JP2024043671A - Vehicle seat - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To realize a vehicle seat that allows an airbag module to be disposed either on the outer side of the seat or on the center side of the seat using one type of seat frame and bracket. [Solution] A bracket 20 has a storage section 23 formed in a concave shape so that at least a part of an inflator can be stored therein, and a plate section 21 that serves as a mounting section when mounting to a side frame 10. The side frame 10 has an opening 13 into which the storage section 23 is inserted, a first joint surface 11 to which the plate section 21 can be mounted on the outer side of the seat of the side frame 10, and a second joint surface 12 to which the plate section 21 can be mounted on the center side of the seat of the side frame 10. When inserting and mounting the storage section 23 of the bracket 20 into the opening 13 of the side frame 10, simply by reversing the insertion direction, the airbag module can be disposed either on the outer side of the seat or on the center side of the seat. [Selected Figure] Fig. 4A

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle seat equipped with a side frame to which an airbag module is attached.

2. Description of the Related Art Side airbag devices are known that restrain the sides of an occupant during a side collision of a vehicle (for example, see Patent Document 1). As shown in FIG. 6A, the airbag module 30 constituting this type of side airbag device includes an inflator 32 and an airbag cushion 31 that is inflated and deployed by inflation gas injected from the inflator 32. It is stored inside the side support part 40 of the backrest part 2 of 1.

The vehicle seat 1 includes a side frame 101 to which the airbag module 30 is attached. The side frame 101 is provided with a through hole 110 through which the stud bolt 33 of the inflator 32 is inserted. The airbag module 30 is disposed on the seat outer side of the side frame 101.

Vehicle seats 1 are available in a variety of shapes, but in the future, thin seats with a thinner side support portion 40 in the vehicle width direction are expected to become a trend. In a thin seat, the space for arranging the airbag module 30 is narrower on the outer side of the seat of the side frame 101. The shape shown by imaginary lines in Figures 6B and 6C is the shape of the side support portion 40 in a thin seat. Conventionally, the following two configurations have been proposed to accommodate thin seats.

The first configuration, as shown in FIG. 6B, is to change the shape of the side frame 102 and provide a recess 103 in the seat rear portion of the side frame 102 that bulges toward the seat center side. In this case, the inflator 32 is attached to the side frame 102 from the outside of the seat. Since the inflator 32 can be inserted into the recess 102, the thickness of the side support section 40 on the outside of the seat can be reduced accordingly.

As shown in FIG. 6C, the second configuration uses a side frame 101 with the same shape as in FIG. 6A, but the airbag module 30 is placed on the seat outer side of the side frame 101 (see, for example, Patent Document 2). In this case, the inflator 32 is attached to the side frame 101 from the center side of the seat. Because the airbag module 30 is placed on the seat outer side of the side frame 101, the thickness of the seat outer portion of the side support part 40 can be reduced.

JP 2015-101297 Publication JP 2018-58433 Publication

There is a demand for the two configurations described above to be used interchangeably as needed, taking into consideration performance, etc. However, because the shapes of side frames 101 and 102 are different, it is not possible to realize both configurations with one side frame. Conventional methods require the preparation and reassembly of two types of side frames, which creates problems in terms of manufacturing costs and work efficiency.

The present invention was made in consideration of these circumstances, and aims to realize a vehicle seat that can be used even when the side support portion is thin, does not require the use of two types of side frames, and allows the placement of an airbag module on either the outside or center of the seat.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the vehicle seat of the present invention is a vehicle seat that includes a side frame, and an airbag module having an airbag cushion and an inflator that sprays gas to inflate and deploy the airbag cushion is attached to the side frame via a bracket, the bracket includes a storage section formed in a concave shape so that at least a portion of the inflator can be stored therein, and a plate section that serves as a mounting section when mounting to the side frame, the side frame includes an opening into which the storage section is inserted, a first joint surface on the outer side of the seat of the side frame where the plate section can be mounted, and a second joint surface on the center side of the seat of the side frame where the plate section can be mounted, and the shape of the bracket is formed so that the storage section can be inserted into the opening in either the outer side of the seat or the center side of the seat.

In the present invention, the side frame is provided with a through hole that penetrates between the first joint surface and the second joint surface, and the bracket is provided with a fastener that is inserted through the first mounting hole formed in the plate portion and the through hole. A configuration may also be adopted in which the device is attached to the side frame by means of a tool.

In the present invention, a configuration may be adopted in which a second mounting hole is formed in the storage section, and the airbag module is attached to the storage section by a fastener that is inserted into the second mounting hole.

In the present invention, a bracket may be attached to the first joint surface, and the main part of the airbag module may be attached to the side frame so as to be located on the outer side of the seat.

In the present invention, a configuration may be adopted in which a bracket is attached to the second joint surface and the main part of the airbag module is attached to the side frame so as to be located on the seat center side.

In the vehicle seat of the present invention, the bracket has a storage section formed in a recess so that at least a portion of the inflator can be stored, and a plate section that serves as an attachment section when attaching the bracket to the side frame.

The side frame has an opening into which the storage section is inserted, a first joint surface to which the plate part can be attached to the outside of the seat of the side frame, and a second joint surface to which the plate part can be attached to the center side of the seat of the side frame. It is equipped with The shapes of the storage part and the plate part of the bracket are determined so that the storage part can be inserted into the opening of the side frame both toward the outside of the seat and toward the center of the seat. .

In the present invention, the airbag module can be placed outside the seat in the side frame. When the seat is placed outside the seat, the housing portion of the bracket is inserted into the opening of the side frame toward the center of the seat, and the plate portion of the bracket is attached to the first joint surface of the side frame. Attachment to the first joint surface is performed using a fastener inserted through a first attachment hole formed in the plate portion and a through hole in the side frame. Then, with the inflator part of the airbag module butted against the storage part, insert the inflator's stud bolt into the second mounting hole formed in the storage part and fasten and fix it with a nut to attach the airbag module. Attach it to the storage section. As a result, the airbag module can be mounted such that the main portion of the airbag module is disposed outside the seat of the side frame.

In the present invention, the airbag module can also be arranged on the seat center side of the side frame. When arranging the airbag module on the seat center side, the storage portion of the bracket is inserted toward the outside of the seat into the opening of the side frame, and the plate portion of the bracket is attached to the second joint surface of the side frame. The attachment to the second joint surface is performed by a fastener that passes through a first attachment hole formed in the plate portion and a through hole in the side frame. Then, with the inflator portion of the airbag module butted against the storage portion, the stud bolt of the inflator is inserted into the second attachment hole formed in the storage portion and fastened and fixed with a nut, thereby attaching the airbag module to the storage portion. This allows the airbag module to be attached with the main portion of the airbag module arranged on the seat center side of the side frame.

According to the present invention, the above-mentioned two types of airbag module installation can be achieved with one type of side frame and bracket. The present invention allows the airbag module to be installed on either the outer side of the seat or the center side of the seat on the side frame, even in the case of a seat in which the thickness of the side support portion in the vehicle width direction is thin.

FIG. 1 is a side view of a vehicle seat according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the seat frame of the vehicle seat according to the embodiment before the bracket is attached, as seen from an oblique direction. FIG. 3A is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a cross section of the end portion in the width direction of the seat taken along the line AA in FIG. 1 in a state before the airbag module is assembled. FIG. 3B is an enlarged cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 3A, with the direction of insertion of the bracket reversed. FIG. 4A is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the side frame and bracket of FIG. 3A, cut at a position where a through hole, a first attachment hole, and a second attachment hole appear. FIG. 4A(a) shows the state before the bracket is attached, and FIG. 4A(b) shows the state with the bracket attached. FIG. 4B is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the side frame and bracket of FIG. 3B, cut at a position where a through hole, a first attachment hole, and a second attachment hole appear. FIG. 4B(a) shows the state before the bracket is attached, and FIG. 4B(b) shows the state with the bracket attached. FIG. 5A is an enlarged sectional view showing a cross section of the end portion in the width direction of the vehicle seat according to the embodiment, with the airbag module disposed outside the seat and the inflator attached to the bracket. FIG. 5B is an enlarged sectional view showing a cross section of the end portion in the width direction of the vehicle seat according to the embodiment, with the airbag module disposed at the center of the seat and the inflator attached to the bracket. FIG. 6A is a diagram showing an example of a conventional vehicle seat. FIG. 6B is a diagram illustrating an example in which an airbag module is arranged outside the seat frame of a conventional vehicle seat. FIG. 6C is a diagram illustrating an example of a conventional vehicle seat in which the airbag module is arranged on the seat center side of the seat frame.

The following describes in detail an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings. Note that the following embodiment is merely an example of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, its applications, or its uses.

In the present invention, the term "occupant" refers to, for example, a dummy for frontal collision test (Hybrid III AM50/NHTSA [National Highway Traffic Safety Administration] standard [49CFR Part572 Subpart E and O]). A person with a physique equivalent to an average male in the United States, based on the human body dummy for frontal crash tests determined by the United States, and has approximate dimensions of 175 cm in height, 88 cm in sitting height, and 78 kg in weight. However, the present invention is also applicable to other human dummies.

In this specification, "upper" and "upper side" may refer to the direction of the head of an occupant sitting in the correct position on the seat 1, and "lower" and "lower side" may refer to the direction of the occupant's feet. Here, "correct position" refers to the center position of the seat cushion 3 in the left-right direction of the seat 1, where the occupant's back is in contact with the backrest 2 from above and below. Also, "front" and "front side" may refer to the front direction of an occupant sitting in the correct position on the seat 1, and "rear" and "rear side" may refer to the back direction of the occupant. Also, "left" and "left side" may refer to the left hand direction of an occupant sitting in the correct position on the seat 1, and "right" and "right side" may refer to the right hand direction of the occupant.

In addition, in this specification, directions may be defined based on the vehicle seat 1. For example, when describing the arrangement of the airbag module 30 stored in the side support portion 40 of the vehicle seat 1, "seat center side" means the direction toward the center of the vehicle seat 1, and "outside of the seat" means the direction toward the outside of the vehicle seat 1 (however, the direction toward the outside on the opposite side to the seat center side). In addition, when describing the shape of the side frame 10, "forward of the seat" means the direction toward the front of the vehicle seat 1, and "rear of the seat" means the direction toward the rear of the vehicle seat 1.

[Configuration of this embodiment]
This embodiment is a vehicle seat 1 used as a driver's seat for a vehicle such as an automobile. As shown in Fig. 1, the vehicle seat 1 includes a backrest 2 for supporting the back of an occupant, and a seat cushion 3 for supporting the buttocks and thighs of the occupant. The backrest 2 is attached to the rear end of the seat cushion 3 so as to be able to tilt. A headrest 4 for supporting the head of the occupant is integrally formed at the upper end of the backrest 2. The headrest 4 may be attached to the upper end of the backrest 2 via a rod-shaped support member.

As shown in FIG. 2, a seat frame 5 is provided inside the backrest portion 2, and a seating frame 6 is provided on the bottom side of the seat cushion 3. The seat frame 5 and the seating frame 6 are connected via a reclining mechanism 7, and form a skeleton of the vehicle seat 1.

The seat frame 5 includes a pair of side frames 10 extending in the up-down direction of the seat at the right and left ends in the seat width direction inside the backrest portion 2, an upper frame 5a connecting the upper ends of the pair of side frames 10 in the seat width direction, and a lower frame 5b connecting the lower ends of the pair of side frames 10 in the seat width direction. The seat frame 5 is configured in a frame shape by the side frames 10, the upper frame 5a, and the lower frame 5b. The side frames 10 are molded, for example, from metal or resin.

3A and 3B show the cross-sectional shape of the side frame 10 portion of the seat frame 5 and the cross-sectional shape of the bracket 20 attached to the side frame 10. The bracket 20 includes a storage section 23 that stores the inflator 32. The bracket 20 is attached by inserting the storage portion 23 into the opening 13 of the side frame 10. In this embodiment, the storage part 23 of the bracket 20 can be attached by being inserted into the opening 13 toward the center of the seat (see FIG. 3A), and if the insertion direction of the bracket 20 is reversed, It can also be inserted and attached in the outward direction (see FIG. 3B). In this embodiment, an airbag module 30 having an airbag cushion 31 and an inflator 32 that injects gas that inflates and deploys the airbag cushion 31 is attached to the side frame 10 via a bracket 20.

As shown in enlarged views in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the bracket 20 includes a housing portion 23 formed in a concave shape so that at least a portion of the inflator 32 can be stored therein. The storage portion 23 has an inner surface recessed in a substantially arc shape, and an outer surface curved and protruding in a substantially arc shape. The bracket 20 includes a plate portion 21 that serves as an attachment portion when attached to the side frame 10. The plate portion 21 has a joint surface 21a that is joined to the side frame 10.

The side frame 10 has an opening 13 into which the storage section 23 is inserted. The opening 13 has a required width so that the storage section 23 can be inserted. The side frame 10 has a first joint surface 11 to which the plate section 21 can be attached on the outer side of the seat of the side frame 10, and a second joint surface 12 to which the plate section 21 can be attached on the center side of the seat of the side frame 10. The first joint surface 11 is present on one side of the side frame 10, and the second joint surface 12 is present on the other side of the side frame 10.

In this embodiment, the shape of the bracket 20 is determined by the shape of the storage section 23 and the plate section 21 so that the storage section 23 can be inserted into the opening 13 both toward the outside of the seat and toward the center of the seat. Specifically, the storage section 23 is formed in a concave shape so that the inner surface facing the inflator 32 is an arc-shaped curved surface so as to follow the shape of the outer surface of the cylindrical inflator 32.

The plate portion 21 is a plate-shaped component that is continuous with the edge of the storage portion 23. The plate portion 21 is formed integrally with the storage portion 23. The plate portion 21 is formed so that the joint surface 21a that is fastened to the first joint surface 11 or the second joint surface 12 of the side frame 10 is a flat surface. The plate portion 21 has two surfaces, and the surface on the side where the storage portion 23 protrudes is the joint surface 21a (see Figures 4A(a) and 4B(a)).

The side frame 10 has a through hole 14 that passes between the first joint surface 11 and the second joint surface 12. As shown in Fig. 4A(b) and Fig. 4B(b), the bracket 20 is attached to the side frame 10 by a bolt 25 and a nut 26 that pass through the first mounting hole 22 and the through hole 14 formed in the plate portion 21. The bolt 25 and the nut 26 correspond to fasteners.

5A and 5B show cross sections of each component in a state where the airbag module is assembled. A seat pad 52 made of, for example, urethane foam is disposed inside the backrest portion 2. The backrest portion 2 includes a side support portion 40 that bulges forward of the seat at a side portion in the vehicle width direction. Inside the side support portion 40, the airbag module 30 is housed in a gap where the seat pad 52 is not placed. The seat pad 52 is covered with a skin material 51. The skin material 51 is made of stretchable fabric or leather.

The vehicle seat 1 has an airbag module 30 housed inside the side support portion 40, which has an airbag cushion 31 and an inflator 32 that sprays gas to inflate and deploy the airbag cushion 31.

The airbag cushion 31 is a bag body made of cloth, which is constructed by preparing a required number of base fabrics of a desired shape in advance and sewing predetermined locations such as the outer periphery of these base fabrics. The airbag cushion 31 can be stored in the vehicle seat 1 by being rolled up into a roll or folded into a bellows shape when placed flat. The periphery of the airbag cushion 31 in the folded and deflated state is covered with a covering member 34.

A cylindrical inflator 32 is arranged inside the airbag cushion 31. When a side collision, an oblique collision, an offset collision, etc. occur, the inflator 32 receives a signal from a sensor and blows gas into the airbag cushion 31 from a blowout hole provided on its outer surface. expand and expand. In the event of a side collision, etc., the inflated and deployed airbag cushion restrains the shoulders, chest, upper arms, etc. of the occupant who move due to the impact, thereby suppressing the occupant's movement.

Stud bolts 33 are attached to the outer surface of the inflator 32 so as to protrude at appropriate intervals in the longitudinal direction. The inflator 32 is fixed to the bracket 20 by the stud bolts 33. This fixing is performed by inserting the stud bolts 33 into the second mounting holes 24 of the storage section 23. The part housing the inflator 32 is fixed to the side frame 10 via the bracket 20, and the airbag module 30 is fixed to the side frame 10.

The seams of the skin material 51 of the backrest portion 2 are woven inside and connected by sewing. The front seam of the side support portion 40 becomes a cleavage portion 53 that ruptures when the airbag cushion 31 is inflated and deployed. The tearing portion 53 serves as a starting point from which the side support portion tears when the airbag cushion 31 is inflated and deployed. As a result, when a signal from the sensor is received in the event of a side collision, the airbag cushion 31 is inflated at once from between the seat center side portion 41 and the seat outer portion 42 of the side support portion 40, and the airbag cushion 31 is immediately inflated to the side of the occupant. It becomes possible to expand.

[Effects of this embodiment]
In this embodiment, regarding the arrangement of the airbag module 30 and the attachment to the side frame 10, the most suitable method can be selected from two methods described below.

In the first configuration, as shown in FIG. 5A, the bracket 20 is attached to the first joint surface 11, and the main part of the airbag module 30 is attached to the side frame 10 so as to be located outside the seat. Here, the main part of the airbag module 30 means a part of the airbag module 30 that is mainly occupied by the airbag cushion 31, excluding a part of the inflator 32 and the stud bolts 33.

When the airbag module 30 is positioned on the outside of the seat, the storage portion 23 of the bracket 20 is inserted toward the center of the seat into the opening 13 of the side frame 10 as shown in Figures 4A(a) and 4A(b), and the plate portion 21 of the bracket 20 is attached to the first joint surface 11 of the side frame 10.

The bracket 20 is attached to the first joint surface 11 using fasteners (bolts 25 and nuts 26) inserted through the first attachment hole 22 formed in the plate portion 21 and the through hole 14 of the side frame 10.

In this embodiment, a second attachment hole 24 is formed in the storage portion 23. Then, with the inflator 32 part of the airbag module 30 abutting against the storage section, the stud bolt 33 of the inflator 32 is inserted into the second mounting hole 24 of the storage section 23 and fastened and fixed with the nut 35. The airbag module 30 is attached to the storage section 23. The stud bolt 33 and nut 35 correspond to fasteners. Thereby, the airbag module 30 can be mounted such that the main portion of the airbag module 30 is disposed outside the seat of the side frame 10.

As shown in FIG. 5B, the second configuration is such that the bracket 20 is attached to the second joint surface 12, and the main part of the airbag module 30 is attached so as to be positioned toward the center of the seat on the side frame 10.

When the airbag module 30 is positioned toward the center of the seat, the storage portion 23 of the bracket 20 is inserted toward the outside of the seat into the opening 13 of the side frame 10 as shown in Figures 4B(a) and 4B(b), and the plate portion 21 of the bracket 20 is attached to the second joint surface 12 of the side frame 10.

The bracket 20 is attached to the second joint surface 12 using fasteners (bolts 25 and nuts 26) that pass through the first mounting holes 22 formed in the plate portion 21 and the through holes 13 in the side frame 10.

Then, with the inflator 32 of the airbag module 30 abutting against the storage section 13, the stud bolt 33 of the inflator 32 is inserted into the second mounting hole 24 formed in the storage section 23 and fastened with a nut 35, thereby attaching the airbag module 30 to the storage section 23. The stud bolt 33 and nut 35 correspond to fasteners. This allows the airbag module 30 to be attached with the main part of the airbag module 30 positioned toward the center of the seat of the side frame 10.

In this embodiment, one type of side frame 10 and side frame 20 are used, and when the storage section 23 of the bracket 20 is inserted into the opening 13 of the side frame 10 for installation, the airbag module 30 can be installed on either the outer side of the seat or the center side of the seat of the side frame 10 simply by reversing the insertion direction.

In this embodiment, even when the airbag module 30 is placed on the outer side of the seat of the side frame 10, the inflator 32 can be inserted into the recessed portion of the storage section 23, so the thickness of the outer side portion of the side support section 40 can be reduced accordingly. Therefore, even if the seat is a thin seat in which the thickness of the side support section 40 in the vehicle width direction is reduced, the airbag module 30 can be placed on the outer side of the seat of the side frame 10, and can also be placed toward the center of the seat if necessary.

[Modification of the embodiment]
In the above-described embodiment, the vehicle seat 1 may be used as a passenger seat. The vehicle seat 1 is not limited to a front seat of the vehicle, and may be a rear seat.

In the above-described embodiment, the shape, etc. of the side frame 10 and the bracket 20 are not limited to the shape, size, arrangement, etc. shown in each drawing. The shape of the airbag cushion 31 constituting the airbag module 30 in the stored state and the shape of the side support part 40 are also not limited to the examples shown in each drawing.

In the above embodiment, the inflator 32 may be a disk type. In this case, the shape of the storage section 23 of the bracket 20 may be adjusted according to the shape of the inflator 32.

In the above-described embodiment, the plate portion 21 of the bracket 20 may be attached to the side frame 10 using the surface opposite to the joint surface 21a shown in FIG. 4A(a) and FIG. 4B(a) as long as there is no problem with the mounting strength to the side frame 10. Even in this case, it is possible to select whether to attach to the first joint surface 11 or the second joint surface 12 of the side frame 10, and the same effect as the above-described embodiment can be obtained.

The present invention is applicable to all vehicle seats equipped with airbag modules.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 vehicle seat 10 side frame 11 first joint surface 12 second joint surface 13 opening 14 through hole 20 bracket 21 plate portion 22 first mounting hole 23 storage portion 24 second mounting hole 25 bolt 26 nut 30 airbag module 31 airbag cushion 32 inflator 33 stud bolt 35 nut

Claims (5)

A vehicle seat comprising a side frame, an airbag module having an airbag cushion and an inflator that injects gas that inflates and deploys the airbag cushion, and is attached to the side frame via a bracket,
The bracket includes a storage portion formed in a concave shape so that at least a portion of the inflator can be stored therein, and a plate portion that serves as an attachment portion when attached to the side frame,
The side frame has an opening into which the storage portion is inserted, a first joint surface to which the plate portion can be attached to the outside of the seat of the side frame, and a first joint surface to which the plate portion can be attached to the center side of the seat of the side frame. and a second joint surface,
The shape of the bracket is such that the storage portion can be inserted into the opening both toward the outside of the seat and toward the center of the seat. The side frame includes a through hole passing between the first joint surface and the second joint surface, and the bracket is inserted through the first mounting hole formed in the plate portion and the through hole. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle seat is attached to the side frame by a fastener that is attached to the side frame. The vehicle seat according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a second mounting hole is formed in the storage section, and the airbag module is attached to the storage section by a fastener that is inserted into the second mounting hole. 3. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the bracket is attached to the first joint surface, and the main part of the airbag module is attached to the side frame so as to be located on the outside of the seat. The vehicle seat according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the bracket is attached to the second joint surface, and the main part of the airbag module is attached so as to be positioned on the seat center side of the side frame.

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