Vehicle seat

Provided is a vehicle seat having a variable cushion length. The vehicle seat includes: a front panel of metal arranged on a front-end side of a seat cushion to form a frame of the seat cushion; a sliding device allowing a movable portion to be displaceable and including a sliding member of resin displaceable relative to the front panel in seat front-rear directions; and a bracket of metal that is coupled to the front panel in a manner displaceable relative to the front panel in the seat front-rear directions and that is displaced integrally with the sliding member, the bracket transmitting a load acting on the movable portion to the front panel.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-036495 filed on Mar. 9, 2022 with the Japan Patent Office, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates to a vehicle seat having a variable cushion length.

For example, in the seat cushion extension device disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication (Translation of PCT Application) No. 2020-531344 (Patent Document 1), a portion subjected to a load is made of resin. Thus, the vehicle seat with this seat cushion extension device is unable to receive a large load.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure discloses one example of a vehicle seat capable of receiving a larger load.

It is desirable that a vehicle seat including a movable portion at a front-end side of a seat cushion and having a variable cushion length comprises, for example, at least one of the following constituent elements.

Specifically, the constituent elements are: a front panel of metal arranged on the front-end side of the seat cushion to form a frame of the seat cushion; a sliding device allowing the movable portion to be displaceable, the sliding device including a sliding member displaceable relative to the front panel in seat front-rear directions; and a bracket of metal that is coupled to the front panel in a manner displaceable relative to the front panel in the seat front-rear directions and that is displaced integrally with the sliding member, the bracket transmitting a load acting on the movable portion to the front panel.

In the vehicle seat with such a configuration, the load acting on the movable portion is received by the bracket of metal, and the received load is transmitted to the front panel of metal. This enables the vehicle seat to receive a larger load than in the invention disclosed in Patent Document 1.

Further desirable modes of the vehicle seat will be described below as examples.

It is desirable that a shape of an end of the bracket in the seat front-rear directions is substantially U-shape or substantially L-shape.

It is desirable that the bracket includes a standing portion substantially parallel to a vertical direction, and that a vertical dimension of the standing portion on a front-end side thereof is larger than a vertical dimension of the standing portion on a rear-end side thereof.

This results in inhibiting the bracket from interfering with other member when the cushion length is shortened, that is, when the bracket is retracted. Further, in this vehicle seat, such interference with other member can be avoided while securing the flexural rigidity (i.e., the geometrical moment of inertia) required against a vertical load.

It is desirable that a portion of the bracket facing the front panel contains a through hole having an ellipse-like shape extending in a displacement direction of the bracket. It is desirable that a bolt passing through the through hole is fixed to the front panel. It is desirable that a burring portion extending toward the front panel is provided at least to a portion parallel to a major axis direction of the through hole in an outer circumference of the through hole.

This results in increasing the geometrical moment of inertia of the bracket against a vertical load, thus increasing the flexural rigidity of the bracket.

It is desirable that a support portion of resin fixed to the front panel is arranged between the bracket and the front panel, and that the support portion is slidably contactable with the bracket. It is desirable that a portion of the support portion directly facing the bracket includes a groove extending in the displacement direction of the bracket.

This can inhibit a larger contact area between the bracket and the support portion, thus inhibiting a larger sliding resistance between the bracket and the support portions.

It is desirable that a spacer of resin is arranged between a head portion of the bolt and the bracket. This can inhibit a larger sliding resistance between the bracket and the bolt.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

“Embodiments of the disclosure” below show examples of embodiments falling within the technical scope of the present disclosure. In other words, invention-specifying matters and so on recited in the appended claims are not limited by specific configurations, structures, or the like indicated in the below-described embodiments.

The embodiments below are examples relating to a seat to be mounted in a vehicle such as a car (hereinafter referred to as a vehicle seat). Arrows indicating directions, hatched lines, and so on shown in the drawings are provided for the purpose of easier understanding of mutual relationships between the drawings, shapes of members or portions, and so on.

Thus, the vehicle seat is not limited by the directions shown in the drawings. The directions shown in the drawings are directions in a state where the vehicle seat according to the embodiments below is mounted in the car. The drawings with hatched lines do not necessarily represent sectional views.

A member or portion described at least with a reference numeral is at least one in number except in a case of being accompanied by restrictive words such as “only one”. In other words, the member or portion may be two or more in number in a case of not being accompanied by the restrictive words such as “only one”. The vehicle seat of the present disclosure comprises elements such as the member or portion described at least with a reference numeral, and structural portions shown in the drawings.

First Embodiment

<1. Overview of Vehicle Seat>

As shown inFIG.1, a vehicle seat1comprises a seat cushion3and a seatback5. The seat cushion3supports the occupant's buttocks. The seatback5supports the occupant's back.

On a front-end side of the seat cushion3, a movable portion3A is provided. The movable portion3A is displaceable in seat front-rear directions. The occupant can vary the cushion length, that is, the position of the front end of the seat cushion3, by displacing the movable portion3A.

The movable portion3A comprises a cushion length varying device10(seeFIGS.2and3), a cushion member such as a pad (not shown), and a surface cover member (not shown). As shown inFIGS.2and3, the cushion length varying device10is mounted on a front panel7of metal.

The front panel7forms a part of a cushion frame. The cushion frame forms a frame of the seat cushion3. The cushion frame comprises two side frames7A and the front panel7.

The two side frames7A are of metal, and extend in the seat front-rear directions in a state of each being arranged on a seat-width-direction first end side and on a seat-width-direction second end side. The front panel7has a panel-like shape, and extends in the seat-width directions so as to couple the side frames7A to each other at their front-end sides.

<2.1 Overview of Cushion Length Varying Device>

As shown inFIG.4, the cushion length varying device10comprises a sliding device11, two brackets14, two bolts15(same number as the brackets14), two spacers16(same number as the bolts15), a movable panel17, two side panels18, and a receiving bracket7B.

As shown inFIG.3, the two brackets14are each arranged on a seat-width-direction first end side and on a seat-width-direction second end side, and the two side panels18are also each arranged on the seat-width-direction first end side and on the seat-width-direction second end side.

The movable panel17and the two side panels18form a shell structure defining the shape of a front-end side of the movable portion3A. The cushion member and the surface cover member are arranged on a surface of the movable panel17and the two side panels18.

The receiving bracket7B is fixed to the front panel7to transmit a downward load acting on the seat cushion3to the front panel7. The cushion member and the surface cover member are arranged on an upper surface of the receiving bracket7B. The movable panel17, the two side panels18, and the receiving bracket7B are of metal.

The sliding device11is a mechanism for allowing the movable portion3A to be displaceable in the seat front-rear directions. As shown inFIGS.4and5, the sliding device11comprises a sliding member12, a base member13, and a lock mechanism19.

[Base Member and Sliding Member]

The base member13is made of resin, and is fixed to the front panel7as shown inFIG.6. The base member13comprises support portions13A and rail portions13B.

The number of the support portions13A and the number of the rail portions13B are the same as the number of the two brackets14. The base member13is a one-piece member formed of resin, with the two support portions13A and the two rail portions13B integrated thereon. The two support portions13A each comprise two support members13a.

The two support portions13A each support a corresponding one of the two brackets14in a manner slidably contactable with the corresponding one of the two brackets14. The two rail portions13B extend in the seat front-rear directions, and support the sliding member12while in contact with the sliding member12in a slidably contactable manner.

As shown inFIGS.6and7, the two rail portions13B are each formed such that a cross-sectional shape thereof perpendicular to its extending direction is substantially L shape. As shown inFIG.8, the sliding member12comprises two fitting groove portions12A.

The two fitting groove portions12A are each fitted to a corresponding one of the two rail portions13B in a slidably contactable manner. Specifically, as shown inFIGS.7and8, the two fitting groove portions12A each have two walls12V, between which a horizontal portion13C (seeFIG.7) of the corresponding one of the two rail portions13B is held from both sides in up-down directions, and two walls12H, between which the horizontal portion13C is held from both sides in the seat-width directions.

The sliding member12is a resin member, and is displaceable relative to the front panel7in the seat front-rear directions, that is, in an extending direction of the two rail portions13B. The movable panel17is fixed to the sliding member12. The two side panels18are fixed to the movable panel17.

The lock mechanism19is a mechanism for switching between a case in which the sliding member12is made slidable and a case in which the sliding member12is made non-slidable, relative to the base member13, that is, relative to the front panel7.

As shown inFIG.5, the lock mechanism19comprises a lock lever19A, an operation portion19B, two retention springs19C, and an assist spring (not shown). The assist spring exerts an elastic force to move the sliding member12toward a seat-front side.

The lock lever19A is displaceable between a position where it is engaged with recessed portions13D (seeFIG.6) provided to the base member13(hereinafter referred to as an engaged position) and a position where such engagement is released (hereinafter referred to as a released position).

The operation portion19B is a portion that is operated by the occupant or other person and to which an operational force to displace the lock lever19A is input. The two retention springs19C are elastic bodies exerting an elastic force to retain the lock lever19A in the engaged position.

When the operational force is input to the operation portion19B, the position of the lock lever19A becomes the released position, and a biasing force of the assist spring displaces the movable portion3A toward the seat-front side. Then, when the operational force ceases, the position of the lock lever19A becomes the engaged position. This results in fixing the position of the movable portion3A.

The two brackets14are of metal and, as shown inFIG.5, coupled to the front panel7in a manner displaceable relative to the front panel7in the seat front-rear directions. The two brackets14are displaced integrally with the sliding member12, and transmit a load acting on the movable portion3A to the front panel7.

As shown inFIG.9, each of the two brackets14comprises a base-plate portion14A and two standing portions14B and14C. The base-plate portion14A faces the front panel7indirectly. The base-plate portion14A contains a through hole14D having an ellipse-like shape.

The major axis direction of the through hole14D corresponds to a displacement direction of the bracket14, that is, the seat front-rear directions. The bolt15passes through the through hole14D, and is fixed to the front panel7(seeFIG.10).

Further, as shown inFIG.10, a burring portion14E is provided at least to a portion14F parallel to the major axis direction in the outer circumference of the through hole14D. The burring portion14E has a ridge-like shape extending from the outer circumference toward the front panel7.

The burring portion14E is integrally formed with the base-plate portion14A by burring. As shown inFIG.11, an extending-direction end of the burring portion14E is spaced apart from the front panel7via a clearance.

A bottom surface of the base-plate portion14A, that is, a surface of the base-plate portion14A facing the front panel7, contacts the support members13ain a slidably contactable manner. The two brackets14each contact the corresponding support portion13A (more specifically, the corresponding support members13a).

Each support member13ais a ridge-like portion extending in the displacement direction of the bracket14. Each support member13aincludes a groove13E on a portion directly facing the corresponding bracket14. The grooves13E extend parallel to the displacement direction of the corresponding bracket14.

As shown inFIG.9, the standing portions14B and14C form walls substantially parallel to a vertical direction. In other words, the standing portions14B and14C form walls substantially perpendicular to the base-plate portion14A. A vertical dimension H1(seeFIG.12) on a front-end side of each of the standing portions14B and14C is larger than a vertical dimension H2(seeFIG.12) on a rear-end side of each of the standing portions14B and14C.

The standing portion14B is arranged on a seat-width-direction first end side of the base-plate portion14A. The standing portion14C is arranged on a seat-width-direction second end side of the base-plate portion14A. Thus, the shape of the end of each bracket14in the seat front-rear directions is substantially U-shape. The shape of the end of each bracket14in the seat front-rear directions may be substantially L-shape.

An upper end of each of the standing portions14B and14C is provided with a flange14G extending in the horizontal direction. A bottom surface of the movable panel17is fixed to an upper surface of the flange14G by welding. Thus, the sliding member12, the two brackets14, and the movable panel17are displaced integrally in the seat front-rear directions.

As shown inFIG.10, the spacer16is arranged between a head portion15A of the bolt15and the base-plate portion14A. The spacer16is made of resin. As shown inFIG.13, the spacer16comprises a cylindrical portion16A, a flange16B, a ring portion16C, and coupling portions16D.

The cylindrical portion16A is a substantially cylindrical portion surrounding an underhead portion of the bolt15. The flange16B is a brim-like portion extending from an upper end of the cylindrical portion16A in the substantially horizontal direction. The ring portion16C is an annular portion surrounding an outer edge of the flange16B.

The coupling portions16D are curved portions coupling the ring portion16C and the outer edge of the flange16B to each other. The cylindrical portion16A, the flange16B, the ring portion16C, and the coupling portions16D are integrally formed of resin.

<2.4 Operation of Cushion Length Varying Device>

When an operational force is input to the operation portion19B, the position of the lock lever19A becomes the released position, and the biasing force of the assist spring displaces the movable portion3A toward the seat-front side. This causes the brackets14to be displaced by sliding toward the seat-front side integrally with the sliding member12via the movable panel17.

At this time, each bracket14is displaced while the underhead portion of the bolt15(more specifically, the cylindrical portion16A) is in sliding contact with the portion14F parallel to the major axis direction in the outer circumference of the through hole14D (more specifically, with the burring portion14E).

When the operational force applied to the operation portion19B ceases, the position of the lock lever19A becomes the engaged position, and displacement of the movable portion3A is restricted. When the movable portion3A is to be displaced toward the seat rear side, the occupant needs to press the movable portion3A toward the seat rear side with a force exceeding the biasing force of the assist spring, in the state where the position of the lock lever19A is kept to the released position.

<3. Features of Vehicle Seat (Especially, Cushion Length Varying Device) According to the Present Embodiment>

In the vehicle seat1according to the present embodiment, the load acting on the movable portion3A is received by the two brackets14of metal, and the received load is transmitted to the front panel7of metal. This enables the vehicle seat1to receive a larger load than in the invention disclosed in Patent Document 1 (i.e., than in the invention in which members corresponding to the brackets14and/or a member corresponding to the front panel7are made of resin).

In each bracket14, the vertical dimension H1on the front-end side of each of the standing portions14B and14C is larger than the vertical dimension H2on the rear-end side of each of the standing portions14B and14C.

This results in inhibiting each bracket14from interfering with the receiving bracket7B when the cushion length is shortened, that is, when the rear-end side of each bracket14is positioned under the receiving bracket7B and the bracket14is retracted (seeFIG.2).

Further, in the vehicle seat1, such interference between each bracket14and the receiving bracket7B can be avoided while securing the geometrical moment of inertia of each bracket14required against a vertical load.

The burring portion14E extending toward the front panel7is provided at least to the portion14F parallel to the major axis direction in the outer circumference of the through hole14D in each bracket14. This results in increasing the geometrical moment of inertia of the bracket14against a vertical load, thus increasing the flexural rigidity of each bracket14.

The support portion13A of resin fixed to the front panel7is arranged between each bracket14and the front panel7, and the groove13E extending in the displacement direction of the bracket14is arranged on a portion of the support portion13A directly facing the corresponding bracket14(more specifically, on a portion of the support member13aof the support portion13A directly facing the corresponding bracket14).

This can inhibit a larger contact area between each bracket14and the corresponding support portion13A, thus inhibiting a larger sliding resistance between each bracket14and the corresponding support portions13A.

Moreover, the spacer16of resin is arranged between the head portion15A of the bolt15and the bracket14. This can inhibit a larger sliding resistance between the bracket14and the bolt15.

Other Embodiments

The cushion length varying device according to the above-described embodiment is of a type manually operated. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. The present disclosure may have a configuration in which, for example, the movable portion3A is displaced by an actuator, such as an electric motor.

The bracket14according to the above-described embodiment has a cross section of a substantially U-shape. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, the bracket14having a cross section of, for example, a substantially L-shape may be employed.

The sliding member12and the base member13according to the above-described embodiment are made of resin. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, for example, at least one of the sliding member12or the base member13may be made of metal, or of resin to which metal is integrated by insert molding.

In the above-described embodiment, the sliding member12and the bracket14are separate members. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. The present disclosure may have a configuration in which, for example, the bracket14is integrated with the sliding member12by insert molding.

The bracket14according to the above-described embodiment is provided with the burring portion.14E. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, for example, the bracket14with the burring portion14E omitted may be employed.

The bracket14according to the above-described embodiment is configured such that the vertical dimension H1is larger than the vertical dimension H2. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. The present disclosure may have a configuration in which, for example, the vertical dimension H1is equal to the vertical dimension H2, or in which the vertical dimension H1is smaller than the vertical dimension H2.

In the above-described embodiments, examples of the vehicle seat for a car are described. However, the present disclosure is not limited to them. The present disclosure may also be applied to, for example, a seat used in vehicles such as railroad vehicles, ships, or aircraft, and to a stationary seat used in theaters, at home, or in other places.

Moreover, the present disclosure only needs to be consistent with the spirit of the disclosure described in the above-described embodiments, and is not limited to the above-described embodiments. The present disclosure may take a configuration in which at least two embodiments among the above-described embodiments are combined together, or a configuration in which any of the diagrammatically-shown constituent elements or the constituent elements described with reference numerals are omitted in the above-described embodiments.