JP2022119959A - Duct-embedded seat pad and method for producing the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a duct-embedded seat pad that achieves further reduction in weight and a method for producing the same.

SOLUTION: A duct-embedded seat pad 1 has: an air introduction duct 3 having an air introduction port 31 and also having an air ejection port 32 in a duct route; and a pad body 2 that has a hollow 21 to be an air discharge port 210 in communication with the air ejection port 32, on a surface 2a at the occupant contact side, wherein the pad body 2 is integrally foamed and molded with the duct 3 as an insert. The inner layer of the duct 3 is a resin foam of closed cell structure. The duct 3 is formed by joining and combining a pair of gutter-like half members 4,5, making the duct 3.

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

COPYRIGHT: (C)2022,JPO&INPIT

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a seat pad that constitutes a vehicle seat, and relates to a seat pad with a duct embedded therein and a manufacturing method thereof.

2. Description of the Related Art There are seat pads that constitute seat portions and backrests of seats mounted in vehicles such as automobiles. The seat pad is a place where the seated occupant comes into contact with the skin through the skin, and while it feels sweaty in the summer, it feels cold in the winter. Reference 1). Patent Document 1 discloses a seat pad in which a pipe-shaped duct such as blow molding is embedded.

JP 2011-110366

However, since the invention of Patent Document 1 is a seat pad in which a duct made of polypropylene resin or the like is inserted and a urethane foam pad body is integrally foam-molded, the bonding strength between the duct and the pad body is weak. Therefore, in order to prevent the duct from falling off, it is necessary to cover the duct and attach a backing material such as non-woven fabric to the back surface of the pad body. Also, the duct is made of solid resin and is quite heavy. In recent years, there is a movement to respond to further weight reduction due to improvements in fuel efficiency, etc., and there are expectations for weight reduction of ducts.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to solve the above problems and to provide a seat pad with a duct that promotes weight reduction and a method of manufacturing the same.

In order to achieve the above object, the gist of the invention described in claim 1 is to provide an air distribution duct provided with an air introduction port and an air ejection port provided in a duct path, and an air blower communicating with the air ejection port. A seat pad containing a duct, comprising: a pad body formed by integral foam molding with the duct as an insert, wherein a depression serving as an exit is formed on the surface on the occupant contact side, and the inner layer of the duct has a closed cell structure. and wherein the duct is formed by joining and integrating a pair of gutter-shaped half-split members forming the duct. The duct-containing seat pad according to the invention of claim 2 is characterized in that, in claim 1, the duct portion disposed in the horizontal direction of the duct has a flat cross-sectional shape with a vertical width smaller than the horizontal width, and It is characterized in that a depression directed into the flow channel is formed in the central portion in the lateral width direction. A seat pad containing a duct according to the invention of claim 3 is characterized in that, in the seat pad of claim 1 or 2, the duct is provided with a short cylindrical portion around the periphery of the air ejection port. A seat pad with a duct, which is the invention of claim 4, according to claims 1 to 3, has a pair of gutter-shaped half-split members provided with flanges on both side edges of the gutter-shaped member forming the flow path forming recess. One of the gutter-shaped members is provided with an air ejection port hole to form one gutter-shaped half member, and the other gutter-shaped member is provided with an air introduction port hole to form the other gutter-shaped half member. do. The duct-containing seat pad according to claim 5 of the present invention is characterized in that, in claim 3 or 4, the duct is provided with an outer layer integrated with the outer surface of the inner layer, and the outer layer is a porous pad made of foam or non-woven fabric with an open-cell structure. It is characterized by having a duct wall with a laminated structure made into a solid body. The gist of the invention described in claim 6 is that an air distribution duct provided with an air introduction portion and an air ejection port provided in the duct path is set in a foaming mold, and then the foaming raw material is injected and the mold is closed. Then, foam molding is performed on the pad body that embeds and integrates the duct, and in the foam molding, the recess formed on the surface of the pad body on the occupant contact side is made into an air outlet in accordance with the air outlet. A method of manufacturing a pad, wherein the inner layer of the duct is made of thermoplastic resin foam with a closed cell structure, and the duct is formed by joining together a pair of gutter-shaped half members forming the duct. The duct is set in a foaming mold as described above, and then the foaming raw material is injected and the mold is closed, and the pad body with the duct embedded on the back side is foam-molded. It is in the manufacturing method of the pad. The method for manufacturing a seat pad with a duct, which is the invention of claim 7, is characterized in that, in claim 6, the duct portion arranged in the horizontal direction of the duct has a flat cross-sectional shape whose vertical width is smaller than its horizontal width. and a recess directed into the flow channel is formed at the central portion in the lateral width direction. The method for manufacturing a seat pad containing a duct according to the eighth aspect of the invention is characterized in that, in the sixth or seventh aspect, the duct is provided with a short cylindrical portion around the periphery of the air ejection port. The method for manufacturing a seat pad with a duct, which is the invention of claim 9, is characterized in that, in claims 6 to 8, the pair of gutter-shaped half-split members are provided with flanges on both side edges of the gutter-shaped members that form the recess for forming the flow path. One of a pair of gutter-shaped members is provided with an air ejection port hole to form one gutter-shaped half member, and the other gutter-shaped member is provided with an air introduction port hole to form another gutter-shaped half-split member. characterized by The method for manufacturing a seat pad with ducts according to claim 10 is characterized in that, in claims 6 to 9, the duct is provided with an outer layer integrated with the outer surface of the inner layer, and the outer layer is formed of open-cell foam or It is characterized by comprising a duct wall of a laminated structure made of a porous nonwoven fabric.

The duct-containing seat pad and the manufacturing method thereof according to the present invention are far lighter than conventional solid resin ducts, and can promote weight reduction, exhibiting excellent effects.

1 is a plan view of a seat pad with a duct and a manufacturing method thereof according to Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 2 is a view taken along line II-II of FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a view taken along line III-III in FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 1; FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 4; FIG. 6 is another view in place of FIG. 5; (a) is a vertical cross-sectional view of the gutter-shaped member, and (b) is a vertical cross-sectional view of the halved member. Fig. 8 shows (a) a cross-sectional view around the air ejection port of Fig. 5, (b) a view of another embodiment replacing (a), and (c) a duct having a short cylindrical portion of (b) set in the lower die. It is a cross-sectional view. FIG. 4 is an explanatory cross-sectional view of a foaming mold in which a foaming raw material is injected in an open state; FIG. 10 is an explanatory cross-sectional view of a foaming mold that is closed from the state of FIG. 9 and is headed for foaming molding. It is explanatory sectional drawing which finished foam molding. 11(a) is an enlarged view of the periphery of the raised portion in FIG. 10, and (b) is an explanatory view showing the foaming raw material entering the porous body from the state of (a). FIG. 10 is a plan view of the air distribution duct in the seat pad with duct and the manufacturing method thereof according to Embodiment 2; (a) is a vertical cross-sectional view of a half-split member, and (b) is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a duct in which the half-split member of (a) is joined and integrated. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the seat pad through the base corresponding to Figure 3; It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the seat pad passing through the duct portion. (A) is a cross-sectional view of the seat pad passing through the duct portion, and (B) is a cross-sectional view of the seat pad showing how the duct changes in (A) when the occupant is seated.

Hereinafter, the seat pad with duct according to the present invention and the method for manufacturing the same will be described in detail. (1) Embodiment 1 FIGS. 1 to 12 show an embodiment of a seat pad with a duct (hereinafter also simply referred to as "seat pad") of the present invention and a manufacturing method thereof, and FIG. 2 is a view along line II-II in FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a view along line III-III in FIG. 1, FIG. 4 is a view along line IV-IV in FIG. 1, and FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. FIG. 6 is a view of another embodiment replacing FIG. 5, FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a gutter-shaped member, and a cross-sectional view of a half-split member. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the area around the air ejection port in FIG. 5, (b) is another embodiment, (c) is a cross-sectional view of the duct with the short cylindrical portion of (b) set in the lower mold, and FIG. 10 is an explanatory cross-sectional view of the foaming mold in which the foaming raw material is injected in the mold open state, FIG. 10 is an explanatory cross-sectional view of the foaming mold that is closed and heading for foam molding, FIG. 12, (a) is an enlarged view of the periphery of the raised portion in FIG. 10, and (b) is an explanatory view showing that the foaming raw material enters the porous body from (a). In each figure, the main parts such as the duct 3 are emphasized in order to make the drawings easier to understand, and the parts that are not directly related to the present invention are omitted. The recesses are only shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG.

1) Ducted seat pad A ducted seat pad 1 is a back pad for a backrest or a cushion pad that supports the lower body of a seated occupant, and this embodiment is applied to a vehicle front cushion pad as shown in FIG. When the cushion pad is covered with a skin to form a seat cushion, a vehicle seat is formed by a known headrest and a backrest in which the known back pad is covered with the skin. A ducted seat pad 1 comprises a pad body 2 and a duct 3.

The duct 3 is an air distribution duct provided with an air introduction port 31 and an air ejection port 32 provided in the duct path. The air distribution duct 3 has a laminate structure in which the inner layer 3A is made of a closed-cell thermoplastic resin foam, and the outer layer 3B is a porous body made of a nonwoven fabric 3B2 (or an open-cell foam 3B1). It consists of walls (Figs. 4-6). Here, in the duct 3 having a substantially H-shaped air distribution passage u in plan view as shown in FIG. 1, a pair of pipe-shaped duct portions 3D extend in the vehicle front-rear direction from both ends of the flat hollow base portion 3K in the vehicle width direction. A plurality of air ejection ports 32 are formed on the surface side of the duct 3 . The "front" side of the present invention refers to the side of the surface that the occupant comes into contact with when sitting on the seat. The duct 3 has a base portion 3K and each duct portion 3D arranged horizontally on the side of the seat pad back surface 1b (FIGS. 2 and 3). The duct portion 3D does not have a circular cross-sectional shape, but is arranged in the horizontal direction, and has a flattened hollow oval cross-sectional shape with a vertical width 3T smaller than a horizontal width 3Y (FIG. 4). In a seat pad 1 whose thickness h tends to be reduced due to weight reduction, the vertical width 3T of a duct part is made as small as possible to ensure a large cushioning thickness width of a pad body 2.例文帳に追加

In each duct portion 3D of the duct 3, a recess 36 directed into the flow path u is appropriately formed in the central portion in the lateral width direction. A recess 36 having a cross-sectional shape shown in FIG. 4 is formed continuously or intermittently in the direction in which the duct 3 extends. As described above, the duct 3 has a duct wall with a laminated structure of the inner layer 3A of the closed-cell foam and the outer layer 3B of the nonwoven fabric 3B2, and there is a risk that the duct 3 will be crushed by the seated occupant. . Therefore, the channel side contact portion 39 of the recess 36 is caused to bottom out before being crushed, and the required air volume is ensured in the channel u left on both the left and right sides of the recess 36 in FIG. The base portion 3K is provided with a recess 36 toward the inside of the base portion 3K at the central portion in the vehicle width direction on both the front surface side and the back surface side to secure the required flow path u (FIG. 3).

The duct 3 of this embodiment is formed by joining and integrating a pair of gutter-shaped half members 4 and 5 that make up the duct 3 . After forming the pair of gutter-like members 41 and 51 which are vertically divided into two parts as shown in FIG. The halved members 4 and 5 are formed, and then the two are joined together to form the duct 3 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 (details will be described later).

Examples of the resin that constitutes the closed-cell thermoplastic resin foam that serves as the inner layer 3A of the duct 3 include foamed polypropylene, foamed polyethylene, and foamed polystyrene. Polyurethane foams are not thermoplastic resin foams, but are included in the thermoplastic resin foams referred to in the present invention. The inner layer 3A can also be made of foamed polyurethane. Polypropylene, polyethylene, polyester, nylon, PET, and the like are used as the resin that constitutes the porous nonwoven fabric 3B2 that serves as the outer layer 3B of the duct 3 . The non-woven fabric 3B2 includes those in which fibers are adhered to each other using an adhesive, and those in which fibers are fused to each other by heat treatment using thermoplastic synthetic fibers. When the porous body is a foam 3B1 having an open-cell structure instead of the nonwoven fabric 3B2, the resin constituting the foam includes urethane foam, polyethylene foam, and the like. A closed-cell foam can also be compressed to an open-cell structure. In addition to the foam constituting the inner layer 3A, it is more preferable if the porous material constituting the outer layer 3B is also made of a thermoplastic resin such as foamed polyethylene, because the gutter-like members 41 and 51 can be easily vacuum-formed. If the foam constituting the inner layer 3A and the porous material constituting the outer layer 3B are made of the same thermoplastic resin, the gutter-shaped members 41 and 51 can be vacuum-formed more easily, which is more preferable.

The pad main body 2 is a foam formed by injecting a soft polyurethane foaming raw material g or the like into a foaming mold 7 and forming a main part of the vehicle seat pad 1 . A plurality of depressions 21 to be air outlets 210 communicating with the respective air outlets 32 are formed on the surface 2a on the occupant contact side, and the duct 3 is integrally foam molded as an insert. The air introduction port 31 is exposed on the rear surface 2b side of the pad body 2. As shown in FIG. Side portions 2B are provided on both sides of the main portion 2A constituting the main portion of the seat pad, and suspension grooves 27 are provided on both boundaries on the side of the seat pad surface 1a. Reference numeral 27a denotes vertical grooves, reference numeral 27b denotes lateral grooves, and reference numeral 2C denotes a mating portion with the backrest.

As shown in FIG. 5, a portion of the pad body 2 extends beyond the duct outer surface 3a in contact with the duct 3 and enters between the fibers of the nonwoven fabric 3B2 of the porous body and hardens. In the case where the porous body is a foam 3B1 having an open cell structure, as shown in FIG. 6, it penetrates into the cells of the foam and hardens. In the case of the non-woven fabric 3B2 having voids on the outer surface 3a of the duct or the foam 3B1 having an open-cell structure, the foaming raw material g easily penetrates into the voids during the foam molding process of the pad body 2 and hardens, thereby separating the pad body 2 and the duct 3. and become one. A desired ducted seat pad 1 is formed in which a bonding surface layer Z in which the hardened layer of the foaming material g and the porous body are intertwined is formed in the surface layer region where the foaming material g has entered from the outer surface 3a of the duct of the outer layer 3B.

Furthermore, the pad body 2 is integrally foam-molded with the duct 3 as an insert. ) and (C) in which the short cylindrical portion 33 protrudes from the periphery, the seat pad 1 with a duct is more preferable. This is because foam molding of the pad body 2 can effectively prevent the foaming raw material g from entering the duct 3 from the air ejection port 32 together with the raised portion 82 of the lower die 8 (details will be described later).

2) Manufacturing method of duct-containing seat pad The duct-containing seat pad 1 is produced by setting the duct 3 in the foaming mold 7 using the duct 3 and the foaming mold 7, and then injecting the foaming material g and closing the mold. Then, the pad body 2 embedded with the duct 3 is foam-molded. The air distribution duct 3 having an air inlet 31 and an air ejection port 32 provided in the duct path is set in a foam molding die 7, and foam molding of the pad body 2 is performed to form the pad body surface 2a on the occupant contact side. A seat pad 1 with a duct is manufactured in which a dent 21 formed in the air outlet 32 is matched with the air outlet 210 to form the air outlet 210.例文帳に追加

The foaming mold 7 has an upper mold 9 and a lower mold 8 as shown in FIG. When the mold is closed as shown in FIG. 10 with a hinge (not shown) as a fulcrum, a seat pad with a duct is formed by a lower mold cavity surface 81 with a large degree of dent as a whole and a substantially flat upper mold cavity surface 91 with a partial dent. 1 cavity C is made. 9 to 12 has a mold structure for foam-molding the pad main body 2 integrated with the duct in an upside-down position from the seat pad 1 shown in FIG. 2 installed in the vehicle. .

As described above, the duct 3 has a laminate structure in which the inner layer 3A is made of a closed-cell thermoplastic resin foam, and the outer layer 3B is made of a porous nonwoven fabric 3B2 (or an open-cell foam 3B1). of duct walls. Since the duct 3 of the present invention does not have the rigidity of a solid resin, it is difficult to open the air ejection port 32 after making it into a pipe shape. Therefore, prior to the foam molding of the pad body 2, the duct 3 is made, for example, as follows.

First, a two-layer duct sheet-like material in which a closed-cell thermoplastic resin foam and a porous body made of nonwoven fabric 3B2 are integrated is prepared. The thermoplastic resin foam for the inner layer 3A and the nonwoven fabric 3B2 for the outer layer 3B are laminated and integrated via an adhesive layer. The adhesive layer is formed of a low-melting-point film or the like interposed between the thermoplastic resin foam and the non-woven fabric 3B2, or heat-sealing the joint surface. Next, the sheet material is vacuum-formed (or pressure-formed) so that the inner layer 3A is made of a thermoplastic resin foam and the outer layer 3B is a non-woven fabric 3B2. molded into Both side edges of the gutter-like members 41 and 51 forming the passage forming recesses 410 and 510 are provided with flanges 4b and 5b as shown. Subsequently, one gutter-shaped member 51 is provided with an air jet hole 52 to form one half-split member 5 , and the other gutter-shaped member 41 is provided with an air inlet hole 42 to form the other half-split member 4 . do. Thereafter, the flanges 4b, 5b of the two half members 4, 5 are joined together to form the duct 3. Unlike solid resin, the duct 3 is flexible, and it is extremely difficult to provide the air inlet 31 and the air ejection port 32 under the condition of a pipe-shaped duct. Therefore, the gutter-shaped members 41 and 51 formed from sheet members are provided with an air inlet hole 42 and an air ejection port hole 52 to form the half members 4 and 5, and then the two half members 4 and 5 are separated. Glue. As shown in FIG. 7(b), a flange portion 5b extending on both side edges of a gutter main body 5a having a recess 510 facing downward and having an air ejection port hole 52, and a recess 410 facing upward and serving as an air introduction port. The duct 3 is completed by adhering the flange portion 4b extending to both side edges of the gutter main body 4a provided with the hole 42. - 特許庁When the duct 3 is formed, the air ejection port hole 52 becomes the air ejection port 32 and the air introduction port hole 42 becomes the air introduction port 31 . The duct 3 has a base portion 3K and a duct portion 3D, which are arranged in the horizontal direction, and has a flat cross-sectional shape with a vertical width 3T smaller than the horizontal width 3Y. An inward recess 36 is suitably formed (FIGS. 4, 9).

Using the duct 3 and the foaming mold 7, the ducted seat pad 1 is manufactured, for example, as follows. First, the foaming mold 7 is brought into the open state shown in FIG. The duct 3 is set on the lower mold 8 in this mold open state so that the back side faces upward. A duct 3 formed by joining and integrating a pair of gutter-shaped half-split members 4 and 5 with a nonwoven fabric 3B2 (or a foamed body 3B1 having an open-cell structure) as a porous body of the outer layer 3B made of a thermoplastic resin is formed in a lower die 8. set to The duct 3 is subjected to a pretreatment of sealing the air introduction port 31 with a sealing tape. The non-woven fabric 3B2 (or open-cell foam 3B1) of the outer layer 3B is more preferably made of the same thermoplastic resin as the closed-cell thermoplastic resin foam of the inner layer 3A. The duct 3 is set in the lower mold 8 by inserting the tip portion of the raised portion 82 of the lower mold 8 into each of the downward air ejection ports 32 to close the air ejection ports 32 .

Next, while the mold is open, a predetermined amount of foaming raw material g such as a urethane foaming stock solution for molding a seat pad is injected onto the lower mold cavity surface 81 using an injection hose NL or the like. Subsequently, the upper mold 9 is operated to close the mold (FIG. 10). By closing the upper mold 9 and the lower mold 8, a cavity C for the seat pad 1 in which the duct 3 is inserted is formed. When the mold is closed, the elastic duct 3 is pressed by the upper mold 9, and the tip portion of the truncated conical protuberance 82 strongly adheres to the inner peripheral wall of the air ejection port 32 due to the reaction, and the air ejection port 32 is sealed. do.

By the way, if a short cylindrical portion 33 as shown in FIG. 8(C) is provided on the peripheral edge of the air ejection port 32, the air ejection port 32 can be sealed with higher accuracy by the raised portion 82 when the mold is closed. The inner diameter side of the short tubular portion 33 is the inner layer 3A made of foam having a closed cell structure. When the mold is closed, the inner layer 3A having the closed cell structure with which the protuberance 82 is inserted and abutted can serve as an elastic gasket, so that the air ejection port 32 can be sealed more reliably. The short cylindrical portion 53 can be provided by shaping the tip portion of the punch T as shown in FIG. . The short cylindrical portion 53 provided on the gutter-shaped member 51 becomes the short cylindrical portion 33 when the duct 3 is formed.

After the mold is closed, the main process, foam molding, is started. A pad body 2 made of a soft polyurethane foam molding is foam-molded, and has a portion on the surface 2a side that abuts a seated occupant. The pad main body 2 having the duct 3 embedded in the rear surface 2b side is foam-molded while the air ejection port 32 is sealed with the raised portion 82. - 特許庁Here, in the initial stage of foam molding after the mold is closed, foaming of the foaming raw material g progresses as shown in FIG. Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 12B, the foaming material g reaches the duct outer surface 3a, but since the outer layer 3B of the duct 3 is the nonwoven fabric 3B2, the foaming material g easily enters between the fibers. A portion of the foaming raw material g passes over the duct outer surface 3a in contact with the duct 3 and into the fibers constituting the nonwoven fabric 3B2 related to the porous body (or into the cells of the open-cell foam 3B1). infiltrates and hardens. A bonding surface layer Z is formed in which the foaming raw material g that has soaked into the duct outer surface 3a side of the outer layer 3B is entangled with the nonwoven fabric 3B2 and hardened and integrated.

When the foam molding of the pad body 2 is completed, the desired ducted seat pad 1 in which the duct 3 and the pad body 2 are firmly bonded and integrated by the formation of the bonding surface layer Z without relying on the backing material is obtained. constructed (Fig. 5). Even if the outer layer 3B is made of a foam 3B1 having an open-cell structure instead of the nonwoven fabric 3B2, the foam material g can enter and harden into the interconnecting cells to form the bonding surface layer Z (FIG. 6). A desired seat pad 1 with a duct in which the pad body 2 and the pad body 2 are combined and integrated can be manufactured. Reference numeral 88 denotes a raised portion for forming a suspension groove, and reference numerals 89 and 99 denote die matching surfaces. Other configurations are the same as those of the duct-containing seat pad 1 described in 1), and the description thereof is omitted. The same reference numerals as in 1) indicate the same or corresponding parts.

(2) Embodiment 2 In the duct-containing seat pad and the manufacturing method thereof of this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. A pipe hole exposed on one side of the horizontally arranged pipe-shaped duct 3 is utilized as an air introduction port 31 . The duct 3 has a cross shape in plan view as shown in FIG. 13, and a duct portion 3D extends from a base portion 3K of the crossing portion in the longitudinal direction and the lateral direction of the vehicle. The right side of FIG. 13 corresponds to the front of the vehicle, and the front end portion of the duct portion 3D in the front portion is closed. In the vehicle rear duct portion 3D on the left side, the pipe-shaped flow path u is exposed as it is, and the opening at the left end serves as the air introduction port 31. As shown in FIG.

As in the first embodiment, the duct 3 has a pair of gutter-like members 41 and 51 formed from a sheet-like material. The flanges 4b, 5b are provided on both side edges of the gutter-like members 41, 51 that form the passage-forming recesses 410, 510, respectively. Next, the gutter-shaped member 51 arranged on the surface side is provided with an air ejection port hole 52 and is formed so that an opening gutter-shaped portion 59 having a gutter shape in a side view is formed on one side (one end side) thereof. , the surface-side half-split member 5 . Here, since the channel forming recess 510 of the gutter-shaped member 51 appears in a gutter shape on one side, the formation of the opening gutter-shaped portion 59 is not particularly required. Also, the gutter-shaped member 41 disposed on the back side is also formed with an opening gutter-shaped portion 49 at a portion facing the opening gutter-shaped portion 59 . appears in the shape of a gutter on one side, the gutter-like member 41 becomes the back-side half-split member 4 without forming the gutter-like portion 49 for opening. After that, as shown in FIG.
5b are opposed to each other and the two half members 4 and 5 are joined and integrated to form the duct 3 in which the air introduction port 31 is formed by both opening gutter portions 49 and 59 as shown in FIG. Reference L indicates the joining line of the two half members 4,5.

In the duct-containing seat pad 1 including the pad body 2 integrally foam-molded with the duct 3 as an insert, the inner layer 3A of the duct wall is a foam with a closed cell structure, and the outer layer 3B of the duct wall is The nonwoven fabric 3B2 (or the open-cell foam 3B1) is used as a duct wall with a laminated structure, and a part 25 of the pad body passes through the outer surface 3a of the duct and enters between the fibers of the nonwoven fabric 3B2 (or foaming related to the porous body). It is a seat pad 1 with a duct that enters into the air bubbles of the body and hardens. FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 3, which is similar to FIG. On the other hand, FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. The space for connecting piping from is secured. FIG. 17(a) shows a cross-sectional view of the duct portion 3D of FIG. 16, and a recess 36 similar to that of the first embodiment is formed in the duct portion 3D. When the occupant is seated, before the duct channel u is crushed by the weight of the occupant indicated by the middle black arrow, the channel-side contact portion 39 of the recess 36 bottoms out as shown in FIG. The required air volume is ensured in the flow path u left in the . Although the recesses 36 are provided continuously or intermittently in the extending direction of the duct portion 3D, illustration thereof is omitted in FIGS. Reference M indicates the buttocks of the seated occupant. Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, and the description thereof is omitted. The same reference numerals as in Embodiment 1 indicate the same or corresponding parts.

(3) Effect In the ducted seat pad and the manufacturing method thereof configured as described above, the inner layer 3A of the duct wall of the duct 3 is made of a thermoplastic resin foam having a closed-cell structure, so airtightness can be ensured and distribution can be performed. It functions as an air duct 3. Since the inner layer 3A is made of a foamed material and the outer layer 3B is made of a porous body made of a foamed material 3B1 having an open-cell structure or a non-woven fabric 3B2, compared with conventional solid, rigid and heavy blow-molded ducts, It can be significantly lighter. With the spread of hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, and the like, it is expected that each part of the vehicle will be made lighter, and the seat pad 1 that employs the duct 3 having such a configuration can fully meet such expectations. The ducted seat pad 1 is useful for improving fuel efficiency.

On the other hand, if the inner layer 3A is a closed-cell foam and the outer layer 3B is a porous body made of the open-cell foam 3B1 or the non-woven fabric 3B2, there is concern about a reduction in rigidity. . However, the outer layer 3B is the nonwoven fabric 3B2 or the open-cell foam 3B1, and during the foam molding of the pad body 2, part of the foaming raw material g flows from the duct outer surface 3a into the mesh spaces of the nonwoven fabric 3B2 and into the open-cell cells. Since the infiltrated, hardened and hard bonded surface layer Z is formed on the duct outer surface 3a side of the outer layer 3B, the rigidity of the duct 3, which is made of foam or non-woven fabric 3B2, increases and is not easily crushed by the seated occupant. .

Furthermore, at the portion where the duct 3 is arranged in the horizontal direction, the cross-sectional shape is flattened so that the vertical width 3T is smaller than the horizontal width 3Y, and the thickness of the cushioning pad main body 2 is set as large as possible, Further, by forming a recess 36 toward the inside of the flow path u in the central portion of the duct 3 in the width direction, the required air volume of the duct 3 is ensured. For example, when an occupant sits on the seat pad 1 in the state shown in FIG. 17(a), before the duct 3 is flexed and crushed, the channel-side contact portion 39 of the recess 36 bottoms out as shown in FIG. 17(b). , flow paths u formed on both sides of the recess 36 remain, and the required air volume is ensured.

In addition, conventional blow-molded ducts made of polypropylene resin or the like have weak adhesion to the urethane foam material g of the pad body 2, and even if the seat pad 1 in which the duct is embedded is manufactured, the duct is likely to fall off. Although a backing material such as non-woven fabric 3B2 is required (Patent Document 1), the present invention excels in integration of the duct 3 and the pad body 2 and does not require a backing material. When the outer layer 3B of the duct 3 is the open-cell foam 3B1 or the non-woven fabric 3B2, during the foam molding process of the pad body 2, a part of the foaming raw material g exceeds the outer surface 3a of the duct and enters or exits the cells of the foam. Penetrates and hardens between fibers constituting the nonwoven fabric 3B2. Since the bonding surface layer Z for firmly bonding the duct 3 and the pad body 2 is formed on the duct outer surface 3a side of the outer layer 3B, the two can be strongly bonded and integrated without a backing material. It is also possible to reduce the number of parts of the backing material.

When the porous body of the duct 3 is made of thermoplastic resin, both the inner layer 3A and the outer layer 3B of the duct 3 are made of thermoplastic resin, so molding of the duct 3 is facilitated. If the foam of the inner layer 3A and the porous body of the outer layer 3B of the duct wall are made of the same thermoplastic resin, the molding of the duct 3 becomes easier.

Further, when the duct 3 is formed by joining and integrating the pair of gutter-shaped half members 4 and 5 that make up the duct 3, even the flexible duct 3 can be divided into two halves with the air jet hole 52 formed therein. Since the duct 3 is formed by joining after forming the member 5, the duct 3 can be easily manufactured. A sheet material for the duct 3 is formed into a pair of gutter-shaped members 41 and 51, and then one gutter-shaped member 51 is provided with an air jet hole 52 to form one half-split member 5, and the other is formed. The gutter-shaped member 41 is provided with the air inlet hole 42 to form another half-split member 4, and then the two halves 4 and 5 are joined together to form the duct 3. The duct 3 is extremely It can be manufactured easily and reliably. The air introduction port hole 42 becomes the air introduction port 31 of the duct 3, and the air ejection port hole 52 becomes the air ejection port 32 of the duct. Further, instead of forming the one gutter-shaped member 51 with the air ejection port hole 52 to form one half-split member 5, the one gutter-shaped member 51 is provided with the air ejection port hole 52 and An opening trough-shaped portion 59 is formed on one side to form one half-split member 5, and the other half-split member 4 is also provided with an opening trough-shaped portion 49 at a portion facing the opening gutter-shaped portion 59. By joining and integrating the two half members 4 and 5, the air introduction port 31 is provided at both opening gutter-like portions 49 and 59, so that the air introduction port 31 can be easily formed on one side of the duct 3. can be provided. In addition, the arrangement of the air introduction port 31 is expanded, and the duct design is highly flexible. Thus, the present duct-containing seat pad and its manufacturing method exhibit the various excellent effects described above and are extremely useful.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to those shown in the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention according to the purpose and application. The shape, size, number, material, etc. of the pad body 2, the duct 3, the half-split members 4, 5, the foam mold 7, etc. can be appropriately selected according to the application. Although the embodiments are applied to cushion pads, they can also be applied to back pads for backrests.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 seat pad 2 pad body 2a surface 21 recess 210 air outlet 3 duct (air distribution duct) 3A inner layer 3B outer layer 3B1 open-cell foam 3B2 nonwoven fabric 3a duct outer surface 31 air inlet 32 air outlet 36 recess 4, 5 half-split member 41, 51 gutter-shaped member 42 air inlet hole 49, 59 gutter-shaped portion for opening 52 air ejection port hole 7 foaming mold g foam raw material

Claims (10)

A wind distribution duct provided with an air introduction port and an air ejection port provided in the duct path, and a depression serving as an air ejection port communicating with the air ejection port are formed on the surface of the occupant contact side, and the duct is provided. and a seat pad with a duct that is integrally foam-molded as an insert, wherein the inner layer of the duct is made of resin foam with a closed-cell structure, and the duct is a pair of ducts that form the duct. A seat pad with a duct, characterized in that it is formed by joining and integrating gutter-shaped half-split members. A portion of the duct portion disposed in the horizontal direction of the duct has a flat cross-sectional shape with a vertical width smaller than the horizontal width, and a depression directed into the flow channel is formed at the center portion in the horizontal width direction. Item 1. The ducted seat pad according to item 1. The duct-containing seat pad according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the duct is provided with a short cylindrical portion around the periphery of the air ejection port. The pair of gutter-shaped half-split members are provided with flanges on both side edges of the gutter-shaped members forming the passage forming recesses, and one of the pair of gutter-shaped members is provided with an air ejection port hole to form one gutter-shaped member. 4. The duct-containing seat pad according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the other gutter-shaped member is formed as a half-split member, and the other gutter-shaped member is provided with an air inlet hole to form the other gutter-shaped half-split member. 5. The duct wall according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the duct has a laminate structure in which an outer layer is provided integrally with the outer surface of the inner layer, and the outer layer is a porous body made of an open-cell foam or non-woven fabric. ducted seat pad. A pad for embedding and integrating an air distribution duct provided with an air introduction part and an air outlet provided in the duct path in a foaming mold, followed by injection of a foaming raw material and closing the mold. A method for manufacturing a seat pad with a duct, wherein a main body is foam-molded, and a depression formed in the surface of the pad body on the occupant contact side by the foam molding is used as an air ejection port in alignment with the air ejection port, the method comprising: The inner layer is made of thermoplastic resin foam with a closed cell structure, and the duct is formed by joining and integrating a pair of gutter-shaped half members that make up the duct, and the duct is formed into a foam mold. Next, a foaming raw material is injected and the mold is closed, and the pad body with the ducts embedded on the back side is foam-molded. The horizontal section of the duct has a flat shape with a vertical width smaller than the horizontal width, and a depression directed into the flow path is formed at the center in the horizontal width direction. The manufacturing method of the ducted seat pad according to claim 6. 8. The method for manufacturing a duct-containing seat pad according to claim 6, wherein the duct is provided with a short cylindrical portion around the periphery of the air ejection port. The pair of gutter-shaped half-split members are provided with flanges on both side edges of the gutter-shaped members forming the passage forming recesses, and one of the pair of gutter-shaped members is provided with an air ejection port hole to form one gutter-shaped member. 9. The method of manufacturing a seat pad with a duct according to claim 6, wherein the other gutter-shaped member is divided into two halves, and the other trough-shaped member is provided with an air inlet hole to form another gutter-shaped halved member. 10. The duct wall according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the duct has a laminate structure in which an outer layer is provided integrally with the outer surface of the inner layer, and the outer layer is a porous body made of open-cell foam or non-woven fabric. 2. A method of manufacturing a seat pad with a duct according to 1 or 2.

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