JP7130026B2 - seat device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a seat device.

Conventionally, a device equipped with a plurality of various sensors for detecting the physique of an occupant of a vehicle, and controlling the posture according to the physique of the occupant by inflating or deflating an air cell or bladder provided in the seat that supports the occupant. is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2019-194063 A

By the way, in the apparatus of the prior art described above, the provision of a plurality of sensors complicates the apparatus configuration and raises the cost required for the configuration.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a seat device capable of suppressing complication of the device configuration for detecting the physique of an occupant.

In order to solve the above problems and achieve the object, the present invention employs the following aspects.
(1) A seat device according to one aspect of the present invention (for example, the seat device 10 in the embodiment) is a seat device that is mounted on the buttocks of an occupant (for example, the occupant C in the embodiment) of a vehicle (for example, the vehicle 1 in the embodiment). A seat (for example, the seat 11 in the embodiment) having a seat cushion (for example, the seat cushion 11c in the embodiment) and a seat back (for example, the seat back 11b in the embodiment) that supports the waist, and A bladder (for example, the first bladder 12 and the second bladder 13 in the embodiment) that is provided on at least one of the seat cushion and the seat back and expands and contracts by injecting and discharging fluid, the bladder and the occupant A pressure sensor (e.g., the first pressure sensor 14 and the second pressure sensor 15 in the embodiment) that detects pressure acting between and outputs a signal of a pressure detection value, and the control unit (e.g., the embodiment and a control device 18).

(2) In the seat device described in (1) above, the control unit controls the amount of subcutaneous fat of the occupant based on information on a predetermined correspondence relationship between the amount of pressure change and the amount of subcutaneous fat of the occupant. The state of inflation and deflation of the bladder may be controlled.

(3) In the seat device described in (2) above, the control unit determines that the amount of subcutaneous fat is large when the amount of pressure change is smaller than a predetermined threshold, and the amount of pressure change is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold. It may be determined that the amount of subcutaneous fat is small when .

(4) In the seat device according to any one of (1) to (3) above, the bladder, when inflated, supports at least one of the occupant's ischium and spine (for example, The recesses (for example, the first recess S1 and the second recess S2 in the embodiment) may be formed in the portion PSa and the portion PSb.

(5) In the seat device according to any one of (1) to (4) above, the control unit controls the shift operation device (for example, the shift operation device 21 in the embodiment) mounted on the vehicle. It is connected to a shift position sensor (for example, the shift position sensor 22 in the embodiment) that detects the shift position and outputs a signal of the shift position detection value, and the control state of the expansion and contraction of the bladder according to the pressure change amount. The bladder may be changed to a predetermined reference state when the shift position detection value received from the shift position sensor at is reverse indicating reverse travel.

(6) In the seat device described in (5) above, the control unit changes the shift position detection value received from the shift position sensor from reverse to drive, which indicates forward movement without going through parking, which indicates vehicle stop. In this case, the bladder may be changed from the predetermined reference state to a controlled state of inflation and deflation according to the pressure change amount already obtained.

(7) In the seat device described in (5) above, the control unit shifts the shift position detection value received from the shift position sensor from the reverse parking to the parking indicating the stop of the vehicle to the drive indicating the forward movement. When the pressure changes, the bladder may be changed from the predetermined reference state to a controlled state of expansion and contraction according to the newly obtained amount of pressure change.

According to the above (1), control for inflating and deflating the bladder according to the amount of pressure change (body pressure change amount) that is the difference between the pressure values in two or more different states acting between the bladder and the occupant. By providing the control unit that performs the above, it is possible to suppress the complication of the device configuration for detecting the physique of the occupant. For example, the repulsive force of the bladder pushing back the occupant is measured from the amount of pressure change due to the expansion and contraction of the bladder, and the bladder is adjusted according to the repulsive force, without the need for multiple sensors that detect the body fat percentage, physique, weight, etc. of the occupant. The occupant's posture can be properly maintained by adjusting the pressure supported by the .
Further, for example, in a conventional device that controls the posture of a passenger according to the detection result of the body fat percentage or physique of the passenger acquired by a sensor, when the passenger's clothes are made of hard denim material, for example, , there arises a problem that the repulsive force is absorbed by the fabric, and the pressure for supporting the posture of the occupant is insufficient. On the other hand, according to the present invention, since the bladder controls the pressure supporting the occupant according to the repulsive force that pushes the occupant back, it is possible to achieve control of the supporting force for the occupant including the clothing with a simple configuration. For example, it is possible to eliminate the need for complicated or additional information processing, such as correcting the physique data of the occupant obtained by sensors other than the pressure sensor, including clothing.

In the case of (2) above, it is possible to prevent the device configuration from becoming complicated by providing a control unit that controls the bladder according to the amount of subcutaneous fat associated with the amount of pressure change in the bladder. For example, by determining the muscle-to-fat ratio from the repulsive force of the occupant against the bladder and executing information processing to associate the determination result with the body fat percentage or the amount of subcutaneous fat, the bladder expands without requiring a special sensor. It is possible to detect the amount of subcutaneous fat according to the physique of the occupant simply by providing a pressure sensor that outputs a signal related to contraction.

In the case of (3) above, a control unit is provided for determining that the larger the amount of subcutaneous fat, the smaller the amount of pressure change (body pressure change), and that the smaller the amount of subcutaneous fat, the larger the amount of pressure change (body pressure change). , the bladder can be controlled so as to apply appropriate pressure according to the amount of subcutaneous fat.

In the case of (4) above, each position of the ischium or spine can be guided to the recess formed when the bladder is inflated, and the seating position and posture of the occupant with respect to the seat and bladder can be set appropriately. As a result, it is possible to improve the accuracy of the pressure change amount (body pressure change amount), which is the difference between the pressure detection values received from the pressure sensor.
For example, by forming recesses in the sites supporting the sit bones and spine where the reaction force is greater than muscle or fat, for example, the pressure detection value received from the pressure sensor and the pressure change amount (body pressure change amount) based on the pressure detection value ) can be suppressed from increasing excessively.

In the case of (5) above, when the shift position detection value received from the shift position sensor is reverse, by providing a control unit that changes the bladder to a predetermined reference state, the vehicle is parked, garaged, etc. It is possible to suppress the bladder from operating excessively. For example, when the occupant is a driver, it is possible to suppress an increase in the load of the action of twisting the upper body left and right due to the expansion of the bladder in order to visually check the surroundings of the vehicle in a predetermined state such as parking or parking.

In the case of (6) above, when the shift position detection value changes from reverse to drive without going through parking, by providing a control unit that controls the bladder according to the already acquired pressure change amount, the vehicle The bladder can be appropriately controlled corresponding to the case where the occupant of the vehicle has not changed.

In the case of (7) above, when the shift position detection value changes from reverse to drive via parking, by providing a control unit that controls the bladder according to the newly acquired pressure change amount, the vehicle occupant The bladder can be appropriately controlled in response to possible changes in .

FIG. 2 is a side view of the configuration of the seat device according to the embodiment of the present invention; 1 is a front view of the configuration of a seat device according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 2 is a top view of the configuration of the seat cushion of the seat device according to the embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA shown in FIG. 2 along a plane orthogonal to the vertical direction of the vehicle; FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB shown in FIG. 3 along a plane perpendicular to the front-rear direction of the vehicle; 1 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a vehicle equipped with a seat device according to an embodiment of the invention; FIG. FIG. 5 is a graph showing an example of a correspondence relationship between subcutaneous fat mass and body pressure variation in the seat device according to the embodiment of the present invention; 4 is a flow chart showing an example of the operation of the seat device according to the embodiment of the present invention; 4 is a flow chart showing an example of the operation of the seat device according to the embodiment of the present invention;

A seat device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. A seat device 10 according to the embodiment is mounted on a vehicle 1, for example.
FIG. 1 is a side view of the configuration of a seat device 10 according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a front view of the configuration of the seat device 10 according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a top view of the configuration of the seat cushion of the seat device 10 according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA shown in FIG. 2 along a plane perpendicular to the vertical direction. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB shown in FIG. 3 along a plane perpendicular to the front-rear direction.
In the following description, directions of the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis, which are orthogonal to each other in the three-dimensional space, are directions parallel to the respective axes. For example, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the Z-axis direction is parallel to the vertical direction of the vehicle 1 on which the seat device 10 is mounted, the X-axis direction is parallel to the lateral direction of the vehicle 1, and the Y-axis direction is parallel to the vehicle. It is parallel to the fore-and-aft direction of 1. The positive direction of the Z-axis is parallel to the up-down direction of the vehicle 1 . The positive direction of the X-axis direction is parallel to the left direction of the left-right direction of the vehicle 1 . The positive direction of the Y-axis is parallel to the forward direction of the vehicle 1 in the longitudinal direction.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, the seat device 10 of the embodiment includes, for example, a seat 11 that supports an occupant C of the vehicle 1, a plurality of first bladders 12, and a plurality of second bladders 13. , a first pressure sensor 14 and a second pressure sensor 15 .
The seat 11 includes a headrest 11a that supports the head of the occupant C, a seat back 11b that supports the waist of the occupant C, and a seat cushion 11c that supports the buttocks of the occupant C.

Each of the plurality of first bladders 12 has, for example, a rectangular bag shape. The plurality of first bladders 12 are arranged inside the seat back 11b. The plurality of first bladders 12 are, for example, a pair of upper first bladders 12a, 12a arranged on the upper side of the vehicle 1 in the vertical direction and shifted to both sides from the central portion in the horizontal direction, and A pair of lower first bladders 12b, 12b are arranged on the lower side so as to be shifted to both sides from the central portion in the left-right direction. A central portion of the seat back 11b in the left-right direction of the vehicle 1 is a portion that supports the spine Sa of the occupant C, for example. The pair of upper first bladders 12a, 12a and the pair of lower first bladders 12b, 12b are arranged so as to partially overlap each other in the vertical direction of the vehicle 1, for example. For example, the pair of lower first bladders 12b, 12b are arranged on the front side in the front-rear direction of the vehicle 1 than the pair of upper first bladders 12a, 12a at mutually overlapping portions.

Each of the plurality of second bladders 13 has, for example, a rectangular bag shape. The plurality of second bladders 13 are arranged inside the seat cushion 11c. The plurality of second bladders 13 are, for example, a pair of right and left second bladders 13a, 13a that are displaced from a predetermined portion of the seat cushion 11c on both sides in the left-right direction of the vehicle 1, and a pair of left and right side second bladders 13a, 13a that are arranged from a predetermined portion of the seat cushion 11c to the vehicle. 1, and a pair of front and rear second bladders 13b, 13b that are displaced on both sides in the front and rear direction. The predetermined portion of the seat cushion 11c is, for example, the central portion of the portion that supports the pair of left and right sit bones Sb, Sb of the occupant C. As shown in FIG. The pair of left and right second bladders 13a, 13a and the pair of front and rear second bladders 13b, 13b are arranged, for example, so as to partially overlap each other. For example, the pair of left and right second bladders 13a, 13a are arranged above the pair of front and rear second bladders 13b, 13b in the up-down direction of the vehicle 1 at the mutually overlapping portions.

Each first bladder 12 and each second bladder 13 is inflated and deflated by the injection and evacuation of a fluid such as air.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along a plane perpendicular to the vertical direction of the vehicle 1 at the position of line AA shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB shown in FIG. 3 along a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.
As shown in FIG. 4, each pair of upper first bladders 12a, 12a and lower first bladders 12b, 12b incorporated in the seat back 11b extends laterally from the region PSa supporting the spine Sa of the occupant C. staggered on both sides. As a result, when each first bladder 12 is inflated, first recesses on the surface of the seat back 11b are formed between the pair of upper first bladders 12a, 12a and between the pair of lower first bladders 12b, 12b. A pressure Pa from the spine Sa acts on S1.
As shown in FIG. 5, each pair of left and right side second bladders 13a, 13a and front and rear side second bladders 13b, 13b incorporated in the seat cushion 11c are portions for supporting a pair of left and right sit bones Sb, Sb of the occupant C. PSb, PSb are displaced on both sides in the left-right direction and in the front-rear direction from the central portion of PSb. As a result, second recesses on the surface of the seat cushion 11c are formed between the pair of left and right second bladders 13a, 13a and between the pair of front and rear second bladders 13b, 13b when each of the second bladders 13 is inflated. Each pressure Pb from a pair of left and right sit bones Sb, Sb acts on S2.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, each of the first pressure sensor 14 and the second pressure sensor 15 has a flexible sheet-like or thin plate-like outer shape, for example. Each of the first pressure sensor 14 and the second pressure sensor 15 is, for example, an aggregate of a plurality of distributed pressure detection units. Each of the plurality of pressure detection units is, for example, a capacitive sensor or the like having an electrode pair that converts pressure received from the outside into a capacitance and outputs the capacitance.
The first pressure sensor 14 is arranged between the surface of the seatback 11b contacting the waist of the occupant C and the plurality of first bladders 12 inside the seatback 11b. The first pressure sensor 14 detects contact pressure (body pressure) generated between the waist of the occupant C and the contact surface of the seat back 11b, and outputs a signal representing the pressure detection value.
The second pressure sensor 15 is arranged between the surface of the seat cushion 11c that contacts the buttocks of the occupant C and the plurality of second bladders 13 inside the seat cushion 11c. The second pressure sensor 15 detects the contact pressure (body pressure) generated between the buttocks of the occupant C and the contact surface of the seat cushion 11c, and outputs a pressure detection value signal.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the vehicle 1 equipped with the seat device 10 of the embodiment.
The seat device 10 includes a first bladder drive section 16 that drives the first bladder 12 , a second bladder drive section 17 that drives the second bladder 13 , and a control device 18 .
Each of the first bladder drive unit 16 and the second bladder drive unit 17 includes, for example, a pump that supplies fluid such as air to each of the first bladder 12 and the second bladder 13, and a valve that discharges the fluid from each bladder 12 and 13. etc.

The control device 18 integrally controls the operation of the seat device 10 .
The control device 18 is, for example, a software functional unit that functions when a predetermined program is executed by a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The software function unit is an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) comprising a processor such as a CPU, a ROM (Read Only Memory) for storing programs, a RAM (Random Access Memory) for temporarily storing data, and an electronic circuit such as a timer. . At least part of the control device 18 may be an integrated circuit such as an LSI (Large Scale Integration).

The control device 18 is connected to each of the first pressure sensor 14 and the second pressure sensor 15 and is also connected to a shift position sensor 22 that detects the shift position of a shift operation device 21 mounted on the vehicle 1 .
The shift operation device 21 receives input operations from the driver and instructs various operations of a power transmission device (not shown) of the vehicle 1 . The shift operation device 21 has a plurality of shift positions that can be selected by a driver's input operation, such as drive indicating forward movement of the vehicle 1, reverse indicating reverse movement of the vehicle 1, neutral indicating interruption of power transmission of the vehicle 1, and neutral. A shift position such as park is provided in which the power transmission of the vehicle 1 is locked to indicate that the vehicle 1 is stopped.
The shift position sensor 22 detects the shift position of the shift operation device 21 and outputs a signal of the shift position detection value.

The control device 18 controls the first bladder driving section 16 based on the pressure detection value signal received from each of the first pressure sensor 14 and the second pressure sensor 15 and the shift position detection value signal received from the shift position sensor 22 . and the second bladder drive unit 17.
FIG. 7 is a graph showing an example of the correspondence relationship between the amount of subcutaneous fat and the amount of change in body pressure in the seat device 10 of the embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 7, the control device 18 controls the pressure change amount (body pressure change amount T) based on the change in the signal of the pressure detection value received from each of the first pressure sensor 14 and the second pressure sensor 15, and the occupant's Information on a predetermined correspondence with subcutaneous fat mass (percentage of body fat) is stored. In the example shown in FIG. 7, the amount of change in pressure (the amount of change in body pressure T) tends to decrease as the occupant's subcutaneous fat mass (percentage of body fat) increases.

As shown in FIG. 4, the control device 18 controls a pair of left and right parts L1, L1 and L1, which face each pair of upper first bladders 12a, 12a and lower first bladders 12b, 12b of the first pressure sensor 14 in the front-rear direction. An average value of the left and right pressure detection values output from R1 is calculated. The pair of left and right portions L1 and R1 are displaced to both sides in the left-right direction from the first recess S1 on the surface of the seat back 11b on which the pressure Pa from the spine Sa of the occupant C acts.
The control device 18 controls the average value of the left and right pressure sensing values in a first state regarding inflation and deflation of the plurality of first bladders 12 and a second state different from the first state regarding inflation and deflation of the plurality of first bladders 12 . The amount of change in pressure, which is the difference from the average value of the pressure detection values on the left and right sides, is calculated. The control device 18 acquires the amount of subcutaneous fat in the lumbar region of the occupant C corresponding to the calculated amount of pressure change based on the stored information of the predetermined correspondence relationship between the amount of pressure change and the amount of subcutaneous fat of the occupant.

As shown in FIG. 5, the control device 18 controls a pair of left and right parts L2, 13b and 13b of the second pressure sensor 15 that face each of the pair of left and right second bladders 13a, 13a and the front and rear second bladders 13b, 13b in the vertical direction. An average value of the left and right pressure detection values output from R2 is calculated. The pair of left and right portions L2 and R2 are displaced to both sides in the left and right direction from the second recess S2 on the surface of the seat cushion 11c on which the respective pressures Pb from the pair of left and right sit bones Sb and Sb of the occupant C act.
The control device 18 controls the average value of the left and right pressure detection values in a first state regarding inflation and deflation of the plurality of second bladders 13 and a second state different from the first state regarding inflation and deflation of the plurality of second bladders 13 . The amount of change in pressure, which is the difference from the average value of the pressure detection values on the left and right sides, is calculated. The control device 18 acquires the amount of subcutaneous fat of the buttocks of the occupant C corresponding to the calculated amount of pressure change based on the stored information of the predetermined correspondence relationship between the amount of pressure change and the amount of subcutaneous fat of the occupant.

The control device 18 determines that the amount of subcutaneous fat is large for each of the waist and buttocks of the occupant C when each amount of pressure change is smaller than a predetermined threshold, and when each amount of pressure change is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. It is determined that the amount of subcutaneous fat is small. The control device 18 controls the expansion and contraction of the bladders 12 and 13 for each of the hips and buttocks of the occupant C according to the obtained subcutaneous fat amount.

The operation of the seat device 10 of the embodiment will be described below.
FIG. 8 is a flow chart showing an example of the operation of the seat device 10 of the embodiment, which is a process executed, for example, at the start of operation.
As shown in FIG. 8, first, in step S01, the control device 18 sets each of the plurality of first bladders 12 and the plurality of second bladders 13 to a first state, for example, an appropriate inflated state.
Next, the control device 18 acquires pressure detection values from each of the first pressure sensor 14 and the second pressure sensor 15 in step S02. The control device 18 calculates the average value of the left and right pressure detection values for each of the pressure sensors 14 and 15 .
Next, in step S03, the control device 18 sets each of the plurality of first bladders 12 and the plurality of second bladders 13 to a second state, for example, an appropriate deflated state.
Next, the control device 18 acquires pressure detection values from each of the first pressure sensor 14 and the second pressure sensor 15 in step S04. The control device 18 calculates the average value of the left and right pressure detection values for each of the pressure sensors 14 and 15 .

Next, in step S<b>05 , the control device 18 supplies the pressure sensors 14 , 15 with the average value of the left and right pressure detection values of the bladders 12 , 13 in the first state and A pressure change amount, which is the difference between the average value of the left and right pressure detection values in the two states, is calculated.
Next, in step S06, the control device 18 causes the pressure sensors 14 and 15 to calculate the pressure change based on the stored information of the predetermined correspondence relationship between the pressure change amount and the occupant's subcutaneous fat mass. The amount of subcutaneous fat in the hips and buttocks of the occupant C corresponding to the amount is acquired.
Next, in step S07, the control device 18 controls the expansion and contraction of each of the plurality of first bladders 12 and the plurality of second bladders 13 according to the amount of subcutaneous fat in the waist and buttocks of the occupant C. Then, the controller 18 advances the process to the end.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the seat device 10 according to the embodiment, which is a process executed, for example, at predetermined intervals.
As shown in FIG. 9, in step S11, the control device 18 determines whether or not the shift position is reverse based on the shift position detection value signal received from the shift position sensor 22. FIG.
If the determination result is "YES", the control device 18 advances the process to step S12.
On the other hand, if the determination result is "NO", the control device 18 advances the process to RETURN.
Next, in step S12, the control device 18 sets each of the plurality of first bladders 12 and the plurality of second bladders 13 to a predetermined initial state (for example, a reference state in which the bladders 12 and 13 are deflated). .
Next, in step S<b>13 , the control device 18 determines whether or not the shift position has changed from parking to drive based on the shift position detection value signal received from the shift position sensor 22 .
If the determination result is "YES", the control device 18 advances the process to step S14.
On the other hand, if the determination result is "NO", the control device 18 advances the process to step S15.

Next, in step S14, the control device 18 determines that there is a possibility that the occupant C of the vehicle 1 has been changed. And each bladder 12, 13 is controlled according to each subcutaneous fat amount of the buttocks. The controller 18 then advances the process to RETURN.
Further, in step S15, the control device 18 determines whether or not the shift position has changed to the drive position without passing through the parking position, based on the shift position detection value signal received from the shift position sensor 22 .
If the determination result is "YES", the control device 18 advances the process to step S16.
On the other hand, if the determination result is "NO", the control device 18 advances the process to RETURN.
Next, in step S16, the control device 18 determines that the occupant C of the vehicle 1 has not been changed, and determines the bladders 12, 12, and 12 according to the subcutaneous fat amounts of the lumbar region and buttocks of the occupant C that have already been acquired. 13. The controller 18 then advances the process to RETURN.

As described above, according to the seat device 10 of the embodiment, the pressure change amount (body pressure change amount) that is the difference between the pressure values in two different states acting between the bladders 12 and 13 and the occupant C By providing the control device 18 that performs control to inflate and deflate the bladders 12 and 13 according to , it is possible to prevent the device configuration for detecting the physique of the occupant C from becoming complicated. For example, without requiring a plurality of sensors for detecting the body fat percentage, physique, weight, etc. of the occupant C, only the bladders 12, 13 required for the massage function and the minimum pressure sensors 14, 15 are provided. The seat device 10 can be constructed. The repulsive force of each bladder 12, 13 pushing back the occupant C is measured from the amount of pressure change due to the expansion and contraction of each bladder 12, 13, and the pressure supported by each bladder 12, 13 is adjusted according to the repulsive force, thereby The posture of C can be properly maintained.
Further, for example, in a conventional device that controls the posture of the occupant C in accordance with the detection result of the body fat percentage or physique of the occupant C acquired by a sensor, the clothing of the occupant C is hard denim material, for example. In the case of (1), there arises a problem that the repulsive force is absorbed by the fabric, and the pressure for supporting the posture of the occupant C is insufficient. On the other hand, according to the present invention, since the bladders 12 and 13 control the pressure for supporting the occupant C in accordance with the repulsive force pushing back the occupant C, the control of the supporting force for the occupant C including the clothes can be easily controlled. can be achieved with For example, complicated or additional information processing, such as correcting the physique data of the occupant C obtained by sensors other than the pressure sensors 14 and 15, including clothing, can be eliminated.

By providing the control device 18 for controlling each bladder 12, 13 according to the amount of subcutaneous fat associated with the amount of pressure change of each bladder 12, 13, the device configuration for detecting the physique of the occupant C becomes complicated. can be prevented from becoming For example, the ratio of muscle and fat is determined from the repulsive force of the occupant C against the bladders 12 and 13, and information processing is performed to associate the determination result with the body fat percentage or the amount of subcutaneous fat, thereby eliminating the need for a special sensor. Furthermore, the amount of subcutaneous fat in the physique of the occupant C can be detected simply by providing the pressure sensors 14 and 15 for outputting signals relating to the expansion and contraction of the bladders 12 and 13 .

The position of the spine Sa can be guided to the first recess S1 formed when the plurality of first bladders 12 are inflated, and the position of the sit bone Sb can be guided to the second recess S2 formed when the plurality of second bladders 13 are inflated. can be induced. As a result, the seating position and posture of the occupant C with respect to the seat 11 and the bladders 12 and 13 can be appropriately set, and the waist and buttocks of the occupant C can be measured based on the pressure detection values received from the pressure sensors 14 and 15. It is possible to improve the accuracy of the pressure change amount (body pressure change amount).
For example, by forming the recesses S1 and S2 in the parts PSa and PSb that support the spine Sa and the sit bone Sb, which have a larger reaction force than muscle or fat, the pressure detection values received from the pressure sensors 14 and 15, for example. Also, it is possible to suppress an excessive increase in the pressure change amount (body pressure change amount) based on the pressure detection value.

By providing a control device 18 that changes the respective bladders 12 and 13 to a predetermined reference state (initial state) when the shift position detection value received from the shift position sensor 22 is reverse, the vehicle 1 can be parked and parked. Excessive operation of the bladders 12 and 13 can be suppressed in a predetermined operating state. For example, when the occupant C is the driver, it is possible to suppress the increase in load due to the expansion of the bladders 12 and 13 caused by twisting the upper body left and right in order to visually check the surroundings of the vehicle 1 in a predetermined state such as parking or parking. can do.
By providing a control device 18 that controls each bladder 12, 13 according to the pressure change amount already acquired when the shift position detection value changes from reverse to drive without going through parking, the vehicle 1 can be Each bladder 12, 13 can be appropriately controlled in response to the case where the occupant C has not changed.
By providing a control device 18 that controls the bladders 12 and 13 according to the newly acquired pressure change amount when the shift position detection value changes from reverse to parking via drive, the occupant C of the vehicle 1 Each bladder 12, 13 can be appropriately controlled in response to the possibility that the .

(Modification)
Modifications of the embodiment will be described below. It should be noted that the same parts as those of the above-described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof are omitted or simplified.
In the above-described embodiment, each of the seat back 11b and the seat cushion 11c is provided with four first bladders 12 and four second bladders 13, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Any suitable number of bladders may be provided in the sole.
Moreover, in the above-described embodiment, the plurality of first bladders 12 and the plurality of second bladders 13 are provided, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, each of the seat back 11b and the seat cushion 11c may be provided with a single bladder having a shape such as an annular shape or a saddle shape with a concave central portion when inflated. That is, the bladder may have a recessed portion PSa supporting the spine Sa of the occupant C when inflated, and a bladder formed with a recessed portion PSb supporting the sit bone Sb of the occupant C when inflated.

In the above-described embodiment, the seat device 10 includes the flexible sheet-like or thin plate-like first pressure sensor 14 and the second pressure sensor 15, but is not limited to this, and may include other pressure sensors. good too.
Other pressure sensors may detect the pressure exerted between each bladder 12,13 and the occupant, for example, by measuring a flow rate indicative of an increase or decrease in fluid inflating and deflating each bladder 12,13.
Further, other pressure sensors, for example, the bladders 12, 13 themselves may also serve as pressure sensors that detect the pressure acting between the bladders 12, 13 and the occupant by means of functions added to the bladders 12, 13. may

Embodiments of the invention are provided by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as the scope of the invention described in the claims and equivalents thereof.

Reference Signs List 1 vehicle 10 seat device 11 seat 11b seat back 11c seat cushion 12 first bladder 12a first upper bladder 12b first lower bladder (bladder), 13... second bladder (bladder), 13a... left and right second bladder (bladder), 13b... front and rear second bladder (bladder), 14... first pressure sensor (pressure sensor), 15... second bladder Pressure sensor (pressure sensor) 16 First bladder drive section 17 Second bladder drive section 18 Control device (control section) 21 Shift operation device 22 Shift position sensor C Passenger Pa, Pb... Pressure, PSa, PSb... Site, S1... First recess (recess), S2... Second recess (recess).

Claims (7)

a seat having a seat cushion for supporting the buttocks of a vehicle occupant and a seat back for supporting the waist;
a bladder that is provided on at least one of the seat cushion and the seat back and expands and contracts by injecting and discharging fluid;
a pressure sensor that detects pressure acting between the bladder and the occupant and outputs a signal of a pressure detection value;
The bladder inflates and deflates according to a pressure change amount that is the difference between the pressure detection value received from the pressure sensor in the first state of the bladder and the pressure detection value received from the pressure sensor in the second state of the bladder. and a control unit for controlling the state of the seat device. The control unit is characterized by controlling the expansion and contraction states of the bladder according to the amount of subcutaneous fat of the occupant, based on information on a predetermined correspondence relationship between the amount of pressure change and the amount of subcutaneous fat of the occupant. The seat device according to claim 1, wherein: The control unit determines that the amount of subcutaneous fat is large when the amount of pressure change is less than a predetermined threshold, and determines that the amount of subcutaneous fat is small when the amount of pressure change is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold. The seat device according to claim 2, characterized by: 4. The seat device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the bladder, when inflated, forms a recess in a portion supporting at least one of the occupant's sit bones and spine. The control unit
connected to a shift position sensor that detects a shift position of a shift operation device mounted on the vehicle and outputs a signal of a shift position detection value;
changing the bladder to a predetermined reference state when the shift position detection value received from the shift position sensor is reverse indicating reverse movement in the controlled state of expansion and contraction of the bladder according to the amount of pressure change; 5. A seat device according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The control unit already acquires the bladder from the predetermined reference state when the shift position detection value received from the shift position sensor changes from reverse to drive indicating forward movement without going through parking indicating stoppage. 6. The seat device according to claim 5, wherein the control state of expansion and contraction is changed according to the amount of pressure change. When the shift position detection value received from the shift position sensor changes from reverse to parking indicating a stop and then from parking to drive indicating forward movement, the bladder is moved from the predetermined reference state. 6. The seat device according to claim 5, wherein the expansion and contraction control states are changed according to the newly acquired pressure change amount.

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