JP3509297B2 - Lumber support device - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a lumbar support device for pressing and supporting the back of a seated person. 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a lumbar support device of this type is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 3-53157. This has a support member disposed in the seat back for pressing and supporting the waist of the occupant, and an adjusting mechanism for adjusting the pressing force of the support member on the occupant. This conventional device uses a sector gear rotatably supported by a seat back frame as an adjustment mechanism, and has one end rotatably supported on the seat back frame coaxially with the sector gear and the other end as a support member. And a torsion bar having a pressurized portion bent with respect to the rotation axis. In this conventional device, the sector gear is rotated by a predetermined angle by the operation of a drive mechanism linked to the sector gear, and by this rotation, the connecting portion between the sector gear and the torsion bar is moved in the thickness direction of the seat back to move the torsion bar. By performing a predetermined angle rotation about the rotation axis, the pressing force of the pressurized portion against the occupant is adjusted. [0003] However, in the above-described conventional apparatus, the torsion bar is moved by moving the link between the sector gear (adjustment mechanism) and the torsion bar (support member) in the seat back thickness direction. Since only the pressing force of the pressing portion (supporting member) is adjusted for the occupant, the pressing position of the pressing portion (supporting member) is not adjusted according to the body shape of the occupant. It was difficult to give a good back feeling to the elderly. [0004] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a good feeling of back support regardless of the occupant's body shape. [0005] took in the present invention to solve the problems described above [0005] means, a support member disposed in the seat back presses support the seated person's waist, the
Rotating the supporting member and an adjusting mechanism for adjusting the pressing force and pressing position relative to the seated person of the support member, the support
The members are locked by the locking parts provided on both sides of the rotation center of the adjustment mechanism.
In this connection , any adjustment of the pressing force of the support member at an arbitrary pressing position on the seated person is performed by the rotation operation of the adjusting mechanism. [0006] More preferably, the adjusting mechanism has an adjusting plate rotatably disposed in the seat back and linked to the supporting member and the driving mechanism. [0007] More preferably, the adjusting plate has a linking portion with the supporting member which moves in a seat back up-down direction and a seat back thickness direction by a rotation operation by the operation of the driving mechanism. More preferably, the pressing force is adjusted by moving the linking portion in the seat back thickness direction, and the pressing position is adjusted by moving the linking portion up and down in the seat back. According to the above-mentioned technical means, an arbitrary pressing force can be adjusted at an arbitrary pressing position of the support member with respect to the occupant by operating the adjusting mechanism. Therefore, the pressing position of the support member with respect to the occupant is adjusted according to the occupant's body shape, and as a result, a good back support feeling can be obtained regardless of the occupant's body shape. Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a pressure portion 3 for pressing and supporting a lumbar portion of a seated person is provided in a seat back 1.
The torsion bar 3 on which the seatback 1 is formed is disposed substantially parallel to the waist of the seated occupant in the width direction of the seatback (the left-right direction in FIG. 1) so as to face the pair of side frames 4 and 5 which are components of the seatback 1. It is supported and arranged at one end 32 and the other end 33 thereof. One end 32 of the torsion bar 3 is rotatably supported by a side frame 4 via a rotatable adjustment plate 6 described later, and has another end 33.
Is supported by the side frame 5 directly on the rotation center axis of the adjustment plate 6 and is rotatable, whereby the torsion bar 3 is rotated by the rotation center of the adjustment plate 6 and the other end 33.
Can be pivoted around. Also, in the side frame 4,
A drive mechanism 2 described below is attached via a bracket 7. The torsion bar 3 has a crank shape in which arm portions 34 and 35 which are continuous from both ends 31a and 31b of the pressing portion 31 to one end 32 and the other end 33 are formed. Accordingly, the rotation of the torsion bar 3 causes the pressing portion 31 to move in the seat back thickness direction (the paper surface direction in FIG. 1) and the seat back up and down direction (the up and down direction in FIG. 1) as described later. . The cushion body 8 is attached to the pressurized portion 31. The drive mechanism 2 is an electric drive mechanism including a motor housed in a case 22 and a speed reduction mechanism (not shown). The drive mechanism 2 is fixed to an output shaft 23 and is rotatably supported by the bracket 7. Gear 21 as an output member
It has. The adjusting plate 6 has a disk shape and is rotatably supported by the bracket 7 by pins 9. On the outer periphery of the adjustment plate 6, the tooth portion 6 meshed with the pinion gear 21 of the drive mechanism 2 over substantially the entire periphery.
1 is formed. A linking member 62 is fixed to a side surface of the adjustment plate 6 facing the one end 32 of the torsion bar 3 by welding or the like so as to rotate integrally with the adjustment plate 6. The link member 62 has a pair of flange portions 62 opposed to each other around the center of rotation of the adjustment plate 6.
a, 62 b are formed so as to be orthogonal to one end 32 of the torsion bar 3. One end 32 of the torsion bar 3
Holes 62 formed in the flange portions 62a and 62b, respectively.
c and is connected to the linking member 62 by being prevented from coming off by a washer or the like. As a result, the torsion bar 3 is linked to the adjustment plate 6. The operation of the lumbar support device having the above-described configuration will be described with reference to schematic operation diagrams shown in FIGS. FIG. 3 shows a state in which the waist and the like of the occupant are pressed and supported at the maximum pressing force at the lowermost end of the pressing position. In this state, when the drive mechanism 2 is operated in one direction, the adjustment plate 6 rotates about the pin 9 via the pinion gear 21, and a linking portion between the torsion bar 3 formed by the linking member 62 and the adjustment plate 6. A continuously moves in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 3 so that A becomes as shown in FIG. As a result, the torsion bar 3 moves its rotation axis (adjustment plate 6).
Line connecting the rotation center of the torsion bar 3 and the other end 33 of the torsion bar 3)
, And the pressing portion 31 moves to the upper side of the seat back in the vertical direction of the seat back. As a result, the pressing position of the seating part's waist and the like by the pressing portion 31 is gradually changed to the upper side of the seat back with the pressing force kept at the maximum. FIG. 4 shows a state where the waist and the like of the seated person are pressed and supported at the maximum pressing force at the uppermost end of the pressing position. In this state, when the drive mechanism 2 is further operated in one direction, the adjustment plate 6 rotates similarly to the above, and the linking portion A
Move continuously in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 4 as shown in FIG. As a result, the torsion bar 3 rotates in one direction as described above, and the pressing portion 31 moves to the rear side of the seat back in the seat back thickness direction. As a result,
The pressing force such as the waist of the occupant by the pressing portion 31 is gradually changed to be small while the pressing force position remains at the uppermost end. FIG. 5 shows a state in which the waist and the like of the seated person are pressed and supported at the lowest pressing force at the uppermost end of the pressing position. In this state, when the drive mechanism 2 is further operated in one direction, the adjustment plate 6 rotates similarly to the above, and the linking portion A
Move continuously in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 5 as shown in FIG. As a result, the torsion bar 3 rotates in one direction as described above, and the pressing portion 31 moves to the lower side of the seat back in the vertical direction of the seat back. As a result, the pressing position of the occupant's waist or the like by the pressing portion 31 is gradually changed to the lower side of the seat back with the pressing force kept at the minimum. FIG. 6 shows a state in which the waist and the like of the seated person are pressed and supported at the lowest pressing position with the minimum pressing force. In this state, when the drive mechanism 2 is further operated in one direction, the adjustment plate 6 rotates similarly to the above, and the linking portion A
Move continuously in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 6 as shown in FIG. As a result, the torsion bar 3 rotates in one direction as described above, and the pressurized portion 31 moves to the front side of the seat back in the seat back thickness direction. As a result,
The pressing force such as the waist of the occupant by the pressing portion 31 is gradually changed greatly while the pressing force position remains at the lowermost end. As described above, in the lumbar support device, by rotating the adjusting plate 6, the pressing position and the pressing force of the pressing portion 31 against the lumbar region of the occupant can be adjusted steplessly. At the lower end and the uppermost position of the pressing position, pressing support of the waist and the like at an arbitrary pressing force desired by the occupant is obtained in a range from the minimum pressing force to the maximum pressing force. In the range from the lowermost position to the uppermost position of the pressing position, pressing support such as the waist at an arbitrary pressing position desired by the seated person can be obtained. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the drive mechanism 2 includes a spring coupler or the like in which an operation handle (not shown) is fixed to an input shaft 24 and a pinion gear 21 serving as an output member is fixed to an output shaft 23. May be of a manual type comprising a reverse rotation prevention mechanism 25. As shown in FIG. 7, the torsion bar 3
Of the connecting member 62 with the flange portions 62a and 62b
Of the torsion bar 3 so as to be connected to the linking member 62. Is also good. As shown in FIG. 9, one end 3 of the torsion bar 3 of the adjustment plate 6 is provided.
A convex portion 63 is formed on the side surface facing 2 and a fitting hole 32b formed at one end 32 of the torsion bar 3 is fitted into the convex portion 63, so that the torsion bar 3 and the adjustment plate 6 are linked. It may be. In this case, the fitting hole 3
The fitting of 2b and the convex portion 63 constitutes the connection portion A. The fitting hole 32b is formed by using the torsion bar 3 as a pipe-shaped steel pipe or rod. According to the present invention, an adjusting mechanism for adjusting the pressing force and the pressing position of the support member against the occupant is provided, and the adjusting mechanism is operated at any pressing position of the support member against the occupant. Adjustment of the pressing force
By the operation of this adjustment mechanism, the pressing position of the support member with respect to the occupant is adjusted according to the occupant's body shape, whereby a good back support feeling can be obtained regardless of the occupant's body shape. it can. Further, according to the present invention, there is provided an adjustment plate rotatably disposed in the seat back and linked to the support member and the drive mechanism, and the adjustment plate is rotated by the operation of the drive mechanism. Provide a linking portion with a support member that moves in the seat back vertical direction and the seat back thickness direction,
The pressing force is adjusted by moving the linking portion in the thickness direction of the seat back, and the pressing position is adjusted by moving the linking portion in the vertical direction of the seat back, so that only the pressing force is adjusted on the waist of the seated person. Therefore, the position of the pressing force against the waist of the occupant can be adjusted without increasing the number of parts, which is advantageous in cost.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a state in which a lumbar support device according to the present invention is attached to a seat back. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the lumbar support device according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the lumbar support device according to the present invention, showing a state where the pressing force is maximum at the lowermost position of the pressing position, that is, a state where the lower end of the lumbar is turned on. FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing the operation of the lumbar support device according to the present invention, showing a state in which the pressing force at the uppermost end of the pressing position is maximum, that is, a state in which the lumbar upper end is on. FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing the operation of the lumbar support device according to the present invention, showing a state where the pressing force at the uppermost end of the pressing position is minimum, that is, a state where the lumbar upper end is off. FIG. 6 is an explanatory view showing the operation of the lumbar support device according to the present invention, showing a state where the pressing force at the lowermost position of the pressing position is minimum, that is, a state where the lower end of the lumbar is off. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the lumbar support device according to the present invention. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the drive mechanism of the lumbar support device according to the present invention. FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a modification of the linking structure between the adjustment plate and the support member of the lumbar support device according to the present invention. [Description of Signs] 1 Seat back 2 Drive mechanism 3 Torsion bar (support member) 6 Adjustment plate (Adjustment mechanism) A Linkage site

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of front page (72) Inventor Hideo Nihonmatsu 2-3-3 Showa-cho, Kariya-shi, Aichi Inside Aisin Engineering Co., Ltd. (56) References JP-A-3-29610 (JP, A) Hei 3-53157 (JP, U) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) A47C 7/46

Claims (1)

(57) [Claim 1] A support member disposed in a seat back for pressing and supporting a waist of a seated person, a pressing force of the support member against the seated person by rotating the support member, and And an adjusting mechanism for adjusting the pressing position, wherein the supporting member is rotated while the adjusting mechanism is rotating.
Connected by locking parts provided on both sides of the heart ,
A lumbar support device configured such that an arbitrary pressing force is adjusted at an arbitrary pressing position of the support member with respect to the seated person by a rotation operation.