JP2010196836A - Spiral spring - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To increase the exerting torque of a spiral spring without enlarging the shape. <P>SOLUTION: This spiral spring 10 energizes to rotate a seat back 2, which is connected to a seat cushion 3 rotatatively for rising or falling, in the forward raising direction. A cross sectional shape of the spiral spring 10 includes: a lateral surface part 11 with the surface thereof extended in the center line direction of the spiral spring 10; and a vertical surface with the surface thereof extended outward in the radial direction relative to the lateral surface part 11. The spiral spring 10 is formed into a shape wherein the vertical surface part 12 on one side of adjacent spiral pieces 10C inside and outside in the radial direction is overlapped with the cross sectional shape of the other side spiral piece part 10C in the radial direction and not overlapped with each other in the center line direction. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a spiral spring. More specifically, the present invention relates to a spiral spring that urges a movable body that constitutes a vehicle seat and is connected to a fixed body so as to be able to rotate upside down.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a vehicle seat, a configuration is known in which an urging spring that assists an adjustment operation of a backrest angle of the seat back by constantly applying an urging force to the front of the seat back is known. Here, Patent Document 1 below discloses a configuration in which a spiral spring is used as the biasing spring described above. In this disclosure, spiral springs are provided on both sides of the vehicle seat, and the inner end is hooked on the frame portion of the seat cushion and the outer end is hooked on the frame portion of the seat back. Yes.

JP 2004-305549 A

  However, in the configuration in which the spiral spring is used as an urging spring for raising a heavy object such as a seat back as in the prior art disclosed above, the torque and torque are increased by increasing the thickness and width of the spiral spring. Although it is desired to increase the size, there is a problem that the size is increased.

  The present invention was devised to solve the above-described problems, and the problem to be solved by the present invention is to increase the torque exerted by the spiral spring without increasing the size. is there.

In order to solve the above problems, the spiral spring of the present invention takes the following means.
A first invention is a spiral spring that urges a movable body that constitutes a vehicle seat and is connected to a fixed body so as to be able to rotate upside down in one upright rotation direction. The cross-sectional shape of this spiral spring had a lateral surface portion extending in the direction of the center line of the spiral spring, and a longitudinal surface portion extending in the radial direction outward or inward with respect to the lateral surface portion. It has a cross-sectional shape. In the spiral spring, at least one longitudinal surface portion of the adjacent winding pieces in the radial direction overlaps the cross-sectional shape of the other winding piece portion in the radial direction and overlaps in the center line direction. It is formed in a shape that does not have an arrangement.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the cross-sectional shape of the spiral spring is such that the cross-sectional shape of the spiral spring has a vertical surface portion that extends outward or inward in the radial direction. Increased and increased torque. This vertical surface portion is arranged so as to overlap in the radial direction but not in the center line direction with respect to the cross-sectional shape of the winding piece portions adjacent inside and outside in the radial direction. Therefore, it is possible to increase the torque exerted without increasing the size of the spiral spring.

  Next, according to a second invention, in the first invention described above, the spiral spring is provided on the outer side of the vehicle seat, and the seat back serving as a movable body is attached to the seat cushion or floor serving as a fixed body. It is comprised as an urging | biasing spring urged | biased in the direction raised to the front side. And the spiral spring is formed in the shape where the spiral shape was formed in the shape of a conical coil spring so as to gradually project the shape toward the outside of the vehicle seat toward the center. And the vertical surface part is projected and formed in the radial direction outward side in the edge part location projected in the centerline direction of each winding piece part.

  According to the second aspect of the invention, the spiral spring is provided on the outer side portion of the vehicle seat, and is formed in a conical coil spring shape by winding so that a gradual shape projects toward the outside of the vehicle seat. These spiral springs may be arranged so that the central portion projects outwardly in a tapered manner, like a projecting shaft member such as an operation shaft of a reclining device that projects outward on the rotational center axis of the seat back. it can. Therefore, even if the shape of the shield that covers the outer portion of the vehicle seat is formed into a rounded shape so that the portion covering the protruding shaft member partially protrudes outward and fits into a compact shape as a whole. The spiral spring can be satisfactorily covered from the outside by the shield having such a shape.

It is a perspective view of the vehicle seat assembled | attached with the spiral spring of Example 1. FIG. It is the side view which expanded and represented the attachment structure of the spiral spring. It is the III-III line expanded sectional view of FIG. It is the figure which expanded and represented the cross-sectional shape of the winding piece part of a spiral spring. It is sectional drawing of the spiral spring shown as a modification. It is sectional drawing of the spiral spring shown as another modification. It is sectional drawing of the spiral spring shown as another modification. It is sectional drawing of the spiral spring shown as another modification. It is sectional drawing of the spiral spring shown as another modification.

  EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Below, the form for implementing this invention is demonstrated using drawing.

  First, the configuration of the spiral spring 10 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 1, the spiral spring 10 of the present embodiment is provided on both the left and right sides of a vehicle seat 1 disposed as a passenger seat for a right-hand drive vehicle. Here, the vehicle seat 1 includes a seat back 2 that serves as a backrest and a seat cushion 3 that serves as a seating portion. Specifically, the seat back 2 has a lower end portion on both the left and right sides, respectively, and a rear end portion on both the left and right sides of the seat cushion 3 via a reclining device 4 configured as a rotation shaft device that can be rotated and retained. It is connected.

  Accordingly, the seat back 2 is switched between a state in which the backrest angle with respect to the seat cushion 3 is fixed and a state in which the backrest angle can be adjusted by switching the operation state of each reclining device 4. . The reclining device 4 described above is normally held in a locked state in which the backrest angle of the seat back 2 is fixed by urging.

  Then, each reclining device 4 releases the locked state all at once by performing an operation of pulling up the operation lever 5 provided on the right side (left side as viewed from the seated occupant) of the seat cushion 3. It is designed to be operated. Each reclining device 4 is returned to the locked state by urging by stopping the operation of pulling up the operation lever 5 described above.

  Specifically, each of the reclining devices 4 described above is inserted with an operation shaft 4A for performing a lock / unlock switching operation at the center thereof. These operation shafts 4A are integrally connected to each other in the rotation direction by rods 4R bridged between each other, and the operation shaft 4A on the right side in the drawing is rotated by the operation lever 5, The shafts are operated to rotate together as a unit.

  Here, a specific configuration of each of the reclining devices 4 described above will be described. Each reclining device 4 has the same basic configuration as that disclosed in a document such as Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-360368. Therefore, in the following, the schematic configuration will be briefly described. It will be explained in These reclining devices 4 are configured to be assembled in the same shape that is symmetrical to each other, and each side frame Aa of the back frame 2A that forms the skeleton of the seat back 2 and the skeleton of the seat cushion 3 are formed. These are arranged so as to be sandwiched between the side frames 3B on each side, and are pivotally connected to each other so as to be rotatable.

  Here, the above-described back frame 2A includes a pair of left and right side frames Aa made of a vertically long steel plate member, and a circular steel pipe provided between the upper ends of these side frames Aa and rigidly coupled thereto. The upper frame Ab is formed of a member, and the reinforcing plate Ac is formed of a horizontally long steel plate member that is provided between the lower ends of the side frames Aa and is rigidly coupled to the upper frame Ab.

  The above-described upper frame Ab is formed by bending portions thereof, and a skeleton frame constituting the headrest portion 2H that serves as a headrest for a seated occupant is folded upward at the center in the lateral width direction. It is formed with. A plurality of support wires Ad for supporting a mat-type cushion pad (not shown) disposed on the front surface of the back frame 2A from the rear side are vertically and horizontally inside the frame of the back frame 2A framed as described above. Is stretched.

  Here, FIG. 2 shows an enlarged configuration of a connecting portion between the seat back 2 and the seat cushion 3 on the right side as viewed in FIG. FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the reclining device 4 on the same side, taken along a line III-III in FIG. As shown in the figure, the reclining device 4 includes a disc-shaped ratchet 4B and a guide 4C, a lock component 4D disposed between the two discs, a stepped cylindrical outer ring 4E, The lock urging spring 4F made of a spiral spring is assembled into one piece.

  Specifically, the above-described ratchet 4B is integrally joined with the outer board surface on the right side in the drawing applied to the inner plate surface of the side frame 3B of the seat cushion 3. The guide 4 </ b> C is integrally joined with the outer board surface on the left side in the drawing applied to the outer plate surface of the side frame Aa of the seat back 2. The guide 4C has a cylindrical portion formed so as to protrude in the axial direction along the outer peripheral edge of the guide 4C. The guide 4C is also fitted inside the cylindrical portion formed along the outer peripheral edge of the ratchet 4B. Thus, they are assembled in a state of supporting each other in a rotatable manner inside and outside.

  An outer ring 4E is mounted between the ratchet 4B and the guide 4C so as to straddle these outer peripheral portions, thereby preventing the ratchet 4B and the guide 4C from coming off in the axial direction. Yes. Between the ratchet 4B and the guide 4C, a lock component 4D is mounted in an internal space formed between the two boards. The lock component 4D is provided to be supported in the circumferential direction so as to be movable only inward and outward in the radial direction with respect to the guide 4C, and the tooth surface formed on the outer peripheral portion thereof is provided on the radially outward side. Is engaged with the inner peripheral tooth surface of the outer peripheral portion of the ratchet 4B protruding in a cylindrical shape, thereby locking the relative rotational movement of the ratchet 4B and the guide 4C.

  The lock component 4D described above is moved in the radial direction by an operation shaft 4A that is inserted into a central portion of a disk shape in which the ratchet 4B and the guide 4C rotate relative to each other. Specifically, the lock component 4D is normally urged in the one rotational direction by the urging force of the lock urging spring 4F hooked between the operation shaft 4A and the ratchet 4B. Is pushed and held in a state of meshing with the ratchet 4B.

  The lock component 4D is moved in another rotational direction in which the operation shaft 4A resists the urging force of the lock urging spring 4F by the pulling operation (see FIG. 1) of the operation lever 5 integrally connected to the operation shaft 4A. By being operated, it is drawn inward in the radial direction and released from the meshed state with the ratchet 4B. As a result, the latched state of the ratchet 4B and the guide 4C is released, so that the seat back 2 can be rotated with respect to the seat cushion 3 around these rotation centers.

  Returning to FIG. 1, between the side frame Aa on each side of the seat back 2 and the side frame 3 </ b> B on each side of the seat cushion 3, the seat back 2 is always rotated in the direction in which it is rotated forward. A spiral spring 10 is applied to apply an urging force. As shown well in FIG. 2, these spiral springs 10 are latched in which inner end seat winding portions 10A formed by bending at the spiral inner end portions are coupled and fixed to the side frame 3B of the seat cushion 3. An L-shaped locking plate 2C, which is hooked to the hook portion Cb of the tool Bc and is bent and formed at the outer end portion, is joined and fixed to the side frame Aa of the seat back 2. It is provided by being hooked to the hook portion Ca.

  Thereby, as shown in FIG. 1, the seat back 2 is moved to the back of the seated occupant by the urging action of each spiral spring 10 by releasing the rotation-retaining state of each reclining device 4 described above. It moves in the back-and-forth direction as a state where the forward rotation is always energized so as to follow. As shown in FIG. 2, the rotational movement of the seat back 2 in the front-rear direction is the bent front edge portion of the L-shaped locking plate 2C attached to the side frame Aa of the seat back 2 described above. Alternatively, the rear edge portion is regulated at a position where it comes into contact with the front-falling stopper Ba or the rear-falling stopper Bb formed to protrude from the side frame 3B of the seat cushion 3.

  Here, when the ratchet 4B of the reclining device 4 is welded to the side frame 3B and joined to the outer plate surface of the side frame 3B, welding spatter does not enter the inside through the opening Bd of the side frame 3B. A thin plate-like sputter cover 4M for protection is attached.

  As described above, the seat back 2 described above is assisted by energizing the spiral spring 10 by lifting the operation lever 5 and releasing the locked state of each reclining device 4 as shown in FIG. The backrest angle can be adjusted while receiving. Then, the seat back 2 is fixed at the adjusted backrest angle position by stopping the operation of raising the operation lever 5 and returning the operation lever 5 to the position before the operation to return the reclining devices 4 to the locked state. It has become so.

  Incidentally, the spiral spring 10 described above is shown in detail in FIG. 3, and the cross-sectional shape of the spiral spring 10 extends in the center line direction (left and right direction in the drawing) of the spiral spring 10, and the lateral surface portion 11 is illustrated. It is formed in a cross-sectional shape having a vertical surface portion 12 extending from the right edge portion (outer edge portion) so as to bend outward in the radial direction. The cross-sectional shape of the spiral spring 10 having the lateral surface portion 11 and the vertical surface portion 12 is the entire effective length region in the longitudinal direction of the spiral spring 10, that is, the inner end seat winding portion 10A and the outer end seat winding portion 10B described above. It is formed so that a uniform cross-sectional shape may continue over the entire length region between.

  Specifically, the spiral shape of the spiral spring 10 is formed in a conical coil spring shape so that the shape gradually protrudes outward (to the right in the drawing) toward the center. The spiral spring 10 has a cross-sectional shape of the wound piece portion 10C in which the vertical surface portions 12 of the wound piece portions 10C arranged in the radial direction when arranged in a cross section as shown in FIG. 3 are arranged on the outer side in the radial direction. On the other hand, it is formed in a shape that overlaps in the radial direction and does not overlap in the center line direction.

  As a result, the spiral spring 10 is arranged so that the central portion projects outwardly in a tapered manner, like the operation shaft 4A of the reclining device 4 that projects outward on the rotational center axis of the seat back 2. It has become. Therefore, the shape of the shield SH that covers both outer side portions of the vehicle seat 1 is rounded so that the portion covering the operation shaft 4A (projection shaft member) partially protrudes outward to fit into the compact shape as a whole. Even if it is formed in a lean shape, the spiral spring 10 can be satisfactorily covered from the outside by the shield SH having such a shape.

  As described above, according to the configuration of the spiral spring 10 of the present embodiment, the spiral spring 10 has a cross-sectional shape having the vertical surface portion 12 that extends outward in the radial direction. The sectional secondary moment of 10 is increased, and the torque exerted is increased. The vertical surface portion 12 is formed so as to overlap with the cross-sectional shape of the winding piece portion 10C on the radially outer side, but overlap in the radial direction but not in the center line direction. Therefore, the torque exerted can be increased without increasing the size of the spiral spring 10.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the torque exerted by the spiral spring 10 is given by the following equation. In the following equation, T is the torque exerted, E is the longitudinal elastic modulus, I is the secondary moment of section, l is the effective length, and θ is the torsion angle.

The cross-sectional secondary moment I in the above formula is given by the following formula depending on the dimensional relationship of each part of the wound piece portion 10C shown in FIG.

Note that the dimensions e1 and e2 in the above formula are given by the following formulas according to the dimensional relationships of the respective parts shown in FIG.

  Thus, the torque T exerted by the spiral spring 10 is dramatically increased by increasing the height of the cross-sectional shape due to the provision of the vertical surface portion 12. Accordingly, the spiral spring 10 is reduced in size in the radial direction while ensuring the required torque required for the spiral spring 10 that rotationally biases a heavy object such as the seat back 2, thereby reducing the size of the spiral spring 10. Can be achieved.

  Further, as in this embodiment, the spiral spring 10 is formed relatively easily by setting the cross-sectional shape of the spiral spring 10 to be uniform over the entire effective length region in the longitudinal direction. be able to. Further, the spiral spring 10 is formed in a conical coil spring shape so as to gradually protrude toward the center toward the outside (right side in the drawing), and the vertical surface portion 12 of each coil piece portion 10C. Is formed at the edge in the protruding direction and is formed so as to escape to the outside so as not to interfere with the other winding piece portion 10C, so that the vertical surface portion on one side of the winding piece portions 10C adjacent to the inside and outside It is possible to easily form a shape in which 12 is overlapped with the cross-sectional shape of the other-side wound piece portion 10C in the radial direction and not in the center line direction without bending the lateral surface portion 11. .

  As mentioned above, although the embodiment of the present invention has been described using one example, the present invention can be implemented in various forms in addition to the above example. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the cross-sectional shape of the spiral spring 10 may be formed such that the lengths in the center line direction of the respective wound piece portions 10 </ b> C are different. The cross-sectional shape of the spiral spring 10 shown in FIG. 5 is such that the center line direction position on the left end side of each wound piece portion 10C is aligned with the cross-sectional shape of the spiral spring 10 shown in FIGS. In addition, the length in the center line direction of each winding piece portion 10 </ b> C is formed so as to gradually increase toward the center of the spiral spring 10.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the vertical surface portion 12 of the spiral spring 10 may be formed in a shape bent obliquely from the horizontal surface portion 11 toward the radially outer side. Further, as shown in FIG. 7, the vertical surface portion 12 may be formed in a shape that is bent radially inward from the horizontal surface portion 11. Further, as shown in FIG. 8, the vertical surface portion 12 may have a shape that extends from the horizontal surface portion 11 in a crank shape.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 9, the vertical surface portion 12 may be formed in a shape that protrudes inward or outward in the radial direction by forming the horizontal surface portion 11 in a curved shape. . In either configuration, the vertical surface portion 12 is formed so as to overlap with the cross-sectional shape of the radially outer or inner winding piece portion 10C in the radial direction, thereby increasing the torque exerted without increasing the size of the spiral spring 10. be able to.

  Further, the spiral spring targeted by the present invention is not limited to the one for rotationally energizing the seat back 2, and the seat cushion (movable body) is used as a floor in a seat or the like employing a so-called double folding mechanism. It can also be applied as an urging spring for standing and rotating with respect to the (fixed body). It can also be used as an urging spring for folding up the seat body (movable body) from the floor (fixed body).

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vehicle seat 2 Seat back 2A Back frame Aa Side frame Ab Upper frame Ac Reinforcement plate Ad Support wire 2H Headrest part 2C Locking plate Ca Hanging part 3 Seat cushion 3B Side frame Ba Front fall stopper Bb Back fall stopper Bc Locking tool Cb hanging part Bd opening part 4 reclining device 4A operation shaft 4B ratchet 4C guide 4D lock part 4E outer ring 4F lock urging spring 4R rod 4M spatter cover 5 operation lever 10 spiral spring 10A inner end seat winding part 10B outer end seat winding part 10C Winding part 11 Horizontal part 12 Vertical part SH Shield

Claims (2)

A spiral spring that urges a movable body, which constitutes a vehicle seat and is connected to a fixed body so as to be able to rotate upside down, in one standing rotation direction,
The cross-sectional shape of the spiral spring is
A lateral surface portion extending in the direction of the center line of the spiral spring;
It is a cross-sectional shape having a vertical surface portion extending in the radial direction outward or inward with respect to the lateral surface portion,
The longitudinal surface portion of at least one side of the spiral piece portions adjacent to the inside and outside of the spiral spring in the radial direction overlaps with the cross-sectional shape of the other spiral piece portion in the radial direction and does not overlap in the center line direction. A spiral spring characterized by being formed into a shape. The spiral spring according to claim 1,
The spiral spring is provided on the outer side of the vehicle seat and is configured as a biasing spring that biases the seat back serving as the movable body in the direction of raising the seat cushion serving as the fixed body or the floor to the front side. In addition, the spiral shape is formed in the shape of a conical coil spring that is gradually wound toward the center so that the shape of the spiral protrudes to the outside of the vehicle seat. A spiral spring characterized in that the vertical surface portion is formed to project outward in the radial direction at a projecting edge portion.

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