JP2633787B2 - Seat equipment - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a seat apparatus which can be adjusted to a thorax support position which does not impose a burden on the spine of an automobile driver.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Many studies have been made on the shape of a seat for providing a stable seating feeling without imposing a load on the spine of a seated person. As shown in FIG. 7, the back of the person M when standing upright is a so-called S in which the upper back of the waist is inside.
It is shaped like a letter. Considering that it is the most natural to keep this posture and the spine is not over-compensated, as shown in FIG. 8, a seat 1 is generally provided with a lumbar support 2 for holding the back of the waist forward. And it was believed that it alone provided comfort and reduced fatigue.

On the basis of such a concept, attempts have been made to provide the seated person with as much freedom as possible, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Sho 59-168816 and Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. Sho 62-159768. Various seat devices have been proposed.

[0004]

However, according to the study of the inventors, such a conventional technique is a theory biased to static observation in which the user merely sits, It has been found that it is not always adaptable to dynamic situations, such as a driver driving a car.

That is, since the driver grasps the steering wheel and operates the steering wheel, it is general that the driver raises his / her upper body as shown by an arrow in FIG. If it becomes stooped, the abdomen will be compressed and it will be painful, so the so-called ass shift phenomenon that brings the buttocks forward will occur, the back of the buttocks will separate from the seat back, and the body will hit too strongly against the lumbar support 2 There was a problem that it would compress the spine.

As described above, according to the above-mentioned theory of keeping the back of the person M in an S-shape when standing upright, in the case of the driver, the body is not supported and becomes unstable, or the conventional lumbar support is used. However, there is a problem that the spine is adversely affected, the spine is supported in a natural state, a stable seating feeling is obtained, and the driver cannot drive the vehicle.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of such problems of the prior art. Even when a driver sits for a long time and performs a driving operation, the spine is not overloaded. It is an object of the present invention to provide a seat device that has a stable seating feeling and is hard to be tired.

[0008]

According to the research and research by the inventors, when the driver takes a driving posture for a long time, the back is rounded, and the posture in which the buttocks are slightly shifted forward is most difficult for the spine. Verification has been obtained that it is natural.
In other words, the feeling of sitting differs from person to person, and there are also time factors. According to the old theory, the driver is not always comfortable, and an unnatural posture continues for a long time, causing fatigue to accumulate.

[0009] Then, as a result of studying what kind of posture is natural and does not impose a force on the spine, the driver finds that the hip point C is at the illustrated position as shown in FIG. 5 showing the curve of the vertebra of the seated person. In the upper part, the upper part is raised and the cat stoops as shown in the area A, and the lower part is shifted out of the hips as shown in the area B in the lower part. It was concluded that holding the person M as shown in FIG. 6 in such a manner as to be as shown in FIG. 6 is the posture that is least likely to cause fatigue, and this state is called a thorax support posture.

Note that the curve of the vertebrae of the seated person shown in FIG.
The case of the angle line D of the seat back having an angle most likely to be used most commonly is shown, and ranges A and B indicated by hatching are shown.
Indicates the range of the thorax support posture. The scale of the vertical and horizontal axes is 50 mm. This curve shows the curve at the most commonly used seatback angle.

In an actual use state, the angle of the seat back is used in a range of about 20 to 45 degrees from vertical, and FIG.
When the seat back falls down from the state of FIG. 5, the range of the thorax support posture becomes a more raised state at the upper part, a more protruding state at the lower part, and vice versa when the seat back occurs from the state of FIG. Becomes

[0012] Based on such a conclusion, the gist of the present invention for achieving the above object is a seat apparatus (10a) which can be adjusted to a thorax support position which does not impose a load on the spine of a motor vehicle. The cushion body of the back (10) includes an upper back portion (11) with which the upper part of the back of the driver comes into contact, a lower back portion (13) corresponding to the back of the driver's hips, and the upper back portion (11). A center back portion (12) between the lower back portion (13) and the back frame (2) for holding the cushion body.
0), a thorax adjusting mechanism (30) for displacing the cushion body is provided, and the thorax adjusting mechanism (30) is provided.
Comprises a back adjustment section (31) provided on the back side of the upper back section (11), a buttocks adjustment section (33) provided on the back side of the lower back section (13), and a drive section (40), The back adjustment section (31) is provided with the upper back section (11).
The back frame (20) is displaced so that the upper back portion of the driver comes out relatively ahead of the back position of the back portion, and the upper back portion (11) is held at the position where the thorax support posture is set. ) Has an upper back support member (31) supported so as to be tiltable in the front-rear direction, and the buttocks adjustment section (33) relatively moves the lower back section (13) when taking a thorax support posture. A back support member (34) supported at a lower portion of the back frame (20) so as to be tiltable in the front-rear direction so as to be displaced forward so as to hold the driver's back from behind; The portion (40) is supported by the back frame (20) so as to be movable in the front-rear direction, and the upper back support member (3
An upper back supporting follower (41) that engages from 1) from behind, and a butt supporting member that is supported by the back frame (20) so as to be movable in the front-rear direction and engages the butt support member (34) from behind. The follower (42) is rotatably supported by the back frame (20) via a pivot (43) extending in the front-rear direction.
A peripheral cam surface portion (45) with which a rear end of each of the followers (41, 42) is engaged is provided. When rotated, the upper back support member (31) is moved through the upper back support follower (41). ), And a cylindrical cam member (45) for tilting the buttocks support member (34) through the buttocks supporting follower (42). ).

[0013]

[Function] The driver of the car can use the Thorax adjustment mechanism (3
0), the seat back (10) is displaced and adjusted to the thorax support position, and the upper back support member (3) is adjusted.
1) and the buttocks support member (34) are held in this state, and a stable seating feeling that does not apply a load to the spine even when sitting for a long time can be obtained.

When the cylindrical cam member (44) of the drive section (40) is rotated by the power, the follower for upper back support (45) engaged with the peripheral cam surface section (45) of the cylindrical cam member (44). 41) and the buttocks supporting follower (42) linearly move in the front-rear direction in accordance with the change in the unevenness of the peripheral cam surface portion (45).

[0015] Thus, the back adjustment section (3) provided on the back side of the upper back section (11) with which the upper back of the driver comes into contact.
In (1), the follower (4)
The upper back support member (31) supported from behind by 1) tilts, and accordingly the upper back portion (11).
Is displaced to bring the upper back of the driver into a thorax support position that is relatively forward of the back position of the back.

[0016] In addition, the rear adjusting part (33) provided on the back side of the lower back part (13) corresponding to the rear of the driver's hip,
By the rotation of the cylindrical cam member (44), the buttocks support member (34) supported from behind by the buttocks supporting follower (42) that moves linearly tilts. When the lower back portion (13) is displaced relatively forward by the tilting of the hip support member (34), the lower back portion (13) assumes a thorax support posture for holding the driver's hip from behind.

The upper back support member (31) and the buttocks support member (34) are connected to the cylindrical cam member (4) of the drive section (40).
4) Maintain that state unless rotated. Therefore,
The cushion body holds the driver's back and buttocks in a state where the load is not applied to the driver's spine, and the driver can comfortably sit in the thorax support posture and drive the vehicle.

[0018]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 to 4 show an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, a seat device 10 a according to the present embodiment includes a back frame 2 for holding a cushion body of a seat back 10.
A thorax adjustment mechanism 30 is provided at the bottom of the vehicle, and the cushion body can be adjusted to a thorax support posture (see FIGS. 5 and 6) that does not impose a load on the spine of the driver of the automobile by the thorax adjustment mechanism 30. is there.

The cushion body constituting the seat back 10 has an upper back portion 11 with which the upper part of the driver's back comes into contact.
And a lower back portion 13 corresponding to the back of the driver's buttocks,
It comprises a center back portion 12 between the upper back portion 11 and the lower back portion 13. The cushion body is, for example, foam-formed from urethane foam or the like.

Back frame 2 for holding the cushion body
0 indicates both side portions 21 and 21 and both side portions 21 and 21
And an upper portion 22 connecting the upper ends of the upper portion 21 with each other. The lower end of each side part 21 is provided via a reclining device 25,
It is supported at the rear end of the cushion frame 15 provided inside the seat cushion 14. The headrest 50 is supported on the upper part 22 via a pair of stay members 51, 51.

Support brackets 23, 23; 24, 24 are integrally provided on the upper and lower ends of both side portions 21, 21, respectively. An upper back support member 32, described later, is pivotally attached to the pair of support brackets 23, 23 at the upper ends of the side portions 21, 21 so as to be tiltable in the front-rear direction. On the other hand, the support bracket 2 at the lower end of both side portions 21 and 21
A buttocks support member 34 described later is pivotally attached to the members 4 and 24 so as to be tiltable in the front-rear direction.

Two reinforcing frame members 25 and 26 are provided between the two side portions 21 and 21 so as to be vertically parallel, and two upper and lower reinforcing frame members 25 and 26 are provided.
Between them, a support frame member 27 for attaching a drive unit extending in the vertical direction at substantially the center thereof is bridged.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the thorax adjustment mechanism 30 includes a back adjustment section 31 provided on the back side of the upper back section 11, a butt adjustment section 33 provided on the back side of the lower back section 13, and a center. Drive unit 40 provided on the back side of back unit 12
It is composed of

The back adjustment section 31 has an upper back support member 32 pivotally attached to the upper portion of the back frame 20 via a pair of support brackets 23, 23. More specifically, the upper back support member 32 is connected to the support brackets 23 at both ends of the upper end, and the upper end of the back frame 20 is tilted in the front-rear direction about the upper end as the center of rotation. The upper back support member 32 pivotally attached to the side displaces the upper back portion 11 of the cushion body so as to swell relatively forward from the back surface of the center back portion 12 together with the tilting. It is intended to be a lux support posture. In this case, the tilt angle range of the upper back support member 32 is set such that the upper back portion 11 forms the thorax support posture shown in the range A in FIG.

On the other hand, the buttocks adjusting section 33 is
At the lower part of 0, a bottom support member 34 pivotably attached via a pair of support brackets 24, 24 is provided. More specifically, the buttocks support member 34 is connected to the support brackets 24, 24 at both ends at the lower end thereof, and the lower end of the back frame 20 is tilted forward and backward about the lower end so that the upper end tilts forward and backward. Such a hip support member 34 which is pivotally attached, together with its tilt,
The lower back portion 13 of the cushion body is replaced with the center back portion 12.
Is displaced so as to swell relatively forward from the rear surface of the camera, thereby bringing it into a thorax support posture. In this case, the tilt angle range of the buttocks support member 34 is set so that the lower back portion 13 forms the thorax support posture shown in the range B in FIG.

The lower end of the upper back support member 32 and the upper end of the butt support member 34 are respectively connected to the center back portion 1.
2 is hingedly coupled to the upper and lower ends of the middle support member 35 disposed on the back side. Mid-back support member 35
Are urged by the spring member 60 toward the support frame member 27 on the rear side. As a result, the upper back support member 32 is biased rearward by the spring member 60 around the upper end thereof at the lower end, and the buttocks support member 34 is also moved upward by the lower end thereof at the upper center. The part side is in a state of being urged rearward.

The drive section 40 is supported on the upper side of the support frame member 27 via a holder member 28 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction, and engages with the lower end of the upper back support member 32 from behind. Similarly, a buttocks supporting follower 42 supported on the lower side of the support frame member 27 via the holder member 28 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction and engaged with the upper end of the buttocks support member 34 from behind. It has a pivot 43 fixed to extend in the front-rear direction in a state perpendicular to the frame member 27 and a cylindrical cam member 44 rotatably supported at the rear end side of the pivot 43.

On the front side of the cylindrical cam member 44, there is provided a peripheral cam surface portion 45 with which a rear end portion 41b of the upper back support follower 41 and a rear end portion 42b of the rear support follower 42 engage. Have been. Rear end 41b, 42b of each follower 41, 42
Has an engagement groove which is slidably fitted to the peripheral cam surface portion 45, while the front end portion 41 of each of the followers 41, 42 is formed.
Each of the a and 42a is provided with a contact portion that frictionally engages the rear surface of the upper support member 32 or the rear support member 34.

The cylindrical cam member 44 will be described in more detail. As shown in FIG.
A pair of convex portions 45a, 45a facing each other;
A pair of concave portions 45 facing each other between 5a and 45a
b and 45b are smoothly continuous on the circumference of the circle.

The pair of convex portions 45a, 45a are portions for pushing the back support followers 41 and the buttocks support followers 42 forward against the urging force of the spring member 60 (FIG. 2).
), The pair of recesses 45 b, 45 b cause the biasing force of the spring member 60 to move the upper back support follower 41 and the hip support follower 42.
This is a part for retracting the back (see FIG. 3).

On the rear side of the cylindrical cam member 44,
A rack 46 is provided along the circumference. As shown in FIG. 1, an output pinion member 48 meshing with the rack portion 46 is pivotally supported via an output shaft on a mounting bracket 47 fixed to the side portion 21 of the back frame 20. An adjustment knob 49 is fixed to the base end of the output shaft.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, on the tip side of each of the followers 41 and 42, there are provided thorax sensors 70 and 70, respectively. Thorax sensor 70
Is a sensor that detects that the upper back portion 11 and the lower back portion 13 have moved to the range forming the thorax support posture by detecting the front and rear positions of the followers 41 and 42, and specifically, for example, , And a limit switch.

Next, the operation will be described. As shown in FIG.
The driver of the automobile operates the thorax adjusting mechanism 30 to displace the cushion body of the seat back 10 to adjust to the thorax support posture, and the adjustment knob 4 of the drive unit 40.
By stopping the rotation of 9, the tilting of the upper back support member 32 and the buttocks support member 34 is suppressed and held in that state, and a stable seating feeling that does not impose a load on the spine even when sitting for a long time can be obtained.

As shown in FIG. 2, before the thorax adjustment, the upper back portion 11 held by the upper back support member 32, the center back portion 12 held by the middle back support panel 35, and the back support member 34. The backrest surfaces of the lower back portions 13 held by the above are smoothly continuous so as to approach substantially the same plane.

The normal state of the seat back 20
In order to adjust (see FIG. 2) to the thorax support position, the pinion member 48 is rotated by manually turning the adjustment knob 49, and the cylindrical cam member 44 meshed with the pinion member 48 is rotated. Is rotated about the pivot 43.

When the cylindrical cam member 44 rotates, the follower 41 for supporting the upper back and the follower 42 for supporting the buttocks engaged with the peripheral cam surface portion 45 respectively have the unevenness (convex portion 45a) of the peripheral cam surface portion 45. , Linearly move in the front-rear direction according to the change of the concave portion 45b). For example, the rotation of the cylindrical cam member 44 causes the rear ends 41b, 42b of the followers 41, 42 to move from the convex portion 45a (see FIG. 2) of the peripheral cam surface portion 45 to the concave portion 45b.
(See FIG. 3), each follower 4
1 and 42 are linearly moved rearward by the urging force of the spring member 60.

When the followers 41 and 42 linearly move rearward as described above, in the back adjuster 31, the upper back support member 32 supported from the rear by the distal end 41a of the upper back support follower 41 is moved. By the urging force of the spring member 60, the support bracket 23 is tilted rearward with the tip end of the support bracket 23 as a rotation center. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 3, the upper back portion 11 of the cushion body is displaced so as to be relatively forward from the rear position of the center back portion 12, and the upper back portion 11 assumes the thorax support posture.

Further, the buttocks adjusting portion 33 also has a buttocks supporting follower 4.
When the second member 2 linearly moves rearward, the buttocks support member 34 supported from the rear by the front end portion 42a tilts rearward about the front end of the support bracket 24 by the urging force of the spring member 6 as the rotation center. As a result, as shown in FIG. 3, the lower back portion 13 is displaced so as to relatively move forward, so that the lower back portion 13 is in a thorax support posture for holding the driver's hips from behind. In addition, with the back support member 32 and the buttocks support member 34 tilting rearward, the middle support panel 35 retreats, and the center back portion 12 held by the middle support panel 35 retracts relatively slightly. Displace.

In addition, at this time, when the upper back portion 11 and the lower back portion 13 move to positions forming the thorax support posture, the followers 41 and 42 move to the detection ranges of the thorax sensors 70 and 70, respectively. Since signals are output from the thorax sensors 70, 70, if an appropriate display is given to the driver or the like based on this signal, it is objectively determined that the driver or the like is in the thorax posture. be able to. This eliminates a problem that the driver is not adjusted to the thorax support position due to inexperience or an illusion of the driver, and the adjustment to the thorax support position is reliably performed.

After the adjustment, the state is maintained unless the adjustment knob 49 is rotated. In such a thorax support posture, the body pressure distribution of the seated driver is appropriately dispersed, so that the driver can comfortably sit and drive. On the other hand, when the adjustment knob 49 is rotated to return to the normal state in the thorax support posture, the followers 41 and 42 engaged with the peripheral cam surface portion 45 gradually move forward, whereby Upper back support member 32
Then, the buttocks support member 34 gradually tilts forward, and the cushion body also returns to the original state.

In the above embodiment, the above-mentioned thorax sensor is provided in order to ensure the adjustment to the thorax support posture. A scale or an indicating line indicating a preferable angle range of the back portion or the lower back portion may be formed.

[0042]

According to the seat device of the present invention, when the cylindrical cam member constituting the driving portion of the thorax adjusting mechanism is rotated, the upper back portion is driven by the follower which moves linearly in the front-rear direction. Thorax support position that displaces the driver's back relatively forward and the lower back part moves forward to hold the driver's hips from behind, so that fatigue does not accumulate even if the driver of the car sits for a long time The driver can sit and drive the vehicle in a stable state without imposing a load on the spine in the thorax support position.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a seat device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing a seat device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing a state where the seat device according to the embodiment of the present invention is displaced to a thorax support posture.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a cylindrical cam member of a drive unit constituting the seat device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a thorax support posture.

FIG. 6 is a view for explaining a thorax support posture.

FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining a state of a spine of a human body in an upright posture.

FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining a support posture in a conventional seat device.

FIG. 9 is a view for explaining a support posture in a conventional seat device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10a ... Seat device 10 ... Seat back 11 ... Upper back part 12 ... Center back part 13 ... Lower back part 20 ... Back frame 30 ... Solux adjustment mechanism 31 ... Back adjustment part 32 ... Upper back support member 33 ... Bottom adjustment part 34 ... Butt support member 40 ... Driving unit 41 ... Upper back support follower 42 ... Bottom support follower 44 ... Cylindrical cam member

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A seat device that can be adjusted to a thorax support position that does not impose a burden on the spine of a motor vehicle, wherein a cushion body of the seat back has an upper back portion with which an upper portion of the back of the driver abuts, A lower back portion corresponding to the back of the lower back portion, and a center back portion between the upper back portion and the lower back portion, and a back frame holding the cushion body is provided with a thorax adjusting mechanism for displacing the cushion body. The thorax adjustment mechanism includes a back adjustment section provided on the back side of the upper back section, a buttocks adjustment section provided on the back side of the lower back section, and a drive section, wherein the back adjustment section includes the upper back section. The driver so that the upper back of the driver protrudes relatively forward from the back position of the back, and update the driver to the position where the thorax support posture is set. In order to hold the back portion, the back frame has an upper back support member supported so as to be tiltable in the front-rear direction on the upper portion of the back frame, and the buttocks adjustment portion relatively moves the lower back portion when the thorax support posture is taken. In order to hold the driver's hips from the rear, the hips support member is supported at the lower part of the back frame so as to be tiltable in the front-rear direction. An upper back support follower movably supported in the front-rear direction and engaged with the upper support member from the rear, and a back frame movably supported in the front-rear direction and engaged with the rear support member from the rear. A buttocks supporting follower, and a peripheral cam surface portion rotatably supported by a back frame via a pivot extending in the front-rear direction, and a rear end portion of each of the followers is engaged. A seat device comprising: a cylindrical cam member that tilts the upper back support member through a carrying follower and tilts the hip support member through the hip support follower. .