JP2023158076A - Seat with detector - Google Patents

Abstract

To properly restrict bending of a connection portion when the connection portion in a transmission path of a signal output from a detector in a through hole is arranged in the through hole provided at pad material.SOLUTION: A seat with a detector includes: a pressure sensor 1 which detects seat pressure when a seating person is seated; a conducting wire 3 forming a portion of a transmission path of an output signal from the pressure sensor 1 which extends from the pressure sensor 1; a cable 4 forming a portion extending from an ECU 20; a bending restriction member 12 which restricts bending of a connection portion between a portion formed by the conducting wire 3 and a portion formed by the cable 4; and a through hole 20 which is formed from one end to the other end when viewed in a thickness direction of pad material P at the pad material P provided in a seat. The bending restriction member 12 is inserted into the through hole 20 to cause the transmission path to pass through the through hole 20.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

The present invention relates to a seat equipped with a detector, and particularly to a seat equipped with a detector that detects a target value that changes when a seated person sits on the seat.

Seats equipped with detectors such as sensors are already known. For example, seats equipped with pressure sensors that detect the pressure (seating pressure) applied to various parts of the seating surface when a seated person sits on the seat are already known. ing. In such a seat, a pressure sensor is usually placed directly below the seating surface. On the other hand, the device (signal receiving section) that receives the signal output when the pressure sensor detects the seating pressure is placed at a position away from the pressure sensor. A case may be considered where it is placed on the opposite side). In such a case, in order to shorten the transmission path of the signal output from the pressure sensor as much as possible, a configuration may be adopted in which a through hole is bored in the pad material and the transmission path is passed through the through hole (for example, Patent Document 1 reference).

JP2013-95373A

By the way, the above-mentioned transmission line may be divided into a portion extending from the pressure sensor and a portion extending from the signal receiving section. In such a case, there will be a connection part that connects the two parts forming the transmission path. It is conceivable that this connecting portion is disposed within the above-mentioned through hole in order to avoid interference with and damage to surrounding members and the like. However, even if the connecting portion is arranged within the through hole, when a relatively large load is applied around the through hole, the load will be transmitted to the connecting portion, which may cause the connecting portion to bend and be damaged.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and its purpose is to provide a connection part in a transmission path of a signal output from a detector, when the connection part is arranged in a through hole provided in a pad material. It is an object of the present invention to provide a sheet with a detector that can appropriately control bending of the connecting portion.

According to the seat with a detector of the present invention, the problem is solved by a detector that detects a target value that changes when a seated person sits on the seat, and an output when the detector detects the target value. A first transmission path forming section that forms a portion of the signal transmission path extending from the detector; and a second transmission path forming section that forms a portion of the transmission path that extends from the signal receiving section that receives the signal. a transmission path forming section; a bending regulating member that restricts bending of a connecting portion of the transmission path between a portion formed by the first transmission path forming section and a portion formed by the second transmission path forming section; and the sheet. A pad material provided therein includes a through hole formed from one end to the other end in the thickness direction of the pad material, and when the bending regulating member is inserted into the through hole, the transmission path is solved by passing through the through hole.

In the sheet with a detector of the present invention configured as described above, the bending regulating member prevents the connecting portion of the transmission path between the portion extending from the detector and the portion extending from the signal receiving portion from bending. regulated by. Further, the bending regulating member is to be inserted into a through hole provided in the pad material. As a result, the above-mentioned connecting portion is placed in the through hole while being regulated by the bending regulating member so as not to bend.

Further, in the sheet with a detector described above, the connecting portion includes a fastening member to which ends of both the first transmission path forming part and the second transmission path forming part are fastened, and the bending regulating member is It is preferable that the fastening member and both end portions are fixed on the outer surface of the bending regulating member, thereby regulating the bending of the connecting portion.
In the above configuration, bending of the connection portion is restricted by fixing the fastening member and the ends of each transmission path forming portion on the outer surface of the bending restriction member. With such a configuration, bending of the connecting portion can be restricted with a simpler configuration.

Further, in the above sheet with a detector, it is preferable that the bending regulating member is made of a resin material and has the outer surface curved in an elliptical shape.
In the above configuration, the bending regulating member is made of a resin molded product having an elliptically curved outer surface. With this configuration, when fixing the ends of the fastening member and each transmission line forming part, there is no angular part on the outer surface of the bending regulating member, so the ends of the fastening member and each transmission line forming part are fixed. It is possible to prevent damage from occurring when the end portion comes into contact with the end portion.

Further, in the sheet with a detector described above, a plurality of the detectors are provided, and the first transmission path forming part, the second transmission path forming part, and the fastening member are provided for each of the detectors. , further comprising a holding film that is attached to each of the first transmission path forming part, the second transmission path forming part, and the fastening member of each of the detectors and holds each of them, and in the holding film, the fastening member The portions attached to both ends are fixed on the outer surface while being wrapped around the bending regulating member along the outer surface, so that the bending regulating member prevents bending of the connecting portion. It would be good to regulate it.
In the above configuration, by wrapping the portion of the holding film to which the ends of the fastening member and each transmission line forming part are attached around the bending regulating member, the ends of the fastening member and each transmission line forming part are attached to the bending regulating member. fixed to the outer surface. With such a configuration, it becomes easy to fix the end portions of the fastening member and each transmission path forming portion onto the outer surface of the bending regulating member.

Further, in the above-mentioned sheet with a detector, the holding film has a first portion and a second portion having different widths and adjacent to each other, and the first portion having a wider width is connected to the fastening member and the second portion. The second portion, which is a portion attached to both ends and is wrapped around the bending restriction member along the outer surface and has a narrower width, is attached to the first transmission path forming portion of each of the detectors. The bending regulating member has a partially cut-out flange-shaped portion at an end thereof, and when the first portion is wound around the bending regulating member, the second portion is attached to the flange-like portion. It is preferable that the part of the shaped part fits into a recess formed by cutting out the part.
In the above configuration, when the first portion, which is wider, of the holding film is wound around the bending regulating member, the second portion, which is narrower, enters the recessed portion of the brim portion. With this configuration, when the first portion is wrapped around the bending regulating member, the second portion enters the recess and is locked to the inner wall of the recess, thereby suppressing displacement of the first portion. It becomes possible to do so. As a result, it becomes possible to wrap the first portion around the bending regulating member in a good manner.

Further, in the above sheet with a detector, the bending regulating member is inserted into the through hole along a part of the inner wall surface of the through hole, and the bending regulating member is inserted into the through hole along a part of the inner wall surface of the through hole. Preferably, the portion of the wall surface is an inclined surface.
In the above configuration, the region along which the bending regulating member is along in the inner wall surface of the through hole is an inclined surface. This makes it easier to fit the bending regulating member into the through hole, and it is possible to prevent problems that may occur if the bending regulating member protrudes from the through hole, such as giving a feeling of being a foreign body when sitting on the seat. .

Further, in the above sheet with a detector, the partial region in the inner wall surface of the through hole has an end closer to the detector among both ends of the partial region in the thickness direction. It is preferable that the surface is inclined so as to be located forward of the end further away from the detector.
In the above configuration, in some regions of the inner wall surface of the through hole that are sloped surfaces, the end of the region closer to the detector is the end that is farther from the detector. It is located further forward. With such a configuration, when the seated person sits on the seat, the ends of the bending regulating member, the fastening member, and each transmission path forming portion inserted into the through hole are separated from the rear end of the seated person's buttocks. become more distant. As a result, it is possible to more effectively suppress the feeling of a foreign body being given to the seated person when sitting on the seat.

Further, in the sheet with the above-mentioned detector, the connecting portion includes a fastening member to which ends of both the first transmission path forming part and the second transmission path forming part are fastened, and the detector includes: A plurality of detectors are provided at different positions from each other, and the plurality of detectors include a first detector and a second detector that are arranged with an interval in the width direction of the sheet, and the first detector and the second detector are arranged at intervals in the width direction of the sheet. A transmission path forming section, the second transmission path forming section, and the fastening member are provided for each of the detectors, and the first transmission path forming section, the second transmission path forming section, and the fastening member are provided for each of the detectors. It further includes a holding film that is attached to each of the members and holds each of the members, and in the holding film, a portion sandwiched between the first detector and the second detector in the width direction is a first extending portion that is located further outward in the width direction and extends along the width direction; and a first extended portion that is located further inside in the width direction and extends along the width direction at a rear position than the first extended portion. and a second extending portion, and the through hole is preferably formed so as to be located forward of the second extending portion in the pad material.
In the above configuration, in the holding film, the portion sandwiched between the first detector and the second detector in the width direction includes a first extending portion located on the outer side in the width direction, and a first extending portion located on the inner side in the width direction. and a second extending portion located at a rearward position than the extending portion. In other words, in the portion of the holding film sandwiched between the first detector and the second detector, the second extending portion located on the inner side in the width direction is larger than the first extending portion located on the outer side in the width direction. It is offset backwards. A through hole is formed in a space secured by offsetting the second extending portion rearward. In other words, the space for forming the through hole can be appropriately secured by offsetting the second extending portion.

Further, in the above sheet with a detector, the through hole is formed such that the rear end of the through hole is located behind the front end of the first extending portion in the front-rear direction of the sheet. good.
In the above configuration, the through-hole is formed such that the rear end of the through-hole is located behind the front end of the first extending portion in the front-rear direction of the seat. With such a configuration, it becomes possible to more effectively utilize the space secured by offsetting the second extending portion rearward.

According to the present invention, the connecting portion between the portion extending from the detector and the portion extending from the signal receiving portion of the transmission path of the signal output from the detector is inserted into the through hole provided in the pad material. In addition, the bending of the connection portion can be restricted by the bending restriction member.
Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to restrict bending of the connecting portion with a simpler configuration.
Further, according to the present invention, when fixing the end portions of the fastening member and each transmission path forming portion onto the outer surface of the bending regulating member, damage to the end portion of the fastening member and each transmission path forming portion is suppressed. It becomes possible to do so.
Further, according to the present invention, it becomes easy to fix the end portions of the fastening member and each transmission path forming portion onto the outer surface of the bending regulating member.
Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to wrap the first portion around the bending regulating member in a good manner while suppressing displacement of the first portion.
Further, according to the present invention, the bending regulating member can be easily accommodated in the through hole, and problems that may occur when the bending regulating member protrudes from the through hole, such as giving a feeling of a foreign body when sitting on the seat, can be suppressed. becomes possible.
Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to more effectively suppress the feeling of a foreign body being given to the seated person when sitting on the seat.
Further, according to the present invention, in the portion of the holding film sandwiched between the first detector and the second detector, the second extending portion located on the inner side in the width direction is offset rearward, and the through hole is This makes it possible to appropriately secure space for forming the .
Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to more effectively utilize the space secured by offsetting the second extending portion rearward.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overall image of a sheet with a detector according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram showing a transmission path of an output signal from a detector. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing how a detector is attached to a pad material. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a detector, a transmission path forming section, a fastening member, and a holding film. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the arrangement position of a detector. It is a perspective view showing a bending regulation member. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the sensor unit before being wrapped around the bending regulating member. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the sensor unit after being wrapped around the bending regulating member. 9 is a view of the sensor unit shown in FIG. 8 when viewed from the direction AA in the figure. FIG. 6 is a diagram when the pad material and sensor unit shown in FIG. 5 are cut along the BB cross section in the figure. FIG. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a sheet with a detector according to a modified example.

<<About the sheet with a detector according to an embodiment of the present invention>>
Hereinafter, a sheet with a detector according to one embodiment (this embodiment) of the present invention will be described. In addition, below, a vehicle seat mounted on a vehicle will be described as a specific example. In addition, in the following explanation, the "front-back direction" corresponds to the front-back direction of the seat, and is the front-back direction when viewed from a person seated on the vehicle seat, specifically the front-back direction of the vehicle (in other words, (travel direction). Moreover, the "width direction" corresponds to the width direction of the seat, and refers to the left-right direction when viewed from a person seated on the vehicle seat.

The basic configuration of the vehicle seat according to this embodiment (hereinafter referred to as the present seat S) is the same as the configuration of a normal vehicle seat. That is, as shown in FIG. 1, the seat S includes a seat cushion S1 that supports the buttocks of the seated person from below, a seat back S2 that supports the back of the seated person from behind, and a headrest S3 that supports the head of the seated person. , has. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall image of the sheet S. As shown in FIG.

The seat cushion S1 and the seat back S2 are constructed by setting a pad material made of urethane or the like on a seat frame (not shown), and then covering the pad material with a skin material. Note that in each of the padding materials of the seat cushion S1 and the seatback S2, a groove for suspending the skin material (suspension groove) is formed long along a predetermined direction.

The sheet S is also equipped with a pressure sensor 1 as a detector. To explain in more detail, the seat S is equipped with a plurality of pressure sensors 1, and the plurality of pressure sensors 1 are provided in a unitized state directly below the seating surface of the seat cushion S1. Each pressure sensor 1 detects the pressure (seating pressure) applied to the seating surface when a seated person sits on the main seat S at its arrangement position. Here, the seating pressure is a value that changes periodically according to the physiological activity of the seated person, specifically, breathing, while the seated person is seated on the seat S, and is the value detected by the pressure sensor 1. It is a value.

The pressure sensor 1 is a known pressure sensor, such as a piezo sensor type pressure sensor, a semiconductor piezo resistance type pressure sensor, a strain gauge type pressure sensor, a capacitance type pressure sensor, or a silicon resonant type pressure sensor. Consists of pressure sensors, etc.

Further, in this embodiment, a unit (hereinafter referred to as a sensor unit 10) including a plurality of pressure sensors 1 is provided at the rear portion of the seat cushion S1, as shown by a broken line in FIG. In addition, each pressure sensor 1 in the sensor unit 10 is arranged at a position sandwiched between a pad material that constitutes the seat cushion S1 and a skin material that covers the pad material so as to accurately detect the seating pressure. has been done. However, there is no restriction on the sensor arrangement position as long as the position allows accurate detection of the seating pressure, and for example, the pressure sensor 1 may be arranged on the seating surface of the seat cushion S1.

Moreover, when the pressure sensor 1 detects the seating pressure, it outputs a signal according to the detection result. This output signal is received by an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 2, as shown in FIG. That is, in this embodiment, the ECU 2 functions as a signal receiving section that receives output signals from each pressure sensor 1. FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing a transmission path of an output signal from the pressure sensor 1.

Further, the ECU 2 according to the present embodiment performs signal processing such as noise removal processing and A/D conversion processing on the received signal, and functions as a signal processing section. Furthermore, the ECU 2 according to the present embodiment performs calculation processing to determine the physiological state of the seated person based on the processed signal, and functions as a calculation unit. "Physiological state of a seated person" means a state related to the normal or abnormal functioning of each body part (including organs and nerves) of a seated person, such as an awake state, a mentally stable state, or a state of drunkenness. . Note that the ECU 2 according to the present embodiment has a function of determining the wakefulness state of the seated person.

To summarize the hardware configuration of the ECU 2, it includes an input port and a controller. The controller performs signal processing on the output signal from the pressure sensor 1 input to the input port, and executes arithmetic processing using the processed signal (strictly speaking, digital data). As a result of such arithmetic processing, the current wakefulness state of the seated person is determined. Note that a known determination method can be used to determine the wakefulness state of the seated person based on the detection result of the pressure sensor 1 (that is, the detection value of the seating pressure). For example, a waveform indicating a periodic change in the seating pressure may be identified from the detection results of the pressure sensor 1, and the wakefulness state of the seated person may be determined from the length of the period of the waveform (for ease of understanding, the interval between peaks). Good too.

Further, the ECU 2 according to the present embodiment is arranged below the seat cushion S1. That is, in this embodiment, the ECU 2 is arranged on the opposite side of the pressure sensor 1 across the pad material P of the seat cushion S1. Furthermore, the ECU 2 according to the present embodiment is arranged at the rear of any of the plurality of pressure sensors 1.

As described above, in this embodiment, the ECU 2 that receives the output signal from the pressure sensor 1 is arranged on the opposite side of the pressure sensor 1 with the pad material P interposed therebetween. In this embodiment, in order to construct a transmission path for the output signal from the pressure sensor 1 to the ECU 2 in this configuration, a through hole 20 is formed in the pad material P as shown in FIG. 3. By passing a portion of the sensor unit 10 that forms a signal transmission path (transmission path forming section) into the through hole 20, the transmission path passes through the through hole 20, and the end of the transmission path It will be connected to ECU2. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing how the sensor unit 10 is attached to the pad material P of the seat cushion S1.

Hereinafter, the sensor unit 10 and the configuration for attaching the sensor unit 10 to the pad material P will be described in detail. First, a configuration example of the sensor unit 10 will be described. As shown in FIG. 4, a pressure sensor 1, a conductive wire 3 as a first transmission path forming part, a cable 4 as a second transmission path forming part, and a fastening member The terminal connecting member 5 and the holding film 6 are the main components of the sensor unit 10. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the sensor unit 10 in an expanded state.

As described above, a plurality of pressure sensors 1 are provided in the sensor unit 10, and in this embodiment, six pressure sensors 1 are provided as shown in FIG. However, the number of pressure sensors 1 is not limited to six, and can be set to any number of two or more. In the following description, when distinguishing each of the six pressure sensors 1, they will be referred to as pressure sensor A, pressure sensor B, pressure sensor C, pressure sensor D, pressure sensor E, and pressure sensor F.

In a state where the sensor unit 10 is attached to the pad material P, the six pressure sensors 1 are arranged such that the coordinates of the arrangement position of each pressure sensor 1 are different from each other in the XY coordinate space, as shown in FIG. There is. Here, the XY coordinate space is a two-dimensional coordinate space defined when both the width direction and the front-rear direction are the axial directions of the coordinate axes. In addition, to explain the coordinates of the origin position in the XY coordinate space, the X coordinate is the center position of the seating surface in the width direction, and the Y coordinate is a position somewhat rearward than the center position of the seating surface in the front-rear direction. It has become. FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the arrangement position of each pressure sensor 1. In addition, in FIG. 5, in order to make it easy to understand the arrangement position of the pressure sensor 1, some components other than the pressure sensor 1 (for example, the conducting wire 3) are omitted.

To explain in more detail the arrangement positions of the pressure sensors 1, the six pressure sensors 1 are arranged in front and back as shown in FIG. However, two pressure sensors 1 are arranged closer to the front side in a row along the width direction. Further, the six pressure sensors 1 are arranged symmetrically with respect to the Y axis (that is, the center position in the width direction of the seating surface). Incidentally, the coordinates of the arrangement position of each pressure sensor 1 are as follows.
(Placement position of pressure sensor A) = (Xa, 0) Xa is any real number greater than 0 (Placement position of pressure sensor B) = (Xb, 0) Xb is a real number greater than 0 and smaller than Xa (Pressure sensor C Placement position) = (Xb, Yc) Yc is any real number greater than 0 (Placement position of pressure sensor D) = (-Xb, Yc)
(Placement position of pressure sensor E) = (-Xb, 0)
(Placement position of pressure sensor F) = (-Xa, 0)

The conductive wire 3 forms a portion extending from the pressure sensor 1 of the transmission path for the signal output from the pressure sensor 1, and is composed of a metal wire with a relatively small wire diameter and an insulating coating. . This conducting wire 3 is provided for each pressure sensor 1. That is, the sensor unit 10 is provided with a total of six conductive wires 3.

The cable 4 forms a portion of the transmission path for the signal output from the pressure sensor 1 that extends from the ECU 2, and is made of a wire whose wire diameter is somewhat larger than that of the conductive wire 3. This cable 4 is also provided for each pressure sensor 1, like the conducting wire 3. That is, the sensor unit 10 is provided with a total of six cables 4. Note that the six cables 4 are bundled at a position in front of the cables 4 connected to the ECU 2 and connected to the ECU 2 as a single twisted wire.

The terminal connecting member 5 constitutes a connecting portion between a portion formed by the conductive wire 3 and a portion formed by the cable 4 in the transmission path of the signal output from the pressure sensor 1. More specifically, the terminal connecting member 5 is made of a conductive metal piece, and has one end to which the conductive wire 3 is fastened, and the other end to which the cable 4 is fastened. Further, the terminal connecting member 5 is provided for each pressure sensor 1. That is, the sensor unit 10 is provided with a total of six terminal connecting members 5.

The holding film 6 has a front layer and a back layer, and holds the six pressure sensors 1, the conductive wire 3 of each pressure sensor 1, the cable 4, and the terminal connection member 5 by sandwiching them between these two layers. It is something. That is, in the sensor unit 10, each pressure sensor 1, the conducting wire 3, the cable 4, and the terminal connection member 5 for each pressure sensor 1 are attached to the holding film 6, and thereby held by the holding film 6. Note that the holding film 6 is made of a conductive material, such as polyethylene naphthalate. Further, the holding film 6 has enough thickness and flexibility to be easily deformed.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4, the holding film 6 according to this embodiment is roughly divided into three regions, specifically, a sensor attachment section 6A, an intermediate section 6B, and an extended section 6C. The sensor attachment portion 6A is an area in the holding film 6 where the pressure sensor 1 is attached. When the sensor unit 10 is attached to the pad material P, the sensor attachment portion 6A is placed on the upper surface of the pad material P, that is, the surface on which the load from the occupant is applied.

In addition to the pressure sensor 1, a conducting wire 3 extending from the pressure sensor 1 is also attached to the sensor attachment portion 6A. As shown in FIG. 4, the conductive wire 3 extending from each pressure sensor 1 extends along the outer edge of the sensor attachment portion 6A toward the intermediate portion 6B.

To explain the sensor attachment part 6A in more detail, the sensor attachment part 6A has a generally circular part to which the pressure sensor 1 is attached and a generally straight line connecting the two pressure sensors 1, as shown in FIG. It has an extended portion. Among these, the parts that communicate between pressure sensors 1 are between pressure sensors A and B, between pressure sensors B and C, between pressure sensors C and D, between pressure sensors D and E, and between pressure sensors E , F, respectively. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5, the portion connecting the pressure sensors C and D extends in the width direction when the sensor unit 10 is attached to the pad material P. Here, the pressure sensors C and D are arranged closer to the front among the six pressure sensors 1, and are two pressure sensors 1 (first detector and (corresponds to the second detector). In this sense, it can be said that the part of the sensor attachment part 6A that communicates between the pressure sensors C and D corresponds to the part sandwiched between the first detector and the second detector in the width direction.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the portions connecting the pressure sensors C and D are a first extending portion 6m located further outside in the width direction and a second extending portion 6n located further inside in the width direction. and has. Two first extending portions 6m are provided so as to sandwich the second extending portion 6n, and each extends linearly along the width direction. The second extending portion 6n extends linearly along the width direction at a rear position than the first extending portion 6m. That is, in the sensor mounting portion 6A of the holding film 6, the portion connecting the pressure sensors C and D has a shape in which the central portion in the width direction (the portion corresponding to the second extending portion 6n) is offset somewhat rearward. There is.

The intermediate portion 6B is a substantially belt-shaped portion extending from the second extending portion 6n, and an intermediate position of the conducting wire 3 extending from the pressure sensor 1 is attached to the intermediate portion 6B. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, a total of six conductive wires 3 are attached to the intermediate portion 6B so as to be lined up at equal intervals and in parallel. In a state in which the sensor unit 10 is attached to the pad material P, the intermediate portion 6B enters the through hole 20 of the pad material P from a halfway position.

The extended portion 6C is a substantially rectangular portion (corresponding to the first portion) that is adjacent to the intermediate portion 6B on the opposite side from the sensor attachment portion 6A and is wider than the intermediate portion 6B. In other words, the intermediate portion 6B is a portion adjacent to the extended portion 6C and narrower than the expanded portion 6C (a portion corresponding to the second portion). A conducting wire 3 extending from the pressure sensor 1, a cable 4 extending from the ECU 2, and a terminal connecting member 5 connecting the end of the conducting wire 3 and the end of the cable 4 are attached to the extended portion 6C. There is. To explain more specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the expanded portion 6C has conductive wires 3, cables 4, and terminal connecting members 5 (hereinafter referred to as conductive wires 3, etc.) provided for each pressure sensor 1 at equal intervals and in parallel. They are arranged so that

Note that the spacing between the conductive wires 3 and the like in the extended portion 6C is wider than the spacing between the conductive wires 3 in the intermediate portion 6B. This is to avoid contact between adjacent terminal connecting members 5 in the extended portion 6C. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the six terminal connecting members 5 are arranged so that their positions are aligned at one end in the extending direction of the extended portion 6C (the end opposite to the side where the intermediate portion 6B is located). has been done. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the arrangement positions of the terminal connecting members 5 may be shifted in the extending direction of the extended portion 6C.

In a state where the sensor unit 10 is attached to the pad material P, substantially the entire extended portion 6C is accommodated in the through hole 20 of the pad material P. On the other hand, a portion of the cable 4 located closer to this side than the extended portion 6C comes out of the through hole 20 from the lower end of the through hole 20, and extends to the ECU 2.

As described above, in this embodiment, when the sensor unit 10 is attached to the pad material P, the expanded portion 6C is accommodated in the through hole 20, so the terminal connecting member 5 is also accommodated in the through hole 20. This means that it has been done. That is, of the transmission path for the output signal from the pressure sensor 1, the connecting portion between the portion formed by the conductive wire 3 and the portion formed by the cable 4 is located within the through hole 20. By being located within the through hole 20, the connecting portion is placed at an appropriate position relative to the pad material P.

Specifically, if the terminal connection member 5 forming the connection part is on the upper surface of the pad material P, there is a possibility that the seated person may feel a foreign body sensation when sitting on the seat S. On the other hand, if the terminal connecting member 5 is located below the pad material P, there is a possibility that the terminal connecting member 5 may interfere with the seat frame that supports the pad material P from below. Further, the holding film 6 to which the terminal connecting member 5 is attached also has to be extended to a position below the pad material P, and there is a possibility that it may interfere with the seat frame and be damaged. On the other hand, if the terminal connecting member 5 and the extended portion 6C of the holding film 6 to which the terminal connecting member 5 is attached are accommodated in the through hole 20 formed in the pad material P, the above-mentioned problems are suppressed and the terminal It becomes possible to appropriately protect the connecting member 5 and the holding film 6.

However, even if the terminal connecting member 5 forming the connection part is placed inside the through hole 20, when a relatively large load is applied around the through hole 20, there is a possibility that the load will be transmitted to the terminal connecting member 5. be. In such a case, there is a possibility that the terminal connecting member 5 (that is, the connecting portion of the signal transmission path) may be bent and damaged. In particular, when a seated person stands on the seat cushion S1 with his or her knees upright, the load applied to the portion of the pad material P on which the seated person's knees rest becomes significantly large. At this time, if the seated person's knees are placed around the through hole 20, there is a risk that an excessive load will be applied to the terminal connecting member 5 located inside the through hole 20, and in this case, the terminal connecting member 5 may be held It will bend together with the film 6 and be damaged.

Therefore, in this embodiment, the bending regulating member 12 is used to regulate the bending of the connection portion as described above, and the bending regulating member 12 is arranged in the through hole 20 together with the terminal connecting member 5. Hereinafter, the bending regulating member 12 will be specifically explained.

The bending regulating member 12 is a component made of a resin material such as plastic or silicone rubber, and has sufficient hardness to regulate the bending of the connecting portion. Further, the bending regulating member 12 has an external shape illustrated in FIG. 6 . FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the bending regulating member 12.

In this embodiment, the bending regulating member 12 is constituted by a cylindrical body having an oval cross section, and has an outer surface 12a curved in an oval shape. Note that the bending regulating member 12 is not limited to a hollow body such as a cylindrical body, but may be a solid body. Further, the cross-sectional shape of the bending regulating member 12 is not limited to an ellipse, but may be circular or polygonal.

Further, the bending regulating member 12 includes a flange-shaped portion 12b that radially extends from one end of the outer surface 12a. This flange-shaped portion 12b is formed over the entire circumference of the bending regulating member 12. Further, as shown in FIG. 6, a part of the brim portion 12b is cut out into a rectangular shape, thereby forming a recessed portion 12c. Note that the width of the recessed portion 12c (the length in the circumferential direction of the bending regulating member 12) is slightly longer than the width of the intermediate portion 6B of the holding film 6.

The bending regulating member 12 configured as described above has the terminal connecting member 5 and the ends of the conducting wire 3 and the cable 4 fastened to the terminal connecting member 5 fixed on the outer surface 12a thereof. , to restrict bending of the connection part. Specifically, the portion of the holding film 6 to which the terminal connecting member 5 and the ends of the conductive wire 3 and the cable 4 are attached, that is, the extended portion 6C, is attached to the bending regulating member 12 along the outer surface 12a. Can be wrapped around. Thereby, the terminal connecting member 5 and the respective ends of the conducting wire 3 and the cable 4 are fixed on the outer surface 12a of the bending regulating member 12.

To explain in more detail, when wrapping the extended portion 6C around the bending regulating member 12, as shown in FIG. coated. This makes it possible to prevent the terminal connecting members 5 from coming into contact with each other when the extended portion 6C is wound around the bending regulating member 12. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the sensor unit 10 at a stage before the extended portion 6C is wrapped around the bending regulating member 12.

Then, the extended portion 6C in which the area where the terminal connecting members 5 are lined up is covered with the insulating tape 7 is wrapped around the bending regulating member 12, and then the extended portion 6C wrapped around the bending regulating member 12 is wrapped with an adhesive tape T. Surround and secure. As a result, as shown in FIG. 8, the portions of the sensor unit 10 attached to the extended portion 6C of the holding film 6 (specifically, the conductive wire 3, the cable 4, and the terminal connecting member 5) are bent by the bending regulating member. 12 as a core material. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the sensor unit 10 in a state in which the extended portion 6C is wrapped around the bending regulating member 12.

Note that when wrapping the extended portion 6C around the bending regulating member 12, as shown in FIG. . FIG. 9 is a view of the sensor unit 10 shown in FIG. 8 when viewed from the direction AA in the figure.

As a result of the intermediate portion 6B entering into the recess 12c, even if the expanded portion 6C is likely to be misaligned when the expanded portion 6C is wound around the bending regulating member 12, the side end of the intermediate portion 6B will not fit into the recess 12c. Since it is locked to the inner wall, the above-mentioned positional shift is suppressed. As a result, it becomes possible to wrap the extended portion 6C around the bending regulating member 12 well. It should be noted that the configuration for suppressing the displacement of the extended portion 6C when the extended portion 6C is wrapped around the bending regulating member 12 is not limited to the recess 12c formed in the brim portion 12b, and for example, A protrusion for suppressing positional shift may be provided on the outer surface 12a of the bending regulating member 12.

Further, by providing the recess 12c in the brim portion 12b, there is no need for the intermediate portion 6B and the conducting wire 3 attached to the intermediate portion 6B to climb over the brim portion 12b. This makes it possible to prevent the conducting wire 3 from coming into contact with the edge of the brim portion 12b and being damaged.

Further, in this embodiment, the outer surface 12a of the bending regulating member 12 is curved in an elliptical shape. In other words, since there is no angular portion on the outer surface 12a, when the extended portion 6C is wrapped around the bending regulating member 12, damage is suppressed when the extended portion 6C comes into contact with the outer surface 12a. becomes possible. However, the shape of the outer surface 12a of the bending regulating member 12 is not particularly limited, and the outer surface 12a may be bent into a polygonal shape and have corners.

As described above, the terminal connecting member 5 is fixed to the outer surface 12a of the bending regulating member 12 together with the conducting wire 3, cable 4, and extension portion 6C, so that it is reinforced by the bending regulating member 12. In other words, the terminal connecting member 5 is supported by the bending regulating member 12 having sufficient hardness, and even if a load is input to the terminal connecting member 5, the terminal connecting member 5 can resist the input load and thereby 5 can be suppressed from bending.

The bending regulating member 12 around which the extended portion 6C is wound is inserted into the through hole 20 when the sensor unit 10 is attached to the pad material P. Thereby, the transmission path of the output signal from each pressure sensor 1 comes to pass through the through hole 20. Then, the bending of the terminal connecting member 5 (that is, the bending of the connecting portion) within the through hole 20 is regulated by the bending regulating member 12 .

Furthermore, in the present embodiment, when the sensor unit 10 is attached to the pad material P, the bending regulating member 12 is completely housed within the through hole 20 (in other words, it does not protrude from the through hole 20). This suppresses the feeling of a foreign body when the seated person sits on the main seat S. Hereinafter, the positional relationship between the bending regulating member 12 and the through hole 20 will be explained.

In explaining the positional relationship between the bending regulating member 12 and the through hole 20, first, the configuration of the through hole 20 and its surroundings will be described with reference to FIG. The through hole 20 is formed in the pad material P from one end (upper end) to the other end (lower end) in the thickness direction of the pad material P. The opening on the upper end side of the through hole 20 has a size that is one size larger than the outer edge of the bending regulating member 12 (strictly speaking, the outer edge of the brim portion 12b).

In this embodiment, the through hole 20 is formed at a position forward of the six pressure sensors 1 and the sensor attachment portion 6A of the holding film 6, as shown in FIG. This is because if the pressure sensor 1 is placed at the rear of the seat cushion S1 and the through hole 20 is formed further back, the occupant will feel uncomfortable when sitting on the seat S. be. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the through hole 20 is formed in the center portion of the pad material P in the width direction. This reflects the fact that the six pressure sensors 1 and the sensor attachment portions 6A of the holding film 6 have a symmetrical structure across the center position in the width direction of the seat cushion S1.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, a suspension for suspending the skin material is provided in front and behind the portion of the pad material P where the six pressure sensors 1 and the sensor attachment portion 6A of the holding film 6 are arranged. A groove Pa is formed along the width direction. As shown in FIG. 5, the through hole 20 is formed at a slightly rearward position than the front hanging groove Pa. This is because if the through hole 20 is formed at a position forward of the front suspension groove Pa, part of the conducting wire 3 and the holding film 6 will be disposed so as to straddle the suspension groove Pa. This is because there is a possibility that this may cause trouble during the work of suspending the skin material.

On the other hand, in the sensor mounting portion 6A of the holding film 6, as for the portion connecting the pressure sensors C and D, the center portion in the width direction (the portion corresponding to the second extending portion 6n) is offset rearward. There is. In other words, a space is secured ahead of the central portion in the width direction of the portion that communicates between the pressure sensors C and D. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the through hole 20 is formed using the secured space. That is, in this embodiment, the space for forming the through hole 20 is appropriately secured by offsetting a portion of the sensor mounting portion 6A that communicates between the pressure sensors C and D to the rear. There is.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. A through hole 20 is formed so as to be located at the rear. Thereby, the space secured by offsetting the widthwise central portion of the portion connecting pressure sensors C and D rearward can be used more effectively as the space for forming the through hole 20.

Next, the positional relationship between the bending regulating member 12 and the through hole 20 will be explained. In the state where the sensor unit 10 is attached to the pad material P, the bending regulating member 12 has a part inside the inner wall surface of the through hole 20. It is inserted into the through hole 20 along the area. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 10, the rear region of the inner wall surface of the through hole 20 is an inclined surface 20a. As shown in the figure, the upper end (the end closer to the pressure sensor 1) of the both ends of the pad material P in the thickness direction is the lower end (the end farther from the pressure sensor 1). It is slanted so that it is located further forward. FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the pad material P and sensor unit 10 shown in FIG. 5 taken along the BB cross section in the figure.

The bending regulating member 12 is inserted into the through hole 20 along the region of the inner wall surface of the through hole 20 that forms the above-mentioned inclined surface 20a. In other words, the bending regulating member 12 is disposed in the through hole 20 in a tilted state (strictly speaking, tilted forward) with respect to the thickness direction of the pad material P. Thereby, the bending regulating member 12 comes to fit within the through hole 20. To explain more specifically, when the thickness of the pad material P is relatively thin, when the bending regulating member 12 is inserted into the through hole 20 in a state along the thickness direction of the padding material P, a part of the bending regulating member 12 (For example, the lower end portion) may protrude from the through hole 20. On the other hand, if the bending regulating member 12 is inserted into the through hole 20 in a state that is inclined with respect to the thickness direction of the pad material P, the bending regulating member 12 is inserted into the through hole 20 even if the pad material P is thin. It is possible to accommodate the entire member 12.

Moreover, the above-mentioned inclined surface 20a is inclined so as to be located rearward from the upper end toward the lower end. Therefore, the upper end (the end closer to the pressure sensor 1) of the bending regulating member 12 along the inclined surface 20a is located further forward, and the lower end (the end farther away from the pressure sensor 1) part) will be located more posteriorly. This makes it possible to effectively suppress the feeling of a foreign body caused by the bending regulating member 12 when the seated person sits on the main seat S.

To explain clearly, the upper end portion of the bending regulating member 12 located within the through hole 20, which is closer to the buttocks of the seated person, is located closer to the front side of the seat cushion S1. That is, when a seated person sits on the seat S, the upper end portion of the bending regulating member 12 is positioned in front of the seated person's buttocks, specifically, near the crotch. Therefore, the seated person is prevented from feeling a foreign body sensation due to the upper end portion of the bending regulating member 12. On the other hand, the lower end portion of the bending regulating member 12 is located further rearward in the seat cushion S1. However, since the lower end of the bending regulating member 12 (strictly speaking, the lower end and the central portion) is sufficiently far from the buttocks of the seated person, the lower end of the bending regulating member 12 may cause the seated occupant to feel a foreign body sensation. It's hard to imagine.

As is clear from the above reasons, the configuration in which the inclined surface 20a is inclined so as to be located rearward from the upper end toward the lower end effectively prevents the feeling of a foreign body from being given to the seated person when sitting on the seat. It becomes possible to suppress the

Note that the slope pattern of the slope surface 20a is not limited to the above-described content, and may be sloped so as to be located forward from the upper end toward the lower end, for example. Alternatively, it may be inclined to the left (or to the right) as it goes from the top end to the bottom end. However, from the viewpoint of suppressing the feeling of a foreign body when sitting, it is preferable to use the above-mentioned inclination pattern, that is, to incline the seat so that it is located forward as it goes from the upper end to the lower end.

<<Other embodiments>>
In the above embodiment, the sheet with a detector of the present invention was explained by giving an example. However, the above-described embodiments are merely examples for facilitating understanding of the present invention, and do not limit the present invention. That is, the present invention may be modified and improved without departing from its spirit, and it goes without saying that the present invention includes equivalents thereof.

Further, in the above embodiment, the pressure sensor 1 as a detector is arranged directly below the seating surface of the seat cushion S1. However, other examples of the type of detector and its placement position are also possible. Regarding the detector, it is sufficient that it detects the target value that changes when the seated person sits on the seat. A shape sensor that detects a value according to the body shape (shape), a potential sensor that detects the body potential of the seated person, etc. may be used. Furthermore, the position of the detector is not limited to the upper surface of the pad material P of the seat cushion S1, but may be a surface other than the upper surface (for example, the lower surface) of the pad material P. Alternatively, it may be the front or rear surface of the pad material P of the seat back S2.

Further, in the above embodiment, in order to restrict bending of the terminal connecting member 5, the extended portion 6C of the holding film 6 to which the terminal connecting member 5 is attached is wrapped around the bending restricting member 12, and the terminal connecting member 5 is bent. It was decided to fix it on the outer surface 12a of the regulating member 12. However, the configuration for regulating the bending of the terminal connecting member 5 by the bending regulating member 12 is not limited to the above content. For example, bending of the terminal connecting member 5 may be restricted by inserting the terminal connecting member 5 and the expansion portion 6C into the hole of the bending restricting member 12, which is a cylindrical body.

Further, in the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to a vehicle seat, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The present invention is also applicable to the general office chair C shown in FIG. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an office chair C equipped with a sensor unit 10 as a seat with a detector according to a modified example. Further, the present invention is also applicable to vehicle seats mounted on vehicles other than vehicles.

1 Pressure sensor (detector)
2 ECU (signal receiving unit)
3 Conductor wire (first transmission line forming part)
4 Cable (second transmission path forming part)
5 Terminal connection member (fastening member)
6 Protective film 6A Sensor attachment part 6B Intermediate part (second part)
6C Extension part (first part)
6m First extension part 6n Second extension part 7 Insulating tape 12 Bending regulating member 12a Outer surface 12b Flange-shaped part 12c Recessed part 20 Through hole 20a Slope P Pad material Pa Suspension groove C Office chair (sheet with detector )
S Main sheet (sheet with detector)
S1 Seat cushion S2 Seat back S3 Headrest T Adhesive tape

Claims (1)

a detector that detects a target value that changes when a seated person sits on the seat;
a first transmission path forming part that forms a portion extending from the detector among the transmission paths for a signal output when the detector detects the target value;
a second transmission path forming section that forms a portion of the transmission path that extends from a signal receiving section that receives the signal;
a bending restriction member that restricts bending of a connecting portion of the transmission path between a portion formed by the first transmission path forming portion and a portion formed by the second transmission path forming portion;
A pad material provided in the sheet, comprising a through hole formed from one end to the other end in the thickness direction of the pad material,
A sheet with a detector, characterized in that the transmission path passes through the through hole by inserting the bending regulating member into the through hole.

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