JP2011130935A - Reclining device of seat - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve the problem of well-known reclining devices that has a heavy, expensive and complex structure lowering applicability to simple seats. <P>SOLUTION: An urging force F is applied to a seat back 14 by urging means 20 such as a torsion spring so as to incline the seat back backward from a seat cushion 12. The seat cushion and the seat back are connected by connecting means 30 such as a belt with gears arranged and stretched across the seat cushion and the seat back so that the seat back is pulled against the urging force by the urging means for regulating backward inclination of the seat back caused by the urging force of the urging means. A pulling state by the connecting means is adjusted by adjusting means 40 such as a ratchet lever mechanism so as to incline the seat back in a front and back direction and to keep it at any inclination angle. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a seat reclining device that swings a seat back to arbitrarily adjust and set an inclination angle of the seat back with respect to a seat cushion.

  Normally, in a seat reclining device, the seat back is urged forward by an urging means such as a torsion spring, and the forward tilt of the seat back is prevented by locking the lock mechanism, and the lock mechanism is locked off. Then, the seat back is tilted forward under the urging force of the urging means (for example, JP-A-2006-271581). By operating the operation lever, the lock mechanism can be switched between lock and lock off.

  In a seat in which such a reclining device is incorporated, the seated person can set a desired reclining posture by appropriately adjusting the inclination angle of the seat back by operating the operation lever.

JP 2006-271581 A

In general, the locking mechanism of the reclining device has a combination of a restriction tooth interlocked with a lever operation and a rotation tooth on the arm side fixed to the side surface of the seat back. The seat back is held at a desired inclination angle by restricting the rotation of the arm by meshing. In other words, since the angle holding and swinging of the seat back depends on the appropriate degree of engagement between the rotating teeth and the regulating teeth and the release of the engagement, the reclining device of the conventional configuration has the lock mechanism and thus the reclining device. The overall configuration tends to be complicated.
In addition, since the load from the seated person's upper body acts intensively between the rotating teeth and regulating teeth of the locking mechanism, in order to obtain high locking strength in the locking mechanism, the rotating teeth, the regulating teeth and their Appropriate rigidity is required for peripheral related members. Accordingly, such a conventional lock mechanism having a general configuration is likely to be accompanied by an increase in the weight of the reclining device itself.
The reclining device having such a conventional configuration is extremely effective in a front seat for an automobile that requires high lock strength. However, since it is not assumed to be applied to a simple sheet that does not require such a high lock strength, it is inevitable that the adaptability to the simple sheet is inferior.

  An object of the present invention is to provide an inexpensive and lightweight seat reclining device applicable to a simple seat.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, in a seat reclining device that arbitrarily adjusts and sets the inclination angle of the seat back with respect to the seat cushion, a biasing force that causes the seat back to tilt backward with respect to the seat cushion is applied to the seat back. Connecting means for connecting the seat cushion and the seat back between the urging means and the seat cushion and the seat back so as to connect the seat cushion and the seat back and pulling the seat back to restrict the backward tilt of the seat back due to the urging force of the urging means And adjusting means for adjusting the pulling state by the connecting means to tilt the seat back in the front-rear direction and holding the seat back at an arbitrary inclination angle.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the brake unit having the brake shaft whose rotation is restricted is disposed on the seat cushion, and the connecting means is provided so as to be integrally rotatable on the brake shaft of the brake unit. It consists of a flexible linear member with its intermediate part at least partially wound around the winding part, and one end and the other end of the flexible linear member sandwich a hinge point that becomes the swing center of the seat back The upper part and the lower part are connected to each other, and the seat back is tilted in an arbitrary direction by the forward and backward movement of the connecting means accompanying the rotating operation of the winding means by the adjusting means.
According to the third aspect of the present invention, the winding portion provided on the braking shaft of the brake unit is a drive gear, and the connecting means is formed of a toothed belt or chain that can mesh with the drive gear. .
According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the adjusting means is formed of a ratchet type lever mechanism whose output shaft is coupled to the braking shaft of the brake unit so as to be integrally rotatable.
According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the urging means is formed of a seat cushion, a torsion spring or a leaf spring for connecting the seat back, and the adjusting means is a series of engagement provided on one of the seat back and the seat cushion. A connecting hole that is provided at the other end of the connecting means that is connected to the other end of the seat hole and the seat cushion and is selectively locked to one of the series of locking holes. It is formed.

  In the first aspect of the present invention, the urging force that causes the seat back to tilt backward is applied to the seat back by the urging means, and the rear tilt of the seat back is regulated by the connecting means that is laid and stretched between the seat cushion and the seat back. At the same time, it is sufficient if the traction state by the connecting means can be adjusted by the adjusting means. This eliminates the need for rigid rotating teeth, restricting teeth, peripheral members, and the like, thereby simplifying the configuration of the reclining device and reducing the weight of the reclining device with certainty. Further, since the reclining device is made inexpensive by reducing the high-rigidity member, a lightweight and inexpensive reclining device applicable to a simple seat can be obtained.

  In the second aspect of the present invention, the flexible linear member wound at least partially around the winding portion of the brake unit whose rotation is restricted is used as a connecting means, and the winding portion is rotated by the adjusting means. The accompanying back and forth movement of the connecting means tilts the seat back in any direction, so that despite the simple configuration, the seat back can be tilted and the seat back can be held at a desired tilt position appropriately and easily. It becomes.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, the winding portion of the brake unit is a drive gear, and the connecting means is formed of a toothed belt or chain that can mesh with the drive gear. However, it can be obtained appropriately and smoothly without slipping.

  In the present invention according to claim 4, since the adjusting means is a ratchet lever mechanism whose output shaft is connected to the braking shaft of the brake unit, the forward / backward movement operation of the connecting means can be performed quickly and easily.

  In the present invention according to claim 5, the torsion spring or the leaf spring connecting the seat cushion frame and the seat back frame is used as the biasing means, and the fulcrum of the biasing means is used as the hinge point of the seat back. Can be omitted. Further, the connecting means can be formed of an inexpensive and lightweight wire, string, rope, and the like, and the configuration of the adjusting means can be simplified, so that a lighter and cheaper reclining device can be obtained.

The front view of the reclining apparatus of the sheet | seat which concerns on one Example of this invention is shown. The front view of the reclining apparatus of the sheet | seat which concerns on another Example of this invention is shown. The fracture | rupture front view of the modification of another Example is shown.

  An urging force that causes the seat back to tilt backward with respect to the seat cushion is applied to the seat back by an urging means such as a torsion spring, and a winding portion that is provided so as to rotate integrally with the brake shaft of the brake unit that is rotationally braked. By connecting the seat cushion and the seat back with a flexible linear member such as a toothed belt having at least a part of the intermediate portion wound as a connecting means, the seat back is inclined backward by the urging force of the urging means. Is regulated. Then, the seat back is tilted in an arbitrary direction by the forward and backward movement of the connecting means accompanying the rotation operation of the winding portion by the adjusting means such as a ratchet lever mechanism.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a front view of a seat reclining device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
A seat reclining device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an urging unit 20, a connecting unit 30, and an adjusting unit 40.
The urging means 20 applies an urging force F that causes the seat back 14 to tilt backward with respect to the seat cushion 12. For example, the urging means 20 rotates the rear end of the seat cushion and the lower end of the seat back so as to be rotatable. It is formed of a torsion spring wound around the moving shaft 13 and having its inner end locked to the rotating shaft and its outer end locked to the seat back, and the torsion spring is covered with the case 20a and arranged.
In addition, the front-rear direction of the seat is indicated by Fr, Rr, and the seat cushion 12 has a leg shape, and is supported by the slide device 50 so as to be slidable on the floor 15 in the front-rear direction.

The connecting means 30 is, for example, at least partially wound around a winding portion (not shown) such as a drive gear provided so as to be integrally rotatable on a brake shaft of a brake unit (not shown) subjected to rotational braking. It is formed from an extended flexible linear member such as a toothed belt or a chain. And each terminal of this connection means (flexible linear member) 30 is a hinge point used as the rocking | fluctuation center of the seat back 14, ie, the upper side and lower side which pinch | interpose the rotating shaft 13 in this Example. Each is connected and fixed to the back. The connection of the terminal of the connecting means 30 on the lower side of the rotating shaft 13 is performed with respect to the extending piece 14 a extending downward from the lower end of the seat back 14.
The brake unit is disposed and fixed on the side portion of the seat cushion, for example. Since this brake unit is a known unit that is generally used in a seat lifter or the like, a detailed description thereof is omitted here.

The adjusting means 40 is disposed as an operating portion for moving the connecting means 30 forward and backward by rotating the drive gear of the brake unit, and connecting its output shaft to the braking shaft of the brake unit so as to be integrally rotatable. As this adjustment means 40, the ratchet type lever mechanism of Unexamined-Japanese-Patent No. 2003-284618 can be illustrated, for example.
To briefly describe the configuration of the adjusting means 40 using the ratchet lever mechanism described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-284618, the adjusting means is a unit in which a unit base and a unit cover 40a are combined. It is bolted to the side wall, and an input shaft 40i and an output shaft 40o are pivotally supported between the unit base and the unit cover.

An operation lever 40b is attached to one end of the input shaft 40i, and a ratchet gear is attached to the intermediate portion by a spline joint. The operation lever is held in its neutral position by a torsion spring wound around the input shaft, and the ratchet gear is The claw piece with a step for down is integrally formed at the tip thereof.
The output shaft 41o is provided with an up / down gear with a one-way clutch meshed with a corresponding claw piece of the ratchet gear, and the output shaft is a drive gear around which the connecting means 30 is wound. For example, if the connecting means is a toothed belt, the connecting means is connected to the braking shaft of the brake unit to which the toothed wheel 40c is attached so as to be integrally rotatable.

  In the adjustment means 40 having such a configuration, when the operation lever 40b at the neutral position is pulled up in FIG. 1 (when it is rotated in the direction of arrow A), the input shaft 40i is rotated clockwise with the ratchet gear. Then, the one-way clutch-equipped gear meshing with the up claw piece is rotated counterclockwise, and the output shaft 40o is rotated counterclockwise. Then, when the toothed wheel 40c rotates counterclockwise together with the output shaft 40o, the toothed belt (connecting means 30) is pulled in the direction of arrow a, and the seat back 14 is rotated by the torsion spring (biasing means 20). Tilts forward against the urging force F.

  Conversely, when the operating lever 40b at the neutral position is pushed in (turned in the direction of arrow B), the input shaft 40i is counterclockwise, and the output shaft 40o and the toothed wheel (drive gear) 40c are clockwise. The toothed belt (connecting means 30) is pulled in the direction of the arrow b, and the seat back 14 is tilted backward.

By raising or pushing the operating lever 40b and then returning to the neutral position and repeating the raising or pushing (by so-called pumping operation), the seat back can be tilted forward or backward.
The use of such a ratchet lever mechanism as the adjusting means 40 is merely an example, and the present invention is not limited to this. For example, instead of the ratchet lever mechanism, a substantially circular operation dial is connected to the brake shaft of the brake unit, and the toothed belt (connecting means 30) is pulled in the direction of arrow a or b by rotating the operation dial. It is good also as a structure (it moves forward / backward).

  In this way, by operating the adjusting means 40, the connecting means 30 is moved back and forth to adjust its traction state and the seat back 14 is tilted in the front-rear direction. The desired reclining posture can be set by adjusting to.

An urging means 20 for applying an urging force F that tilts backward to the seat back, a connecting means 30 that is laid and stretched between the seat cushion and the seat back, and pulls the seat back to restrict the back tilt of the seat back; The reclining device 10 can be configured with only three members with the adjusting means 40 for adjusting the pulling state by means, and the number of parts is greatly reduced.
For example, the biasing means 20 can be formed from a single member such as a torsion spring and the coupling means 30 can be formed from a single member such as a toothed belt or a chain, and the adjusting means 40 can be easily formed by diverting a known brake unit, ratchet lever mechanism, or the like. it can. Therefore, the configuration is simplified, the reclining device 10 is reduced in weight and obtained at a low cost, and can be easily applied to a simple seat.

  The adjustment means 40 is a ratchet lever mechanism provided on the seat cushion, the operation lever 40b is operated to rotate the input shaft 40i, and the drive gear 40c interlocked with the output shaft 40i is driven to pull the connecting means 30. In the configuration for adjusting the seat back, the inclination angle of the seat back can be quickly and easily adjusted by the pumping operation of the operation lever.

  If an idle gear is interposed between the ratchet gear of the input shaft and the one-way clutch gear of the output shaft, the reverse of the above, that is, when the operation lever 40b is pushed up, the seat back tilts backward, It can be configured to tilt forward when pushed down.

In this embodiment, each end of the connecting means 30 is connected to the upper side and the lower side of the rotating shaft 13 that serves as a hinge point of the seat back 14, and the intermediate part of the connecting means is connected to the winding part (drive) of the brake unit. The connecting means is moved forward and backward by the adjusting means 40 by being wound around the gear), but the present invention is not limited to this, and one end of the connecting means is wound around the winding portion of the brake unit disposed on the seat cushion. Thus, the connecting means may be constructed and stretched between the upper side of the hinge point of the seat cushion and the seat cushion.
However, if each end of the connecting means 30 consisting of a toothed belt or chain is connected to the upper side and the lower side across the rotating shaft 13 as in the embodiment, the intermediate part is connected to the winding part. A partial winding is sufficient. Therefore, an increase in the size of the adjusting means 40 including the winding part can be reliably prevented.

FIG. 2 shows a front view of a seat reclining device according to another embodiment (embodiment 2) of the present invention. In the second embodiment, members that are the same as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, description thereof is omitted, and a configuration different from the first embodiment is mainly described.
In the second embodiment, the configuration of the seat reclining device is further simplified.

  That is, in the reclining device 110 of the second embodiment, the seat cushion 12 and the seat back 14 are connected by a torsion spring. The torsion spring is an urging means 20 that applies an urging force F that causes the seat back 14 to tilt backward with respect to the seat cushion 12 and allows the rear end of the seat cushion 12 and the lower end of the seat back 14 to rotate. Since it is connected and the fulcrum of this urging means becomes the hinge point of the seat back, the pivot between the seat cushion and the seat back becomes unnecessary.

  The connecting means 30 has one end fixed to the seat cushion 12 and the other terminal having a connecting terminal 30a attached thereto. The connecting terminal is selected as a series of locking holes 14b formed in the seat back 14. It is formed so that it can be locked.

For example, the series of locking holes 14b are each composed of a combination of a circular insertion hole 14b1 and a locking groove 14b2 that communicates with the insertion hole and extends substantially horizontally in the forward direction. It is formed continuously on the side wall of the seat back 14.
Further, the connecting terminal 30a of the connecting means is inserted into the insertion hole 14b1 of the locking hole, and the circular locking terminal 30a1 locked in the locking groove 14b2, and the insertion hole having a larger diameter than the locking terminal. The holding terminal 30a2 not to be connected to the locking groove 14b2 of the locking hole has a shaft diameter that can be locked, and the locking terminal and the connecting shaft 30a3 that connects the holding terminal are integrally formed.

The connection terminal 30a is locked to the locking hole 14b, for example, as follows.
The seat back 14 is tilted forward against the biasing force F in the backward tilt direction of the torsion spring (biasing means 20) until the locking terminal 30a1 is inserted into the locking hole 14b. When the gripping terminal 30a2 is gripped, the locking terminal 30a1 is inserted into one of the series of locking holes 14b, and the hand is released from the gripping terminal, the seat back is attached to the rear by the biasing force F of the torsion spring. Be forced. Then, the connecting shaft 30a3 enters the locking groove 14b2 and comes into contact with the front end thereof, the locking terminal 30a1 is locked to the locking groove 14b2, and the connecting terminal 30a is locked to the locking hole 14b.

  The forward tilt of the seat back is adjusted by the position of the locking hole 14b in which the connecting terminal 30a is locked, and the forward tilt of the seat back is increased if the seat back is locked in the locking hole positioned above. That is, when the connecting terminal 30a is locked in the uppermost locking hole 14b, the forward tilt of the seat back 14 is maximized, and when it is locked in the lowermost locking hole, the forward tilt is minimized.

  Thus, the forward tilt of the seat cushion 14 is adjusted by the locking hole 14b to which the connecting terminal 30a is locked, and the seat occupant is tilted forward, that is, inclined by changing the locking hole to be locked. A desired reclining posture can be set by appropriately adjusting the angle.

  Instead of forming a series of locking holes 14b on the side wall of the seat back 14 and attaching the connecting terminal 30a to the end of the connecting terminal 30a on the seat back side, a locking hole is formed on the side wall of the seat cushion 12, and the seat cushion side The connecting terminal 30a may be attached to the terminal. When a series of locking holes are formed in the side wall of the seat cushion 12, the locking holes are formed in the front-rear direction, for example, while being spaced apart by a predetermined distance.

An adjusting means 40 for adjusting the traction state of the connecting means 30 can be formed from a combination of a connecting terminal 30a provided at one end of the connecting means and a series of locking holes 14b in which the connecting terminals are locked. The configuration is greatly simplified.
Further, a lighter, cheaper wire, string, rope, etc. can be used as the connecting means 30 as compared with a chain, a toothed belt, or the like.
The rotating shaft that rotatably connects the rear end of the seat cushion 12 and the lower end of the seat back 14 is replaced with a torsion spring (biasing means 20) and is not necessary, and the connecting means 30 is lightweight and inexpensive. The members can be used, and the adjusting means 40 is also simple in structure, and the number of parts is greatly reduced. Therefore, the configuration is simplified as compared with the first embodiment, the reclining device 110 is made lighter and cheaper, and can be easily applied to a simple seat.

FIG. 3 shows a broken front view of a modified example of the second embodiment. In this modified example, the seat cushion 12 and the seat back 14 are connected by a leaf spring instead of the torsion spring, and the urging force for tilting the seat back backward by the leaf spring is shown. F is added to the seat back. Even in the configuration in which the leaf spring is used as the urging means 20, the rotation axis between the seat cushion 12 and the seat back 14 becomes unnecessary.
The leaf spring is not limited to one, and a so-called eyeball spring in which a plurality of leaf springs are combined may be used as the biasing means 20.

  As described above, according to the present invention, an urging force that causes the seat back to tilt backward by the urging means is applied to the seat back, and the rear tilt of the seat back is regulated and adjusted by the connecting means laid between the seat cushion and the seat back. By simply adjusting the pulling state by the connecting means, the seat reclining device is configured, and a lightweight and inexpensive reclining device applicable to a simple seat is obtained.

  The above-described embodiments are for explaining the present invention, and are not intended to limit the present invention. All modifications, alterations and the like within the technical scope of the present invention are included in the present invention. Needless to say.

  The present invention can be applied not only to seats for vehicles, but also to seats for airplanes, theaters, movie theaters, etc., and seats used daily at home and at work.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Seat reclining device 12 Seat cushion 14 Seat back 14a Extending piece 14b A series of latching holes 20 Energizing means 30 Connecting means 30a Connecting terminal 40 Adjusting means 40i, 40o Input shaft, output shaft 40b Operation lever 40c Toothed wheel ( Drive gear)

Claims (5)

In the seat reclining device that arbitrarily adjusts and sets the inclination angle of the seat back with respect to the seat cushion,
An urging means for applying an urging force to the seat back to tilt the seat back backward with respect to the seat cushion;
A connecting means for connecting the seat cushion and the seat back to be laid and stretched between the seat cushion and the seat back, and pulling the seat back to restrict the backward tilt of the seat back due to the urging force of the urging means;
A seat reclining device comprising: adjusting means for adjusting a pulling state by the connecting means to tilt the seat back in the front-rear direction and holding the seat back at an arbitrary inclination angle. A brake unit having a brake shaft whose rotation is restricted is disposed on the seat cushion, and the connecting means is at least partially disposed at an intermediate portion of a winding portion provided so as to be integrally rotatable with the brake shaft of the brake unit. Consisting of a flexible linear member wound around
One end and the other end of the flexible linear member are respectively connected to the upper side and the lower side across the hinge point that becomes the swing center of the seat back, and connected in accordance with the rotation operation for this winding part by the adjusting means The seat reclining device according to claim 1, wherein the seat back is tilted in an arbitrary direction by the movement of the means. 3. The seat reclining device according to claim 2, wherein the winding portion provided on the brake shaft of the brake unit is a drive gear, and the connecting means is formed of a toothed belt or a chain that can mesh with the drive gear. 4. The seat reclining device according to claim 2, wherein the adjusting means is a ratchet lever mechanism having an output shaft connected to a braking shaft of the brake unit so as to be integrally rotatable. The biasing means is formed of a seat cushion, a torsion spring or a leaf spring for connecting the seat back,
The adjusting means includes a series of engaging holes provided in one of the seat back and the seat cushion, and a series of engaging holes provided in the other end of the connecting means connected to the other of the seat back and the seat cushion. The seat reclining device according to claim 1, further comprising a connecting terminal selectively locked to any one of the stop holes.

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