JP2015047384A - Cushion length-variable seat - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To increase a variable amount of a cushion length by a fluid bag by supporting an air bag as an actuator making the cushion length variable against a load from above, in a cushion length-variable seat in which the length of a seat cushion is variable.SOLUTION: A cushion length-variable seat is provided with a first fluid bag 21 such that the first fluid bag inflates and contracts according to an air amount injected thereinto to make a cushion length variable, and includes a second fluid bag 22 supporting the first fluid bag 21 such that it is prevented from descending downward when the first fluid bag 21 is inflated such that the cushion length is elongated.

Description

  The present invention relates to a seat mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile, an airplane, a ship, and a train, and relates to a seat having a variable cushion length.

  Automotive seats in which the front and rear length of the seat cushion are variable according to the size of the occupant's body are commercially available. In such a cushion length variable seat, a mechanical variable device is generally used as an actuator for changing the cushion length. The following Patent Document 1 proposes an idea in which a cushion length is variable by incorporating an air bag in a front end portion of a seat cushion and changing the degree of swelling of the air bag.

JP 2008-142120 A

However, when an air bag is used as an actuator that makes the cushion length variable as in the idea of Patent Document 1, there is a problem that the variable amount of the cushion length cannot be increased. This is because even if the air bag can be greatly inflated, the position of the air bag in the height direction cannot be maintained by a load applied from above the air bag.
In view of such a problem, an object of the present invention is to support a fluid bag such as an air bag as an actuator that can change the cushion length of the seat cushion against a load from above, thereby increasing the cushion length of the fluid bag. This is to increase the variable amount.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, in the cushion length variable seat in which the length of the seat cushion is variable, the first fluid bag is configured such that the cushion length is variable by inflating and contracting according to the amount of fluid injected into the seat And a support body that supports the first fluid bag so as to prevent the first fluid bag from being lowered downward when the first fluid bag is inflated to increase the cushion length.
According to the first invention, the cushion length can be increased by inflating the first fluid bag. At this time, the support body supports the first fluid bag so as to suppress the downward movement of the first fluid bag. Therefore, even if the first fluid bag is enlarged to increase the cushion length variable amount, the first fluid bag can support the load from above, and the cushion length variable amount can be increased.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the support body includes a second fluid bag similar to the first fluid bag, and the second fluid bag supports the first fluid bag from below. And fixed to the cushion frame so as to withstand a load from above.
According to the second aspect of the invention, since the support is configured by the second fluid bag, the second fluid bag can be inflated and function as a support as needed to support the first fluid bag. In addition, since the second fluid bag supports the first fluid bag from below, the first fluid bag can be pushed upward and forward by inflating the second fluid bag. Thereby, when the cushion length is increased, the cushion tip can be extended not only forward but also upward. Therefore, the position of the cushion tip can be changed in accordance with the change in the optimal position of the cushion tip between the lower rear and the upper front in accordance with the difference in the length of the leg of the seated occupant. Moreover, since the second fluid bag can be inflated with the same fluid as the first fluid bag, the configuration of the apparatus can be simplified.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect, a front plate is provided at a front end portion of the cushion frame so as to form a bag chamber that houses the first fluid bag and the second fluid bag. The front end of the first fluid bag is fixed to the upper rear surface, the rear end of the second fluid bag is fixed to the lower front end of the cushion frame, and the front and rear lengths of the bag chamber are between the front plate and the cushion frame. A spring that is constantly urged so as to shorten the length of the seat cushion is provided, and the front plate including the bag chamber is covered with a skin material covering the front end portion of the seat cushion.
According to the third invention, since the bag chamber is constantly biased so as to shorten the front-rear length, when the first fluid bag is contracted from the expanded state, the bag chamber shortens the front-rear length by the spring force. It will be lost. Moreover, since the bag chamber and the front side plate are covered with the skin material, the appearance can be improved.

1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a top view of the seat cushion of the said embodiment. FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. 2. It is a disassembled perspective view of the principal part of this invention shown by FIG. It is sectional drawing similar to FIG. 3 explaining the effect | action of the said embodiment. It is sectional drawing similar to FIG. 3 which shows 2nd Embodiment of this invention.

1 to 5 show a first embodiment of the present invention. The first embodiment shows an example in which the present invention is applied to an automobile front seat (hereinafter simply referred to as a seat). In each figure, each direction when the seat is mounted on an automobile is indicated by an arrow. In the following description, the description regarding the direction is made based on this direction.
The seat 1 includes a seat cushion 3 and a seat back 2, and this configuration is the same as a known one.

  A cushion length variable mechanism 20 is provided at the front end of the seat cushion 3. The cushion length variable mechanism 20 includes a first fluid bag 21 and a second fluid bag (corresponding to a support body of the present invention) 22, and these fluid bags 21 and 22 constitute a cushion frame 10 that forms the skeleton of the seat cushion 3. It is arrange | positioned at the bag chamber 20a between the bracket 12 attached to the front end of this, and the front side board 23 arrange | positioned ahead of the bracket 12. FIG. Between the bracket 12 and the front side plate 23, tension springs 24 are laid on both the left and right sides, and the bracket 12 and the front side plate 23 are always urged toward each other.

  Each of the first and second fluid bags 21 and 22 is formed as a sealed bag by folding a rectangular vinyl or urethane sheet and thermally welding the edges. The first fluid bag 21 has two front ends fixed to the upper portion of the front plate 23 by bolts 21b and nuts 21c, and the rear end is not fixed anywhere and is in a free state. The second fluid bag 22 has two rear ends fixed to the lower portion of the bracket 12 by bolts 22b and nuts 22c, and the front end is not fixed anywhere and is in a free state. Pipes 21a and 22a for supplying and discharging air into and from the fluid bags 21 and 22 are connected to the rear ends of the first and second fluid bags 21 and 22 while maintaining an airtight state. Although not shown, the air pressure source and the atmosphere opening are connected to the ends of the pipes 21a and 22a through an air valve. When the first and second fluid bags 21 and 22 are inflated by being supplied with air, as shown in FIG. It has become. The first fluid bag 21 is configured to be slightly larger than the second fluid bag 22.

  The bracket 12 is fixed to the front end side of the cushion pan 11 that is a part of the cushion frame 10 by bolts 12b and nuts 12c on both the left and right sides, and is formed so as to hang downward. A bent portion 12a is formed by being slightly bent. The bending degree of the bent portion 12a is such that the second fluid bag 22 can be supported from below by the bent portion 12a when the second fluid bag 22 is inflated as shown in FIG.

The cushion length varying mechanism 20 is covered with a skin material 30 covering the cushion frame 10. The skin material 30 includes a seat cover 31 and a cushion pad 32 disposed below the seat cover 31, and wraps the cushion length varying mechanism 20 from the upper side to the lower side. And is locked to the front pipe 13 of the cushion frame 10. A hook 33 is coupled to the tip of the elastic cloth 34 for the locking. The elastic cloth 34 always urges the end of the seat cover 31 in the direction of the front pipe 13 so that the seat cover 31 does not become loose or excessively tensioned when the cushion length varying mechanism 20 changes the length in the front-rear direction. I have to.
The front side plate 23 is formed with curved upper and lower ends so as to conform to the inner shape of the cushion pad 32.

Next, the operation of the first embodiment will be described.
In the state where air is not supplied to the first and second fluid bags 21 and 22 and is contracted, the front plate 23 is positioned rearward by the biasing force of the tension spring 24 as shown in FIG. The length of the cushion length varying mechanism 20 is shortened. Therefore, the seat cover 31 is also pulled rearward by the urging force of the elastic cloth 34 so that the seat cover 31 does not loosen.
In a state where air is supplied to the first and second fluid bags 21 and 22 and the first and second fluid bags 21 and 22 are inflated to the maximum size, the first and second fluid bags 21 and 22 are in front plate 23 as shown in FIG. Is pushed forward against the biasing force of the tension spring 24. Therefore, the length of the cushion length varying mechanism 20 is increased. In a state where the first and second fluid bags 21 and 22 are inflated, the second fluid bag 22 supports the first fluid bag 21 from below, and the weight of the leg of the seated occupant is laid through the skin material 30. Even if it takes time, the first fluid bag 21 is prevented from falling downward. In the state where the first and second fluid bags 21 and 22 are inflated to the maximum size, the air pressure inside each bag 21 and 22 is about 50 kilopascals, and the variable length of the cushion length variable mechanism 20 is variable. Is about 100 to 150 millimeters.
In the state of FIG. 5, the first and second fluid bags 21 and 22 are expanded to the maximum size, and the length of the cushion length variable mechanism 20 is maximum. When the air in the first and second fluid bags 21 and 22 is discharged from this state and the first and second fluid bags 21 and 22 are contracted, the amount of front plate 23 pushed out becomes smaller and the cushion length is variable. The length of the mechanism 20 is shortened. That is, the length of the cushion length varying mechanism 20 can be adjusted to an arbitrary length according to the amount of air in the first and second fluid bags 21 and 22. However, since the original function of the second fluid bag 22 is to support the first fluid bag 21 from below, it is necessary to secure an internal air amount so as not to impair the function.

As described above, when the first fluid bag 21 is inflated and contracted, the length of the cushion length variable mechanism 20 can be changed, and the cushion length of the seat cushion 3 can be changed. At this time, the first fluid bag 21 is supported by the second fluid bag 22 so as to suppress the downward movement. Therefore, even if the first fluid bag 21 is enlarged and the variable amount of the cushion length variable mechanism 20 is increased, the first fluid bag 21 can support the load from above due to the weight of the leg of the seated occupant, The variable amount of the cushion length variable mechanism 20 can be increased.
Further, since the second fluid bag 22 supports the first fluid bag 21 from below, the first fluid bag 21 can be pushed forward by inflating the second fluid bag 22. Thereby, when the cushion length is increased, the cushion tip can be extended not only forward but also upward. Therefore, the position of the cushion tip can be changed in accordance with the change in the optimal position of the cushion tip between the lower rear and the upper front in accordance with the difference in the length of the leg of the seated occupant. In addition, since the second fluid bag 22 that is the support body can be inflated by the same fluid as the first fluid bag 21, the configuration of the cushion length variable mechanism 20 can be simplified.
Furthermore, since the cushion length variable mechanism 20 is covered with the skin material 30, the appearance can be improved.

FIG. 6 shows a second embodiment of the present invention. The feature of the second embodiment with respect to the first embodiment is that the tension spring 24 in the first embodiment is changed to a structure using a compression spring 25. The other points are the same, and the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof is omitted.
The pair of left and right compression springs 25 are respectively mounted on the end portions of the guide rods 26 that span the left and right sides between the front plate 23 and the bracket 12. One end of each guide rod 26 is fixed to the left and right sides of the central portion of the front plate 23 by bolts 26a, and the other end is fixed to the stopper 27 by bolts 27a. An intermediate portion of each guide rod 26 is slidably supported on the left and right portions of the bracket 12, and each compression spring 25 is inserted between the bracket 12 and the stopper 27. As a result, the compression spring 25 urges the bracket 12 and the front side plate 23 in a direction that always approaches each other.

  Also in the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the front plate 23 moves back and forth by the supply and discharge of air to and from the first and second fluid bags 21 and 22, and the length of the cushion length variable mechanism 20 is increased. Can be changed. When the front side plate 23 moves back and forth, the left and right guide rods 26 are also moved together. Since the intermediate portion of each guide rod 26 is slidable on the bracket 12, the front plate 23 is guided by the left and right guide rods 26 when moving forward and backward. Therefore, the movement trajectory of the front side plate 23 is always constant.

As mentioned above, although specific embodiment was described, this invention is not limited to those external appearances and structures, A various change, addition, and deletion are possible in the range which does not change the summary of this invention. For example,
1. The support may be constituted by a telescopic rod. Moreover, the suspension wire which suspends so that a 1st fluid bag may not fall below may be sufficient.
2. Various structures and shapes can be employed for the first and second fluid bags.
3. The front side plate may have a box shape that covers not only the front side of the first and second fluid bags but also the upper and lower sides and the left and right sides so as to protect the first and second fluid bags from external forces in each direction. .
4). The fluid supplied to the first and second fluid bags may be various gases, water, oil, etc. in addition to air.
5. In the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to an automobile seat. However, the present invention may be applied to an airplane seat, a ship seat, a train seat, and the like.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Automobile front seat 2 Seat back 3 Seat cushion 10 Cushion frame 11 Cushion pan 12 Bracket 12a Bending part 13 Front pipe 20 Cushion length variable mechanism 20a Bag chamber 21 First fluid bag 21a Pipe 22 Second fluid bag (support)
22a pipe 23 front side plate 24 tension spring 25 compression spring 26 guide rod 27 stopper 30 skin material 31 seat cover 32 cushion pad 33 hook 34 elastic cloth

Claims (3)

In the cushion length variable seat with variable seat cushion length,
A first fluid bag is provided so that the cushion length can be varied by expanding and contracting according to the amount of fluid injected into the inside,
A cushion length variable seat, comprising: a support body that supports the first fluid bag so as to prevent the first fluid bag from being lowered when the first fluid bag is inflated to increase the cushion length. In claim 1,
The support comprises a second fluid bag similar to the first fluid bag,
The cushion length variable seat, wherein the second fluid bag is fixed to the cushion frame so as to support the first fluid bag from below and withstand a load from above. In claim 2,
A front side plate is provided at the front end of the cushion frame so as to form a bag chamber for storing the first fluid bag and the second fluid bag,
Fixing the front end of the first fluid bag to the upper rear surface of the front plate, fixing the rear end of the second fluid bag to the lower front end of the cushion frame;
Between the front side plate and the cushion frame, provided with a spring that constantly urges to shorten the front and rear length of the bag chamber,
A cushion length variable seat, wherein the front side plate including the bag chamber is covered with a skin material covering a front end portion of a seat cushion.

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