JP2690978B2 - Seating posture measuring device - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Object of the Invention] (Industrial application field) The present invention mainly measures the sitting posture of a seated person on a seat of an automobile or the like in order to evaluate the sitting comfort of the seat or the like. The present invention relates to a posture measuring device.

(Prior Art) In general, in order to evaluate the sitting comfort of a seat of an automobile or the like, a measuring method and an apparatus therefor are known which detect and measure the final sitting posture of a seated person on the seat as a shape change of the seat surface. ing.

As a conventional measuring device for the final sitting posture,
There are those disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 57-105907 and 59-77004. Each of these measuring devices uses a shape sensor 1 equipped with a strain gauge as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, and the shape sensor 1 is a phosphor bronze plate having a plate thickness of about 0.5 and having good restorability. A large number of strain gauges 3 are arranged on the front surface and the back surface of a long strip-shaped substrate 2 having elasticity, and are arranged at equal intervals in the longitudinal direction of the substrate 2 and adhered. Then, the shape sensor 1 is fixed to the upper end of the center of the front surface of the seat back 4a of the seat 4 via an appropriate fixing member 5, and then hangs down along the front surface of the seat back 4a and the center line of the upper surface of the seat cushion 4b. The seated person A is seated on the seat 4 in this state, and the strain output of each strain gauge 3 is accompanied by the deformation of the belt-shaped substrate 2 of the shape sensor 1 at that time ( The change in electric resistance) is individually detected by the Wheatstone bridge circuit as a voltage change, and the individual voltage change is arithmetically processed by the microcomputer to measure the final sitting posture of the seated person as a shape change of the seat surface. .

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) By the way, in the above-described conventional seating posture measuring apparatus and its measuring method, one continuous shape sensor 1 is installed from the upper end of the seat back 4a of the seat 4 to the seat cushion 4b.
Since the shape sensor 1 is provided so as to extend along the center line to the front end, the front portion of the seat back 4a of the shape sensor 1 corresponds to the spine portion of the seated person A, and the upper and lower portions of the seat cushion 4b have left and right hips. It corresponds to the space between the parts and the left and right thighs, and the corresponding positions are the recessed parts of the body of the occupant A, and the pressure is not applied so much. Is not suitable as For this reason, there is a problem that the final sitting posture of the body part required by the seated person A cannot be measured sufficiently accurately.

In particular, this type of shape sensor 1 has a strip shape,
Although the shape sensor 1 can be deformed like a wavy shape in the longitudinal direction, it cannot be twisted or bent to the left or right. Even if it corresponds to the left and right convex parts of the seat cushion 4b, the lower part of the seat cushion 4b is placed slightly straight to the left and right and arranged straight in the front-back direction, and diagonally along the left and right opening angle of the thigh of the seated person. Can not be set up. For this reason, there is a problem that the posture shape of the most necessary part from the left and right hips of the seated person to the thighs cannot be measured.

Further, the shape sensor 1 is a seat back of the seat 4.
4a from the front of the seat to the top of the seat cushion 4b
Since it is a book, as shown in FIG. 6, the effective measurement range is the sections M and N sandwiched between the seated person A and the seat surface in a close contact state, and the seat back 4a and the seat cushion 4b are located between them. In addition, there is a problem that a non-measurable section P that does not come into close contact with the human body occurs, which adversely affects the measurement accuracy of the effective measurement ranges M and N.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and it is possible to easily and sufficiently accurately measure the final sitting posture of a body part required by a seated person, and the measurement accuracy is made by an unmeasurable section between the lower portion of the seat back and the rear portion of the seat cushion. It is an object of the present invention to provide a sitting posture measuring device capable of eliminating the adverse effect on the sitting posture.

[Configuration of the invention]

(Means for Solving the Problems) In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the seating facility measuring device of the present invention has a plurality of strain gauges which are arranged in a longitudinal direction on a belt-shaped substrate having elasticity and are independent of each other. The back side shape sensor and the cushion side shape sensor, the back side sensor support mechanism that movably supports the back side shape sensor along the front side of the seat back so that the cushion side shape sensor can move to the left and right. A cushion side sensor support mechanism that supports the front end side so as to be able to move left and right and adjust the left and right angles in a state along the cushion upper surface is configured.

(Operation) The seating posture measuring device of the present invention has a back side shape sensor and a cushion side shape sensor which are independent of each other and are provided with a large number of strain cages as described above, and the back side shape sensor is provided along the front portion of the seat back. In this state, the back side sensor support mechanism that supports the upper end side so as to be movable left and right, and the cushion side sensor that supports the cushion side shape sensor so that the cushion side shape sensor can be moved left and right and the left and right angle can be adjusted at this front end side Since it is configured with a support mechanism, the back side shape sensor can be quickly and easily placed on the left and right parts of the spine, which is an effective position for measuring the sitting posture, and from the left and right sides of the hips. The cushion side shape sensor can be quickly and easily placed along the left and right opening angle of the thigh of the occupant in the diagonal region Moreover, the final sitting posture can be measured sufficiently accurately by, for example, quickly arranging the sensors at the optimum positions according to the physique and body type of the seated person.

Embodiment An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4.

First, for convenience of description, the configuration of a measuring device used in the sitting posture measuring method of the present invention will be described. In FIG. 1, 10 in the figure
Is a measuring table, and the measuring table 10 is structured such that a vehicle seat 4 to be measured, for example, can be positioned and installed in a central portion so that a occupant A can sit on it. Then, as a means for measuring the final sitting posture of the seated person A on the seat 4, a pair of left and right back side shape sensors 11 and cushion side shape sensors 12 which are separated and independent, and each of the left and right back side shape sensors 11 are seated. The back side sensor support mechanism 13 for individually movably moving left and right at the upper end side along the front surface of the back 4a, and the left and right cushion side shape sensors 12 at the front end side along the upper surface of the seat cushion 4b. A cushion-side sensor support mechanism (14) for individually supporting the left-right movement and the left-right angle adjustment is provided.

The back side and cushion side shape sensors 11, 1
Each of the two shape sensors 11 has a plurality of strain gauges arranged in the longitudinal direction on a strip substrate having elasticity similar to that of the conventional one, and the one shape sensor 11 has its upper end along the front surface of the seat back 4a. To the lower end have a sufficient length over the effective measurement range, and the other shape sensor 12 has a sufficient length along the upper surface of the seat cushion 4b over the effective measurement range from the front end to the rear end. Have Although not shown, each of these shape sensors 11 and 12 has its output terminals individually derived from a large number of strain gauges attached to its respective strip-shaped substrate, and is electrically connected to a separate microcomputer such as a connector or cable. It is designed to be connected to the Wheatstone bridge circuit of the measuring equipment.

The back side sensor support mechanism 13 that supports the pair of left and right back side shape sensors 11 is installed in the rear portion of the measurement table 10, and a pair of left and right guides for forward and backward movement fixed to the upper surface of the measurement table 10. The rail 15, the front and rear sliders 16 slidably fitted on the left and right guide rails 15 for longitudinal movement so that the longitudinal movement can be adjusted, the guide rails 17 for lateral movement fixed to the upper surface, and the guide rails 17 for lateral movement. A pair of left and right sliders 18 (one side not shown) slidably fitted on the guide rails 17 so as to be adjustable for left and right movements, and three shaft-shaped vertical guides 19 provided upright from the left and right sliders 18, respectively. , 3 vertical guides each
A pair of left and right upper and lower sliders 20 slidably fitted in 19 so as to be vertically movable, arm mounts 21 respectively mounted on the upper surfaces of these sliders 20, and a horizontal shaft 22 directed left and right to these arm mounts 21. Through a rotary body 23 rotatably and integrally rotatably attached to the rotary body 23, and a rigid strip plate which is fixed to the rotary body 23 by welding or the like and has a base end portion which is bent forward in a substantially inverted U shape. And the upper ends of the left and right back side shape sensors 11 are attached to the tips of the sensor support arms 24, and the shape sensors 11 are supported in a state along the front end of the seat back 4a. It is supposed to be done.

The cushion-side sensor support mechanism 14 for supporting the pair of left and right cushion-side shape sensors 12 is
A pair of left and right guide rails 25 fixed to the upper surface of the measuring table 10 and mounted on the front part on the left and right front and rear guide rails 25 so as to straddle the left and right guide rails 25. The front and rear sliders 26 slidably fitted to each other so as to be adjustable forward and backward, the pair of left and right sliders 28 slidably fitted directly to the upper surface of the slider 26 so that the left and right movements can be adjusted, and two sliders from each of the left and right sliders 28. Vertical shaft-shaped vertical guides 29, vertical sliders 30 slidably fitted on the two vertical guides 29 so that vertical movements can be adjusted, and vertical axes on the upper and lower surfaces of the left and right vertical sliders 30, respectively. Via an arm mount 31 horizontally rotatably attached to the arm mount 31 and a rotary body 33 rotatably integrally mounted on the arm mount 31 via horizontal shafts 32 directed left and right.
And a rigid belt plate-shaped sensor support arm 34 that is fixed to the rotary body 33 by welding or the like at the base end and is projected rearward in a parabolic shape. The front end portions of the left and right cushion side shape sensors 12 are attached, and the shape sensors 12 are supported in a state along the upper surface portion of the seat cushion 4b.

The front, rear, left, right, top and bottom sliders 16, 26, 18, 2
8,20,30 have a positioning member 35 such as a screw that can be fixed at an arbitrary position with respect to each guide, and guide portions 15, 17, 25, 27 on which the respective sliders slide and move. Is a position scale that displays the amount of movement of the slider.
Are provided respectively.

More specifically, FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged view of the back side sensor support mechanism 13, in which an arm mount 21 is fixed to the upper surface of a vertical slider 20 slidably fitted on three vertical guides 19 so that the vertical movement can be adjusted. A horizontal shaft 22 is rotatably attached to the left and right at the upper part thereof, and a cube-shaped rotating body 23 is provided so as to rotate integrally with this, and a sensor support arm 24 is attached. This sensor support arm 24 has a wide front end 24a with a downward slope, and a holding plate 40 of substantially the same shape is screwed into the screw holes formed at the four corners of the holding plate 40 to form the upper end of the shape sensor 11. Are sandwiched in a sandwiched manner and have a stop pin 42 on the non-root side of the width-colored tip portion 24a, and the upper end hole 11a of the shape sensor 11 is locked to this pin 42. It is designed to be prevented from falling out. In addition, the wide tip portion 24a of the sensor support arm 24 and the holding plate 40 are provided on the respective facing surface portions 24a ', 4'.
The radius 0a is attached to each other so that the angle change due to the drawing of the shape sensor 11 sandwiched therebetween is reduced to prevent the error of the strain gauge at the end of the mounting portion.

Further, the rotating body 23 that supports the sensor support arm 24 is urged so as to always rotate rearward by pulling the rod-shaped auxiliary arm 43 protruding rearward downward by the spring mechanism 44, and the sensor support arm 24 is used as a reference. It is designed to hold at an angle. The spring mechanism 44 is a cylinder 46 connected to the auxiliary arm 43 via a wire 45, and a piston-like screw that is inserted into the cylinder 46 from below and is slidably fitted by a built-in spring (not shown) at all times. A rod 47, and the screw rod 47 is passed through a hole of a bracket 48 protruding from the upper and lower sliders 20 to pull a tension adjusting nut 49.
The auxiliary arm 43 is always pulled downward by being fixed by. Further, at one end of the shaft 22 of the rotating body 23, a potentiometer 50 for detecting an arm angle, which rotates integrally with the shaft 22, is provided.
The amount by which 24 is pulled by the shape sensor 11 and lowered from the reference angle can be detected.

FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged view of the cushion-side sensor support mechanism 14, in which an arm mount 31 is vertically attached to the upper surface of a vertical slider 30 slidably fitted on two vertical guides 29.
It is mounted so that it can rotate horizontally via 59. A horizontal shaft 32 is rotatably mounted on the upper part of the arm mounting base 31 left and right, and a cylindrical rotating body 33 is rotated so as to rotate integrally therewith.
And a sensor support arm 34 is attached. The sensor support arm 34 has a distal end 34a as described above.
Has a wide width, and a holding plate 60 of approximately the same size is screwed into the screw holes formed at the four corners of the holding plate 60 so that the pressing plate 60 is sandwiched at the front end of the shape sensor 12 and stacked. At the same time, a stopper pin 62 is provided on the root side of the wide tip portion 34a, and the upper end hole 12a of the shape sensor 12 is locked to the pin 62 so as not to come off. Further, the lower surface portion 60a of the holding plate 60 is rounded toward the upper side to reduce the angle change due to the drawing of the shape sensor 12 sandwiched between the holding plate 60 and the tip end portion 34a of the tape support arm 34. The strain gauge error at the end of the mounting portion is prevented from occurring.

The rotating body 33 supporting the sensor support arm 34 is constantly urged to rotate forward by a spring mechanism 64 via a wire reel 63 provided at one end of the shaft 32 so as to rotate integrally therewith. Thus, the sensor support arm 34 is held at the reference angle. The spring mechanism
Reference numeral 64 denotes a screw rod 66 connected through a wire 65 wound around a wire reel 63, and this screw rod 66 to the arm mount 31.
It is composed of a spring 68 and a tension force adjusting nut 69 that constantly push down the bracket 67 protruding from the. Further, the other end of the shaft 32 of the rotating body 33 is provided with a potentiometer 70 for detecting an arm angle that rotates integrally with the shaft 32. With this, the sensor support arm 34 is pulled by the shape sensor 12 so as to go back below the reference angle. The amount moved to can be detected. Further, the arm mount 31 is provided with a horizontal rotary plate 71, which rotates integrally around the vertical shaft 59, under the arm mount 31. This horizontal rotary plate 71 has one end that is sharp, and an angle measuring plate 73 that is fixed on the vertical slider 30 and displays a horizontal angle scale 72 is provided at the tip of the horizontal rotary plate 71, and the arm mount 31 is rotated left and right. The direction of time can be displayed as an angle.

Each of the vertical guides 29 has a screw hole 29a for a joint at an upper end, and in the case of a seat having a high sitting height for a truck or the like, an auxiliary guide 29 'is extended as shown by an imaginary line in the drawing to extend and extend. The vertical movement range of 30 can be increased.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the sensor socket 7 is provided at one end of each of the upper and lower sliders 20 and 30 on the left and right sides of the back side and cushion side sensor support mechanisms 13 and 14, respectively.
4, 75 are attached, to which relay cables (not shown) from the strain gauges of the shape sensors 11 and 12 can be connected, and cable 76, 77 from the sensor sockets 74, 75.
It is designed to be connected to the Wheatstone bridge circuit of electrical measurement equipment such as a microcomputer that is led out to the lower side.

A method of measuring the sitting posture using the above-described measuring device will be described. First, as shown in FIG. 1, the seat 4 to be measured is set and held at a predetermined center position on the measuring table 10. In this state, the front and rear sliders of the back side sensor support mechanism 13
16 is moved forward and adjusted to approach the back of the seat back 4a, and the left and right vertical sliders 20 are moved up and down to be adjusted,
The sensor support arms 24 attached to the left and right arm mounts 21 are mounted on the upper end of the seatton back 4a from the rear side to the front side, and the left and right sliders 18 are further moved left and right. adjust. As a result, a pair of left and right back side shape sensors 11 whose upper ends are held by the left and right sensor support arms 24 are provided along the center line S along the front surface of the seat back 4a as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 (a).
It is arranged so that it hangs down at a position slightly offset from each other.

On the other hand, the front and rear sliders 26 of the cushion side sensor support mechanism 14 are rearwardly adjusted to approach the front end of the seat cushion 4b, and the left and right upper and lower sliders 30 are vertically adjusted to be attached to their arm mounts 31. The left and right sensor support arms 34 are mounted on the front end of the upper surface of the seat cushion 4b, and the left and right sliders
The left and right arm mounts 31 are rotationally adjusted while the left and right 28 are moved and adjusted. This is the left and right sensor support arm
A pair of left and right cushion-side shape sensors 12, each of which has its front end portion held by 34, are displaced laterally from each other from the center line S along the upper surface of the seat cushion 4b as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 (b). Moreover, the left ones are arranged diagonally to the right and the right ones are arranged diagonally to the left so that they are in a V shape.

After the setting, the seated person A is seated on the seat 4 and the final seated appearance is measured. At this time, seat back 4a
Since the pair of left and right back side shape sensors 11 arranged on the front surface are arranged slightly displaced from the center line S to the left and right, they are pressed against the seat backs of the seated person A by abutting against the left and right portions of the spine. It is deformed, and the strain output corresponding to this is output from the strain gauge, and the posture of the back of the occupant A is measured. On the other hand, the pair of left and right cushion side shape sensors 12 on the upper surface of the seat cushion 4b are arranged at positions left and right from the center line S, and are diagonally arranged in a V shape, so that the left and right hips of the occupant A are seated. Is pressed against the seat cushion 4b by being contacted therebelow under the thigh and is deformed together with the upper surface of the seat cushion 4b. A strain output corresponding to the deformation is output from the strain gauge, and the left and right thighs of the seated person A move to the left and right thighs. Measure your posture.

As described above, the true final sitting posture of the seated person A with respect to the seat 4 can be accurately measured. At that time, since the back side shape sensor 11 and the cushion side shape sensor 12 are arranged separately from each other, the shape sensor is provided in the unmeasurable section between the lower portion of the seat back 4a and the rear portion of the seat cushion 4b as in the conventional case. Does not exist in a state of being continuously restrained in the vertical direction, so that it does not adversely affect the measurement accuracy of the effective measurement range of the shape sensor 11 on the front surface of the seat back 4a and the shape sensor 12 on the upper surface of the seat cushion 4b. It becomes possible to measure the sitting posture accurately.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to only the above embodiment,
For example, back side and cushion side sensor support mechanisms 13,1
Seat back with 4 arm mounts 21 and 31 one by one
It is also possible to arrange and support one back side shape sensor 11 and one cushion side shape sensor 12 on the front surface of the seat 4a and the top surface of the seat cushion 4b, and measure the final sitting posture of the occupant A on each of the left and right sides. .

〔The invention's effect〕

Since the present invention is configured as described above, it is possible to easily and sufficiently accurately measure the final sitting posture of the seated person's most necessary parts of the spine left and right and the left and right hips to the thighs, and the seat back lower part and It is possible to obtain a very simple and high-performance seating posture measuring device capable of eliminating the adverse effect on the measurement accuracy due to the unmeasurable section between the seat cushion and the rear part.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the measuring apparatus of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a detailed view of a part of the back side sensor support mechanism in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a cushion side in FIG. 4A and 4B are a detailed view of a part of the sensor support mechanism, FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B are layout views of the shape sensor with respect to the seat back and seat cushion, FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a conventional example, and FIG. FIG. A: seated person, 4 seat, 4a seat back, 4b
…… Seat cushion, 11 …… Back side shape sensor,
12 …… Cushion side shape sensor, 13 …… Back side sensor support mechanism, 14 …… Cushion side sensor support mechanism.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A shape sensor comprising a large number of strain gauges arranged in a longitudinal direction on a band-shaped substrate having elasticity is interposed between a seat and a seated person, and the strain output of each strain gauge is detected. In the measuring device that measures the sitting posture of the occupant by performing the following calculation, the back side shape sensor and the cushion side shape sensor that are separated from each other and the back side shape sensor are placed along the front side of the seat back. It is equipped with a back side sensor support mechanism that supports left and right movement of the cushion side shape sensor and a cushion side sensor support mechanism that supports the cushion side shape sensor so that it can move left and right and adjust the left and right angles at the front end side of the seat cushion along the upper surface of the seat cushion. A sitting posture measuring device.