within the outer wire 24b, and the engagement portion 33 (convex member 33) moves downward.

Therefore, in this embodiment, when the lever 23 is operated, the engagement between the engaging portion 33 and the engaged portion 32 is released via the wire 24 .
When the engagement between the engaging portion 33 and the engaged portion 32 is released, the seat back 15 is allowed to swing relative to the seat cushion 11, so that the occupant can easily raise the seat back 15. It is also possible to configure the seat back 15 to automatically rise up by the force of a coil spring of the reclining mechanism 20 or a coil spring (not shown) provided in the locking mechanism 30 when the engagement between the engaging portion 33 and the engaged portion 32 is released.

In addition, instead of configuring the lever 23 to be operated to release the engagement between the engaging portion 33 and the engaged portion 32, it is also possible to configure the seat back 15, which is locked and has a substantially horizontal back surface 15a as shown in Figure 4 (B), to be pushed further downward to release the lock (to release the engagement between the engaging portion 33 and the engaged portion 32).
In this way, the mechanism for releasing the lock is not limited to the one using the lever 23 and the wire 24 .

[Modification]
Next, modified examples of the seat 10 (vehicle seat 10) according to the present invention will be described.
For example, instead of providing the elastic member 40 on the seat cushion 11 as described above, it is also possible to configure the elastic member 40 to be capable of expanding and contracting in the vertical direction in the front portion of the interior of the seat back 15 when it is in the forward-leaning state.
6A, for example, a cavity is provided in the front portion inside the seat back 15 when the seat back 15 is in the forward folded state, and plate-like members 42A and 42B are disposed on the lower side (bottom portion) and upper side (ceiling portion) of the cavity, respectively. An expandable member 40 is disposed between the upper and lower plate-like members 42A and 42B.

As shown in FIG. 6A, when the seat back 15 is not locked by the locking mechanism 30, the elastic member 40 is in an extended state, and the shape of the front portion of the seat cushion 11 is maintained when it is folded forward.
However, as shown in FIG. 6B, when the seat back 15 is tilted forward and locked by the locking mechanism 30, the expandable member 40 is in a contracted state.

Therefore, by configuring in this manner, even if the front portion of the seat cushion 11 is raised upward as shown in Figure 1, etc., when the seat back 15 is tilted forward and locked by the locking mechanism 30, the expandable member 40 contracts, and the front portion of the seat back 15 in the tilted state deforms to correspond to the raised portion of the front portion of the seat cushion 11.
Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6B, when the seat back 15 is tilted forward and locked by the locking mechanism 30, the back surface 15a can be made substantially horizontal.

In addition, although Figures 4(A) and (B) and Figures 6(A) and (B) show the case where only one spring 40A, which is the expandable member 40, is arranged, it is also possible to configure it so that multiple springs 40A are arranged.
It is also possible to configure the contraction rate of the expandable member 40 (in this case, the elastic modulus of the springs 40A) to be adjustable by, for example, changing the number of springs 40A that function as the expandable member 40 among the multiple springs 40A. If the contraction rate of the expandable member 40 is configured to be adjustable in this way, it becomes possible to change the contraction rate of the expandable member 40 in accordance with the preference of the occupant, and it becomes possible to make the seat 10 comfortable for the occupant to sit on.

Incidentally, the same is true for the seat back 15 shown in Figures 6(A) and (B), but when the seat cushion 11 shown in Figures 4(A) and (B) is viewed from above, for example, the plate-like members 41A and 41B are arranged so as to extend left and right in the front portion inside the seat cushion 11, as shown in Figures 7(A) and (B), and a single (see Figure 7(A)) or multiple (see Figure 7(B)) elastic members 40 are arranged between the upper and lower plate-like members 41A and 41B. Three or more elastic members 40 may be arranged.
7A, 7B and the following drawings showing the seat cushion 11 from above, the member indicated by the reference symbol 12A represents an S-spring provided on the seat cushion frame 12. In addition, while Figures 7A, 7B and the like show a case in which the elastic member 40 is disposed above the S-spring 12A (i.e., where the S-spring 12A is present below), the elastic member 40 may be disposed in a location other than above the S-spring 12A (i.e., where there is no S-spring 12A below).

On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 8(A), it is also possible to configure the plate-like members 41A, 41B to be divided into left and right halves. Also, as shown in Fig. 8(B), it is also possible to configure the plate-like members 41A, 41B to be divided into three or more parts. Then, an expandable member 40 is disposed on each of the divided plate-like members 41A, 41B, and each of the expandable members 40 moves independently (i.e., independently of the other divided plate-like members 41A, 41B, etc.).
With this configuration, even if there are individual differences in the occupant's body, the divided plate-like members 41A, 41B move independently, making it possible to adjust the seating comfort to suit the occupant's preference.

In the above case, it is also possible to adjust the contraction rate (for example, the elastic modulus of the spring 40A) of each of the expandable members 40 to different contraction rates.
It is also possible to divide both plate-shaped members 41A and 41B, but it is also possible to configure the seat 10 so that, for example, the plate-shaped member 41B farther from the body of the occupant seated thereon is not divided, and only the plate-shaped member 41A closer to the body of the occupant is divided.
Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the plate-like members 42A and 42B may be arranged on the seat back 15 side in a similar manner.

In addition, for example, when an occupant (not shown) is seated in the seat 10 shown in FIG. 1 and the seat back 15 is tilted backward to recline the seat, the occupant's body may drop relative to the seat back 15 as the seat back 15 is tilted backward, which may prevent the occupant from assuming a relaxed position.
Therefore, for example, in the seat 10 shown in Figures 4 (A) and (B), when the seat back 15 reclines backward, the elastic member 40 extends and the front portion of the seat cushion 11 rises upward.

Specifically, for example, in the seat 10 shown in FIG. 4A (i.e., the seat 10 in a state where it is not locked by the locking mechanism 30), the upper plate-shaped member 41A is biased upward by the elastic member 40.
9A and 9B, when the seat back 15 is not tilted backward, the upper plate-like member 41A is caught by the stopper 43, and the stopper 43 is disposed so that the upper plate-like member 41A does not move upward even when biased by the expandable member 40. At least the upper side of the stopper 43 is bent so as to be caught by the plate-like member 41A from above.

The stoppers 43 may be arranged on both the left and right sides of the plate-like members 41A and 41B as shown in FIG. 9B.
Also, for example, a plurality of stoppers 43 may be disposed at the front and rear.

When the seat back 15 is tilted backward to perform the reclining operation, the stopper 43 moves backward in accordance with the reclining operation, as shown in Fig. 10. Therefore, the upward movement of the upper plate-like member 41A is no longer impeded, so the expandable member 40 expands, and the upper plate-like member 41A moves upward.
For example, with such a configuration, when the seat back 15 is tilted backward to perform a reclining operation, the expandable member 40 extends and the upper plate-like member 41A moves upward, so that the front portion of the seat cushion 11 rises upward.

In this manner, when the seat back 15 is tilted backward to perform a reclining operation while an occupant (not shown) is seated in the seat 10, the front portion of the seat cushion 11 rises upward.
Therefore, even if the seat back 15 is tilted backward, the body of the occupant is prevented from lowering relative to the seat back 15, allowing the occupant to assume a relaxed posture.

Incidentally, in the above, we have described the case where the elastic member 40 is configured using a spring 40A, but it is also possible to configure the elastic member 40 to use an air cell 40B instead of the spring 40A, as shown in Figures 11 (A) and (B), for example.
The air cell 40B is a bag that expands when a fluid (here, air, but it may be liquid) is sealed inside.

The air cells 40B expand and contract, thereby enabling the expansion and contraction of the elastic member 40.
In addition, when an air cell 40B is used as the elastic member 40, it is possible to configure the seat cushion 11 so that only one air cell 40B is arranged from near the right end to near the left end thereof, as shown in FIG. 12(A), or it is also possible to configure the seat cushion 11 so that multiple air cells 40B are arranged, as shown in FIG. 12(B).

In this way, when air cells 40B are used as the elastic member 40, they can function as elastic members 40 in exactly the same way as when springs 40A are used as the elastic member 40 described above (see Figures 4(A) and (B) and Figures 6(A) to 10), and they can provide exactly the same beneficial effects as when springs 40A are used as the elastic member 40.

When air cells 40B are used as the expandable members 40, it is possible to configure the air cells 40B so that the expansion and contraction of the air cells 40B is performed mechanically using an air compressor or the like.
Furthermore, for example, in the case where the plate-shaped member 41A (and the plate-shaped member 41B) is configured to be divided into left and right portions as shown in FIG. 8A, air cells 40B as expandable members 40 can be disposed in each divided portion as shown in FIG. 13, and these can be connected with tubes 44A or the like so that air can flow between them. In this case, for example, when an occupant seated on the seat cushion 11 puts their weight to the right or left, air will naturally flow from one air cell 40B to the other air cell 40B, and the seating comfort can be tailored to the occupant's preference.

For example, as shown in FIG. 14, an air cell 40B is disposed inside the seat cushion 11 as an elastic member 40, and an air cell 45 is also disposed inside the seat back 15. If the air cell 40B and the air cell 45 are connected by a tube 44B or the like so that air can flow between them, then when the seat back 15 is tilted backward to perform the reclining operation, the weight of the upper body of the occupant (not shown) will be applied to the air cell 45 of the seat back 15.

Therefore, air moves from the air cells 45 of the seat back 15 to the air cells 40B of the seat cushion 11 via the tubes 44B etc., causing the air cells 40B to inflate (i.e., the elastic members 40 to extend), causing the front portion of the seat cushion 11 to rise upward. Therefore, when the seat back 15 is tilted backward to perform a reclining operation with an occupant (not shown) seated in the seat 10, the front portion of the seat cushion 11 rises upward.
In this way, by devising a structure for the air cell 40B, the air cell 40B can be expanded or contracted without mechanically pumping the air in and out of the air cell 40B using an air compressor or the like (i.e., without providing an air compressor or the like).

Note that while FIG. 14 shows a case where the tube 44B is arranged to pass through the interior of the seat cushion 11 and the seat back 15, it is also possible to arrange the tube 44B so that a portion of it extends outside the seat cushion 11 and the seat back 15, as shown in FIG. 15, for example.

Also, it is possible to configure the elastic member 40 to use both the spring 40A and the air cell 40B.
6(A), (B), etc., when arranging the spring 40A in the front portion inside the seat cushion 11 as shown in Fig. 4(A) and (B), for example, it is possible to arrange the spring 40A in a state where it is placed inside the air cell 40B as shown in Fig. 16(A). In this case, the spring 40A and the air cell 40B form the elastic member 40.

When the spring 40A and the air cell 40B are used in combination as the elastic member 40, the seat cushion 11 will be in a state as shown in FIGS. 17(A) and 17(B) when viewed from above.
In this case, an air compressor or the like is not attached to the air cell 40B (although it is possible to attach an air compressor or the like), and a vent hole (not shown) is provided on the side surface or the like of the air cell 40B for discharging the air inside the air cell 40B to the outside and for taking in outside air into the air cell 40B.

In this way, when the spring 40A and the air cell 40B are used together as the elastic member 40, it is possible to make it function as the elastic member 40 in exactly the same way as when the spring 40A is used as the elastic member 40 described above (see Figures 4(A) and (B) and Figures 6(A) to 10) or when the air cell 40B is used (see Figures 11(A) to 15), and it is possible to achieve exactly the same beneficial effects as when the spring 40A is used as the elastic member 40.

Furthermore, with this configuration, when the seat back 15 is tilted forward and locked by the locking mechanism 30 (see FIG. 16B), the spring 40A is compressed and the air in the air cell 40B is pushed out, causing the air cell 40B to contract.
Furthermore, when the seat back 15 is unlocked (see FIG. 16A), the spring 40A expands and pushes up the plate-like member 41A and the upper side of the air cell 40B. This allows outside air to be taken into the air cell 40B, making it possible to inflate the air cell 40B.

In this way, even in this case, it is possible to expand and contract the air cell 40B without mechanically pumping the air in and out of the air cell 40B using an air compressor or the like (i.e., without providing an air compressor or the like).

On the other hand, for example, when the vehicle collides, if the waist or buttocks of an occupant seated in the seat 10 shift forward, problems such as the seat belt getting caught around the occupant's neck can occur, so an airbag may be provided in the front part of the interior of the seat cushion 11.
Therefore, when the elastic member 40 is configured using an air cell 40B as shown in Figures 11 (A) and (B), etc. (including the case where an air cell 40B and a spring 40A are used in combination as the elastic member 40 as shown in Figures 16 (A) and (B), etc.), it is possible to configure it so that an airbag 46 is disposed inside the air cell 40B, for example, as shown in Figures 18 (A) and (B).

In this case, for example, a weak part is provided in the central part in the left-right direction of the upper part of the air cell 40B, and when the airbag 46 inflates, the air cell 40B breaks from the weak part, and the airbag 46 breaks through the upper surface of the seat cushion 11 and protrudes upward.
With this configuration, it becomes possible to place both the elastic member 40 including the air cell 40B and the airbag 46 in the front portion of the interior of the seat cushion 11, making it possible to operate the elastic member 40 and the airbag 46 appropriately.

Also, instead of disposing the airbag 46 inside the air cell 40B as described above, it is possible to configure the air cell 40B so that an inflator 47 is disposed inside the air cell 40B, as shown in, for example, FIGS.
In this case, for example, as shown in FIG. 19(B), if the inflator 47 is disposed in the central portion inside the air cell 40B and configured to inflate when the central portion of the upper part of the air cell 40B receives strong pressure, when the inflator 47 explodes, the central portion of the upper part of the air cell 40B will inflate upward and break through the top surface of the seat cushion 11, protruding upward.
Therefore, with this configuration, the air cell 40B can be used as an airbag, and the air cell 40B arranged in the front part inside the seat cushion 11 can be appropriately operated as the expandable member 40 and the airbag, respectively.

It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and modifications, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

10 Seat (vehicle seat)
REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 11 seat cushion 12 seat cushion frame 13 cushion pad 14 cover 15 seat back 15a back surface 16 seat back frame 17 cushion pad 18 cover 23 lever 24 wire 30 lock mechanism 32 notch (engaged portion)
33 Convex member (engagement portion)
40: Expandable member 40B: Air cell 41A, 41B, 42A, 42B: Plate-shaped member 46: Airbag 47: Inflator F: Floor

Claims (10)

A vehicle seat including a seat cushion and a seat back,
The seat back can be folded forward and overlapped on the seat cushion,
a lock mechanism that locks and fixes the seat back in position so that the seat back does not rotate from a state in which the seat back is overlapped with the seat cushion;
When the seat back is folded forward and locked by the locking mechanism, the seat cushion or the seat back is in a contracted state, and the back surface of the seat back folded forward is configured to be substantially horizontal ,
A stretchable member capable of stretching in the vertical direction is disposed in a front portion of the interior of the seat cushion,
The one telescopic member is in a contracted state when the seat back that has been tilted forward is locked by the locking mechanism, and in a stretched state when the seat back is not locked by the locking mechanism until it is caught by a stopper and obstructed,
This vehicle seat is characterized in that, as the stopper moves rearward in accordance with the movement of the seat back being tilted rearward, the one elastic member extends as the obstruction caused by the stopper is removed, causing the front portion of the seat cushion to rise upward . The lock mechanism includes an engaging portion and an engaged portion,
2. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the seat back is locked and fixed in position by engaging the engaging portion with the engaged portion when the seat back is folded forward and overlapped on the seat cushion. A lever is provided on the rear side of the seat back,
The lever is connected to the engagement portion via a wire that is inserted into the seat back,
3. The vehicle seat according to claim 2, wherein, when the lever is operated, the engagement between the engaging portion and the engaged portion is released via the wire. The vehicle seat according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the seat cushion does not move relative to the floor, and only the seat back can be tilted forward to be placed on top of the seat cushion. Another elastic member capable of expanding and contracting in the vertical direction is disposed in the front portion of the interior of the seat back when the seat back is in the forward folded state,
The other elastic member is
When the seat back is folded forward and locked by the locking mechanism, the seat back is in a contracted state.
5. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the seat back is in an extended state when the seat back is not locked by the locking mechanism. 6. The vehicle seat according to claim 1 , wherein the one elastic member is configured so that its contraction rate can be adjusted. A plate-like member is disposed at each end portion of the one of the elastic members, and both or at least one of the plate-like members is divided into left and right,
7. The vehicle seat according to claim 1 , wherein the one elastic member is disposed on each of the divided plate-like members. The one elastic member is configured using an air cell,
8. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein an airbag is disposed in the air cell. The one elastic member is configured using an air cell,
8. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein an inflator is disposed inside the air cell. a seat cushion including a seat cushion frame, a cushion pad provided on the seat cushion frame, and a skin that covers the seat cushion frame and the cushion pad to form a seat surface;
a seat back including a seat back frame, a cushion pad provided on the seat back frame, and a skin that covers the seat back frame and the cushion pad to form a seat surface;
In a vehicle seat comprising:
The seat back can be folded forward and overlapped on the seat cushion,
a lock mechanism that locks and fixes the seat back in position so that the seat back does not rotate from a state in which the seat back is overlapped with the seat cushion;
When the seat back is folded forward and locked by the locking mechanism, the seat cushion or the seat back is in a contracted state, and the back surface of the seat back folded forward is configured to be substantially horizontal ,
An expandable member that is expandable in the vertical direction is disposed in a front portion of the interior of the seat cushion,
The telescopic member is in a contracted state when the seat back that has been tilted forward is locked by the locking mechanism, and in a stretched state when the seat back is not locked by the locking mechanism until it is caught by a stopper and obstructed,
This vehicle seat is characterized in that, as the stopper moves rearward in accordance with the movement of the seat back being tilted rearward, the obstruction caused by the stopper is removed, the elastic member extends, and the front portion of the seat cushion rises upward.

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