Abstract:
A tiltable vehicle seat has a seat frame, a pad formed in a mold associated with the seat frame and a bracket attaching a seatback to the seat frame. The pad is formed through foaming to expand and engulf the seat frame and is integrated with the seat frame. The bracket allows for the seat frame and the pad contained therein to be tilted relative to the seatback to provide multiple vehicle seat modes. The bracket is formed separately from the seat frame and attached to the seat frame thus allowing for the pad to be formed from a relatively compact mold.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application is a National Phase entry of, and claims priority to, PCT Application No. PCT/JP2013/084396, filed Dec. 17, 2013, which claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2012-284754, filed Dec. 27, 2012, both of which are incorporated herein in their entireties by reference. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention generally relates to a tiltable vehicle seat. More specifically, the vehicle seat has, for example, a seat frame and a pad inserted and mounted therein. Moreover, the seat frame has a bracket for adjusting a seat position and/or mode of the seat by, for example, an occupant inside a vehicle. The pad is formed through foaming so as to cover the seat frame and as to be integrated with the seat frame. 
     BACKGROUND INFORMATION 
     As generally understood and referred to in the art, a passenger and/or commercial vehicle, such as a van and/or a sport utility vehicle (i.e. a “SUV”), may be adapted to include multiple rows of seating to allow for the convenient transportation of multiple passengers. Such an automobile includes two or three rows of vehicle seats arranged in a series in the longitudinal direction of the automobile. A seat located in the first, foremost row may be referred to as “a front seat”. Likewise, a seat located in the second row of seating behind the first row of seating may be referred to as “a second seat”, and a seat in the third row is referred to as “a third seat”. Moreover, the second seat may be manufactured to permit an occupant of the second seat to adjust the position and/or mode of the second seat while inside the vehicle. For example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2010-149819 discloses a seat with a “walk-in mode” and a “fully tilted” mode as examples of the seat adjustments. In the walk-in mode, a seat back is maintained in a forwardly inclined position. In the fully tilted mode, the seatback overlaps a seat cushion. As a result, an occupant can easily get into and out of the third seat. Alternatively, an effective space of a vehicle interior is enlarged. 
     A cushion frame of the seat cushion has right and left side frames. The side frames have protruding brackets for performing adjustments to the walk-in mode and the fully tilted mode. The protruding brackets are bent in a boomerang-like fashion in the vicinity of the seat back and protrude from the seat cushion. 
     Instead of the walk-in mode and the fully tilted mode, the second seat may be adjusted to a tip-up mode. In the tip-up mode, the seat cushion is flipped up so as to be parallel with and/or overlap with the seatback. As in a technique disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2010-149819, the seat has a bracket  230  as shown in  FIG. 7 . The seat cushion of a rear seat  201  has a cushion frame  202   a  equipped with a substantially U-shaped front frame  210 . Brackets  230  are provided at both sides of the front frame  210  in the vicinity of the seatback. The brackets  230  protrude while bent in a boomerang-like fashion. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9 , a pad  220  containing the cushion frame  202   a  is formed through foaming. The size of a mold (not shown) for the pad  220  is determined so as to allow for the installation of brackets  230 . This results in an increase in the size of the mold. The mold is larger than, for example, a mold for a construction in which the cushion frame has no brackets  230 . The construction does not allow for an adjustment, for example, to the walk-in mode, the fully tilted mode, and the tip-up mode because the construction has no brackets  230 . Continuing with that currently available, EP0386890 A1 generally discloses a vehicle seat having a seat frame, a pad integrated with the seat frame where the pad may be formed through foaming to cover the seat frame and a bracket configured to adjust a seat mode of a seat mounted within a vehicle. In detail, the bracket may be formed separately from the seat frame to be mounted to the seat frame after the foaming of the pad. Similar to that discussed above, U.S. Pat. No. 3,161,436 generally discloses a cushioning element, such as a pad, used in a vehicle seat and so on where the cushioning element has a seat frame and a pad integrated with the seat frame. In detail, the pad may be formed through foaming so as to cover the seat frame. Moreover, FR2845325 A1 discloses a vehicle seat having a seat cushion, a seatback and a bracket for rotatably connecting the seat cushion and the seatback. 
     Thus, there is a need for a vehicle seat which allows for adjustments inside the vehicle, as mentioned above, and which may have a pad that may be formed from a relatively small mold about a seat frame through foaming. Resultantly, the pad may integrate with and/or cover a seat frame of the seat. 
     SUMMARY 
     According to an aspect of the present application, a vehicle seat has a seat frame and a pad. The pad is integrated with the seat frame and is formed through foaming so as to cover at least a portion of the seat frame. The seat frame has a bracket for adjusting a seat mode within a vehicle. The bracket is formed separately from the seat frame, and is mounted to the seat frame after foaming of the pad. 
     Through operation of the bracket, the vehicle seat can be adjusted to a tip-up mode, etc. After the foaming of the pad in a mold, the bracket is mounted to the seat frame. Thus, there is no need for a mold whereby the size taking of the bracket must be taken into consideration. Therefore, the mold can be reduced in size. 
     According to another aspect of the present application, the seat may be adjusted to the tip-up mode. The seat frame may include a cushion frame of a seat cushion. The bracket may have a curved shape. An end portion of the bracket may be provided at an end portion of a lower frame of a back frame and may be rotatably connected to the cushion frame. As a result, the vehicle seat can be adjusted to the tip-up mode. 
     According to still another aspect of the present application, the seat frame may be fabricated without protruding from a pad of the seat. Thus, the seat frame, which is a hard object, is not exposed to the outside of the pad. Thus, the user seated on the seat doesn&#39;t feel anything unpleasant. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a cushion frame of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a seat cushion having a body of foamed beads integrated with the cushion of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded view for showing an assembly of a back frame and a cushion frame of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a cushion frame with another configuration; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a seat cushion having a body of foamed beads integrated with the cushion of  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 6  is an exploded view for showing an assembly of a back frame and a cushion frame of  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a cushion frame in the prior art; 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a seat cushion having a body of foamed beads integrated with the cushion of  FIG. 7 ; and 
         FIG. 9  is an exploded view for showing an assembly of a back frame and a cushion frame of  FIG. 8 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
     Each of the additional features and teachings disclosed above and below may be utilized separately or in conjunction with other features and teachings to provide improved vehicle seats. Representative examples of the present invention, which utilize many of these additional features and teachings both separately and in conjunction with one another, will now be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. This detailed description is merely intended to teach a person of ordinary skill in the art further details for practicing preferred aspects of the present teachings and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Only the claims define the scope of the claimed invention. Therefore, combinations of features and steps disclosed in the following detailed description may not be necessary to practice the invention in the broadest sense, and are instead taught merely to particularly describe representative examples of the invention. Moreover, various features of the representative examples and the dependent claims may be combined in ways that are not specifically enumerated in order to provide additional useful configurations of the present teachings. 
     An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to  FIGS. 1 to 3 . A vehicle seat is, for example, a rear seat  1  of an automobile. In the drawings, the directional orientations of upper, lower, front, rear, right, and left are shown relative to an instance where the rear seat  1  has been mounted in the automobile (not shown). These directions are also applied in  FIGS. 4 to 6 . 
     The rear seat  1  has a seat cushion  2  and a seatback  3 . The rear seat  1  can be adjusted to a tip-up mode. When manufacturing the rear seat  1 , the seat cushion  2  and the seatback  3  are first manufactured individually. The seat cushion  2  and the seatback  3  are connected to each other by brackets  30 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the seat cushion  2  has a cushion frame  2   a , a pad (a body of foamed beads/cushion material)  20 , a cushion pad (not shown in the FIGS.), and a cushion cover (not shown in the FIGS.). The cushion frame  2   a  defines a framework of the seat cushion  2 . The pad  20  is made by foaming beads so as to integrate and/or couple with the cushion frame  2   a  and cover at least a part of the cushion frame  2   a . The cushion pad is mounted so as to engulf the pad  20 . The cushion cover covers at least a portion of a surface of the cushion pad. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , when manufacturing the seat cushion  2 , the cushion frame  2   a  is formed first. The cushion frame  2   a  has a substantially U-shaped front frame  10 , and a rear frame  12  bridging both ends of the front frame  10 . The cushion frame  2   a  is constructed to avoid protruding from the pad  20  after foaming. The ends of the front frame  10  and the ends of the rear frame  12  are bonded by connection members  14 . Each connection member  14  has a mounting hole  14   a  to which a bracket  30  is mounted using a bolt B. 
     Next, the cushion frame  2   a  is set in the cavity (not shown in the FIGS.) of a mold (not shown in the FIGS.). The cavity is shaped such that the pad  20  assumes a desired shape (seat shape) after being formed by foaming. 
     Foamable liquid is powered into the cavity and foamed in the mold to make the pad  20 . Before the foamable liquid is poured into the cavity, the cushion frame  2   a  is set in the cavity. The mold has a restriction portion to prevent the foamable liquid from entering the mounting holes  14   a  of the connection members  14 . As a result, even when the cushion frame  2   a  is covered with the pad  20 , the mounting holes  14   a  can be exposed. 
     The foamable liquid is poured into the cavity and foamed in the mold to make the pad  20 . The pad  20  is extracted from the cavity (See  FIG. 2 ). The pad  20  is integrated with the cushion frame  2   a . The pad  20  includes foamed beads contacting each other like styrene foam. A cushion pad (not shown in the FIGS.) is mounted so as to enwrap the pad  20 . The surface of the cushion pad is covered with a cushion cover (not shown in the FIGS.). 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , a panel  16  is mounted to the cushion frame  2   a  so as to bridge the front frame  10  and the rear frame  12 . A hook (not shown in the FIGS.) is mounted to the panel  16 . The hook can be hooked over a striker (not shown in the FIGS.) fixed to a vehicle floor (not shown in the FIGS.). 
     When not in the tip-up mode, an occupant can sit on the seat cushion  2 . In this state, it is possible to hook the hook over the striker. This makes it possible to maintain a state in which the seat cushion may be used. When the hook is rotated to release the hook from the striker, the seat cushion  2  can be flipped up so as to be parallel and/or in contact with the seatback  3 . As a result, the rear seat  1  is placed in the tip-up mode. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the seatback  3  has a back frame  3   a , a back pad (not shown in the FIGS.), and a back cover (not shown in the FIGS.). The back frame  3   a  constitutes a framework of the seatback  3 . The back pad is mounted so as to engulf the back frame  3   a . The back cover covers a surface of the back pad. 
     When manufacturing the seatback  3 , the back frame  3   a  is formed first. The back frame  3   a  has a substantially U-shaped upper frame  40 , and a lower frame  42  that spans across the lengthwise distance of the upper frame  40 . The ends of the upper frame  40  and ends of the lower frame  42  are bonded to each other. 
     Next, the back pad is mounted to the back frame  3   a  so as to engulf the back frame  3   a . A surface of the back pad is covered with the back cover. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the bracket  30  has a curved shape or bent shape, i.e., similar to a boomerang. Formed at one end of each bracket  30  is a mounting hole  32 . The other end of each bracket  30  is mounted to an end portion of the lower frame  42 . As a result, each bracket  30  constitutes a component of a hinge H. 
       FIG. 3  shows an inner structure of the seat cushion  2  and the seatback  3 . In  FIG. 3 , the cushion pad, the cushion cover, the back pad, and the back cover are omitted. As shown in  FIG. 3 , when assembling the rear seat  1 , each end of the lower frame  42  and each end of each bracket  30  are rotatably connected to each other by each hinge H. Bolts B are inserted into the mounting holes  32  and the mounting holes  14   a . As a result, the brackets  30  and the connection members  14  are connected to each other. The brackets  30  are fixed to the rear frame  12  via the connection members  14 . 
     The seat cushion  2  and the seatback  3  are connected to each other so as to be rotatable with respect to each other around the hinges H. The rear seat  1  is mounted to the vehicle seat (not shown in the FIGS.). The seat cushion  2  is flipped up so as to overlap the seatback  3 . As a result, the rear seat  1  is placed in the tip-up mode. 
     As described above, the rear seat  1  has the brackets  30  adjusting the position of the seat cushion  2  relative to the seatback  3 , i.e., to place the rear seat  1  in the tip-up mode. The brackets  30  have a curved shape in a boomerang-like fashion, and are separate from the cushion frame  2   a . The pad  20  engulfs the cushion frame  2   a . The cushion frame  2   a  has connection members  14  each having the mounting hole  14   a . The bolts B are inserted into the mounting holes  14   a  of the connection members  14  and the mounting holes  32  of the brackets  30 . The brackets  30  and the connection members  14  are connected to each other by the bolts B. The pad  20  is formed through foaming in the mold, and is integrated with the cushion frame  2   a . After the forming of the pad  20 , the brackets  30  are mounted to the cushion frame  2   a . Thus, there is no need for the mold to be of a size taking the brackets  30  into consideration. This means that the mold can be reduced in size. 
     The cushion frame  2   a  is rotatably connected to the end portions of the lower frame  42  of the back frame  3   a  via the brackets  30 . Thus, the rear seat  1  can be adjusted to the tip-up mode. 
     The cushion frame  2   a  is formed so as not to protrude from the pad  20  after foaming. Thus, no hard object is exposed to the outside of the pad  20 . Thus, when seated, the user doesn&#39;t feel anything unpleasant. 
     While the embodiments of invention have been described with reference to specific configurations, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many alternatives, modifications and variations may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention are intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variations that may fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. For example, embodiments of the present invention should not be limited to the representative configurations, but may be further modified, for example, as described below. 
     The vehicle seat may be the rear seat  1  of the automobile. Alternatively, the vehicle seat may be a driver&#39;s seat, a passenger seat adjacent to the driver&#39;s seat, etc. of the automobile. As described above, the vehicle may be an automobile. Alternatively, the vehicle, for example, may be a railroad car, an airplane, or a ship. 
     The seat  1  may have the pad  20  as the pad, or a cushion pad as the pad. That is, the seat cushion  2  may have the cushion frame  2   a , the cushion pad (not shown in the FIGS.) formed through foaming, and/or through some other fabrication technique, attached to and/or integrated with the cushion frame  2   a , and a cushion cover (not shown in the FIGS.) covering a surface of the cushion pad. 
     As described above, the seat cushion  2  may have the pad  20  formed through foaming so as to be integrated with the cushion frame  2   a . Instead of or in addition to this, the seatback  3  may have a body of foamed beads formed through foaming so as to be integrated with the back frame  3   a.    
     As described above, the rear seat  1  may have a seat cushion  2  formed generally as a single piece, i.e., without multiple interior separate sub-sections. Alternatively, as shown in  FIGS. 4 to 6 , a rear seat  101  may be formed with another embodiment of the seat cushion, where the seat cushion  2  is divided in a width-wise direction at a proportion of 6:4. The rear seat  101  can provide the same effect as that of the rear seat  1 . 
     As described above, the bracket  30  may be mounted to the rear frame  12  by a bolt B. Alternatively the bracket  30  may be mounted to the rear frame  12  by a different attaching device. The other attaching device may be a pin, a rivet, caulked member, etc.