JP2013095176A - Device for supporting leg part of seated occupant - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To support a leg part of an occupant at a position in accordance with the build of the occupant without complicated operation by measuring the build of the occupant only by having the occupant seated on a seat, in a device for supporting a leg part of a seated occupant which is normally stored around a seat, and moves a support part to a position where the leg part of the occupant seated on the seat is supported in use.SOLUTION: This device for supporting a leg part of a seated occupant includes a measuring unit 3 to measure the build of the occupant seated on a seat while keeping the seated attitude, and a movement unit 2 to move a support part 1 to a preset position in accordance with the build of the occupant measured by the measuring unit. The support part for supporting the leg part of the seated occupant is automatically moved to the position in accordance with the previously measured build of the occupant, and can thereby support the leg part at an appropriate position without complicated operation. Since the measurement of the build of the occupant is performed while the occupant is seated on the seat, the need of the complicated operation for measurement can be obviated.

Description

  The present invention relates to a leg support device for a seated occupant used as a so-called ottoman or footrest.

  In the following Patent Document 1, in a footrest in front of a seat where a leg of a seated occupant can be placed, the footrest is set as a measurement mode, the length of the occupant's leg is measured using the footrest, and in the use mode, There has been proposed one that moves the footrest to the optimum position according to the measured length of the occupant's leg.

JP 2010-163119 A

However, when using the footrest, in order to move the footrest to the optimal position according to the length of the occupant's legs, it is necessary to measure the length of the occupant's legs in advance using the footrest as a measurement mode. It is complicated.
In view of such a problem, the present invention measures the occupant's physique only by the occupant sitting on the seat, thereby supporting the occupant's leg at a position corresponding to the occupant's physique without complicated operation. Let it be an issue.

A first aspect of the present invention is a leg support device for a seated occupant that is normally stored around the seat and moves the support to a position that supports the leg of the occupant seated on the seat when in use. Measuring means for measuring the physique of the occupant in a sitting posture, and moving means for moving the support portion to a position set in advance according to the physique of the occupant measured by the measuring means.
According to the first aspect of the present invention, since the support portion that supports the leg portion of the seated occupant is automatically moved to a position corresponding to the physique of the occupant that has been measured in advance, the leg portion at an appropriate position without complicated operation. Can be supported. Moreover, since the measurement of the occupant's physique is performed in a state where the occupant is seated on the seat, a complicated operation for measurement can be made unnecessary.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the measuring means measures a physique based on a landing state of the legs of the seated occupant on the floor.
According to the second invention, the physique can be measured in the seated state of the occupant, so that it can be measured naturally in the seated state without forcing the occupant to take a special posture for measurement.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect, the measurement means includes a sole length of a leg of a seated occupant who has landed on the floor, a position of the leg of the occupant on the floor of the heel, or a position of the leg. The physique is measured based on one of the weights or a combination thereof.
According to the third invention, since the physique is measured based on the sole length of the leg of the seated occupant who has landed on the floor, the position of the leg of the occupant on the floor of the heel, or the weight of the leg, The physique can be easily measured in the state.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the third aspect, the measuring means includes a sole length of a leg of a seated occupant landing on the floor, a position of the leg of the occupant on the floor of the heel, or a position of the leg It is characterized in that the physique is stratified and measured in a plurality of stages such as large, medium, and small based on each weight, and the measured physique is determined by majority vote.
According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, even if the physique measured by the occupant's sitting posture includes data that lacks accuracy, the physique is determined by the majority of the three measurement results. Can be increased.

It is explanatory drawing which shows one Embodiment of the leg support apparatus of the seating passenger | crew which concerns on this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the moving means in the said embodiment by a side view. It is explanatory drawing explaining the measurement concept of the measurement means in the said embodiment. It is a diagram which shows the relationship of the physique with respect to the sole length of the measurement means in the said embodiment. It is a diagram which shows the relationship of the physique with respect to the heel distance of the measurement means in the said embodiment. It is a diagram which shows the relationship of the physique with respect to the weight of the leg part of the measurement means in the said embodiment. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing of the said embodiment, and shows the case where a seated crew member's physique is small. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing of the said embodiment, and shows the case where a seated crew member's physique is normal. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing of the said embodiment, and shows the case where a seated crew member's physique is large.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
Here, the case where this invention is applied to the ottoman apparatus of a vehicle seat is demonstrated as one Embodiment.
As shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, the ottoman device is configured to support the calf portion of the leg portion of the occupant seated on the seat by the support portion 1 from below, and from such a use position by the moving means 2. As shown in FIG. 1, the support portion 1 under the seat cushion 4 is configured to be stored in the storage position.
Specifically, the moving means 2 of the ottoman device includes a link mechanism 20 having two drive parts 21 and 22 as shown in FIG. FIG. 2 shows a state in which the seat cushion 4 and the ottoman device are viewed from the side, but the illustrated link mechanism 20 is provided in a pair in the vehicle width direction and supports one support portion 1 so as to be movable. In the following description, only one side of the pair of link mechanisms 20 will be described, but the other side link mechanism 20 is similarly configured.

A first link 23 is fixed to the seat cushion 4 at the upper end under the seat cushion 4, and a drive unit 21 is provided at the lower end of the first link 23, and a second link disposed in front of the first link 23. The lower end of the link 24 can be swung back and forth by the drive unit 21.
Further, a drive unit 22 is provided at the upper end of the second link 24, and a first input end 251 of the X link 25 is coupled to the drive unit 22 so as to be swingable in the front-rear direction. The second input end 252 of the X link 25 is swingably coupled to the intermediate portion of the second link 24 via the third link 26. The first output end 253 of the X link 25 is swingably coupled to the rear end portion of the plate 11 of the support portion 1, and the second output end 254 of the X link 25 is connected to the support portion 1 via the fourth link 27. The plate 11 is swingably coupled to the center of the lower surface of the plate 11. As a result, the second link 24, the third link 26, and the X link 25 constitute one four-bar link, and the X link 25, the fourth link 27, and the plate 11 constitute another four-bar link.
In addition, the cushion part 12 is being fixed to the upper surface of the plate 11 of the support part 1 so that contact | abutting to a passenger | crew's leg part may be made soft.
The link mechanism 20 rotationally drives the drive unit 21 to swing the second link 24 in the front-rear direction, thereby changing the swing angle θ from the initial position of the second link 24 to change the support position of the support unit 1. Move back and forth. Further, the drive unit 22 is rotationally driven to swing the first input end 251 of the X link 25 in the front-rear direction, whereby the X link 25 is expanded and contracted to change the swing angle φ from the initial position of the X link 25. Then, the support position of the support part 1 is moved back and forth and up and down.
Therefore, when the drive units 21 and 22 are rotationally driven and the angles θ and φ are set to the minimum angles (initial positions), the link mechanism 20 is folded and the support unit 1 is stored under the seat cushion 4. Further, when the angles θ and φ are the maximum angles, the link mechanism 20 is extended forward of the vehicle and the support portion 1 is moved forward and upward.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 1, a pressure distribution measuring sensor 31 constituting the measuring means 3 in the present invention is laid on the vehicle floor in front of the seat cushion 4, and an occupant placed on the pressure distribution measuring sensor 31. It is comprised so that a passenger | crew's physique may be determined from the data of the leg part. The pressure distribution measuring sensor 31 has a structure in which the electric resistance is changed by the pressure received from the occupant's legs (pressure-sensitive resistance type), or a structure in which the potential difference caused by the electromagnetic induction action is changed by the pressure (electromagnetic induction type). ) Can be used.
Data measured by the pressure distribution measuring sensor 31 is sent to a control circuit 32 including a microcomputer, and the control circuit 32 operates the driving units 21 and 22 based on the input data.
As shown in FIG. 3, in the pressure distribution measurement sensor 31, the leg length from the reference position P under the sole length A <b> 1 to A <b> 3 of the leg portion and the seat cushion 4 based on the pressure of the leg portion placed on the pressure distribution measuring sensor 31. Distances B1 to B3 to the heel and leg weights C1 to C3 are measured.

  In the control circuit 32, the occupant's physique is determined based on the measurement data from the pressure distribution measurement sensor 31. That is, the physique is determined based on the sole length A, the heel distance B, and the leg weight C as shown in FIGS. When each data A to C is in the range of “S” in each figure, it is determined that the physique is small, when it is in the range of “M”, it is determined that the physique is normal, and when it is in the range of “L” It is determined that the physique is large. Accordingly, as shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the occupant having each data A1, B1, C1 is determined to be a person P1 having a small physique, and the occupant having each data having A2, B2, C2 is determined to be a normal person P2. The occupant having each data A3, B3, C3 is determined to be a person P3 having a large physique.

  Based on the determination result, the control circuit 32 rotationally drives the drive units 21 and 22, and when it is determined that the physique is small, the angle θ is supported as θ1 and the angle φ is supported as φ1 as shown in FIG. The part 1 is set to a position suitable for the small person P1. When it is determined that the physique is normal, as shown in FIG. 8, the angle θ is θ2, the angle φ is φ2, and the support unit 1 is positioned suitable for the normal person P2. Furthermore, when it is determined that the physique is large, as shown in FIG. 9, the angle θ is θ3, the angle φ is φ3, and the support portion 1 is positioned suitable for the large person P3.

Note that the physiques determined based on the three measurement data may not match each other. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the determination result is finally determined by majority vote. For example, when the measurement data is A1, B1, and C2, since the determination result by the two data A1 and B1 is determined to be a person P1 having a small physique, the data C2 is erroneous data by the control circuit 32. Control moves the support part 1 to the position suitable for the small person P1.
Further, the pressure distribution measuring sensor 31 and the control circuit 32 as the measuring means 3 may be determined in advance so as to perform measurement using data on either one of the left and right leg portions of the seated occupant. Either one of the data determined to be measurable may be selected each time. Alternatively, when it is determined that the data of both legs can be used, the average value of the left and right data may be used.

As described above, the support portion 1 that supports the leg portion of the seated occupant is automatically moved to a position corresponding to the occupant's physique that is measured in advance by the pressure distribution measurement sensor 31 and the control circuit 32, so that it is complicated. The leg can be supported at an appropriate position without operation. Moreover, since the measurement of the occupant's physique is performed in a state where the occupant is seated on the seat cushion 4, a complicated operation for measurement can be eliminated.
The measuring means 3 measures the physique based on the sole length of the leg of the seated occupant who has landed on the floor, the position of the leg of the occupant on the floor of the heel, or the weight of the leg. Therefore, it is possible to measure the physique naturally and easily in a sitting state without forcing the passenger to take a special posture.
Furthermore, the measuring means has a large physique, a medium physique based on the sole length of the leg of the seated occupant landing on the floor, the position of the leg of the occupant on the floor of the heel, or the weight of the leg. Since measurements are made in small layers and the measured physiques are determined by majority vote, even if the physique measured by the occupant's sitting posture may contain inaccurate data, the measurement results will be accurate. Can increase the sex.

The present invention is not limited to the appearance and configuration described in the above embodiment, and various modifications, additions, and deletions can be made without changing the gist of the present invention. For example,
1. In the above-described embodiment, the pressure distribution measurement sensor that detects the leg of the seated occupant placed on the floor has been described as the measurement unit. However, a capacitance sensor may be used. Moreover, what measures an occupant's physique using an image recognition technique may be used. In addition, when using a capacitance sensor, it can replace with the pressure distribution measurement sensor in embodiment, and can install a capacitance sensor. In addition, when measuring the occupant's physique using image recognition technology, the entire body of the occupant is photographed from the front upper side of the seated occupant with the image recognition camera, and the size of the occupant's body is measured using the captured image. Can be determined.
2. In the above embodiment, a link mechanism is used as the moving means, but a telescopic structure rod, a rotating arm, or the like can be used.
3. In the said embodiment, although this invention was applied to the ottoman apparatus, you may apply to a footrest apparatus.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Support part 2 Moving means 20 Link mechanism 3 Measuring means 31 Pressure distribution measurement sensor 32 Control circuit

Claims (4)

A seat occupant's leg support device that is normally stored around the seat and moves the support to a position that supports the occupant's leg seated on the seat when in use,
Measuring means for measuring the physique of the occupant seated on the seat in the sitting position;
A leg support device for a seated occupant, comprising: a moving means for moving the support portion to a position set in advance according to the physique of the occupant measured by the measuring means.   2. The seat occupant leg support device according to claim 1, wherein the measuring means measures a physique based on a landing state of the leg of the seated occupant on the floor.   In Claim 2, the said measurement means is either the foot sole length of the leg part of the seated occupant who landed on the floor, the position on the floor of the heel of the occupant's leg part, or the weight of the leg part, or those A leg support device for a seated occupant characterized by measuring a physique based on a combination. 4. The measuring device according to claim 3, wherein the measuring means has a physique based on each of the sole length of the leg of the seated occupant who has landed on the floor, the position of the leg of the occupant on the floor of the heel, or the weight of the leg. A leg support device for a seated occupant, characterized in that measurement is performed in a plurality of stages such as large, medium, and small, and the measured physique is determined by majority vote.

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