GB2170098A

GB2170098A - Frame for a vehicle seat

Info

Publication number: GB2170098A
Application number: GB08530630A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Yoshiharu Ishikawa; Yuji Tagawa
Original assignee: Ikeda Bussan Co Ltd
Current assignee: Ikeda Corp
Priority date: 1984-12-12
Filing date: 1985-12-12
Publication date: 1986-07-30
Also published as: GB8530630D0; GB2170098B

Abstract

A rectangle-shaped frame for a vehicle seat wherein the frame is divided at front and back sides thereof and/or at left and right side thereof and halves thus formed are overlapped one upon the other and fixed to each other e.g. by spot welding, with a sufficient overlapped width interposed between them. The overlapped width between the halves can be changed to meet the dimension of a seat needed. A flange is upstanding from a bottom of the frame along most of the outer perimeter thereof a portion of the flange being bent downwards at the front side of the frame where the thighs of a person who is seated on the seat are positioned.

Description

SPECIFICATION Seat frame for use in vehicles Background of the invention 1. Field of the invention The present invention relates to a seat frame for use in vehicles.

2. Description of the prior art One of the conventional seat frames is as shown in Figures 1 and 2, for example. The seat 1 comprises a cushion 2 and a seat back 3, wherein a cushion pad 2a is set on a frame 4 which serves as a core for the cushion 2. The frame 4 has a profile extending along the outer perimeter (or end) of the cushion 2 and it is erected from the base at its outer perimeter to form a flange 5.

In the case of this conventional seat frame 4 for use in vehicles, however, the dimension of each of its parts is already determined and when change is asked, the parts must be designed and made as different members or parts. To meet various kinds of specifications and modifications of vehicles, therefore, numerous parts must be prepared, thereby making their manufacturing and caring cost extremely high.

Further, the flange 5 is erected at the front edge of the frame 4 in the case of this conventional seat frame for vehicles. Therefore, the upper end of the flange 5 is intruded into the cushion pad 2a to substantially reduce the flexibility of the latter and when person is seated on the seat, he feels oppressed at his thighs because the flange 5 intruded into the cushion pad 2a. In other words, he feels uncomfortable on the seat.

Summary of the invention The present invention is therefore intended to eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks.

An object of the present invention is to provide a seat frame for use in vehicles wherein various needs can be met by the smallest number of parts.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a seat frame for use in vehicles wherein the front edge of the frame is not intruded into the cushion pad.

These and other objects of the present invention can be achieved by a seat frame for use in vehicle comprising two halves of a frame which is divided at the center of front and back or left and right sides thereof, wherein these two halves symmetrically formed are fixed to each other, overlapping one upon the other, to change the dimension of the frame.

When the seat frame is thus arranged, those portions of the two halves which are overlapped one upon the other can be made large or small to change the dimension of the frame. In additon, the seat frame can be changed in structure by exchanging those parts which are attached to the halves.

Another example of the seat frame according to the present invention is characterized in that most of the outer perimeter of the frame is erected upward from the base and that the front edge of the frame above which the thighs of person who is seated on the seat frame are positioned is bent downward from the base. When thus arranged, the front edge portion is not intruded into the cushion pad and the person who is seated on the seat frame does not feel any presence of the frame under his thighs. In other words, he feels comfortable on the seat frame.

The present invention will be described in detail referring to the accompnying drawings.

Brief description of the drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the conventional seat frame assembled as a seat.

Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the conventional seat frame.

Figure 3 is a perspective view showing a first example of the seat frame according to the present invention.

Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the seat frame in Figure 3 dismantled.

Figure 5 is a perspective view showing a second example of the seat frame according to the present invention.

Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the seat frame in Figure 5 dismantled.

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken along a line VII-VII in Figure 5 and showing those portions of two halves of a frame which are overlapped one upon the other.

Figure 8 is a perspective view showing a third example of the seat frame according to the present invention.

Figure 9 is a sectional view taken along a line IX IX in Figure 8 and showing the front edge portion of the seat frame.

Figure 10 is a perspective view showing a fourth example of the seat frame according to the present invention.

Figure 11 is a sectional view taken along a line Xl-Xl in Figure 10 and showing those portions of two halves of the frame which are overlapped one upon the other being under assembly process.

Description of the preferred embodiment Figures 3 and 4 show a frame 10 which is embodied as a first example of the present invention.

The frame 10 is of rectangular shape comprising two front and back sides 11 and 12 opposed to each other, and other two left and right sides 13 and 14 opposed to each other. The frame 10 is divided at the center of the front and back sides 11 and 12 thereof to form left and right halves 15 and 16.

Front and back end portions 15a and 15b of the left half 15 are same in section as those 16a and 16b of the right half 16 to be overlapped one upon the other with an overlapped width enough.

A flange 18 is erected from a bottom portion 17 at the front end of each of the left and right halves and the upper end portion of the flange 18 is curved downward to form a curled portion 18a.

The inner end of the bottom portion 17 is also curved to form a curled portion 17a. Therefore, the outer perimeter of the frame 10 has a sectional profile like this almost all over it, though this profile is changed a little in some portions.

The left and right halves 15 and 16 are overlapped one upon the other by a predetermined width which is determined by a specification, and they are fixed each other by spot welding at the front and back end portions 15a, 16a and 15b, 16b thereof.

Hinge and leg brackets 7 and 8, 9 are fixedly attached to the frame 10.

When the frame 10 has such an arrangement as described above, its longitudinal width is left certain but its traverse width can be variously selected by adjusting the overlapped width between the left and the right halves 15 and 16. Although the left and the right halves 15 and 16 are common to each other, various kinds of frames 10 whose traverse widths are different from one another can be made according to various specifications.

Similarly, the number of the hinge and leg brackets 7 and 8, 9 fixed to the left and the right halves 15 and 16 can be selected according to the specifications of these frames 10 needed. Numerous kinds of frames 10 can be therefore made using as few parts as possible.

Figures 5 through 7 show a second embodiment of the present invention, wherein the frame 10 comprises four front and back corner members 21, 22 and 23, 24, which are formed by dividing the frame 10 at the center of the front and back sides 11 and 12 and at the center of the left and right sides 13 and 14.

Those portions of the corner members 21, 22, 23 and 24 which are overlapped one another have a sectional profile which enables them to be overlapped one another with a sufficient overlapped width therebetween. As apparent from Figure 5, a flange 26 is erected from the outer end of a bottom portion 25 in the case of the corner members 21 and 22, for example, and the upper end of the flange 26 is curved outward to form a curled portion 26a. The curled portion 26a which is thus formed large in size in the case of the corner member 22 is overlapped upon the other curled portion 26a of the corner member 21 which is formed small in size, and only the corner member 21 which is positioned under the corner member 22 is provided with a bent portion 25a at the inner end thereof, as shown in Figure 7.

According to the second embodiment of the present invention, the overlapped widths between the corner members 21, 22, 23 and 24 can be variously changed to change the width of the frame 10 in the longitudinal and traverse directions thereof. Therefore, the frame 10 can be made to meet any specifications which ask the width of the frame 10 to be different in the longitudinal direction. In addition, the frame 10 can be made to meet a case where the seat is made large in the longitudinal direction thereof and where the seat is provided with the adjusting mechanism for enabling the seat back to be moved forward and backward.

Needless to say, the number of the hinge and leg brackets 7 and 8, 9 used can be selected appropriately. Further, the four corner members which form the frame 10 may be divided to more members.

Figures 8 and 9 show a third embodiment of the present invention, wherein a frame 30 is of rectangular shape comprising front and back sides 31 and 32 opposed to each other and left and right sides 33 and 34 opposed to each other.

A flange 36 is erected upward from the outer end of a bottom 35 in the case of each of the back side 32 and left and right sides 33, 34. A curled portion 36a is formed at the upper end of the wall 36 and a curled portion 35a is also formed at the inner end of the bottom 35.

The wall 36 which extends along the outer end of the front side 31 from the sides 33 and 34 is made gradually and rapidly lower and lower and vanished as it comes nearer to the center portion of the front side 31, and a flange 37 which is bent downward from the outer end of the front side 31 is formed over most of the center portion of the front side 31. The falling flange 37 is provided with a curled portion 37a at the lower end thereof.

Slide rails 40 and 41 are fixed to the underside of the frame 30.

When the frame 30 has such an arrangement as described above and it is covered with the cushion pad 11a shown in Figure 1, that portion of the cushion pad 11a on which the thighs of person who is seated on the seat are restored exhibits sufficient flexibility because nothing intrudes into the cushion pad 11a from underside. The person who is seated on the seat does not feel oppressive at his thighs.

Figures 10 and 11 show a fourth embodiment of the present invention, wherein the frame 30 comprises left and right halves 38 and 39.

The front and back end portions 38a, 38b of the left half 38 and those 39a, 39b of the right half 39 have sectional profiles which enable the left and right haves 38 and 39 to be overlapped one upon the other with a sufficient overlapped width interposed between them.

A flange 36 which extends along the front ends of the front end portions 38a and 39a of the left and right halves 38 and 39 is made rapidly low to form a rib-like protrusion 35a projected from the front end of a bottom 35. A down-slope 42 extends from the rib-like protrusion 35b and a wall 43 extends downward from the lower end of the downslope 42. The falling flange 43 is provided with a curled portion 43a at the lower end thereof.

The left and right halves 38 and 39 are overlapped one upon the other by a predetermined width which is determined according to a specification, and they are fixed each other by spot welding at their overlapped areas between their front end portions 38a and 39a and between their back end portions 38b and 39b.

When the frame 10 has such an arrangement as described above and it is covered with the cushion pad 11a shown in Figure 1, that portion of the cushion pad 11a on which the thighs of person who is seated on the seat are rested exhibits suffi cient flexibility, because nothing intrudes into the cushion pad 11a from underside. The person who is seated on the seat does not feel oppressive at his thighs.

As apparent from Figure 11, the down-slope 42 makes it easy to position the chip (C) of the spot welding means against the overlapped area between the two halves.

The longitudinal width of the frame 10 is left certain, but the traverse width thereof can be made variable by changing the overlapped width between the left and the right halves 38 and 39. Even if the left and right halves 38 and 39 are common to each other as a member, numerous kinds of the frames 30 can be made to meet any specification which asks the frame 30 to be different in the traverse width thereof.

The fourth embodiment is a combination of the first and third embodiments and the frame may be divided more than two halves.

Although some embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to these embodiments and that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.

Claims

1. A seat frame for use in vehicles characterized in that the frame is divided at least at front and back sides thereof or at left and right sides thereof and that halves thus formed are overlapped one upon the other with a sufficient overlapped width interposed between them.

2. A seat frame for use in vehicles according to claim 1 wherein the overlapped width between the halves can be changed to meet the dimension of a seat needed.

3. A seat frame for use in vehicles according to claim 2 wherein a flange is erected from a bottom of the frame along most of the outer perimeter thereof, and wherein the remaining of the flange which is positioned under the thighs of a person who is seated on the seat is bent downward from the bottom of the frame at the front end of the front side thereof.

4. A seat frame for use in vehicles according to claim 3 wherein a down-slope extends from the bottom of the frame at the front end of the front side thereof and it is bent downward at its lower end.

5. A seat frame for use in vehicles according to claim 3 or 4 wherein the frame is divided at least at the front and back sides thereof or at the left and right sides thereof and wherein halves thus formed are overlapped one upon the other and fixed.