JP6148574B2 - Support stiffness control device and vehicle seat - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a support stiffness control device and a vehicle seat, and more particularly to a support stiffness control device and a vehicle seat that change the support stiffness for an occupant seated on the seat.

  With respect to vehicle side support control, a side support control device is known that improves the occupant's holdability by controlling the angle of the side support and its adjustment speed in accordance with the detected lateral acceleration of the vehicle (Patent Document 1).

  Regarding the armrest device, an armrest that supports the upper arm or forearm of the driver of the vehicle and applies a reaction force to the placed upper arm or forearm, and detection that detects the running state (vehicle speed and yaw rate) of the vehicle There is known an armrest device including means (vehicle speed sensor and yaw rate sensor) and an adjustment unit that adjusts a reaction force that the armrest applies to the upper arm portion or the forearm portion based on the detected traveling state (patent) Reference 2).

JP 2008-49837 A JP 2011-148383 A

  However, the side support control device described in Patent Document 1 controls the angle of the side support and the adjustment speed thereof only by the magnitude of the lateral acceleration regardless of whether the lateral acceleration change of the vehicle is slow or fast. Therefore, even when a steep lateral acceleration due to a road surface disturbance enters during turning (a lateral acceleration is generated), the control is performed by closing the angle of the side support and enhancing the holdability.

  Under such circumstances, since the lateral acceleration of the vehicle directly acts on the head due to the high support rigidity of the chest, there is a problem that the head is moved quickly, the line of sight is not fixed, and discomfort increases. In addition, there is a problem that muscle strain of the neck increases and muscle fatigue increases because the neck muscles (thoracic mastoid muscles) with a small thickness are intended to suppress rapid shaking of the head.

  In addition, the armrest device described in Patent Document 2 controls the reaction force for the purpose of improving the operability of the driver of the vehicle, and controls the reaction force of the armrest in order to improve the riding comfort of the passenger in the rear seat. It is not a device.

  In addition, the driver can predict the lateral acceleration due to the steering operation, but other occupants cannot predict the lateral acceleration. For this reason, there is a problem that the body shake must be suppressed by using the muscles of the back (vertical erection muscles) and the muscles of the neck (clavicle mastoid muscle) without being ready. At that time, the occupant who placed the forearm on the armrest tries to restrain the roll movement by reflexively supporting the body with the shoulder and elbow, so the forearm, the upper arm, and the chest are compared with the case where the forearm is not placed on the armrest. Are rigidly coupled, so that there is a problem that steep lateral acceleration (high frequency vibration component) acting on the vehicle body acts directly on the head.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to provide a support rigidity control device and a vehicle seat that can improve the riding comfort of an occupant.

  In order to achieve the above object, a support rigidity control device according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a support rigidity variable means for changing a support rigidity in a left-right direction or a roll direction with respect to an upper body portion of an occupant seated on a seat, The lateral jerk obtained by differentiating the lateral acceleration, or vehicle state acquisition means for acquiring a high frequency component of lateral acceleration, and the higher the high frequency component of the lateral jerk or the lateral acceleration of the vehicle acquired by the vehicle state acquisition means, Control means for controlling the support stiffness varying means so as to reduce the support stiffness in the left-right direction or roll direction by the sheet.

  According to the first invention, the support rigidity variable means varies the support rigidity in the left-right direction or the roll direction with respect to the occupant's upper body, and the vehicle state acquisition means acquires the high-frequency component of the lateral jerk or the lateral acceleration, The control means controls the support stiffness varying means so that the greater the high frequency component of the lateral jerk or lateral acceleration is, the more the support stiffness in the left-right direction or roll direction of the sheet is reduced.

  Thus, the ride comfort of the occupant can be improved by controlling the support rigidity so as to reduce the support rigidity in the left-right direction or the roll direction by the seat as the high frequency component of the lateral jerk or lateral acceleration increases.

  According to the first invention, when the high-frequency component of the lateral jerk or the lateral acceleration of the vehicle acquired by the vehicle state acquisition unit is greater than a predetermined threshold by the control unit, The support stiffness varying means can be controlled to reduce the support stiffness.

  Further, based on the high-frequency component of the lateral jerk or the lateral acceleration of the vehicle acquired by the vehicle state acquisition means, the larger the high-frequency component of the lateral jerk or the lateral acceleration is, the left-right direction or roll direction by the seat Target support stiffness calculation means for calculating a target value of the support stiffness so as to reduce the support stiffness, and the control means becomes the target value of the support stiffness calculated by the target support stiffness calculation means Thus, the support stiffness varying means can be controlled.

  Further, a support force detecting means for detecting a force for supporting the upper body part of the occupant to be acted on by the seat, and a position of an action point obtained based on the support force detected by the support force detecting means are determined in advance. Threshold value determining means for determining the threshold value so that the threshold value increases as the distance increases, based on the distance from the center of the left and right shoulders of the occupant.

  Further, the support stiffness varying means can vary the support stiffness in the left-right direction by varying the support stiffness of the side support portion of the seat.

  Further, the support stiffness varying means can vary the support stiffness in the roll direction by varying the support stiffness of the armrest.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a support stiffness control apparatus comprising: a support stiffness variable means for varying a support stiffness in a longitudinal direction with respect to an upper part of an occupant seated on a seat; a rear jerk obtained by differentiating a longitudinal acceleration of a vehicle; Vehicle state acquisition means for acquiring the high frequency component of the vehicle, and the higher the high frequency component of the rear jerk or the longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle acquired by the vehicle state acquisition means, the lower the support rigidity in the front-rear direction by the seat. And control means for controlling the support stiffness varying means.

  According to the second aspect of the invention, the support rigidity variable means changes the longitudinal support rigidity of the occupant's upper body, the vehicle state acquisition means acquires the high frequency component of the rear jerk or the longitudinal acceleration, and the control means The support stiffness variable means is controlled so as to reduce the support stiffness in the longitudinal direction of the seat as the high frequency component of the rear jerk or the longitudinal acceleration increases.

  Thus, the ride comfort of the occupant can be improved by controlling the support rigidity so as to reduce the support rigidity in the front-rear direction by the seat as the high-frequency component of the rear jerk or the longitudinal acceleration increases.

  According to the second invention, the control means, when the high frequency component of the rear jerk or the longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle acquired by the vehicle state acquisition means is larger than a predetermined threshold, The support stiffness varying means can be controlled to reduce the support stiffness.

  According to the first and second inventions, the support stiffness varying means can vary the support stiffness in the front-rear direction by varying the support stiffness of the portion of the seat that supports the scapula. .

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a support stiffness control apparatus comprising: an action point variable means for changing a position of an action point when a force for supporting an upper body part of an occupant seated on a seat is applied by the seat; The lateral jerk obtained by differentiating acceleration, or vehicle state acquisition means for acquiring a high frequency component of lateral acceleration, and the higher the high frequency component of the lateral jerk or the lateral acceleration of the vehicle acquired by the vehicle state acquisition means, the more the action Control means for controlling the action point variable means so as to lower the position of the point.

  According to the third invention, the position of the action point when the force for supporting the occupant's upper body is applied to the seat is changed by the action point changing means, and the lateral jerk or the lateral acceleration is changed by the vehicle state acquisition means. And the action point variable means is controlled by the control means so that the position of the action point is lowered as the high frequency component of the lateral jerk or the lateral acceleration is larger.

  Thus, the rider's riding comfort can be improved by changing the action point so as to lower the position of the action point as the high frequency component of the lateral jerk or the lateral acceleration is larger.

  According to a third aspect of the invention, when the high-frequency component of the lateral jerk or the lateral acceleration of the vehicle acquired by the vehicle state acquisition unit is greater than a predetermined threshold, The action point varying means can be controlled to lower the position of the action point of the sheet.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a support stiffness control apparatus comprising: an action point variable means for changing a position of an action point when a force for supporting an upper body part of an occupant seated on a seat is applied by the seat; Vehicle state acquisition means for acquiring a high-frequency component of backward jerk or longitudinal acceleration obtained by differentiating acceleration, and the higher the high-frequency component of the backward jerk or the longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle acquired by the vehicle state acquisition means, the more the action Control means for controlling the action point variable means so as to lower the position of the point.

  According to the fourth invention, the position of the action point when the force for supporting the occupant's upper body is applied to the seat is changed by the action point changing means, and the rear jerk or the longitudinal acceleration is changed by the vehicle state acquisition means. And the action point variable means is controlled by the control means so that the position of the action point is lowered as the high frequency component of the rear jerk or the longitudinal acceleration increases.

  Thus, the ride comfort of the occupant can be improved by varying the action point so as to lower the position of the action point as the high frequency component of the rear jerk or the longitudinal acceleration increases.

  According to the fourth invention, the action point changing means can change the position of the action point by tilting the upper part of the backrest of the seat backward.

  A vehicle seat according to a fifth aspect of the invention includes the support rigidity control device according to the first to fourth aspects of the invention and a seat on which an occupant is seated.

  As described above, according to the support rigidity control device and the vehicle seat of the present invention, the ride comfort of the occupant can be improved.

It is a figure which shows the example of the support rigidity model of a seat and a passenger | crew. It is a figure which shows the sternocleidomastoid muscle and the spinal column standing muscle. It is the schematic which shows the vehicle seat of 1st Embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the functional structure of the vehicle seat of 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure of a support rigidity variable part. It is a figure which shows the relationship between a spring constant and vehicle side jerk. It is a figure which shows the support rigidity control processing routine in the vehicle seat of 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the relationship between a spring constant and vehicle side jerk. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the threshold value of vehicle side jerk, and the distance from the center position of a predetermined left and right shoulder part to an action point. It is the schematic which shows the vehicle seat of 2nd Embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the functional structure of the vehicle seat of 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the support rigidity control processing routine in the vehicle seat of 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of a support rigidity model of an armrest and a passenger | crew. It is the schematic which shows the vehicle seat of 3rd Embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the functional structure of the vehicle seat of 3rd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the support rigidity control processing routine in the vehicle seat of 3rd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of the armrest of a rail vehicle. It is the schematic which shows the vehicle seat of 4th Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the relationship between a spring constant and a vehicle back side jerk. It is a block diagram which shows the functional structure of the vehicle seat of 4th Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the support rigidity control processing routine in the vehicle seat of 4th Embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the functional structure of the vehicle seat of 5th Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the support rigidity control processing routine in the vehicle seat of 5th Embodiment. It is the schematic which shows the vehicle seat of 6th Embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the functional structure of the vehicle seat of 6th Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the support rigidity control processing routine in the vehicle seat of 6th Embodiment.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

<Principle of vehicle seat>
The principle of controlling the support rigidity by the vehicle seat 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  In general, the occupant's body tilts in the roll direction in accordance with the magnitude of the vehicle lateral acceleration. At that time, when the vehicle lateral acceleration mainly composed of the low frequency vibration component by the driving operation of the driver acts on the occupant, it is necessary to firmly support the movement of the body in the roll direction by the side support portion of the seat back.

  However, for steep vehicle lateral acceleration with a lot of high-frequency vibration components due to cant road surface, crosswind, etc., the lateral acceleration of the vehicle acts directly on the head if the support rigidity of the side support part remains high, so the head is fast. Moved and uncomfortable because the line of sight is not fixed. In addition, because the neck muscles (thoracic mastoid muscles) with a small thickness are intended to suppress rapid shaking of the head, the muscle load on the neck increases and fatigue increases.

  In order to prevent this phenomenon, the difference in quality between the low-frequency vibration and the high-frequency vibration of the vehicle lateral acceleration is classified, and the support rigidity of the side support portion may be changed. In the vehicle seat 100 according to the first embodiment, a change in the vehicle lateral acceleration, that is, a value obtained by differentiating the vehicle lateral acceleration (hereinafter referred to as a vehicle lateral jerk) is determined in advance as a method of separating the difference in quality. If it is less than the threshold value Jy0, it is determined that the low-frequency vibration is the main vehicle lateral acceleration, and if it is greater than the threshold value Jy0, it is determined that the high-frequency vibration is the main vehicle lateral acceleration.

  When the value of the vehicle lateral jerk is less than the threshold value Jy0, the spring constant of the air spring disposed on the side support portion from the side of the occupant to the shoulder is sufficient for the vehicle lateral acceleration at a low frequency. The initial spring constant at which the support rigidity is obtained is maintained. Therefore, the side support from the side to the shoulder suppresses the left and right movements of the chest (high holdability). If this is shown by the simplified seat and the occupant support stiffness model shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the chest is almost rigidly supported as shown in FIG. 1B. However, it is assumed that the side support portion of the seat back is directly supported by an air spring.

  By the way, in order to unintentionally look forward, a person reflexively activates the spine standing muscles arranged on the left and right sides of the spine shown in FIG. 2 and sequentially performs posture maintenance control. For example, when the body leans to the right, it tries to stop leaning the body to the right by shrinking the muscle of the left spine. Since the muscle activity of this spine upright muscle corresponds to the size of the body swing, if the body spring is suppressed by the air spring built in the side support part of the seat back, the muscle activity becomes smaller, Muscle fatigue is reduced.

  On the other hand, when the value of the vehicle lateral jerk is equal to or greater than the threshold value Jy0, the side support stiffness of the chest is changed from a high stiffness initial spring constant to a low stiffness spring constant for a steep vehicle lateral acceleration with many high-frequency vibration components. Therefore, the target set value of the air spring constant is set to a spring constant smaller than the initial spring constant. That is, the side support rigidity for supporting the occupant's chest is lowered to facilitate movement of the chest in the roll direction.

  This is illustrated by the simplified seat and occupant support stiffness model shown in FIGS. 1A and 1C. As shown in FIG. 1C, the chest mass Mt between the seat and the occupant and the air A two-degree-of-freedom spring mass vibration system (low-pass filter) is formed by a spring constant Ka lower than the initial spring constant and a damping coefficient Ca of the air spring, and steep vehicle lateral acceleration (high-frequency vibration component) Absorb by movement.

<Configuration of Vehicle Seat according to First Embodiment>
Next, the configuration of the vehicle seat 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the vehicle seat 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is provided with two supports mounted on the seat 1000 and the side support portion 8 of the seat back 1 from the side to the shoulder. The stiffness variable unit 2, the vehicle state detection unit 30, and the control unit 40 are provided. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the function of the vehicle seat 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The control unit 40 is realized by an electronic control unit (ECU), and includes a lateral jerk calculation unit 34, a target support stiffness determination unit 42, and a support stiffness control unit 44. A combination of the control unit 40 and the support stiffness variable unit 2 is an example of a support stiffness control device.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the support stiffness variable portion 2 includes an air spring 5 attached to a fixed plate 4 attached to the seat back frame 3 and a pressing plate 7 attached to the cushion pad 6. The support stiffness variable unit 2 varies the support stiffness under the control of the support stiffness control unit 44.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the air spring 5 includes a rubber bellows 51 in which an air pressure P0 is sealed, an air spring case 52, and an electromagnetic actuator 53 built in the air spring 5.

  The electromagnetic actuator 53 includes an electromagnetic coil 53A, a piston 53B, and a coil spring 53C. When the electromagnetic coil 53A is energized (ON), the piston 53B contracts the coil spring 53C and moves in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 5, and the air spring Ka is caused by the increase ΔV of the air chamber volume V0 of the rubber bellows 51 caused by the movement of the piston 53B. descend. When the energization of the electromagnetic coil is stopped (OFF), the coil spring 53C returns the piston 53B to the direction opposite to the arrow, that is, the state shown in FIG. Here, the spring constant Ka of the air spring when the electromagnetic coil is not energized (OFF) is Ka0, and the spring constant Ka of the air spring when energized is Ka ′ (Ka0> Ka ′).

  The vehicle state detection unit 30 includes a lateral acceleration sensor and detects the lateral acceleration of the vehicle.

  In the present embodiment, the vehicle state detection unit 30 outputs the lateral acceleration to the lateral jerk calculation unit 34.

  The lateral jerk calculation unit 34 differentiates the lateral acceleration input from the vehicle state detection unit 30, calculates the values of the vehicle lateral jerk in the right direction and the left direction, and outputs them to the target support stiffness determination unit 42. The right direction and the left direction are the right direction and the left direction toward the traveling direction of the vehicle.

  The target support stiffness determination unit 42 determines the target spring constant of the right support stiffness variable unit 2 based on the value of the vehicle lateral jerk in the right direction input from the lateral jerk calculation unit 34. Specifically, the vehicle lateral jerk in the right direction is obtained using the absolute value and the polarity determination value with respect to the vehicle lateral jerk value. The polarity determination value is “1” when the vehicle lateral jerk is positive (leftward with respect to the vehicle traveling direction), and “−1” when the vehicle lateral jerk is negative (rightward with respect to the vehicle traveling direction). Is output. Then, as shown in FIG. 6, it is determined whether or not the absolute value of the vehicle lateral jerk is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value Jy0. The target spring constant of the air spring constant Ka of the air spring 5 of the support stiffness varying portion 2 is determined as Ka ′. Further, when the absolute value of the vehicle lateral jerk in the right direction is less than the threshold value Jy0, the target spring constant of the air spring constant Ka of the air spring 5 of the right support stiffness variable portion 2 is determined as Ka0. The target spring constant is associated with the support rigidity of the side support portion.

  Based on the absolute value of the left vehicle lateral jerk input from the lateral jerk calculation unit 34, the target support stiffness determination unit 42 determines a predetermined threshold value in the same manner as the target spring constant of the right support stiffness variable unit 2. It is determined whether or not it is greater than or equal to Jy0, and the target spring constant of the left support stiffness variable portion 2 is determined.

  The support stiffness control unit 44 stops energization or energization of the electromagnetic coil 53A of the right support stiffness variable unit 2 based on the right target spring constant Ka determined by the target support stiffness determination unit 42, and the air spring 5 Control so that the spring constant becomes the target spring constant. The process of determining the target spring constant by the target support stiffness determining unit 42 and controlling the spring constant of the air spring 5 of the support stiffness varying unit 2 is repeated at predetermined sampling times.

  Based on the left target spring constant Ka determined by the target support stiffness determination unit 42, the support stiffness control unit 44 stops energization or energization of the electromagnetic coil 53 </ b> A of the left support stiffness variable unit 2, and Control so that the spring constant becomes the target spring constant.

<Operation of the vehicle seat according to the first embodiment>
Next, the operation of the vehicle seat 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described. First, when the vehicle state detection unit 30 sequentially detects the lateral acceleration in the left-right direction of the vehicle, the CPU executes the program stored in the ROM of the vehicle seat 100, whereby the support shown in FIG. A stiffness control processing routine is executed. When the lateral acceleration is in the right direction, the process is performed on the right support stiffness variable unit 2, and when the lateral acceleration is in the left direction, the process is performed on the left support stiffness variable unit 2. Is called. Below, the case where the support rigidity at the time of detecting the lateral acceleration of a left direction is demonstrated.

  First, in step S100, the lateral acceleration of the vehicle detected by the lateral acceleration sensor of the vehicle state detection unit 30 is acquired.

  Next, in step S102, the lateral acceleration of the vehicle detected in step S100 is differentiated to calculate the vehicle lateral jerk value of the vehicle.

  Next, in step S104, an absolute value and a polarity determination value are obtained for the vehicle lateral jerk calculated in step S102. It is determined whether or not the absolute value of the vehicle lateral jerk is equal to or greater than a threshold value Jy0. If the absolute value of the vehicle side jerk is equal to or greater than the threshold value Jy0, the process proceeds to step S110. If the absolute value of the vehicle side jerk is less than the threshold value Jy0, the process proceeds to step S108. Here, the case where the polarity determination value is “1” and the lateral jerk in the left direction is shown below.

  Next, in step S108, the target spring constant of the air spring constant Ka of the air spring 5 of the left support stiffness variable portion 2 is set to Ka0.

  In step S110, the target spring constant Ka of the air spring constant Ka of the air spring 5 of the left support stiffness variable portion 2 is set to Ka '.

  Next, in step S112, in order to set the air spring constant Ka of the air spring 5 of the left support stiffness variable portion 2 to the target spring constant set in step S108 or step S110, the left support stiffness variable portion 2 is set. The electromagnetic coil 53A is energized or energized.

  Next, the process proceeds to step S100, and the processes in steps S100 to S112 are repeated.

  In the case of the right direction, the right support stiffness is controlled by performing the same process as the above support stiffness control process routine.

  As described above, according to the vehicle seat 100 according to the first embodiment, as the left and right lateral jerk is larger, the support rigidity is controlled so as to reduce the left and right support rigidity of the seat. Steep vehicle lateral acceleration (high-frequency vibration component) can be absorbed by the chest movement.

  Therefore, the lateral acceleration of the vehicle transmitted to the head becomes a gentle component (low frequency vibration component), the head is not shaken quickly, and uncomfortable feeling is reduced. As a result, the ride comfort of the occupant can be improved.

  In addition, when vehicle lateral acceleration of low frequency components due to driving operation acts on the occupant, the spring constant of the air spring of the side support part is maintained at a large value, and the occupant roll is improved by improving the occupant holdability. Riding comfort is improved by reducing direction fluctuation. Further, as the occupant's roll direction is reduced, the amount of activity of the spine standing muscles is suppressed, so that the muscle load can be reduced.

  For vehicle lateral acceleration of high-frequency components due to road disturbances, crosswind disturbances, etc., lower the spring constant of the air spring of the side support (reducing the lateral support rigidity of the chest) and shake the chest. , Blocking the steep vehicle lateral acceleration (high frequency component) to the head. Accordingly, the head of the occupant is moved slowly, so that the head sway can be suppressed even with a thin neck muscle (thoracic chain mastoid muscle in FIG. 2), and neck muscle fatigue can be reduced.

  In addition, by controlling the lateral support rigidity of the occupant according to the quality of the lateral acceleration of the vehicle, the hold performance is improved with respect to the lateral acceleration of the low-frequency component caused by the driving operation, and the high-frequency component due to road disturbance is reduced. By suppressing the shaking of the head with respect to the lateral acceleration, the riding comfort of the vehicle is greatly improved by the effect of stabilizing the posture and reducing the muscle fatigue of the neck.

  Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and applications are possible without departing from the gist of the present invention.

  Next, a second embodiment will be described. In addition, about the part which becomes the structure and effect | action similar to 1st Embodiment, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and description is abbreviate | omitted.

  The second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the vehicle lateral jerk threshold Jy0 is set based on the point of action of the supporting force acting on the seat back.

<Principle of the vehicle seat according to the second embodiment>
The principle of controlling the support rigidity by the vehicle seat 200 according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  When the vehicle lateral acceleration acts on the occupant, the chest swings as the action point of the supporting force that is handled by the seat back (the action point of the load applied to the effective area of the load sensor) approaches the waist from the center position of the left and right shoulders. It becomes easy.

  Therefore, as the relative distance between the point of action and the center position of the left and right shoulders increases, the threshold of the vehicle lateral jerk is increased so as not to lower the spring constant of the air spring. For example, if a person sits in a posture where the waist is pressed against the seat back and the support force of the upper back is low, the point of action of the support force of the seat back is located at the lumbar vertebrae, and the chest is not affected even when steep vehicle lateral acceleration is applied. Since it is easy to move in the roll direction, the vehicle lateral acceleration transmitted to the head is a gentle component.

  Therefore, for such an occupant, it is considered that the support rigidity of the chest does not have to be reduced for a vehicle lateral jerk that is not so large. Therefore, the threshold value of the vehicle lateral jerk is determined to be larger as the point of action of the support force approaches the waist from the shoulder as shown in FIG.

<Configuration of Vehicle Seat According to Second Embodiment>
Next, the configuration of the vehicle seat 200 according to the second embodiment will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the vehicle seat 200 according to the second embodiment of the present invention includes a seat 1000, two support stiffness variable units 2, a vehicle state detection unit 30, a control unit 40, and a load. A sensor 60 and an operational amplifier 70 are provided. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the function of the vehicle seat 200 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The control unit 40 includes a lateral jerk calculation unit 34, a threshold determination unit 41, a target support stiffness determination unit 42, and a support stiffness control unit 44.

  The load sensor 60 is disposed on the mesh of the seat back 1 and detects the distribution of the occupant's load applied to the seat back 1 as the distribution of the supporting force by the seat back 1.

  The operational amplifier 70 detects the action point in the detection region of the load sensor 60 based on the distribution information of the support force input from the load sensor 60.

  The threshold value determination unit 41 sets the threshold value Jy0 of the vehicle lateral jerk based on the position of the action point detected by the operational amplifier 70 and the predetermined center position of the left and right shoulders of the occupant. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 9, Jy0 is determined so that the threshold value Jy0 is increased as the distance from a predetermined center position of the left and right shoulders of the occupant to the position of the detected action point increases. .

<Operation of the vehicle seat according to the second embodiment>
Next, the operation of the vehicle seat 200 according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described. First, when the vehicle state detection unit 30 sequentially detects the lateral acceleration in the left-right direction of the vehicle, the load sensor 60 sequentially detects the load distribution, and the operational amplifier 70 sequentially detects the action point, the vehicle When the CPU executes the program stored in the ROM of the seat 200, the support rigidity control processing routine shown in FIG. 12 is executed. When the lateral acceleration is in the right direction, the process is performed on the right support stiffness variable unit 2, and when the lateral acceleration is in the left direction, the process is performed on the left support stiffness variable unit 2. Is called. Below, the case where the support rigidity at the time of detecting the lateral acceleration of a left direction is demonstrated.

  In step S200, the position of the action point detected by the operational amplifier 70 is acquired.

  Next, in step S202, the vehicle lateral jerk threshold Jy0 is determined based on the position of the action point detected in step S200 and the predetermined center positions of the left and right shoulders of the occupant.

  Next, in step S104, an absolute value and a polarity determination value are obtained for the vehicle lateral jerk calculated in step S102. It is determined whether or not the absolute value of the vehicle lateral jerk is equal to or greater than the threshold value Jy0 determined in step S202. If the absolute value of the vehicle side jerk is equal to or greater than the threshold value Jy0, the process proceeds to step S110. If the absolute value of the vehicle side jerk is less than the threshold value Jy0, the process proceeds to step S108. Here, the case where the polarity determination value is “1” and the lateral jerk in the left direction is shown below.

  As described above, according to the vehicle seat 200 in the second embodiment, by controlling the support stiffness so as to reduce the support stiffness in the left-right direction of the seat as the left and right lateral jerk is larger, Steep vehicle lateral acceleration (high-frequency vibration component) can be absorbed by chest movements. Therefore, the rider's ride comfort can be improved because the head is moved slowly. Further, since the threshold value of the vehicle lateral jerk is changed according to the relative distance between the action point and the center position of the left and right shoulders, appropriate support rigidity according to the occupant's physique and seating posture can be obtained. Therefore, riding comfort can be greatly improved regardless of the physique and seating posture of the occupant.

  Next, a third embodiment will be described. In addition, about the part which becomes the structure and effect | action similar to 1st and 2nd Embodiment, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and description is abbreviate | omitted.

  The third embodiment is different from the second embodiment in that it is determined whether to change the support rigidity based on the support force acquired by the load sensor.

<Principle of the vehicle seat according to the third embodiment>
The principle of controlling the support rigidity by the vehicle seat 300 according to the third embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  In general, the occupant's body tilts in the roll direction in accordance with the magnitude of the vehicle lateral acceleration. At that time, when the forearm is placed on the armrest, as shown in FIG. 13 (a), the upper arm, the forearm and the chest muscles are acted as a human reaction, and the elbow joint stiffness Ke and the shoulder joint stiffness Ks are obtained. Try to keep it as large as possible and support your body with your shoulders and elbows to control the roll. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 13B, the forearm, the upper arm, and the chest are rigidly coupled, so that steep lateral acceleration (high-frequency vibration component) acting on the vehicle body acts directly on the head. As a result, the head is moved quickly, increasing discomfort. In addition, the neck muscles (thoracic mastoid muscles) with a small thickness cannot suppress the rapid shaking of the head, increasing the neck muscle burden and increasing fatigue.

  In order to prevent this phenomenon, when steep lateral acceleration (high-frequency vibration component) acts on the vehicle body, the stiffness of the armrest, that is, the spring constant Ka acting on the armrest is reduced from the initial spring constant Ka0 to Ka ′. As a result, the forearm sinks into the armrest and the position of the shoulder joint is lowered, so that the chest is easy to roll. In other words, the stiffness Ke of the elbow joint that supports the chest decreases to Ke ′, the stiffness Ks of the shoulder joint decreases to Ks ′, and the spring constant Ka of the armrest is connected in series, so the equivalent spring constant from the armrest to the chest Is Ka ′ = Ke′Ks′Ka / (Ke′Ks ′ + Ks′Ka + Ke′Ka). Here, if Ke′≈Ks ′ >> Ka, then Ka′≈Ka. That is, the support rigidity of the chest is almost determined by the spring constant Ka of the armrest. Further, assuming that the equivalent attenuation coefficient of the elbow joint and the shoulder joint is almost zero, the attenuation coefficient Ca of the armrest is obtained.

  This is because, as shown in FIG. 13C, a steep vehicle is produced by a two-degree-of-freedom spring mass vibration system (low-pass filter) based on the chest mass Mt, the air spring constant Ka ′, and the air spring damping coefficient Ca. Since the lateral acceleration (high frequency vibration component) is absorbed, the lateral acceleration of the vehicle transmitted to the head becomes a gentle component (low frequency vibration component). As a result, the head is not shaken quickly, and discomfort is reduced. Moreover, since it becomes a level which can be suppressed by the muscles of the narrow neck (chest chain mastoid), muscle fatigue is reduced.

  In addition, when the forearm is supported by the armrest, the effective support force that supports the body decreases as the distance between the point of action and the shoulder joint increases, and thus the body can easily move in the roll direction. That is, the threshold value of the vehicle lateral jerk that lowers the spring constant of the air spring of the armrest may be increased. Based on such an idea, as shown in FIG. 9, the threshold of the vehicle lateral jerk is increased with respect to the distance L from the predetermined shoulder joint position to the action point.

<Configuration of the vehicle seat according to the third embodiment>
Next, the configuration of the vehicle seat 300 according to the third embodiment will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 14, the vehicle seat 300 according to the third embodiment of the present invention includes an armrest 101 at the center of the rear seat, an armrest 102 inside the right door of the rear seat, and an armrest 2 There are two support stiffness variable sections 2, two load sensors 60 installed on the armrests 101 and 102, a vehicle state detection section 30, a control section 40, and an operational amplifier 70. FIG. 15 is a block diagram showing the function of the vehicle seat 300 according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

  The control unit 40 includes a lateral jerk calculation unit 34, a threshold value determination unit 41, a target support stiffness determination unit 42, a support force determination unit 43, and a support stiffness control unit 44.

  One load sensor 60 is arranged on the mesh of the armrest 101 and detects the distribution of the occupant's load applied to the armrest 101 as the distribution of the supporting force by the armrest 101.

  The other load sensor 60 is arranged on the mesh of the armrest 102 and detects the distribution of the occupant's load applied to the armrest 102 as the distribution of the supporting force by the armrest 102.

  The operational amplifier 70, based on the distribution information of the supporting force input from the load sensor 60 arranged on the mesh of the armrest 101, the action point in the detection region of the load sensor 60 arranged on the mesh of the armrest 101, and The supporting force at the action point is detected. Further, the operational amplifier 70 operates in the detection area of the load sensor 60 arranged on the mesh of the armrest 102 based on the distribution information of the supporting force input from the load sensor 60 arranged on the mesh of the armrest 102. The point and the supporting force of the action point are detected.

  The support force determination unit 43 determines whether or not the support force at the action point by the armrest 101 input from the operational amplifier 70 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold F0 of support force (support force when the elbow is placed). Further, the support force determination unit 43 determines whether or not the support force at the action point (the load center position of the armrest) by the armrest 102 input from the operational amplifier 70 is equal to or greater than a predetermined support force threshold value F0.

  When the support force determination unit 43 determines that the support force at the action point by the armrest 101 is equal to or greater than a predetermined support force threshold F0, that is, the threshold determination unit 41 determines that an elbow is placed on the armrest, Based on the position of the action point in the detection area of the load sensor 60 arranged on the mesh of the armrest 101 detected by the operational amplifier 70 and the position of the shoulder portion of the occupant determined in advance, the armrest 101 is built in. The threshold value Jy0 of the vehicle lateral jerk in the support stiffness variable part 2 is set. The threshold determination unit 41 also detects the armrest 102 detected by the operational amplifier 70 when the support force determination unit 43 determines that the support force at the action point by the armrest 102 is equal to or greater than a predetermined support force threshold F0. On the basis of the position of the action point in the detection region of the load sensor 60 arranged on the mesh and the center position of the left and right shoulders of the occupant determined in advance, the support stiffness variable part 2 built in the armrest 102 is provided. The threshold value Jy0 of the vehicle lateral jerk at is set.

  The target support stiffness determination unit 42 determines the left side vehicle lateral jerk input from the lateral jerk calculation unit 34 when it is determined that the support force at the point of action by the armrest 101 is equal to or greater than a predetermined support force threshold value F0. Based on the value, the target spring constant of the left support stiffness variable portion 2 built in the armrest 101 is determined. Specifically, an absolute value is obtained for the value of the vehicle lateral jerk in the left direction. Then, as shown in FIG. 6, it is determined whether or not the absolute value of the vehicle lateral jerk in the left direction is equal to or greater than the threshold value Jy0 determined by the threshold value determination unit 41. The target spring constant of the air spring constant Ka of the air spring 5 of the left support stiffness variable portion 2 is determined as Ka ′. Further, when the absolute value of the left side vehicle lateral jerk is less than the threshold value Jy0, the target spring constant of the air spring constant Ka of the air spring 5 of the left support stiffness variable portion 2 built in the armrest 101 is set to Ka0. decide. Further, the target support stiffness determination unit 42 determines the air of the air spring 5 of the support stiffness variable unit 2 built in the armrest 101 when the support force at the action point by the armrest 101 is determined to be less than the support force threshold value F0. The target spring constant of the spring constant Ka is determined as Ka0.

  The target support stiffness determination unit 42 determines the right side vehicle lateral jerk input from the lateral jerk calculation unit 34 when it is determined that the support force at the action point by the armrest 102 is equal to or greater than a predetermined support force threshold value F0. Based on the value, the target spring constant of the right support stiffness variable portion 2 built in the armrest 102 is determined. Specifically, an absolute value is obtained with respect to the value of the vehicle lateral jerk in the right direction. Then, as shown in FIG. 6, it is determined whether or not the absolute value of the vehicle lateral jerk in the right direction is greater than or equal to the threshold value Jy0 determined by the threshold value determination unit 41. The target spring constant of the air spring constant Ka of the air spring 5 of the right support rigidity variable portion 2 is determined as Ka ′. When the absolute value of the vehicle lateral jerk in the right direction is less than the threshold value Jy0, the target spring constant of the air spring constant Ka of the air spring 5 of the right support stiffness variable portion 2 built in the armrest 102 is set to Ka0. decide. Further, the target support stiffness determination unit 42 determines the air of the air spring 5 of the support stiffness variable unit 2 built in the armrest 102 when it is determined that the support force at the action point by the armrest 102 is less than the support force threshold value F0. The target spring constant of the spring constant Ka is determined as Ka0.

<Operation of the vehicle seat according to the third embodiment>
Next, the operation of the vehicle seat 300 according to the third embodiment of the present invention will be described. First, the vehicle state detection unit 30 sequentially detects the lateral acceleration of the vehicle in the left-right direction, the load distributions are sequentially detected by the two load sensors 60, and the operational amplifier and the operational point based on each load distribution are detected by the operational amplifier 70. When the support force is sequentially detected, the CPU executes the program stored in the ROM of the vehicle seat 300, thereby executing the support rigidity control processing routine shown in FIG. In the case of the lateral acceleration in the right direction, the process is performed on the right support stiffness variable unit 2 using the detection value of the load sensor 60 of the armrest 102 on the right side of the rear seat, and in the case of the lateral acceleration in the left direction. The processing is performed on the left support stiffness variable portion 2 using the detection value of the load sensor 60 of the armrest 101 on the left rear seat. Below, the case where the lateral acceleration in the left direction is detected and the support rigidity when the detection value of the load sensor 60 of the armrest 101 on the left side of the rear seat is used will be described.

  First, in step S300, the position of the action point detected by the operational amplifier 70 is acquired, and the supporting force at the position of the action point is acquired.

  Next, in step S302, it is determined whether or not the supporting force at the action point acquired in step S300 is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold value F0. If the supporting force at the action point is greater than or equal to the threshold value F0, the process proceeds to step S100, and if the supporting force at the action point is less than the threshold value F0, the process proceeds to step S108.

  As described above, according to the vehicle seat 300 in the third embodiment, the vehicle lateral acceleration (high-frequency vibration) is increased by controlling the armrest to be less rigid as the lateral jerk is larger. Component) can be absorbed by the movement of the chest, and the rider's ride comfort can be improved because the head is moved slowly. In addition, by controlling the support rigidity of the armrest, steep vehicle lateral acceleration (high-frequency vibration component) can be absorbed by the movement of the chest and the head is moved slowly, improving the ride comfort of the passengers in the rear seat Can be made.

  In the third embodiment, the air spring is used for the armrest of the passenger car. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a coil spring may be used for the armrest of the railway vehicle. In this case, as shown in FIG. 17, a coil spring may be provided at the armrest attachment point, and the rotation or elbow position may be slid when the vehicle lateral jerk threshold Jy0 is exceeded.

  Next, a fourth embodiment will be described. In addition, about the part which becomes the structure and effect | action similar to the 1st-3rd embodiment, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and description is abbreviate | omitted.

  In the fourth embodiment, the first is that the position of the point of action of the support force acting on the occupant is changed by simultaneously changing the support rigidity of the left and right backrests based on the absolute value of the vehicle lateral jerk. This is different from the embodiment.

<Principle of vehicle seat according to the fourth embodiment>
The principle of controlling the support rigidity by the vehicle seat 400 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  The closer the point of action of the support force that the seat back has with the back rests from the center of the left and right shoulders to the waist, the easier the chest shakes. Utilizing the relationship between this point of action and chest shaking, when steep lateral acceleration (high-frequency vibration component) acts on the vehicle, the support rigidity of the portion of the backrest corresponding to the scapula of the occupant is reduced. . As a result, the point of action of the backrest support force moves from the shoulder toward the waist, and the chest is likely to swing in the roll direction.

<Configuration of vehicle seat according to the fourth embodiment>
Next, the configuration of the vehicle seat 400 according to the fourth embodiment will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 18, a vehicle seat 400 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention includes a seat 1000, two support stiffness variable portions 2 that are mounted on the left and right sides of the scapula support portion of the seat back 1, and The vehicle state detection unit 30 and the control unit 40 are provided. FIG. 20 is a block diagram showing the function of the vehicle seat 400 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. Note that the two support stiffness variable portions 2 are an example of the action point variable means.

  The vehicle state detection unit 30 includes a lateral acceleration sensor and detects the lateral acceleration of the vehicle. In the fourth embodiment, the lateral acceleration of the vehicle is detected and output to the lateral jerk calculating unit 34 with the right direction being positive toward the vehicle traveling direction and the left direction being negative.

  The lateral jerk calculation unit 34 differentiates the lateral acceleration input from the vehicle state detection unit 30 to calculate the value of the vehicle lateral jerk and outputs it to the target support stiffness determination unit 42.

  The target support stiffness determination unit 42 determines a common target spring constant for the two support stiffness variable units 2 based on the absolute value of the vehicle lateral jerk input from the lateral jerk calculation unit 34. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, it is determined whether or not the absolute value of the vehicle lateral jerk is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value Jy0. A common target spring constant of the air spring constant Ka of the air spring 5 is determined as Ka ′. When the absolute value of the vehicle lateral jerk is less than the threshold value Jy0, the common target spring constant of the air spring constant Ka of the air spring 5 of the left and right support stiffness variable portion 2 is determined as Ka0.

  Based on the target spring constant Ka determined by the target support stiffness determination unit 42, the support stiffness control unit 44 stops energization or energization of the electromagnetic coils 53 </ b> A of the left and right support stiffness variable units 2, and Control so that the spring constant becomes the target spring constant. The process of determining the target spring constant by the target support stiffness determining unit 42 and controlling the spring constant of the air spring 5 of the support stiffness varying unit 2 is repeated at predetermined sampling times.

<Operation of the vehicle seat according to the fourth embodiment>
Next, the operation of the vehicle seat 400 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. First, when the lateral acceleration of the vehicle is sequentially detected by the vehicle state detection unit 30, the CPU executes the program stored in the ROM of the vehicle seat 400, whereby the support rigidity control process shown in FIG. The routine is executed. In the fourth embodiment, the left and right support stiffness variable sections 2 are simultaneously controlled based on the absolute value of the vehicle lateral jerk obtained by differentiating the lateral acceleration.

  First, in step S100, the lateral acceleration of the vehicle detected by the lateral acceleration sensor of the vehicle state detection unit 30 is acquired.

  Next, in step S102, the lateral acceleration of the vehicle acquired in step S100 is differentiated to calculate a vehicle lateral jerk.

  Next, in step S400, it is determined whether or not the absolute value of the vehicle side jerk is not less than a predetermined threshold value Jy0 for the vehicle side jerk calculated in step S102. If the absolute value of the vehicle side jerk is equal to or greater than the threshold value Jy0, the process proceeds to step S110. If the absolute value of the vehicle side jerk is less than the threshold value Jy0, the process proceeds to step S108.

  Next, in step S108, the target spring constants of the air spring constants Ka of the air springs 5 of the left and right support stiffness variable portions 2 are set to Ka0.

  In step S110, the target spring constant Ka of the air spring constant Ka of the air spring 5 of each of the left and right support stiffness variable portions 2 is set to Ka ′.

  Next, in step S112, the left and right support stiffness variable portions 2 are set in order to set the air spring constant Ka of the air spring 5 of the left and right support stiffness variable portions 2 to the target spring constant set in step S108 or step S110. Each of the electromagnetic coils 53A is energized or de-energized.

  Next, the process proceeds to step S100, and the processes in steps S100 to S112 are repeated.

  As described above, according to the vehicle seat 400 according to the fourth embodiment, the larger the lateral jerk, the steeper vehicle lateral acceleration is obtained by changing the action point so as to lower the position of the action point. (High-frequency vibration component) can be absorbed by the movement of the chest, and the head is slowly moved, so the ride comfort of the occupant can be improved.

  In addition, it is possible to improve the ride comfort of the occupant in the lateral direction of the vehicle and to significantly reduce muscle fatigue with respect to the lateral acceleration of the vehicle having a large amount of high-frequency vibration components due to road disturbance.

  Next, a fifth embodiment will be described. In addition, about the part which becomes the structure and effect | action similar to 1st-4th embodiment, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and description is abbreviate | omitted.

  In the fifth embodiment, based on a value of only the rear jerk acting on the rear obtained by differentiating the longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle (the value of the vehicle rear jerk) and a predetermined threshold Jx0 of the vehicle rear jerk. The point that the position of the point of action of the support force acting on the occupant is changed by changing the support rigidity of the backrest is different from the fourth embodiment.

<Principle of Vehicle Seat in Fifth Embodiment>
The principle of controlling the support rigidity by the vehicle seat 500 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  When the vehicle longitudinal acceleration acts backward, that is, when steep rear acceleration (high-frequency vibration component) acts on the vehicle during acceleration, the support rigidity of the portion corresponding to the scapula of the occupant is reduced. As a result, the point of action of the support force of the backrest moves from the shoulder to the waist, making it easier to pitch the chest backward, centering on the waist, and blocking the steep vehicle longitudinal acceleration (high frequency component) to the head To do. Further, since the head is moved slowly, the head sway can be suppressed even with a thin neck muscle (thoracic mastoid muscle), and neck muscle fatigue can be reduced. On the other hand, when normal backward acceleration (low frequency vibration component) acts on the vehicle, the support rigidity of the portion corresponding to the scapula of the occupant is increased.

<Configuration of Vehicle Seat in Fifth Embodiment>
Next, the configuration of the vehicle seat 500 in the fifth embodiment will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 18, a vehicle seat 500 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention includes a seat 1000, and two support stiffness variable portions 2 that are mounted on the left and right sides of the scapula support portion of the seat back 1. The vehicle state detection unit 30 and the control unit 40 are provided. FIG. 22 is a block diagram showing the function of the vehicle seat 500 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. Note that the two support stiffness variable portions 2 are an example of the action point variable means.

  The vehicle state detection unit 30 includes a longitudinal acceleration sensor and detects the longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle. In the fifth embodiment, the vehicle state detection unit 30 detects acceleration acting on the rear of the vehicle and outputs the acceleration to the front-rear jerk calculation unit 38.

  The front / rear jerk calculation unit 38 differentiates the longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle input from the vehicle state detection unit 30 and outputs only the rear jerk acting rearward to the target support stiffness determination unit 42.

  The target support stiffness determination unit 42 determines a common target spring constant for the two support stiffness variable units 2 based on the absolute value of the vehicle rear jerk input from the front / rear jerk calculation unit 38. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 19, it is determined whether or not the absolute value of the vehicle rear jerk is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value Jx0. A common target spring constant of the air spring constant Ka of the air spring 5 is determined as Ka ′. When the absolute value of the vehicle rear jerk is less than the threshold value Jx0, the common target spring constant of the air spring constant Ka of the air spring 5 of the left and right support stiffness variable portion 2 is determined as Ka0.

  Based on the target spring constant Ka determined by the target support stiffness determination unit 42, the support stiffness control unit 44 stops energization or energization of the electromagnetic coils 53 </ b> A of the left and right support stiffness variable units 2, and Control so that the spring constant becomes the target spring constant. The process of determining the target spring constant by the target support stiffness determining unit 42 and controlling the spring constant of the air spring 5 of the support stiffness varying unit 2 is repeated at predetermined sampling times.

<Operation of the vehicle seat according to the fifth embodiment>
Next, the operation of the vehicle seat 500 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described. First, when the longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle is sequentially detected by the vehicle state detection unit 30, the CPU executes the program stored in the ROM of the vehicle seat 500, whereby the support rigidity control processing routine shown in FIG. Is executed. In the fifth embodiment, the left and right support stiffness variable portions 2 are simultaneously controlled based on the differential value of the vehicle longitudinal acceleration and the absolute value of the rear jerk acting rearward.

  First, in step S500, the longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle detected by the longitudinal acceleration sensor of the vehicle state detection unit 30 is acquired.

  Next, in step S502, the longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle acquired in step S500 is differentiated to calculate a rear jerk acting backward.

  Next, in step S504, it is determined whether or not the absolute value of the vehicle rearward jerk calculated in step S502 is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold value Jx0. When the absolute value of the vehicle rear jerk is greater than or equal to the threshold value Jx0, the process proceeds to step S110, and when the absolute value of the vehicle rear jerk is less than the threshold value Jx0, the process proceeds to step S108.

  Next, in step S108, the target spring constant of the air spring constant Ka of the air spring 5 of the left and right support stiffness variable portion 2 is set to Ka0.

  In step S110, the target spring constant Ka of the air spring constant Ka of the air spring 5 of the left and right support stiffness variable section 2 is set to Ka '.

  Next, in step S112, the left and right support stiffness variable portions 2 are set in order to set the air spring constant Ka of the air spring 5 of the left and right support stiffness variable portions 2 to the target spring constant set in step S108 or step S110. Each of the electromagnetic coils 53A is energized or de-energized.

  Next, it transfers to step S500 and repeats the process of step S500-step S112.

  As described above, according to the vehicle seat 500 according to the fifth embodiment, the vehicle longitudinal acceleration is differentiated, and as the rear jerk acting rearward is larger, the rear supporting rigidity by the seat is reduced. In addition, the ride comfort of the occupant can be improved by controlling the support rigidity. In addition, the larger the rear jerk, the lower the rigidity of the rear support by the seat, and by changing the action point so as to lower the position of the action point, the ride comfort of the occupant can be improved.

  In addition, it is possible to improve the ride comfort of the occupant with respect to the acceleration (rear acceleration) of the vehicle with respect to the vehicle longitudinal acceleration with many high-frequency vibration components due to road surface disturbance, and greatly reduce muscle fatigue acting on the neck.

  Even when there are many high-frequency vibration components due to harshness roads or step roads, head vibration can be suppressed by shaking the chest in the front-rear (pitch) direction.

  Next, a sixth embodiment will be described. In addition, about the part which becomes the structure and effect | action similar to 1st-5th Embodiment, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and description is abbreviate | omitted.

  In the sixth embodiment, a seat function is provided in which the angle of the upper portion of the backrest can be adjusted in the pitch direction around the rotational axis extending in the lateral direction, which is arranged near the lower portion of the portion corresponding to the scapula of the occupant of the backrest. By using it, the point of action acting on the occupant can be varied from the fourth and fifth embodiments.

<Principle of Vehicle Seat in Sixth Embodiment>
The principle of controlling the support rigidity by the vehicle seat 600 according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  When a steep lateral acceleration (high-frequency vibration component) acts on the vehicle body, the position of the action point is changed from the chest to the waist by adjusting the upper part of the backrest of the seat back so as to tilt backward. Accordingly, the chest can be easily moved in the left-right (roll) or front-back (pitch) direction, and steep vehicle lateral acceleration (high-frequency component) to the head can be blocked.

<Configuration of Vehicle Seat in Sixth Embodiment>
Next, the configuration of the vehicle seat 600 in the sixth embodiment will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 24, a vehicle seat 600 according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention includes a seat 1000, a backrest variable unit 9 provided in the lower part of the scapula of the seatback 1, and a vehicle state detection unit. 30 and a control unit 540. FIG. 25 is a block diagram showing the function of the vehicle seat 600 according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention. In addition, the backrest variable part 9 is an example of an action point variable means. The control unit 540 includes a lateral jerk calculation unit 34 and a backrest control unit 46.

  The backrest control unit 46 controls the upper part of the backrest based on the absolute value of the value of the vehicle lateral jerk input from the lateral jerk calculation unit 34. Specifically, it is determined whether or not the absolute value of the vehicle lateral jerk is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value Jy0. If the absolute value of the vehicle lateral jerk is equal to or greater than the threshold value Jy0, the angle in the pitch direction above the backrest is an angle that tilts backward. To control. When the absolute value of the lateral jerk is less than a predetermined threshold value Jy0, control is performed so that the angle in the pitch direction above the backrest becomes the initial angle.

  Based on the control input from the backrest control unit 46, the backrest variable unit 9 varies the angle of the upper part of the backrest in the pitch direction around the rotation axis BB.

<Operation of the vehicle seat according to the sixth embodiment>
Next, the operation of the vehicle seat 600 according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described. First, when the lateral acceleration of the vehicle is sequentially detected by the vehicle state detection unit 30, the CPU executes the program stored in the ROM of the vehicle seat 600, whereby the support stiffness control process shown in FIG. The routine is executed.

  In step S400, it is determined whether the absolute value of the vehicle lateral jerk detected in step S102 is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold value Jy0. When the absolute value of the vehicle lateral jerk is equal to or greater than the threshold value Jy0, the process proceeds to step S600, and when the absolute value of the vehicle lateral jerk is less than the threshold value Jy0, the process proceeds to step S604.

  In step S600, the backrest variable unit 9 is controlled so that the angle in the pitch direction of the upper portion of the backrest is tilted backward, the process proceeds to step S100, and the processes from step S100 to step S400 are repeated.

  In step S604, the backrest variable unit 9 is controlled so that the angle in the pitch direction above the backrest becomes the initial angle, the process proceeds to step S100, and the processes from step S100 to step S400 are repeated.

  As described above, according to the vehicle seat 600 according to the sixth embodiment, as the lateral jerk is larger, the action point is changed so as to lower the position of the action point, thereby improving the ride comfort of the occupant. Can be improved.

  In the sixth embodiment, the case where the vehicle lateral jerk is used has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a vehicle rear jerk may be used. In this case, Jx0 is used as the predetermined threshold value.

  For example, in the first embodiment, the second embodiment, the third embodiment, the fourth embodiment, and the sixth embodiment, the lateral acceleration is detected by a lateral acceleration sensor and detected. Although the case where the vehicle lateral jerk value is calculated by differentiating the lateral acceleration is described, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, each of the steering angle and the vehicle speed may be detected by a sensor, the lateral acceleration may be estimated from the detected steering angle and the vehicle speed, and the estimated lateral acceleration may be differentiated to calculate the vehicle lateral jerk value.

  In the fifth embodiment and the sixth embodiment, the case where the longitudinal acceleration is detected by the longitudinal acceleration sensor, the detected longitudinal acceleration is differentiated, and the value of the backward jerk acting backward is calculated. However, this is not the case. For example, each accelerator pedal stroke, gear ratio, or vehicle speed is detected by a sensor, the detected accelerator pedal stroke, gear ratio, or vehicle speed is differentiated to estimate the vehicle longitudinal acceleration, and the estimated vehicle longitudinal acceleration is differentiated. Then, the value of the rear jerk acting rearward may be calculated.

  Further, in the first embodiment, the second embodiment, the third embodiment, the fourth embodiment, and the fifth embodiment, the air spring constant Ka is set to 2 of Ka0 and Ka ′. The case of switching to the stage has been described, but this is not the case. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, the air spring constant according to the value of the vehicle lateral jerk or the vehicle rear jerk so that the air spring constant Ka is continuously decreased as the value of the vehicle lateral jerk or the vehicle rear jerk increases. Ka may be calculated. In that case, the current characteristic flowing through the electromagnetic coil may be increased as opposed to the target decreasing characteristic of the air spring constant Ka, and the moving distance of the piston 53B may be controlled continuously.

  In the first embodiment, the second embodiment, the third embodiment, the fourth embodiment, the fifth embodiment, and the sixth embodiment, the vehicle side jerk or Although the case where it is determined whether the absolute value of the vehicle rear side jerk is the threshold value Jy0 or the threshold value Jx0 or more has been described, this is not restrictive. For example, time series data of lateral acceleration or acceleration acting backward is acquired, and it is determined whether the value of the high frequency component obtained from the result of performing spectrum analysis on the data is greater than or equal to the threshold value Jy0 or Jx0. When the value of the component is equal to or greater than the threshold value Jy0 or Jx0, the air spring constant Ka may be set to Ka ′. Alternatively, high-frequency vibration may be directly extracted by a high-pass filter, and it may be determined whether the value of the high-frequency component is greater than or equal to a threshold value Jy0 ′ or Jx0 ′.

  In the fourth embodiment, the fifth embodiment, and the sixth embodiment, the case where the predetermined threshold value Jy0 or the threshold value Jx0 is used has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. . For example, as in the second embodiment, a load sensor and an operational amplifier are further provided, and the vehicle lateral jerk increases as the relative distance between the point of action of the support force acting on the seat back and the center position of the left and right shoulders increases. The threshold value Jy0 of the vehicle or the threshold value Jx0 of the vehicle rear side jerk may be increased.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Seat back 2 Support rigidity variable part 3 Seat back frame 4 Fixing plate 5 Air spring 6 Cushion pad 7 Press board 8 Side support part 9 Backrest variable part 30 Vehicle state detection part 34 Lateral jerk calculation part 38 Front and rear jerk calculation part 40 Control Unit 41 threshold determination unit 42 target support stiffness determination unit 43 support force determination unit 44 support stiffness control unit 46 backrest control unit 51 rubber bellows 52 case 53 electromagnetic actuator 53A electromagnetic coil 53B piston 53C coil spring 60 load sensor 70 operational amplifier 100 vehicle Seat 101 Armrest 102 Armrest 200 Vehicle seat 300 Vehicle seat 400 Vehicle seat 500 Vehicle seat 540 Control unit 600 Vehicle seat 1000 Seat

Claims (7)

Support stiffness variable means for varying the support stiffness in the left-right direction or the roll direction with respect to the upper body part of the occupant seated on the seat;
A vehicle condition acquisition unit for acquiring a high-frequency vibration component obtained from a result of the spectral analysis with respect to the lateral jerk, or time series data of the lateral acceleration a lateral acceleration obtained by differentiating the vehicle,
The support stiffness variable such that the greater the value of the high frequency vibration component of the lateral jerk or the lateral acceleration of the vehicle acquired by the vehicle state acquisition means, the lower the support stiffness in the lateral direction or roll direction of the seat. Control means for controlling the means;
A support stiffness control device. The control means reduces the support rigidity when a value of the high frequency vibration component of the lateral jerk or the lateral acceleration of the vehicle acquired by the vehicle state acquisition means is larger than a predetermined threshold value. The support stiffness control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support stiffness variable means is controlled. Based on the high frequency vibration component of the lateral jerk or the lateral acceleration of the vehicle acquired by the vehicle state acquisition means, the larger the value of the high frequency vibration component of the lateral jerk or the lateral acceleration, A target support stiffness calculating means for calculating a target value of the support stiffness so as to reduce the support stiffness in the roll direction;
Before SL control means, the support rigidity control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein controlling the supporting rigidity changing means so that the target value of the support stiffness calculated by the target support rigidity calculation means. Support force detecting means for detecting a force for supporting the upper body part of the occupant to be acted on by the seat;
Based on the distance between the position of the action point obtained based on the support force detected by the support force detection means and the center position of the left and right shoulders of the occupant, the threshold value increases as the distance increases. Threshold value determining means for determining the value of the threshold value to be higher;
The support rigidity control device according to claim 2 , further comprising:   The support stiffness control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the support stiffness varying means varies the support stiffness in the left-right direction by varying the support stiffness of the side support portion of the seat.   The support stiffness control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the support stiffness varying means varies the support stiffness in the roll direction by varying the support stiffness of the armrest. The support rigidity control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 ,
A seat for the passenger to sit on;
Vehicle seat including.