JP6547720B2 - Seat equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a seat device, and more particularly to a seat device capable of securing both the elasticity and hardness of a vehicle seat.

  A vehicle seat is generally configured by covering a cushioning material with a skin material. Further, the cushioning material is formed of a relatively soft material such as urethane foam so that the occupants of the vehicle can feel a good ride. However, as the hardness of the cushioning material decreases, the change in the elasticity of the sheet with time becomes remarkable, and the decrease in the elasticity tends to progress.

  On the other hand, there is a vehicle seat provided with an air cushion at a lower position of a cushion material for the purpose of adjusting its hardness (see, for example, Patent Document 1). According to the vehicle seat described in Patent Document 1, it is possible to set the hardness of the sheet to an appropriate hardness by enclosing the compressed air in the air cushion and expanding the air cushion. This makes it possible to suppress the reduction in the elasticity of the vehicle seat.

Unexamined-Japanese-Patent No. 2005-125861

  As described above, the vehicle seat is required to secure both elasticity and hardness as its performance. In addition to the above requirements, smooth switching of the state of the vehicle seat, more specifically, a state in which the posture of the seating member is stably held and a state in which the posture change is not hindered according to the situation Needs to be switched smoothly.

  Moreover, the flow path for supplying compressed air with respect to a bag body like said air cushion may be formed with bendable materials (following, flow-path formation material), such as a film. In such a configuration, if the flow path forming material is unintentionally bent, the flow path is blocked, and as a result, the supply of the compressed air to the air cushion and the discharge of the compressed air from the air cushion are appropriately performed. There is a possibility that it can not be done.

  Moreover, as a structure which accommodates the electrical equipment which operate | moves in order to supply compressed air in a sheet | seat, it is possible to indent a part of cushioning material of a seat, and to provide an accommodation space. In such a configuration, if foreign matter, rain water, or the like enters the storage space, the operation of the electrical equipment may be hindered.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to ensure both the elasticity and the hardness of the vehicle seat and to appropriately switch the state of the vehicle seat according to the situation. To provide a seating device that can
Another object of the present invention is to suppress blockage of a flow path due to bending of the flow path formation material in a configuration in which the flow path formation material is formed of a bendable material.
Another object of the present invention is to suppress entry of foreign matter, rain water, etc. into the accommodation space in a configuration in which the accommodation space of the electrical equipment is formed by recessing a part of the cushioning material of the seat. .

According to the seat device of the present invention, the above-mentioned subject includes a vehicle seat having a cushion material provided with a plurality of recessed portions in the bottom, a plurality of bag bodies that expand by fluid being enclosed, and a plurality of the above And a fluid supply mechanism for supplying fluid to the bag body, wherein a part of the plurality of recesses is a portion of the cushion material which is a portion of the vehicle seat positioned on a seating portion on which the buttocks of an occupant rests. A bottom portion is provided, and each of the plurality of bag bodies bulges out in the corresponding one of the plurality of recess portions, and the fluid supply mechanism is configured to fluidize a part or all of the bag bodies. By supplying some or all of the bags, and switching the fluid supply destination to change the bags to be expanded , and at least a part of the plurality of bags being seated Center position of the part located in the It has been linked disposed Jo, the inner space of the bag being connected is solved by communicating with the intersection shape.

In the seat apparatus of the present invention configured as described above, a plurality of recesses are provided in the bottom of the cushioning material of the vehicle seat. By providing such a recess, when the occupant is seated on the vehicle seat, the cushion material can be easily bent while conforming to the shape of the buttocks of the occupant. Further, in the recess, a bag body that is expanded by the fluid being enclosed is disposed. And a hardness will be ensured by the bulging bag body. That is, in the seat device of the present invention, both the elasticity and the hardness of the vehicle seat are secured. Furthermore, in the seat device of the present invention, it is possible to change the bulging bag among the plurality of provided bags. This makes it possible to locally adjust the hardness of the vehicle seat. That is, in the seat device of the present invention, the portion of the cushion material that increases the hardness can be changed according to the situation. As a result, in the seat device of the present invention, it is possible to appropriately switch the state of the vehicle seat according to the situation at that time.
In the above-mentioned composition, a part of a plurality of bags are connected. For this reason, it becomes possible to handle collectively about the connected bag body, and the attachment operation | work of a bag body, etc. become easier.

Further, according to the seat device of the present invention, the above-mentioned subject includes a vehicle seat having a cushion material provided with a plurality of recessed portions in a bottom portion, a plurality of bag bodies that expand by fluid being enclosed, and a plurality of bags. And a fluid supply mechanism for supplying fluid to the bag body, and a part of the plurality of recesses is a portion of the cushion material positioned on a seating portion on which the buttocks of an occupant rest on the vehicle seat The bottom portion is provided, and each of the plurality of bag bodies bulges out in the corresponding one of the plurality of the recess portions, and the fluid supply mechanism is configured to the part or all of the bag bodies. By supplying a fluid, a part or all of the bags are inflated, and by switching the fluid supply destination, the bags to be inflated are changed, and each of the plurality of bags is an air cell. The fluid supply mechanism is a compressed air as the fluid A compressed air generating device for generating the air flow, a supply path forming member forming the supply path for the compressed air, and a switching device connected to the supply path forming member and operated to switch the supply destination of the compressed air And the air cell, the compressed air generating device, and the switching device are assembled to the bottom portion of the cushion material, and the compressed air generating device and the switching device are detached from the seating portion of the cushion material. The present invention is also solved by the above-mentioned supply path forming member, which is assembled to the bottom of the lower portion, and extends substantially linearly to connect the air cell, the compressed air generating device and the switching device.
In the above configuration, the air cell as the bag and the components of the fluid supply mechanism are unitized by being assembled to the cushion material. This makes it possible to more easily handle the air cell and each component of the fluid supply mechanism.
Further, in the above configuration, since the compressed air generating device and the switching device are disposed at the position deviated from the seating portion in the vehicle seat, it is possible to suppress that these devices affect the riding comfort. .

In the above-mentioned seat device, the crevices formed in the bottom of a portion located in the seating part among the cushion materials are provided so that intervals between the crevices next to each other become uniform. It is good.
Further, in the above seat apparatus, each of the plurality of bag bodies has two or more bulging portions arranged side by side across the partition portion, and the intervals between the adjacent bag bodies become uniform. The plurality of bulging portions may be in communication with each other in each of the plurality of bag bodies.
In the above configuration, the plurality of bag bodies are in communication with each other, and each bag body has a structure having two or more bulging portions aligned with the partition portion interposed therebetween. With such a structure, the bulging direction of the bag can be appropriately regulated because the bulging portion is bulging along the direction in which the two or more bulging portions are arranged. In addition, since the bag bodies are uniformly arranged, it is possible to adjust in a well-balanced manner when partially adjusting the hardness of the vehicle seat.

Further, in the above seat apparatus, each of the plurality of bag bodies is an air cell, and the air cell bulges along the thickness direction of the vehicle seat by being filled with compressed air as a fluid, and is enclosed It is preferable to contract along the thickness direction by discharging the compressed air.
In the above configuration, an air cell is used as the bag body. Then, the air cell expands and contracts in the thickness direction of the vehicle seat. With such a configuration, it is possible to adjust the hardness of the vehicle seat by a relatively lightweight and simple structure.

Further, in the above seat device, the fluid supply mechanism includes a switching device that operates to switch the fluid supply destination, and a sensor that outputs a signal according to the traveling condition of the vehicle on which the vehicle seat is mounted. The control device may control the switching device according to an output signal of the sensor, and the control device may control the switching device to switch the bulging bag body.
In the above configuration, among the plurality of bags, the bag to be expanded can be switched according to the traveling condition of the vehicle. This makes it possible to optimize the hardness balance of the vehicle seat in accordance with the traveling condition of the vehicle.

Further, in the above seat device, a flow passage of the fluid extending toward the bag body is formed inside, and a flow passage forming member made of a bendable material, and disposed inside the flow passage forming member, The inner side may have a cylindrical body forming a part of the flow path, and the cylindrical body may be made of a material harder than the material of the flow path forming material.
In the above configuration, a cylindrical body made of a material harder than the flow path forming material is disposed inside the flow path forming material made of a bendable material. Thereby, it becomes possible to control bending of a flow path formation material by a cylindrical body, and to control channel blockage by bending of the flow path formation material concerned.

Further, in the above seat device, the flow path is connected to the bag body, and at least a portion of the cylindrical body is a connection portion between the flow path and the bag body in the flow path forming material. It is good to be arranged.
In the above configuration, at least a part of the cylindrical body is disposed at the connection point between the flow path and the bag body inside the flow path forming material. Here, since the connection point between the flow path and the bag body is a particularly important part in properly expanding and contracting the bag body, if the tubular body is disposed at such a place, the tubular body is made more It becomes possible to utilize effectively.

Further, in the above-described seat device, a portion of the flow path forming material in which the cylindrical body is disposed bulges along the surface of the cylindrical body and is positioned at a position facing the cushion material. It may have a raised portion disposed and a flat portion extending on the opposite side of the raised portion and extending flat.
In the above configuration, the raised portion and the flat portion are provided in the portion of the flow path forming material in which the cylindrical body is disposed, and the flat portion is the side opposite to the cushion material (in other words, the bottom plate On the same side as the cushion material support member). That is, the portion of the flow path forming member in which the cylindrical body is disposed is in contact with the cushioning material support member such as the bottom plate in a plane. For this reason, the part in which the cylindrical body is arrange | positioned among the flow-path formation materials comes to receive the said load by a surface, when a load is applied from the cushion material support member side. As a result, it is possible to suppress damage (breakage) of the flow path forming material caused by the above-described load.

Further, in the above-mentioned seat device, the fluid supply mechanism includes an electrical device operable to supply the fluid, and the bottom portion of the cushion material is formed by a portion of the bottom portion being recessed. A storage space for the electrical equipment may be provided, and the apparatus may further include a cover member covering at least a part of the opening of the storage space.
In the above configuration, a recess-shaped housing space for housing the electrical equipment is formed at the bottom of the cushion material, and the opening of the housing space is covered by the cover member. As a result, adhesion of foreign matter, rain water and the like to the electrical equipment in the housing space is suppressed.

Further, in the above seat apparatus, the cushion material has an inclined portion inclined with respect to the thickness direction of the vehicle seat, and the bottom portion of the inclined portion is formed by a portion of the bottom portion being recessed. The cavity is continuous with the receiving space, and the cover member covers the opening of the receiving space with at least a part of the opening of the hollow being open.
In the above configuration, the housing space of the electrical equipment and the cavity formed at the bottom of the inclined portion in the cushion material are continuous. In addition, the cover member covers the opening of the accommodation space with at least a part of the opening of the cavity open. As a result, it is possible to suppress the adhesion of foreign matter, rain water, and the like to the electrical equipment while securing the ventilation to the accommodation space. In addition, even if rainwater enters the storage space, it is possible to properly drain water from the opening of the open cavity.
Further, in the above-mentioned seat device, the concave portion has a substantially dome shape, and each of the bag bodies is arranged in a state where a plurality of bulging portions are arranged in the vertical direction in the corresponding concave portion. It is good.
Further, in the above seat device, the plurality of bag bodies are disposed at the bottom portion of the cushion material at a bag group disposed at a portion located at the seating portion and a position sandwiching the bag group therebetween. And the left and right pouches are connected, and the left and right pouches are connected through a flow path forming member extending to surround the group of pouches, and the left and right pouches are connected. It is good for the internal space to be in communication.

According to the present invention, it is possible to secure both the elasticity and the hardness of the vehicle seat, and to appropriately switch the state of the vehicle seat according to the situation.
Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to further improve the ease of bending of the cushion material by uniformly providing the recess in the bottom of the cushion material.
Further, according to the present invention, since each bag body bulges along the direction in which the two bulged portions are arranged, it becomes possible to appropriately regulate the bulging direction. In addition, since the bag bodies are evenly arranged, it is possible to adjust in a well-balanced manner when partially adjusting the hardness of the vehicle seat.
Further, according to the present invention, since the air cell is used as the bag body, it is possible to adjust the hardness of the vehicle seat with a relatively lightweight and simple structure.
Further, according to the present invention, since some of the plurality of bag bodies are connected, handling of the bag body is easier.
Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to optimize the hardness balance (hardness distribution) of the vehicle seat according to the traveling condition of the vehicle by switching the sagging bag according to the traveling condition of the vehicle. is there.
Further, according to the present invention, since the air cell as the bag body and the constituent devices of the fluid supply mechanism are assembled into a cushion material, the handling of each of the above-described devices is easier.
Further, according to the present invention, since the compressed air generating device and the switching device are disposed at the position deviated from the seating portion in the vehicle seat, it is possible to suppress the influence of these devices on the riding comfort. It is.
Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to suppress the flow path clogging due to the bending of the flow path forming material.
Further, according to the present invention, the cylindrical body can be more effectively used by arranging the cylindrical body at a particularly important place in expanding and contracting the bag appropriately.
Further, according to the present invention, when a load is applied from the bottom plate or the like to a portion of the flow path forming material in which the cylindrical body is disposed, the flow path forming material caused by the load. It becomes possible to control damage (break).
Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to suppress the adhesion of foreign matter, rain water and the like to the electrical equipment in the accommodation space formed at the bottom of the cushion material.
Further, according to the present invention, while ensuring the ventilation to the storage space, while suppressing the adhesion of foreign matter, rain water, etc. to the electrical equipment in the storage space, if the rain water temporarily enters the storage space It becomes possible to drain properly.

It is a perspective view of a vehicle seat concerning one embodiment of the present invention. It is a model side view which shows the external appearance of an air cell. It is a block diagram showing composition of a fluid supply mechanism. It is a figure which shows a compressed air production | generation apparatus, a switching apparatus, and a supply path formation member. It is a figure showing a cushioning material of a vehicle seat. It is a schematic cross section of a vehicle seat. It is a figure showing the bottom of a cushioning material. It is a figure which shows the arrangement | positioning position of an air cell, a compressed air production | generation apparatus, and a switching apparatus. It is explanatory drawing regarding operation | movement of an air cell. It is a model top view which shows the variation of an air cell. It is a figure which shows the flow of hardness adjustment flow. It is explanatory drawing regarding mode 1 in the mode which makes a several air cell bulge. It is explanatory drawing regarding mode 2 in the mode which makes a several air cell bulge. It is explanatory drawing regarding mode 3 in the mode which makes a several air cell bulge. It is a figure which shows the bottom part of the cushioning material which concerns on a modification, and each apparatus arrange | positioned at the said bottom part. It is a top view which shows an air cell unit. It is an exploded view of an air cell unit. It is a figure which shows the assembly procedure of an air cell unit (the 1). It is a figure which shows the assembly procedure of an air cell unit (the 2). It is a figure which shows the assembly procedure of an air cell unit (the 3). It is an enlarged view of the range X in FIG. It is a schematic diagram which shows the XX cross section in FIG. 19A. It is a figure of the cross section corresponded to the AA in FIG. 15 among the sheets for vehicles which concern on a modification.

  Hereinafter, a configuration example of a seat apparatus according to an embodiment (this embodiment) of the present invention will be described. Further, in the following, a seat device mounted on a motorcycle will be described as an example. However, the seat device of the present invention can also be mounted on a vehicle other than a motorcycle, for example, a vehicle such as a three-wheeled motor vehicle or a car, or a boat or an aircraft. Incidentally, the seat device of the present invention is particularly effective in a vehicle having a rider of the vehicle straddlingly seated, that is, a vehicle provided with a saddle seat.

  In the following description, the “front-rear direction” corresponds to the front-rear direction of the vehicle seat 1 and corresponds to the traveling direction of the motorcycle. Further, the “width direction” corresponds to the width direction (lateral width) of the vehicle seat 1, and is a direction that coincides with the left-right direction when the motorcycle is viewed from the front. Further, the position, movement, and the like of each device described below are contents when the two-wheeled motor vehicle is in an upright state (a state in which it is not inclined to the left and right with respect to the ground) unless otherwise specified.

<< Schematic Configuration of Seat Device >>
First, a schematic configuration of a seat apparatus (hereinafter, the present apparatus 100) according to the present embodiment will be described. The present apparatus 100 mainly includes the vehicle seat 1 shown in FIG. 1, the air cell 20 shown in FIG. 2, and the fluid supply mechanism 30 shown in FIGS. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle seat 1 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic side view showing the appearance of the air cell 20. As shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the fluid supply mechanism 30. As shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a view showing the air supply pump 31, the valve unit 32 and the tube 33 among the components of the fluid supply mechanism 30.

  The vehicle seat 1 is a seat on which an occupant of a motorcycle (equivalent to a vehicle) is seated, and is used in a state of being mounted on a seat mounting portion of a motorcycle body (vehicle body). The air cell 20 is a bag used to adjust the hardness of the vehicle seat 1, and is expanded by being filled with compressed air as a fluid. The fluid supply mechanism 30 supplies compressed air to the air cell 20.

  In the device 100, the air cell 20 and the fluid supply mechanism 30 are built in the vehicle seat 1, and a switch 36 described later is attached to a predetermined portion (for example, a handle portion) of the vehicle seat 1. Specifically, the air cell 20 and the fluid supply mechanism 30 are attached to the cushioning material 2 (the cushioning material 2 will be described later) in the vehicle seat 1. As described above, in the present embodiment, the vehicle seat 1, the air cell 20, and the fluid supply mechanism 30 are integrated as a unit. Therefore, the device 100 can be handled as one unit. That is, the device 100 can be easily attached simply by attaching the vehicle seat 1 in which the air cell 20 and the fluid supply mechanism 30 are incorporated to the motorcycle body.

  The attachment method for attaching each of the air cell 20 and the fluid supply mechanism 30 to the cushion material 2 is not particularly limited, and may be attached, for example, with an adhesive, or with an existing fastener or the like. You may attach it.

<< About each component of seat device >>
Next, respective configuration examples of the vehicle seat 1, the air cell 20, and the fluid supply mechanism 30, which are constituent devices of the device 100, will be described.

(About the vehicle seat 1)
The vehicle seat 1 is a saddle-ride type seat as shown in FIG. 1, and the basic configuration is the same as a general vehicle seat. Specifically, the vehicle seat 1 is configured by placing the cushioning material 2 shown in FIG. 5 on the bottom plate 3 as shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the cushion material 2. FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the vehicle seat 1 and is a view showing an AA cross section of FIG. 5.

  The cushion material 2 is a member that defines the outer shape of the vehicle seat 1 and is made of a flexible foam material. As a foam material, urethane foam, polypropylene foam, polyethylene foam can be used.

  Further, the vehicle seat 1 according to the present embodiment is a two-seater seat having the seat portions 1a and 1b at the front end portion and the rear end portion, respectively. The seating portions 1a and 1b are portions of the vehicle seat 1 on which the buttocks of the occupants rest. That is, each of the front end portion and the rear end portion of the cushion material 2 forms the buttocks supporting portions 2a and 2b. The buttocks support portions 2a and 2b correspond to the portions of the cushion material 2 located on the seating portions 1a and 1b.

  Further, in the vehicle seat 1, a non-seating portion 1c where a passenger is not seated is provided between the front seat portion 1a and the rear seat portion 1b. That is, between the buttocks supporting portion 2a on the front side and the buttocks supporting portion 2b on the rear side in the front-rear direction of the cushion material 2, the non-supporting portion 2c located in the non-seating portion 1c is provided. The non-supporting portion 2c corresponds to a portion of the cushioning material 2 that is out of the seating portions 1a and 1b.

  A step is formed in the non-seating portion 1c, and a backrest for supporting the waist of an occupant seated in the front seat portion 1a is formed by the step. Therefore, in the cushion material 2, the rear buttocks support portion 2 b is provided at a position higher than the buttocks support portion 2 a on the front side by the above-described step difference.

  By the way, as shown in FIG.6 and FIG.7, the some recessed part 10 is formed in the bottom part 2x of the cushion material 2. As shown in FIG. FIG. 7 is a view showing the bottom of the cushion 2 and is a view of the cushion 2 as viewed from below. Hereinafter, the recess 10 will be described in detail.

  The recess 10 is a substantially hemispherical or substantially oval recess. Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the lower end of the recess 10 is an open end. Further, as shown in the figure, the upper end of the recess 10 is located somewhat lower than the upper end surface of the cushioning material 2 (that is, the surface on the side receiving the load of the occupant) in the thickness direction of the cushioning material 2 .

  And the recessed part 10 is formed at equal intervals over the substantially whole area of the bottom part 2x of the cushion material 2, as shown in FIG. That is, in the bottom 2x of each of the front buttock supporting portion 2a, the rear buttock supporting portion 2b, and the non-supporting portion 2c, the interval between adjacent concaves 10 (denoted by the symbol d in FIG. 7) becomes uniform. Thus, a plurality of recesses 10 are provided.

  Here, the formation pattern of the concave portion 10 in the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 7. Seven concave portions 10 are arranged in the front-rear direction in the center in the width direction of the bottom 2x of the cushion material 2 It is provided side by side. Seven concave portions 10 are provided side by side in the front and rear direction in the row on both sides, and five concave portions 10 are provided side by side in the longitudinal direction in the row further outside in the width direction .

  Further, at the bottom 2x of the cushion material 2, the formation position of the recess 10 is shifted in the front-back direction by a predetermined distance between each of the recesses 10 in the row in the width direction center and each of the recesses 10 in the rows on both sides thereof. ing. In the bottom 2x of the cushion member 2, the formation position of the concave portion 10 is also a predetermined distance in the front-rear direction between each of the concave portions 10 in the outermost row in the width direction and each of the linear concave portions 10 adjacent thereto. It is misplaced. As described above, in the present embodiment, a plurality of row-shaped concave portions 10 are formed in the width direction, and the concave portions 10 in each row are arranged in a zigzag. That is, the recess 10 belonging to each row is formed at a position shifted in the front-rear direction and the width direction with respect to the recess 10 belonging to the row adjacent thereto.

  As described above, the cushioning material 2 is further reduced in weight by forming the plurality of recesses 10 in the bottom 2x. Moreover, when the occupant is seated on the vehicle seat 1, the cushion material 2 can be favorably bent by receiving the load of the occupant by forming the recess 10 in the bottom 2x. Thus, the effect of improving the pliability of the cushioning material 2 is more remarkably exhibited by uniformly providing the recess 10 in the bottom portion 2x of the cushioning material 2.

  The formation pattern of the recesses 10 illustrated in FIG. 7 is merely an example, and the number and the formation position of the recesses 10 may be set so that the distance d between the recesses 10 is uniform, and in particular It is not limited. Further, the shape of the recess 10 is not limited to a substantially hemispherical shape or a substantially oval shape, and may be another shape (for example, a prismatic shape).

(About air cell 20)
The air cell 20 is a bag made of a highly elastic material, for example, a resin material such as polyethylene or polyurethane. The air cell 20 expands by being filled with compressed air, and contracts by being discharged from the enclosed air. Moreover, the air cell 20 which concerns on this embodiment is a bag body of an up-and-down 2 step structure, as shown in FIG.

  If demonstrating it more concretely, the air cell 20 which concerns on this embodiment has two bulging parts located in a line up and down on both sides of the narrow part 23 corresponded to a partition part. Of the two bulging parts, the upper bulging part 21 positioned on the upper side is a biconvex bag part that bulges so that both the upper end and the lower end protrude by being filled with compressed air. There is. The lower side bulging part 22 located on the lower side is a size larger than the upper side bulging part 21 and is a biconvex bag like the upper side bulging part 21.

  Moreover, the inside of each of the upper side bulging part 21 and the lower side bulging part 22 is mutually connected. In addition, an inlet 24 for compressed air is provided at the lower end of the lower bulging portion 22. Then, when compressed air is supplied into the lower bulging portion 22 through the inlet 24, the lower bulging portion 22 is bulging and the upper bulging portion 21 is bulging. At this time, the upper bulging portion 21 and the lower bulging portion 22 bulge in the vertical direction, that is, in the direction in which the two bulging portions are aligned. In addition, although it illustrated about the structure which two upper side bulging parts 21 and lower bulging part 22 line up vertically as a bulging part, this invention does not limit the number of objects of a bulging part, 2 or more bulging parts May be lined up.

  By the way, in the present embodiment, a plurality of air cells 20 are attached to the bottom portion 2 x of the cushion material 2. More specifically, the air cell 20 is disposed in the recess 10 provided in the bottom 2x of the buttocks support portions 2a and 2b in the cushion material 2. Hereinafter, the arrangement position of the air cell 20 in the cushion material 2 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 is a view showing the arrangement positions of the air cell 20, the air supply pump 31, and the valve unit 32 in the cushion material 2. As shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 8, a plurality of concave portions 10 are provided in left-right symmetry in the bottom portion 2 x of the buttocks supporting portion 2 a on the front side in the cushion material 2. These are located just below the recess 10 (hereinafter referred to as the recess 10 on the front side) provided in the front buttock support portion 2a in the area located forward of the crotch position of the occupant and the crotch, hip and thigh of the occupant. Divided into a recess 10 (hereinafter referred to as a recess 10 on the rear side) provided in the By the way, in FIG. 8, the concave portion 10 on the front side is indicated by a white circle, and the concave portion 10 on the rear side is indicated by a circle to which a dot pattern is applied, among the concave portions 10 provided in the front buttocks supporting portion 2 a.

  And in this embodiment, the air cell 20 is arrange | positioned inside the recessed part 10 of a rear side among the recessed parts 10 provided in the buttocks support part 2a of a front side. Specifically, the recess 10 on the rear side is disposed in a substantially square shape around the recess 10 (the recess 10 with the symbol A in FIG. 8) located at the center in the width direction of the cushion material 2 The recessed portions 10 (recessed portions 10 with symbols B, C, D and E in FIG. 8) and the recessed portions located in the width direction end portion of the cushion material 2 (denoted with symbols F and G in FIG. 8) It is comprised by the recessed part 10). One air cell 20 is disposed inside each of the recesses 10.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the air cell 20 is disposed only inside the rear side recess 10 among the front side recess 10 and the rear side recess 10. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the air cell 20 may be disposed inside the recess 10 on the front side.

  Incidentally, as described above, each of the recesses 10 on the rear side is arranged such that the interval between adjacent recesses 10 is uniform. For this reason, the air cells 20 arranged inside the recess 10 on the rear side are also arranged so that the intervals between the air cells 20 adjacent to each other become uniform.

  The arrangement of the air cells 20 in the front buttocks support portion 2a described above is substantially the same as the arrangement of the air cells 20 in the rear buttocks support portion 2b. If it explains concretely, a plurality of crevices 10 are provided in left-right symmetry also at the bottom 2x of the buttocks support portion 2b on the back side. These are a recess 10 on the front side (a recess 10 illustrated by a white circle in FIG. 8) and a recess 10 on the rear side (a recess 10 illustrated in a circle having a dot pattern in FIG. 8) Divided into The air cell 20 is disposed only inside the rear side recess 10 among the front side recess 10 and the rear side recess 10. In addition, it is not limited to this, You may arrange | position the air cell 20 also inside the recessed part 10 of the front side.

  Next, the operation of the air cell 20 in the recess 10 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 9 is an explanatory view of the operation of the air cell 20. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 9, the air cell 20 is disposed in the recess 10 in a state in which two bulging portions are aligned along the vertical direction (that is, the thickness direction of the vehicle seat 1). Therefore, each air cell 20 expands and contracts along the thickness direction of the vehicle seat 1 in the corresponding recess 10. Here, the “corresponding recess 10” for each air cell 20 is the recess 10 in which the air cell 20 is disposed among the plurality of recesses 10 formed in the bottom 2 x of the cushion material 2.

  On the other hand, the recess 10 is formed to be slightly larger than the size of the air cell 20 at the maximum expansion. Therefore, each air cell 20 expands and contracts in the recess 10 as shown in FIG. 9 and slightly touches the upper end (ceiling) of the recess 10 when the air cell 20 expands to the maximum.

  As described above, each air cell 20 bulges inside the corresponding recess 10 and is contained in the recess 10 even at the maximum inflation. Therefore, when the air cell 20 is expanded, the cushion material 2 (specifically, a portion around the corresponding recess 10 in the cushion material 2) is not pushed outward by the air cell 20. That is, in the present embodiment, each air cell 20 expands and contracts without affecting the outer shape of the vehicle seat 1 (specifically, the shape of the seat seating surface).

  And, in the present embodiment, it is possible to adjust the hardness of the vehicle seat 1 through the expansion and contraction operation of each air cell 20. More specifically, by adjusting the bulging pressure of each air cell 20, the hardness of the portion of the vehicle seat 1 where the air cell 20 is disposed (in other words, the portion where the recess 10 is formed) is freely changed. It is possible. As a result, the vehicle seat 1 can secure appropriate hardness while imparting a good ride comfort (seating feeling) to the occupant. Then, by securing an appropriate hardness, it is possible to suppress the seat deterioration (elastic deterioration) that occurs when the seating pressure of the occupant continues to be applied for a long time.

  In the present embodiment, as described above, the air cells 20 expand and contract in the thickness direction of the vehicle seat 1 in the corresponding recess 10. By such expansion and contraction operation of the air cell 20, the hardness of the vehicle seat 1 can be effectively adjusted.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the air cells 20 are evenly arranged at the bottom 2 x of the cushion material 2. Thus, the hardness of the vehicle seat 1 can be adjusted in a well-balanced manner. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, each of the plurality of air cells 20 is to be individually inflated and contracted. Thereby, hardness can be locally adjusted in each part of cushion material 2 (strictly, each field of buttocks support portions 2a and 2b). As a result, depending on the situation, it is possible to switch the portion of the cushion material 2 with higher (or lower) hardness.

  In the present embodiment, the individual air cells 20 are separated from one another. Moreover, when expanding each air cell 20, compressed air is separately supplied with respect to each. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and as shown in FIG. 10, an air cell in which some of the plurality of air cells 20 disposed in the cushion member 2 (five air cells 20 in FIG. 10) are connected. The group 26 may be used to collectively supply air to the air cells 20 in the air cell group 26. FIG. 10 is a view showing the air cell group 26 as a variation of the air cell 20, and is a schematic plan view of the air cell group 26. As shown in FIG.

  The configuration of the air cell group 26 will be described with reference to FIG. 10. In the air cell group 26, one air cell 20 (specifically, the air cell 20 located at the center) is the other air cell 20 (specifically, The air cell 20 surrounding the central air cell 20 is connected via a communication unit 25. The communication portion 25 is a portion provided to communicate the internal spaces of the air cells 20 with each other. That is, the internal space of the central air cell 20 and the internal space of the other air cell 20 are in communication through the connecting portion 25.

  In the air cell group 26 configured as described above, when compressed air is supplied to one of the air cells 20 therein, the compressed air is supplied to all the air cells 20 in the air cell group 26 through the communication unit 25. Become. As a result, all the air cells 20 in the air cell group 26 can be expanded together. Moreover, according to said structure, it becomes possible to handle the connected air cell 20 collectively. Furthermore, the air cell 20 can be attached more easily.

  As described above, when the compressed air is supplied to the plurality of air cells 20, the compressed air may be separately supplied to each air cell 20 or a group as in the above-described air cell group 26. The air cells 20 may be collectively supplied to the integrated air cells 20 in groups.

(About the fluid supply mechanism 30)
The fluid supply mechanism 30 supplies compressed air to each of the plurality of air cells 20. Further, in the present embodiment, the fluid supply mechanism 30 can expand only a part of the air cells 20 by supplying compressed air to the some air cells 20 among the plurality of air cells 20. is there. Furthermore, the fluid supply mechanism 30 can change the puffed air cell 20 by switching the supply destination of the compressed air. Hereinafter, the detailed configuration of the fluid supply mechanism 30 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3, 4 and 8.

  The mechanical structure of the fluid supply mechanism 30 will be described. The fluid supply mechanism 30 has an air supply pump 31, a valve unit 32 and a tube 33 shown in FIG. 4. Further, the fluid supply mechanism 30 has an ECU (Electoric Control Unit) 34 and a sensor 35 as devices of a control system. And although the fluid supply mechanism 30 will be described later in detail, the fluid supply mechanism 30 is provided with a tunnel switch 36 for transmitting to the ECU 34 a signal for making the motorcycle suitable for traveling on a tunnel.

  The air supply pump 31 is a compressed air generating device that generates compressed air, and is configured by a small air pump. The valve unit 32 corresponds to a switching device, and operates to switch the supply destination of the compressed air generated by the air supply pump 31. Specifically, the valve unit 32 is provided with a plurality of compressed air discharge ports. Further, inside the valve unit 32, a solenoid valve (not shown) is provided. Then, the valve unit 32 operates to switch on and off of the electromagnetic valve, thereby switching among the plurality of discharge ports the discharge port to which compressed air is actually discharged.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 4, a tube 33 is connected to each discharge port. Each tube 33 corresponds to a supply passage forming member, and forms a supply passage of compressed air. Each tube 33 is connected to a compressed air inlet 24 of the air cell 20. Therefore, when the discharge port where the compressed air is actually discharged in the valve unit 32 is switched, the supply destination of the compressed air (that is, the air cell 20 to which the compressed air is sent) is switched.

  In the present embodiment, the air supply pump 31 and the valve unit 32 are assembled to the bottom 2x of the cushion 2 similarly to the air cell 20. The arrangement position of the air supply pump 31 and the valve unit 32 will be described. As shown in FIG. 8, in the present embodiment, the air supply pump 31 and the valve at the bottom 2 x of the non-supporting portion 2 c of the bottom 2 x The unit 32 is assembled. That is, in the present embodiment, the air supply pump 31 and the valve unit 32 are disposed at positions away from the seating portions 1 a and 1 b in the vehicle seat 1. Such an arrangement position makes it possible to suppress the influence of the above device on the ride quality.

  The ECU 34 corresponds to a control device, and controls on / off of the air supply pump 31 and controls the valve unit 32 to switch the supply destination of the compressed air. That is, when the ECU 34 controls the valve unit 32, the air cell 20 that is actually expanded among the plurality of air cells 20 is switched.

  Further, the ECU 34 according to the present embodiment controls the valve unit 32 in accordance with the output signal of the sensor 35 or the shunt switch 36. The sensor 35 is a sensor that outputs a signal according to the traveling condition of the motorcycle on which the vehicle seat 1 is mounted. Specifically, the sensor 35 according to the present embodiment detects a place where the motorcycle is currently traveling, and outputs a signal according to the detection result. More precisely, the sensor 35 outputs a first signal (hereinafter referred to as a signal during traveling in the city) when the motorcycle is traveling in a city, and a second signal (hereinafter referred to as a signal) when traveling on an expressway , When driving on highways) output.

  Although the above-mentioned sensor 35 is constituted by, for example, an image sensor, or a speed sensor or an acceleration sensor, it can be set to any configuration as long as it can detect the traveling place of the motorcycle.

  The on-off switch 36 is turned on and off by the rider in a situation where the motorcycle is traveling on a off road. Then, the passenger side switch 36 outputs a third signal (hereinafter referred to as a signal for traveling on the road) when the passenger performs an on operation.

  Then, when the ECU 34 receives an output signal from the sensor 35 or the switch switch 36, the ECU 34 analyzes the signal and specifies the place where the motorcycle is currently traveling. The ECU 34 controls the valve unit 32 in accordance with the result of specifying the traveling place. As a result, among the plurality of air cells 20, the air cells 20 that are actually expanded are automatically switched according to the traveling place of the motorcycle. As a result, the portion of the vehicle seat 1 where the hardness is higher (or lower) automatically changes depending on the travel location of the motorcycle. Furthermore, the air cell 20 to be inflated may be switched by the occupant's manual operation according to the occupant's preference.

<< Operation Example of Seat Device >>
Next, an operation example of the device 100 will be described. Specifically, control of the valve unit 32 by the ECU 34, that is, a flow of hardness adjustment of each part of the vehicle seat 1 (hereinafter, hardness adjustment flow) will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the flow of the hardness adjustment flow. In the following, the case where there is only one passenger, that is, the case where the passenger is seated on only the front seat portion 1 a of the vehicle seat 1 (hereinafter referred to as the present case) will be described as a specific example. To be.

  In the hardness adjustment flow of this case, the air cell 20 disposed in the concave portion 10 (strictly speaking, the concave portion 10 on the rear side) in the bottom portion 2x of the buttocks support portion 2a on the front side in the cushion material 2 is expanded. . Specifically, the hardness adjustment flow starts from the point where the ignition switch of the motorcycle is turned on in a state where the occupant is seated on the vehicle seat 1 (S001). Next, the ECU 34 determines whether the traveling speed (vehicle speed) of the motorcycle is 0 km / h (S002). If it is 0 km / h, the air cell 20 disposed in the recess 10 on the rear side The air supply pump 31 and the valve unit 32 are controlled so that all of them contract (S003).

  On the other hand, when the vehicle speed becomes equal to or higher than the predetermined value (S 004), the ECU 34 turns on the air supply pump 31 and controls the valve unit 32 to compress all the air cells 20 disposed in the recess 10 on the rear side. Supply air. As a result, all of the air cells 20 disposed in the recess 10 on the rear side gradually expand until the predetermined pressure is reached (S005).

  Thereafter, the ECU 34 cooperates with the sensor 35 to monitor the traveling place of the motorcycle and controls the valve unit 32 according to the traveling place. Specifically, for example, the ECU 34 compares the traveling speed detected by the sensor 35 with the threshold value stored in the memory 34 a of the ECU 34 (S006). Here, there are two types of threshold values stored in the memory 34a, and one is a threshold value used when determining whether the user is traveling in the city, that is, a city traveling threshold. The other is a threshold used to determine whether the user is traveling on an expressway, that is, a high-speed travel threshold. These two threshold values are both preset values, and the city traveling threshold is set in the range of 10 to 60 km / h, and in the present embodiment, it is set to 30 km / h in particular, to give an example. It is done. In addition, the high speed traveling threshold is set in the range of 60 to 10 km / h, and in the present embodiment, in particular, it is set to 70 km / h. In addition, about a town driving threshold and a high-speed driving threshold, it is not limited to the above-mentioned value, It is possible to set it as an arbitrary value.

  Then, the ECU 34 controls the valve unit 32 in mode 1 when the traveling speed becomes equal to or higher than the all-town traveling threshold according to the signal obtained from the sensor 35 (S007). Here, in mode 1, as shown in FIG. 12, of the air cells 20 disposed in the recess 10 on the rear side, the air cells 20 located at the center in the sheet width direction and the air cells 20 surrounding them are expanded. The air cell 20 located at the end in the width direction is a mode in which the air cell 20 does not expand. FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram of mode 1; In FIG. 12 and FIGS. 13 and 14 described later, the air cells 20 to be expanded are illustrated by hatched circles.

  As described above, while the motorcycle is traveling in the city, the ECU 34 controls the valve unit 32 to expand the air cell 20 in mode 1. During this period, the end in the width direction of the vehicle seat 1, that is, the portion on which the thighs of the occupant are placed, does not increase in hardness and is relatively easily bent. This emphasizes the footing property (that the foot is easily attached to the ground at the time of stopping) while the motorcycle is traveling in the city, and in order to secure the footing property, the width direction of the cushion material 2 This reflects the need to make the end flexible.

  On the other hand, when the ECU 34 compares the traveling speed detected from the sensor 35 with the threshold stored in the memory 34a of the ECU 34 (S008), the signal obtained from the sensor 35 makes the traveling speed equal to or higher than the high speed traveling threshold When it does, the valve unit 32 is controlled in mode 2 (S009). Here, the mode 2 is a mode in which all of the air cells 20 disposed in the recess 10 on the rear side are expanded as shown in FIG. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of mode 2;

  As described above, while the motorcycle is traveling on the freeway, the ECU 34 controls the valve unit 32 so that the air cell 20 is expanded in mode 2. During this period, the hardness of each portion of the front seating portion 1a is enhanced. This means that while the motorcycle is traveling on the expressway, the vehicle seat 1 (strictly speaking, the cushioning material 2) continues to receive the seating pressure from the occupant for a long time, resulting in the cushioning material It reflects that it is necessary to suppress the decrease of the elasticity of 2.

  Further, when the rider turns on the folding path switch 36 while the motorcycle is traveling on the folding road (S010), the ECU 34 obtains the valve unit 32 in mode 3 according to a signal obtained from the folding path switch 36. Are controlled (S011). Here, in the mode 3, as shown in FIG. 14, of the air cells 20 disposed in the recess 10 on the rear side, the air cells 20 located at the end in the width direction of the sheet are expanded while the width of the sheet is The air cell 20 located at the center of the direction and the air cell 20 surrounding the air cell 20 are in a mode in which the air cell does not expand. FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram of mode 3;

  As described above, the ECU 34 controls the valve unit 32 so as to cause the air cell 20 to expand in mode 3 while the motorcycle is traveling on the footway. During this period, the hardness in the width direction end of the vehicle seat 1, that is, the portion on which the thighs of the occupant rest is increased. On the other hand, the central portion in the width direction of the vehicle seat 1, that is, the portion on which the buttocks of the occupant rest is held in a relatively flexible state without increasing the hardness. This reflects that the hardness of each part of the seat is set so that the cornering operation can be easily performed when the vehicle approaches a curved road and performs a so-called cornering operation while the motorcycle is traveling on a footpath. ing. More specifically, if the occupant lifts the thighs while sinking the buttocks of the occupant into the seat when performing the cornering operation, the sitting posture is stabilized, and the occupant can perform the cornering operation more easily. Become.

  The monitoring of the traveling place described above, the setting of the control mode according to the traveling place, and the control of the valve unit 32 based on the set mode are repeated until the ignition switch is turned off. Then, when the ignition switch is turned off (S012), the ECU 34 turns off the air supply pump 31. As a result, in the air cell 20 which has been in the bulging state, the compressed air enclosed inside is discharged. The hardness adjustment flow ends at this point.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the hardness of each part of the seating portion 1 a of the vehicle seat 1 automatically changes in accordance with the traveling place of the motorcycle. This makes it possible to optimize the hardness balance of the seating portion 1a so as to be suitable for the traveling place at that time.

<< Modified Example of Seat Device of the Present Invention >>
Below, other embodiment (following, modification) regarding the seat apparatus of this invention is described, referring FIGS. 15-20. FIG. 15 is a view showing a bottom portion of a cushion material 102 according to a modification, and devices disposed in the bottom portion. In addition, in FIG. 15, illustration of the cover member 140 mentioned later is abbreviate | omitted on the convenience which shows arrangement | positioning of an apparatus. FIG. 16 is a plan view showing an air cell unit 120 described later, and FIG. 17 is an exploded view of the air cell unit 120. As shown in FIG. 18A to 18C are diagrams showing an assembly procedure of the air cell unit 120. The assembled state of the air cell unit 120 transitions in the order of FIG. 18A, FIG. 18B, and FIG. 18C. FIG. 19A is an enlarged view of a range X in FIG. FIG. 19B is a schematic view showing the XX cross section of FIG. 19A. FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view of the vehicle seat 101 according to the modification illustrated in FIG. 15, specifically a cross-sectional view corresponding to the line AA in the drawing. In FIG. 20, the thickness direction of the vehicle seat 101 is indicated by an arrow.

  The seat device according to the modification (hereinafter, the second seat device 100X) is common to the above-described seat device (the present device 100) in terms of the basic configuration and the operation of each part of the device. It differs from the point of the composition of the material. Hereinafter, differences between the second seat device 100X and the present device 100 will be mainly described.

  The cushion material 102 of the vehicle seat 101 included in the second seat device 100X is, as shown in FIG. 15, a seat supporting portion on the seat front side and a heel supporting portion for the seat supporting portion 102a. And a portion having a portion 102b. Further, an intermediate portion of the cushion material 102, specifically, a portion sandwiched by the front and rear buttocks supporting portions 102a and 102b forms an inclined portion 102c. The inclined portion 102c is a portion of the cushion material 102 which is inclined with respect to the thickness direction of the vehicle seat 101 (in other words, the vertical direction of the vehicle seat 101) as shown in FIG. In the present modification, the inclined portion 102c is inclined so as to be positioned downward toward the front side.

  In the present modification, as shown in FIG. 15, an air cell and a fluid supply mechanism 30 are disposed at the bottom of the cushion material 102. Specifically, a plurality of air cell accommodation recessed portions 10 are formed at the bottom of each of the front and rear buttocks supporting portions 102 a and 102 b in the cushion material 102. The air cells 121 and 122 in the air cell unit 120 are disposed at the bottom of the front buttocks supporting portion 102 a by using the above-described concave portion 10.

  Further, in the bottom of the rear buttocks support portion 102b, a portion adjacent to the inclined portion 102c is recessed to form a space. In this space, as shown in FIG. 15, an air supply pump 31 and a valve unit 32 of the fluid supply mechanism 30 are disposed. That is, at the bottom of the cushion material 102, a housing space 103 formed by the depression of a part of the bottom is provided, and the air supply pump 31 and the valve unit 32 are housed in the housing space 103. Here, the air supply pump 31 and the valve unit 32 correspond to electrical equipment, are supplied with power from a power supply (not shown), and operate to supply compressed air toward each air cell.

  Further, in the bottom of the inclined portion 102c, a portion adjacent to the rear buttocks support portion 102b is recessed to form a cavity 104. The cavity 104 is formed as a space continuous with the accommodation space 103 described above. That is, the accommodation space 103 and the cavity 104 are continuous with each other as one space, and when viewed from the bottom side of the cushion material 102, are substantially rectangular spaces.

  And as shown in FIG. 20, one end of the hollow space mentioned above is an opening, and the said opening is arrange | positioned so that the bottom plate 3 side may be faced. Furthermore, at least a part of the opening is covered by the cover member 140 as shown in FIG. The cover member 140 restricts the entry of foreign matter, rain water and the like into the housing space 103, and is made of, for example, a waterproof leather (skin) material.

  In the modification, the cover member 140 covers at least a part of the opening of the accommodation space 103, and strictly covers substantially the entire opening of the accommodation space 103. On the other hand, a part of the opening of the cavity 104 which is continuous with the accommodation space, specifically, a part away from the accommodation space 103 is opened without being covered by the cover member 140. Thus, in the modification, the cover member 140 covers the opening of the accommodation space 103 in a state where at least a part of the opening of the cavity 104 is open. With such a configuration, it is possible to suppress adhesion of foreign matter, rain water, and the like to the air supply pump 31 and the valve unit 32 while securing ventilation to the accommodation space 103.

  In addition, even if rainwater enters into the accommodation space 103, it is possible to properly drain the open part of the opening of the cavity 104. That is, the cavity 104 is formed in a portion of the bottom portion of the cushion material 102 located in the inclined portion 102 c. For this reason, if part of the opening of the cavity 104 is open, rainwater or the like entering the accommodation space 103 flows (downward) toward the open part of the opening and is finally discharged from the part. Become so. Furthermore, by opening a part of the opening of the cavity 104, it is possible to suppress the influence of the heat released from an engine (not shown) located below the vehicle seat 101.

  Next, an air cell unit used in the modification will be described. The air cell unit 120 is formed by integrating a plurality of air cells 121 and 122 disposed in a portion located on the front buttocks supporting portion 102 a. The configuration of the air cell unit 120 will be described with reference to FIG. 16. As shown in the figure, the air cell unit 120 includes an air cell group consisting of five air cells 121 arranged in an X shape and both air cell groups. It has a pair of left and right air cells 122 arranged aside. Each air cell 121,122 has a structure which has a bulging part of the upper and lower 2 steps similarly to the air cell 20 (air cell 20 of illustration shown in FIG. 2) which concerns on embodiment mentioned above.

  An air cell group consisting of five air cells 121 is disposed in the central portion of the front buttock support portion 102 a in the width direction. Similar to the air cell group 26 shown in FIG. 10 described above, the air cell group has a configuration in which the air cell 121 at the center and the other air cells 121 (specifically, the air cells 121 surrounding the air cell 121 at the center) are connected. There is. The air cells 121 are connected via a flow path forming material 124 described later. That is, the internal space of the central air cell 121 and the internal space of the other air cell 121 communicate with each other through the flow path formed by the flow path forming material 124. Therefore, when compressed air is supplied to the central air cell 121, each air cell 121 of the air cell group is expanded.

  Each of the pair of left and right air cells 122 has a substantially fan-shaped outer shape, and is disposed at an end portion of the front buttocks support portion 102 a in the width direction. Further, each of the pair of left and right air cells 122 is connected via a flow path forming member 124 described later. That is, the internal space of the air cell 122 at one end side (left side) in the width direction communicates with the internal space of the air cell 122 at the other end side (right side) in the width direction through the flow path formed by the flow path forming material 124. Therefore, when compressed air is supplied to the pair of left and right air cells 122, both of the air cells 122 are simultaneously expanded.

  Further, in the air cell unit 120, a flow path of compressed air is formed. That is, in the modified example, the air cell unit 120 includes the flow path forming material 124. The flow path formed by the flow path forming material 124 extends toward the air cells 121 and 122 of the air cell unit 120. Further, as shown in FIG. 16, the end of the tube 33 is inserted into the end (the end on the upstream side) of the flow path forming material 124, and the end of the flow path forming material 124 (the end on the downstream side) Is connected to the intake and exhaust ports of the air cells 121 and 122.

  In the case shown in FIG. 16, a flow path forming material 124 for supplying compressed air to an air cell group consisting of five air cells 121 and a flow path forming material 124 for a pair of left and right air cells 122 are separately prepared. There is. That is, two flow path formation materials 124 are provided, and the insertion port 125 into which the distal end portion of the tube 33 is inserted is also provided separately for each system. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the two flow path forming materials 124 may be integrated (commonized).

  Here, the flow path forming material 124 is made of a bendable material, and specifically, is formed of a polyurethane sheet or a resin film sheet such as polyvinyl chloride. Furthermore, in the configuration illustrated in FIG. 16, the air cells 121 and 122 and the flow path forming material 124 are formed of a common material and integrated. Specifically, the air cell unit 120 includes four types of resin film sheets of different sizes illustrated in FIG. 17 (specifically, the first sheet 201, the second sheet 202, the third sheet 203, and the fourth sheet 204). ) Are stacked. Then, by laminating the four types of resin films and forming the air cell unit 120, the air cells 121 and 122 and the flow path forming material 124 are integrally formed.

  Specifically, the air cells 121 and 122 in the air cell unit 120 are formed using all the four types of resin films. That is, of the air cells 121 and 122 having the two upper and lower stages of bulging parts, the upper bulging part is the first sheet 201 forming the top layer, and the second sheet 202 forming the second layer from the top, Composed of The lower bulging portion is constituted by the third sheet 203 forming the third layer from the top and the fourth sheet 204 forming the lowermost layer.

  Hereinafter, the assembly procedure of the air cell unit 120 (strictly speaking, the formation procedure of the air cells 121 and 122) will be described with reference to FIGS. 18A to 18D. In assembling the air cell unit 120, first, the third sheet 203 formed to have a somewhat wide flat surface is set on the mold. Here, the third sheet 203 is cut according to the outer shape of the air cell unit 120, and more specifically, is cut into a substantially equal leg trapezoidal shape as illustrated in FIG.

  Thereafter, the second sheet 202 is disposed on the third sheet 203 set on the mold. More specifically, the second sheet 202 is cut according to the outer shape of each of the air cells 121 and 122, and is disposed at a predetermined position on the upper surface of the third sheet 203 set on the mold. Under the present circumstances, the 2nd sheet | seat 202 of each shape is arrange | positioned so as to correspond with the formation position of each air cell 121,122 by receiving the position control by the guide 212, as shown to FIG. 18A. If it explains intelligibly, an air hole will be formed in a portion corresponding to a formation position of each air cell 121, 122 in the 3rd sheet 203. As shown in FIG. In addition, air holes are also formed in the second sheet 202 cut into each shape. The second sheet 202 is disposed at a position where the air hole of the second sheet 202 and the air hole of the third sheet 203 communicate with each other.

  Then, the second sheet 202 is welded to the third sheet 203 in a state in which the core 211 is interposed between the outer edge portion of the second sheet 202 and the third sheet 203. More specifically, by pressing the welding tool 210 (welder) for thermal welding around the air hole of the second sheet 202, the air hole peripheral portion of the second sheet 202 and the periphery of the third sheet 203 Heat weld with the part.

  Thereafter, the first sheet 201 is placed on the second sheet 202. Here, the first sheet 201 is cut to have the same outer shape as the second sheet 202. Then, with the first sheet 201 placed on the second sheet 202, the first sheet 201 is heat-welded to the second sheet 202. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 18B, with the edge of the first sheet 201 cut into each shape and the edge of the second sheet 202 overlapped, the welding tool 210 is attached to the edge. Heat weld the edges together by pressing.

  Thereafter, the fourth sheet 204 is set at the lower position of the third sheet 203, and the third sheet 203 and the fourth sheet 204 are heat-welded. More specifically, the fourth sheet 204 is cut in accordance with the outer shape of the air cell unit 120 as the third sheet 203 is. Then, after the fourth sheet 204 is superimposed on the third sheet 203 at a position below the third sheet 203, predetermined portions of the respective sheets are heat-welded. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 18C, the welding tool 210 is pressed against a portion located at the outer edge of each air cell 121, 122 (strictly speaking, the lower bulging portion) to thermally weld the portion.

  When the third sheet 203 and the fourth sheet 204 are heat-welded, the heat-welding is performed such that predetermined portions of these sheets form the flow path forming material 124. More specifically, in the third sheet 203, the portion located in the flow path is lifted from the fourth sheet 204, and the portion (other than the portions corresponding to the air cells 121 and 122) is heated. Weld. As a result, the floating portion of the third sheet 203 and the fourth sheet 204 located below the third sheet 203 form the flow path forming material 124.

  As described above, in the modification, the flow path forming material 124 is simultaneously formed in the process of assembling the air cell unit 120 (in other words, the process of forming the air cells 121 and 122). In the air cell unit 120, a portion other than the air cells 121 and 122 and the flow path forming material 124 (specifically, a portion where the third sheet 203 and the fourth sheet 204 are joined) forms a sheet-like base portion 123. ing.

  By the way, as described above, since the flow path forming material 124 provided in the air cell unit 120 is formed of a resin film sheet, it is configured to be bendable. And in a modification, air cell 121, 122 and channel formation material 124 are constituted by common material, and are unified. For this reason, for example, when the air cells 121 and 122 expand, the movement may be transmitted to the flow path forming material 124 and the flow path forming material 124 may be bent (breaks may occur). Such bending of the flow path forming material 124 causes blockage of the flow path. Then, if the flow path is blocked, the supply of the compressed air to the air cells 121 and 122 and the discharge of the compressed air from inside the air cells 121 and 122 will not be properly performed.

  So, in the modification, in order to control bending of channel formation material 124, cylindrical object 130 is arranged inside channel formation material 124. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 16, in the air cell group consisting of five air cells 121, a cylindrical body is provided inside the flow path forming material 124 that connects the air cell 121 at the center and the other air cells 121. 130 are arranged. Further, as shown in the figure, a cylindrical body 130 is disposed inside the flow path forming material 124 extending toward each of the pair of left and right air cells 122.

  When the cylindrical body 130 is described, the cylindrical body 130 is formed of a cylindrical pipe piece whose outer diameter is smaller than that of the flow path formed by the flow path forming material 124, and the material is harder than the material of the flow path forming material 124 (for example, And a resin molded product thicker than the flow path forming material 124). Further, the inside of the cylindrical body 130 constitutes a part of the flow path of the compressed air. That is, when the compressed air flowing in the flow path reaches the arrangement position of the cylindrical body 130, the compressed air flows inside the cylindrical body 130.

  As described above, since the tubular body 130 is disposed inside the flow passage forming material 124, bending of the flow passage forming material 124 is restricted, and as a result, bending of the flow passage forming material 124 is caused. It becomes possible to suppress channel blockage.

  In the modified example, as shown in FIG. 19A, at least a part of the cylindrical body 130 is a connection portion between the flow path formed by the flow path forming material 124 and the air cells 121 and 122 in the flow path forming material 124. Is located in Strictly speaking, the cylindrical body 130 passes through the air intake and exhaust ports of the air cells 121 and 122, and a part thereof enters the air cells 121 and 122. If it is such an arrangement position, the effect of cylindrical object 130 will be exhibited notably. That is, the connection point between the compressed air flow path and the air cells 121 and 122 is a particularly important part in expanding and contracting the air cells 121 and 122 properly, and the flow path blocking at the relevant point is preferentially avoided. There is a need. Therefore, by disposing the cylindrical body 130 at the above-mentioned arrangement position, it is possible to utilize the cylindrical body 130 so as to effectively suppress the channel blockage.

  Further, in the flow path forming material 124, a portion where the cylindrical body 130 is disposed inside (hereinafter referred to as a tubular body internal portion) has a cross-sectional structure (the extending direction of the flow path forming material 124) shown in FIG. Cross-sectional structure). Specifically, as shown in FIG. 19B, the in-cylinder portion has a raised portion 124a and a flat portion 124b. The raised portion 124 a is a portion of the cylindrical indwelling portion raised in an arc shape along the surface of the cylindrical tubular body 130. The protruding portion 124 a is disposed at a position facing the cushion material 102.

  The flat portion 124 b is a flat portion that is located on the opposite side to the raised portion in the in-cylinder portion. That is, the portion of the tubular body internal member opposite to the cushion material 102, that is, the portion facing the bottom plate 3 is not curved in an arc like the raised portion 124a. , Flat shape. Therefore, when a load is applied from the bottom plate 3 side, the cylindrical body internal portion receives the load on the surface (flat surface). As described above, by receiving the load on the flat surface, it is possible to suppress a situation in which the flow path forming material 124 is damaged (broken) due to the load from the bottom plate 3 side.

  As described above, in the modification, the cylindrical body 130 is disposed in the flow path forming material 124. Then, in the modification, the tubular body 130 is to be inserted into the flow path forming material 124 when the air cell unit 120 is assembled. Specifically, in the assembling process of the air cell unit 120, the cylindrical body 130 is fixed in advance to the resin film sheet constituting the flow path forming material 124, specifically, the third sheet 203. Describing in more detail, as shown in FIG. 17, the cylindrical body 130 is a corresponding position (strictly speaking, a position at which the flow path forming material 124 is provided on the lower surface of the third sheet 203. It is fixed to a position near the intake and exhaust ports 122).

  The material forming the cylindrical body 130 is the same material as the material of the third sheet 203 (that is, the material forming the flow path forming material 124). For this reason, in the modification, the cylindrical body 130 is fixed to the lower surface of the third sheet 203 by thermal welding. In other words, when the air cell unit 120 is completed, the tubular body 130 is fixed to the flow path forming material 124 by thermal welding. With such a configuration, the tubular body 130 can be easily fixed to the flow path forming material 124.

  Then, after the cylindrical body 130 is fixed (thermally welded) to the lower surface of the third sheet 203, the air cell unit 120 is assembled according to the procedure described above. This makes it possible to easily form the air cell unit 120 in which the cylindrical body 130 is disposed in the flow passage forming material 124.

  The size of the flow path forming material 124 (strictly, the diameter of the flow path) can be arbitrarily determined, and may be changed according to the place. Corresponding to this, the outer diameter and the inner diameter of the cylindrical body 130 may be changed appropriately according to the installation place. Specifically, it is desirable to set the size to a suitable size in accordance with the flow rate of the compressed air (ie, the air supply amount) flowing in the cylindrical body 130.

<< Other Embodiments >>
In the above embodiment, an example of the seat device of the present invention has been mainly described. However, the above embodiments are for the purpose of facilitating the understanding of the present invention, and do not limit the present invention. That is, the present invention can be changed and improved without departing from the gist thereof, and the present invention naturally includes equivalents thereof.

  Moreover, although said embodiment demonstrated the structure by which the bulging operation | movement of each air cell 20 is implemented automatically according to the traveling place of a two-wheeled motor vehicle, it is not limited to this. For example, an operation unit including a button, a switch, and the like may be provided, and when the occupant operates the operation unit, the ECU 34 may cause the air cells 20 to expand by using the operation unit as a trigger. Note that the air cell 20 to be actually expanded may be selected from the plurality of air cells 20 by operating the above-described operation unit.

  Further, in the above embodiment, the case where the ECU 34 controls the valve unit 32 mainly according to the traveling place as the traveling condition of the motorcycle is described as an example. However, control may be performed in accordance with the traveling conditions other than the traveling place, and may be controlled in accordance with, for example, the vehicle speed or the road surface condition. Further, the valve unit 32 may be controlled in accordance with matters other than the traveling condition of the motorcycle, and may be controlled, for example, in accordance with the occupant's body shape and physical size, and the occupant's request.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, compressed air is taken as an example of the fluid, and the air cell 20 that bulges by being enclosed with the compressed air is used. However, a bag that can be expanded by sealing a fluid other than compressed air, for example, a gas other than air, a liquid such as water, or a gel-like fluid may be used instead of the air cell 20.

  Further, in the above embodiment, the three patterns illustrated in FIGS. 12 to 14 as patterns of the air cells 20 to be actually expanded among the plurality of air cells 20 (in other words, modes for controlling the valve unit 32). This is explained by taking the example as an example. However, the bulging pattern of the air cell 20 is not limited to that illustrated in FIGS. 12 to 14 and can be freely determined.

1 Vehicle Seat 1a, 1b Seated Part 1c Non-seated Part 2 Cushion Material 2a, 2b Collar Support Part (part located in the Seated Part)
2c Unsupported part (part detached from the seat)
2x bottom 3 bottom plate 4 skin 10 recess 20 air cell (bag)
21 Upper bulge (bulge)
22 Lower bulge (bulge)
23 neck section (partition section)
24 input port 25 communication unit 26 air cell group 30 fluid supply mechanism 31 air supply pump (compressed air generating device)
32 valve unit (switching device)
33 Tube (fluid supply path forming member)
34 ECU (control device)
34a Memory 35 Sensor 36 Snap switch 100 This device (seat device)
100X Second Seat Device 101 Vehicle Seat 102 Cushion Material 102a, 102b Collar Support Part 102c Inclination Part 103 Housing Space 104 Cavity 120 Air Cell Unit 121, 122 Air Cell (Bag)
123 Base portion 124 Flow path forming member 124a Protrusive portion 124b Flat portion 125 Insertion port 130 Tubular member 140 Cover member 201 First sheet 202 Second sheet 203 Third sheet 204 Fourth sheet 210 Welding tool 211 Core 212 guide 212 Guide core

Claims (13)

A vehicle seat having a cushioning material provided with a plurality of recesses at the bottom;
A plurality of bags which expand by being filled with fluid;
A fluid supply mechanism for supplying a fluid to the plurality of bag bodies;
A part of the plurality of recesses is provided at the bottom of a portion of the cushioning material, which is located at a seating portion on which the buttocks of an occupant rest on the vehicle seat,
Each of the plurality of pouches bulges in the corresponding one of the plurality of recesses,
The fluid supply mechanism is configured to supply a fluid to a part or all of the bags so as to expand the part or all of the bags and to switch the supply destination of the fluid to cause the expansion. Change the bag ,
At least a portion of the plurality of bag bodies are arranged in a cross shape and connected with the central portion of the portion located at the seat portion as the central position,
A seat apparatus characterized in that the internal spaces of the connected bags are in cross communication. A vehicle seat having a cushioning material provided with a plurality of recesses at the bottom;
A plurality of bags which expand by being filled with fluid;
A fluid supply mechanism for supplying a fluid to the plurality of bag bodies;
A part of the plurality of recesses is provided at the bottom of a portion of the cushioning material, which is located at a seating portion on which the buttocks of an occupant rest on the vehicle seat,
Each of the plurality of pouches bulges in the corresponding one of the plurality of recesses,
The fluid supply mechanism is configured to supply a fluid to a part or all of the bags so as to expand the part or all of the bags and to switch the supply destination of the fluid to cause the expansion. Change the bag,
Each of the plurality of bags is an air cell,
The fluid supply mechanism is
A compressed air generating device for generating compressed air as the fluid;
A supply passage forming member forming a supply passage of compressed air;
And a switching device connected to the supply path forming member and operated to switch the supply destination of the compressed air;
The air cell, the compressed air generating device, and the switching device are assembled to the bottom of the cushion material,
The compressed air generating device and the switching device are assembled to the bottom portion of a portion of the cushion material which is separated from the seating portion,
A seat apparatus characterized in that the supply path forming member extends in a substantially straight line to connect the air cell, the compressed air generating device and the switching device. The recesses formed on the bottom of the portion of the cushion member located on the seating portion are provided such that the intervals between the recesses adjacent to each other are uniform. Or the seat apparatus as described in 2. Each of the plurality of bag bodies has two or more bulging parts arranged side by side across the partition part, and is arranged such that the intervals between the bag bodies adjacent to each other become uniform.
The seat apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the interiors of two or more of the bulging portions communicate with each other in each of the plurality of bag bodies. Each of the plurality of bags is an air cell,
The air cell swells along the thickness direction of the vehicle seat by being enclosed with compressed air as a fluid, and contracts along the thickness direction by being exhausted of the enclosed compressed air. The seat apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The fluid supply mechanism is
A switching device operable to switch the fluid supply destination;
A sensor for outputting a signal according to a traveling condition of a vehicle on which the vehicle seat is mounted;
A control device that controls the switching device in accordance with an output signal of the sensor;
The seat apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the bulging bag body is switched by the control device controlling the switching device. A flow path forming member formed of a bendable material, in which a flow path of the fluid extending toward the bag body is formed inside;
A tubular body disposed inside the flow path forming material and having an inner side that constitutes a part of the flow path;
The seat apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the cylindrical body is made of a material harder than the material of the flow path forming material. The flow path is connected to the bag body,
The seat apparatus according to claim 7, wherein at least a part of the cylindrical body is disposed at a connection point between the flow passage and the bag body inside the flow passage forming member. The portion of the flow path forming member in which the cylindrical body is disposed is
A raised portion which is raised along the surface of the cylindrical body and is disposed at a position facing the cushion material;
The seat apparatus according to claim 7 or 8, further comprising: a flat portion which is located on the opposite side of the raised portion and extends flat. The fluid supply mechanism comprises electrical equipment operable to supply the fluid,
The bottom portion of the cushion material is provided with a storage space for the electrical equipment formed by a portion of the bottom portion being recessed,
The seat apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising a cover member covering at least a part of the opening of the accommodation space. The cushion material has an inclined portion inclined with respect to the thickness direction of the vehicle seat,
The bottom of the inclined portion is provided with a cavity formed by depression of a portion of the bottom,
The cavity is continuous with the accommodation space,
The seat apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the cover member covers the opening of the accommodation space when at least a part of the opening of the cavity is open. The recess has a substantially dome shape,
12. The bag according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein each of the bags is arranged in a state in which a plurality of bulging parts are arranged in the vertical direction in the corresponding recess. Seating equipment. A plurality of the bag bodies are a bag body group disposed in a portion located in the seating portion at the bottom portion of the cushion material, and left and right bag bodies disposed in a position sandwiching the bag body group; Is composed of
The left and right bag bodies are connected through a flow path forming member extending so as to surround the bag body groups,
The seat apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein internal spaces of the left and right bag bodies connected are in communication.

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