JP2664597B2 - 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. 10, the back of the person M when standing upright has a so-called S-shape in which the upper and lower parts of the waist are inside. Considering that it is the most natural to keep this posture and that the spine will not be overreached, it is common to provide a lumbar support 2 for holding the back of the waist forward in the seat 1 as shown in FIG. 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.

[0005] That is, since the driver grips the steering wheel to operate, it is common to raise the upper body as shown by the arrow in FIG. 12, and then the driver becomes a so-called stoop and fixes his waist. 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.

Then, as a result of studying what kind of posture is natural and the spine is not overreached by the driver, the hip point C is at the illustrated position as shown in FIG. 8 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. 9 in such a manner as to be the least fatigued posture was made, and this state was called a thorax support posture.

[0010] 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. 8, the range of the thorax support posture becomes a more raised state at the upper part, a more protruded state at the lower part, and vice versa when the seat back occurs from the state of FIG. Becomes

Based on this conclusion, the gist of the present invention to achieve the above object is a seat apparatus (1) that can be adjusted to a thorax support position that does not impose a burden on the spine of an automobile driver. And a main back portion (10a) for applying the cushion body of the seat back (10) to the back of the seated driver, and back side portions (10b) provided on both sides to suppress the lateral movement of the driver. And the back side portion (10b) is fixed to a back frame (20) built in the cushion body, while the main frame (10a) is displaced by the back frame (20). The thorax adjusting mechanism (30) is provided at a back position at an intermediate portion of the main back portion (10a) and at a rear position where a substantially central portion of the driver's back abuts. 31) and a buttocks adjusting portion (34) provided at a position corresponding to the back of the driver's buttocks. The back adjusting portion (31) has a back adjusting shaft (32) attached to the back frame (20). Horizontally, the intermediate portion of the main back portion (10a) is displaced so that the driver's back is protruded relatively forward from the back position, and the main back portion (10a) is tilted to a position where the main back portion (10a) is in the thorax support position. A possible back support panel (33) is fixedly attached to the back adjustment shaft (32), and the buttocks adjustment part (34) traverses the buttocks adjustment shaft (35) below the back adjustment shaft (32). A swing support portion (36) that rotates with the shaft is provided on the buttocks adjustment shaft (35). When the thorax support posture is taken, the driver's hips are supported by the swing support portion (36). Butt support panel (37) that can be tilted forward to hold Ass adjusting shaft (35)
The back support panel (33)
The lower end of the butt support panel (37) and the upper end of the butt support panel (37) are rotatably connected to each other so as to be linked to a thorax support posture, and the back adjustment shaft (32) and the butt adjustment shaft (35) are connected.
At least one of the two is provided with a braking mechanism (40) for suppressing rotation on the shaft side.

[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 posture, and at least one of the back adjustment shaft (32) and the buttocks adjustment shaft (35) is rotated by the braking mechanism (40). It is possible to obtain a stable seating feeling in which the spine is not burdened even if the user sits for a long time while keeping the state.

In the hip adjusting portion (34) provided at a position corresponding to the back of the seated occupant, when the hip adjusting shaft (35) is rotated, it is supported from behind by the swinging support portion (36) of the shaft. The butt support panel (37) is tilted to advance the lower portion of the main back portion (10a) corresponding to the butt, thereby bringing the driver's butt from behind into a thorax support position.

In a back adjustment portion (31) provided at a rear position where a substantially central portion of the driver's back abuts, when the back adjustment shaft (32) is rotated, the back support (32) is centered on the back adjustment shaft (32). The back surface of the main back portion (10a) is displaced so that the panel (33) is tilted and the middle portion of the main back portion (10a) comes out relatively forward from the back position. The part to the thorax support position.

The lower end of the back support panel (33) and the upper end of the hip support panel (37) are rotatably connected to each other, so that when the hip adjuster (34) is in the thorax support position, The back adjuster (31) also synchronizes to the thorax support position. At least one of the back adjustment shaft (32) and the buttocks adjustment shaft (35) is suppressed by the braking mechanism (40) so that it cannot be rotated from the shaft side, and the seat back (10) maintains that state unless operated. I do.

The back side portion (10b) of the cushion body of the seat back (10) holds the driver from the side without deformation, the main back portion (10a) holds the back of the driver, and the driver The user can comfortably sit and drive the car in a thorax support position with the butt slightly shifted forward.

[0018]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 to 7 show one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the seat device 1 of the present embodiment is provided with a thorax adjusting mechanism 30 on a back frame 20 built in a cushion body 10 a of a seat back 10. 8 and 9 which provide a stable seating feeling without burden on the spine of the subject
Can be adjusted to the thorax support posture shown in FIG.

The cushion constituting the seat back 10 includes a main back portion 10a for resting the back of a seated driver.
And a back side portion 10b provided on both sides to suppress the lateral movement of the driver. The main back portion 10a and the back side portion 10b are each integrally formed by foaming, for example, from urethane foam.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the main back portion 10a further includes an upper back portion 11 with which the upper portion of the driver's back contacts, and a lower back portion 13 corresponding to the back of the driver's hips. , Upper back part 11 and lower back part 1
3 and a center back portion 12 between them. Between the upper back portion 11 and the center back portion 12, and between the center back portion 12 and the lower back portion 13, bending grooves 1 for facilitating displacement of the main back portion 10a are respectively provided.
6, 16 are recessed.

As shown in FIG. 1, the back frame 20 for holding the cushion body has side portions 21 and 21 on both sides.
And an inverted U-shaped upper pipe 23 connecting the upper ends of both side parts 21 and 21 and a lower pipe 22 erected between the lower ends of both side parts 21 and 21. Each side part 21
Is, for example, a mild steel plate formed in a pan shape as shown in the figure, and constitutes the side walls 21a, 21a of the back frame 20. The upper pipe 23 has holder members 25, 25 for attaching a headrest (not shown).
Is fixed.

Between the upper sides of both side portions 21 and 21,
A back plate member 24 for supporting the upper back is provided to hold the upper back portion 11 of the main back portion 10a from the back side. As shown in FIG. 8, the back plate member 24 is arranged so as to hold the upper side of the cushion body so that when the driver sits down, the upper portion of the spine is located in the range A where the thorax is in the thorax posture. ing.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the back side 1
Ob is attached to each side part 21 by the fixing clip 14 so as to wrap the back frame 20 around the side wall 21a. The main back portion 10a is mounted so as to cover the upper pipe 23, the back plate member 24 of the back frame 20, and the thorax adjusting mechanism 30 provided therebelow.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the thorax adjusting mechanism 30 includes a back adjusting portion 31 provided on the back frame 20 located on the back side of the center back portion 12 and a back adjusting portion 31 provided on the back side of the lower back portion 13. It comprises a buttocks adjustment section 34 provided on the frame 20.

The back adjustment portion 31 includes a back adjustment shaft 32 pivotally supported between the side walls 21a, 21a of the back frame 20, and a back support panel 33 fixed to the back adjustment shaft 32 so that the upper edge thereof is wound. It comprises. Back support panel 3
Numeral 3 is provided such that the lower end edge thereof can be tilted forward around the back adjustment shaft 32 in conjunction with a hip support panel 37 described later.

As the back support panel 33 is tilted, the center back portion 12 of the main back portion 10a is displaced so as to bulge forward as shown in FIG. In this case, the range of the tilt angle of the back support panel 33 is preferably set so as to form the thorax support posture shown in FIGS. 8 and 9.

The butt adjuster 34 includes a butt support panel 37 having a lower end edge of the back support panel 33 hinged to the upper end edge so as to be rotatable with each other, and both side walls of the back frame 20 below the back adjustment shaft 32. A swinging support portion 36 pivotally supported between 21a and 21 and tiltably supports the lower portion of the hip support panel 37 is provided with a bent hip adjusting shaft 35.

As shown in FIG.
Is pivotally connected to a swing support portion 36 of a hip adjustment shaft 35, and the hip support panel 37 is tilted by rotating the hip adjustment shaft 35, whereby the main back portion is rotated. The lower back portion 13 of 10a is displaced so as to swell forward, and the above-mentioned back support panel 33 is also tilted in synchronization with the main back portion 10a so as to be in a thorax support posture.

That is, in FIG. 7, when RA> RB, when the swing support portion 36 is swung forward about the hip adjusting shaft 35, the back support panel 33 and the hip support panel 37 are connected to each other. Is set so as to protrude forward while bending in a substantially rectangular shape. In this case, the range of the tilt angle of the buttocks support panel 37 is
It is preferable to set so as to form the above-mentioned thorax support posture similarly to the above. By changing the length of each of the back support panel 33 and the buttocks support panel 37 in the vertical direction, it is possible to arbitrarily change the amount of displacement or the bending angle of tilting forward.

As shown in FIG. 6, at one end of the tail adjusting shaft 35, there is provided a braking mechanism 40 which also serves as a driving mechanism for rotating the shaft and which suppresses the rotation of the shaft. Braking mechanism 40
Are a case member 41 fixed to the side wall 21a, a pinion 43 pivotally supported by the case member 41 and driven by the operation handle 42, and a sector gear 44 fixed to one end of the buttocks adjusting shaft 35 and meshing with the pinion and swinging. A cylindrical member 45 fixed to the pinion 43 so as to be accommodated in the case member 41; and a coil spring wound around the outer periphery of the cylindrical member 45 to expand the diameter and resiliently engage the inside of the case member 41. 46.

Normally, the braking mechanism 40 restrains the pinion 43 so as not to rotate by the frictional force between the coil spring 46 and the case member 41. However, when the operation handle 42 is rotated, the braking mechanism 40 is synchronized. Rotating cylindrical member 45
Is a mechanism that releases the frictional force between the coil spring 46 and the case member 41, whereby the pinion 43 can be arbitrarily rotated. Note that one end of the coil spring 46 is fixed to the cylindrical member 45.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the side wall 21 of the back frame 20 located beside the braking mechanism 40 is provided.
A thorax sensor 47 is provided at a. The thorax sensor 47 is a sensor that detects that the lower back portion 13 and the center back portion 12 have moved to a range forming the thorax support posture by detecting the swing position of the sector gear 44, and specifically, for example, Limit switches and the like can be used.

Next, the operation will be described. The driver of the car
By operating the thorax adjustment mechanism 30, the seat back 10
Is displaced, and as shown in FIG.
The lower back portion 13 can be moved in the direction of the human body to adjust to the thorax support posture, and the fit can be improved. In the buttocks adjustment section 37 provided corresponding to the back of the seated person, the lower back section 13 can be appropriately adjusted to the optimal thorax support posture as follows. That is, in FIG.
Is rotated, the cylindrical member 45 that rotates in synchronization releases the frictional force between the coil spring 46 and the case member 41, so that the pinion 43 can be arbitrarily rotated.

When the pinion 43 of the braking mechanism 40 is rotated, the sector gear 44 meshing with the pinion 43
Swings, and as shown in FIG. 7, the buttocks adjusting shaft 35 rotates, so that the buttocks support panel 37 supported from behind by the swinging support portion 36 of the shaft tilts forward. As a result, the buttocks support panel 37 advances the lower back portion 13 to bring the lower side of the main back portion 10a into a thorax support position for holding the driver's buttocks from behind.

As shown in FIG. 7, the buttocks support panel 37
The upper end of the rear support panel 33 is pivotally connected to the lower end of the back support panel 33, so that the rear support panel 37 and the rear support panel 33 bend in a substantially rectangular shape in conjunction with the tilt of the rear support panel 37. The back support panel 33 tilts forward about the back adjustment shaft 32 as a rotation center. Thereby,
The center back portion 12 is also displaced so as to be relatively forward from the back position, and the middle portion of the main back portion 10a is set to the thorax support posture.

Further, at this time, when the lower back portion 13 and the center back portion 12 are moved to the position where the thorax support posture is formed in synchronization with each other, the sector gear 4
4 swings into the detection range of the thorax sensor 47, and a signal is output from the thorax sensor. If an appropriate display is given to the driver or the like based on this signal, the driver or the like will be in the thorax posture. Can be determined objectively. 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.

In this embodiment, the upper back portion 11
After the position is determined, fine adjustment can be performed to adjust the center back portion 12 and the lower back portion 13. further,
Since the center back portion 12 and the lower back portion 13 can be adjusted without moving the position of the upper back portion 11, the seat back support posture can be adjusted without changing the driver's viewpoint.

In the seat back 10 adjusted to the thorax support position, the braking mechanism 40 adjusts the hip adjustment shaft 35.
The main back portion 10a holds the back of the driver, and the driver does not exert a load on the spine in a thorax support position with the hips slightly shifted forward. The vehicle can be driven in a stable sitting state.

In the above-described embodiment, the above-mentioned thorax sensor 47 is provided in order to ensure the adjustment to the thorax support posture. For example, a scale or an indication line indicating a preferable angle range of the lower back portion 13 may be formed on the case member 41).

[0040]

According to the seat device of the present invention, the lower portion of the main back portion, which is applied to the driver's buttocks, is advanced by the buttocks adjusting portion of the thorax adjusting mechanism, and the driver's buttocks are held from behind. By the back adjustment part which synchronizes with the buttocks adjustment part,
By displacing the intermediate portion of the main back portion so as to be relatively forward of the rear position, it is possible to easily adjust the optimal thorax support posture appropriately. By operating one of the back adjustment unit and the buttocks adjustment unit, it can be linked to the thorax support position, and by fixing one adjustment shaft, the thorax support position can be maintained, so the configuration is simple The operation is easy, and the driver can sit and drive the automobile in a stable state without burdening the spine in a Soluxe support position where fatigue does not accumulate even when sitting for a long time.

[Brief description of the drawings]

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

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

FIG. 3 is an operation explanatory view showing a main back portion of the seat device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a front view showing a seat device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a thorax adjusting mechanism of the seat device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

6 is a sectional view taken along line VI-VI of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an operation explanatory view showing an operation of a thorax adjusting mechanism of the seat device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a view for explaining a thorax support posture.

FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining a thorax support posture.

FIG. 10 is a view for explaining a state of a spine of a human body in an upright posture.

FIG. 11 is a view for explaining a support posture in a conventional seat device.

FIG. 12 is a view for explaining a support posture in a conventional seat device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Seat apparatus 10 ... Seat back 10a ... Cushion body 11 ... Upper back part 12 ... Center back part 13 ... Lower back part 20 ... Back frame 30 ... Thorax adjustment mechanism 31 ... Back adjustment part 32 ... Back adjustment axis 33 ... Upper back Support panel 34 ... Bottom adjustment section 35 ... Bottom adjustment axis 36 ... Swing support section 37 ... Bottom support panel

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A seat device that can be adjusted to a thorax support position that does not impose a load on the spine of a driver of an automobile, comprising: a main back portion that applies a cushion body of a seat back to the back of a seated driver; The vehicle is divided into a back side portion provided on both sides so as to suppress the lateral movement of the driver, and the back side portion is fixed to a back frame incorporated in the cushion body, while the main frame is attached to the back frame. A thorax adjusting mechanism for displacing the driver, the thorax adjusting mechanism includes a back adjuster provided in a middle portion of the main back portion and at a rear position where a substantially central portion of the driver's back abuts; A back adjustment portion provided at a position corresponding to the back of the back of the driver, wherein the back adjustment portion has a back adjustment shaft provided laterally on the back frame, and an intermediate portion of the main back portion has a back of the driver's back. Location A back support panel that is displaced relatively forward so as to be tilted to a position where the main back portion is brought to the thorax support position, and is fixed to the back adjustment shaft; A butt adjustment shaft is horizontally provided below the adjustment shaft, and a swing support portion that rotates with the shaft is provided on the butt adjustment shaft,
When the thorax support posture is taken, a rear end support panel is provided at the front side of the rear end adjusting shaft so as to be capable of tilting forward so as to hold the driver's rear end from behind while being supported by the swinging support portion. The lower end of the support panel and the upper end of the buttocks support panel are connected to each other so as to be linked to each other so as to be in a thorax support posture, and at least one of the back adjustment shaft and the buttocks adjustment shaft has an axial side. A seat device provided with a braking mechanism for suppressing rotation.