JP7289511B2 - seat - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to seats.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is a vehicle seat that includes a seat back that serves as a backrest for an occupant and a seat cushion that serves as a seating portion. A seat back or a seat cushion includes a seat pad made of a foam molded body that elastically supports the load of an occupant, and a trim that covers the surface of the seat pad.

Recently, it has been considered that seat pads are made up of a combination of soft foam molding such as urethane foam and hard foam molding such as bead foam to improve the hold of the occupant while maintaining ride comfort. (for example, Patent Document 1), and is useful for, for example, prevention of submarine phenomenon. The submarine phenomenon is a phenomenon in which the occupant slips off the seat cushion and crawls into the space under his/her feet in the event of a frontal collision due to factors such as not wearing a seatbelt or improper seating posture.

JP 2019-4981 A

In the conventional vehicle seat described above, it is preferable to keep the foaming ratio of the hard foam molded body low (increase the density) and increase the strength thereof in order to increase the holdability of the occupant. However, if the foaming ratio is lowered, the weight of the sheet increases accordingly, resulting in an increase in the weight and cost of the entire sheet.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a seat capable of suppressing an increase in weight and cost.

A seat according to one aspect of the present invention includes a seat cushion on which an occupant sits, and the seat cushion is provided with a seat pad that elastically supports the occupant, wherein the seat pad is made of a foam molded body. a cushion portion, a support portion disposed inside the cushion portion and made of a foam molded body having a density lower than that of the cushion portion, and a support portion embedded in at least one of the cushion portion and the support portion and having a higher strength than the support portion. a frame made of a material, the frame being made of a plate having a thickness in the vertical direction, extending in the seat width direction at a position at or behind the center of the seat cushion in the seat front-rear direction; A support portion extending in the seat width direction for receiving the load of the occupant is included, and the support portion has a downwardly convex shape when a cross section along the seat front-rear direction is viewed from one side in the seat width direction. It is curved like

According to this seat, since the support portion made of the foam molded body having a density lower than that of the cushion portion is provided inside the cushion portion of the seat cushion , the cushion portion maintains ride comfort while the support portion provides comfort to the occupant. can be properly held. Moreover, at least one of the cushion portion and the support portion is embedded with a frame made of a material having a higher strength than that of the support portion. It is possible to secure strength enough to hold the occupant by the frame. As a result, in the event of a frontal collision of the vehicle, the occupant's body is prevented from sinking forward and downward by the support section and the frame, preventing the occurrence of the so-called submarine phenomenon, in which the occupant slips forward from the seat cushion. be done. Therefore, it is possible to suppress an increase in weight and cost of the seat.

In particular, since the frame is made of a plate having a thickness in the vertical direction, it is possible to satisfactorily suppress the occurrence of the above-described submarine phenomenon together with the support portion with a frame having a relatively simple structure.

In addition, since the cross-sectional shape of the support portion of the frame is curved so as to protrude downward, that is, the shape corresponds to the shape of the buttocks of the occupant, the load of the occupant can be received more stably. be able to. Therefore, it is possible to more reliably prevent the occupant from slipping forward from the seat cushion.

In the seat of each aspect described above, when the seat cushion has a plurality of seat areas arranged in the seat width direction, the frame is provided at a position corresponding to at least each seat area.

According to this configuration, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of the submarine phenomenon as described above for the occupants seated in the respective seat areas.

In this case, the frame may be provided continuously in the seat width direction over the plurality of seat areas.

According to this configuration, it is possible to manufacture frames corresponding to a plurality of seat areas as a single member, thereby improving the productivity of the frames and, in turn, the productivity of the seats.

In this case, when the seat cushion is provided with a trim covering the surface of the cushion portion and a hanging portion of the trim at a boundary portion between adjacent seat areas, the frame may include the It is preferable that a downward concave portion is provided at a position corresponding to the hanging portion.

The thickness of the seat pad is thinner at the hanging portion of the trim than at other portions. Therefore, it is conceivable that an occupant seated on the seat cushion may feel uncomfortable if the frame exists in the hanging portion. However, according to the above-described configuration in which the recessed portion is provided at a position corresponding to the hanging portion of the frame, the frame sinks downward at the position of the hanging portion. Giving is restrained.

In the seat of each aspect described above, the frame is in contact with or joined to the floor panel on which the seat cushion is supported.

With this configuration, the load of the occupant can be reliably received by the frame in the event of a frontal collision of the vehicle.

According to the seat according to each aspect described above, it is possible to suppress an increase in weight and cost.

1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a vehicle seat that is an example of a seat according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the vehicle seat shown in FIG. 1 taken along the line II-II. It is process drawing which shows the manufacturing method of a seat pad. It is a schematic cross-sectional view of a vehicle seat according to a modification. It is a schematic cross-sectional view of a vehicle seat according to a modification. It is a schematic cross-sectional view of a vehicle seat according to a modification. It is a schematic cross-sectional view of a vehicle seat according to a modification.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[1. Sheet configuration]
FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a vehicle seat that is an example of a seat according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the vehicle seat shown in FIG. 1 taken along line II-II.

A vehicle seat 1 (hereinafter abbreviated as seat 1) shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is applied as a rear seat (seat in the second or third row) of an automobile (vehicle). It has a configuration with a width that allows people to sit on it.

The seat 1 includes a seat cushion 2 that serves as a seating portion for an occupant M, a seat back 5 that serves as a backrest, and a headrest (not shown) provided at the upper end of the seat back 5. It is fixed on the floor panel 6 made of.

The seat cushion 2 includes a seat pad 3 that elastically supports an occupant, and a trim 4 made of cloth or leather that covers the surface of the seat pad.

At a plurality of widthwise positions on the upper surface of the seat cushion 2 , the trim 4 is hung from the seat pad 3 to form hanging portions 8 extending in the front-rear direction. As a result, as shown in FIG. 2, the upper surface of the seat cushion 2 has a plurality of seat areas arranged in the seat width direction, specifically, a right seat area 7A, a center seat area 7B, a left seat area 7C, and left and right end seats. and the bank area 7D.

The seat pad 3 includes a cushion portion 10 made of a foam molded body that forms the basic shape of the surface of the seat cushion 2, and a support made of a foam molded body that is provided inside the cushion portion 10 and is harder than the cushion portion 10. A portion 12 and a metal frame 14 embedded in the support portion 12 are provided, and the cushion portion 10, the support portion 12 and the frame 14 are integrally formed.

The cushion part 10 is made of a soft foam molded body, and is made of urethane foam in this example. The upper surface 10a of the cushion portion 10 is formed so that the occupant M can sit stably while leaning against the seat back 5. As shown in FIG. Although illustration is omitted, a metal wire is embedded inside the cushion portion 10, and a part of the trim 4 is drawn into a groove formed in the cushion portion 10 to attach a fastener (hog ring) to the wire. etc.), the hanging portion 8 is formed.

As described above, the support portion 12 is made of a foam molded body that is harder than the cushion portion 10 . More specifically, the support portion 12 includes a hard portion 13a that is adjacent to the cushion portion 10 and occupies most of the support portion 12, and a soft portion 13b that fills the lower region of the frame 14. As shown in FIG. The hard portion 13a is made of a foamed molded body harder than the cushion portion 10, specifically a bead foam such as polypropylene, while the soft portion 13b is made of urethane foam equivalent to that of the cushion portion 10. there is In this way, most of the support portion 12 including the portion adjacent to the cushion portion 10 is made of the foamed beads (hard portion 13a). It can be said that it is composed of a molded body. The reason why the soft portion 13b is provided below the frame 14 in the support portion 12 is due to the manufacturing method of the seat pad 3, as will be described later.

The upper surface 12a of the support portion 12 is formed so as to be rearwardly downward, like the upper surface 10a of the cushion portion 10. As shown in FIG. Since the support portion 12, which is harder than the cushion portion 10, is provided inside the cushion portion 10, the body of the occupant M is prevented from sinking forward and downward in the event of a frontal collision of the automobile. As a result, occurrence of a so-called submarine phenomenon in which the occupant M slides (displaces) forward from the seat cushion 2 is suppressed.

The frame 14 extends in the seat width direction inside the support portion 12 and at a position in the center of the seat cushion or behind it, that is, at a position corresponding to the thighs or buttocks of the occupant M seated on the seat cushion 2. is provided as follows. As a result, the frame 14 serves as the core of the support portion 12, and together with the support portion 12, prevents the occupant M from sinking forward and downward as described above.

The frame 14 is a rectangular metal member elongated in the seat width direction and having a thickness in the vertical direction. In this example, the frame 14 is made of, for example, a plate made of high-strength steel (high-tensile material), and as shown in FIG. Specifically, the frame 14 includes a right seat support portion 16A that extends linearly in the seat width direction in the right seat region 7A of the seat cushion 2, and a center seat that extends linearly in the seat width direction in the central seat region 7B. Between the seat support portion 16B, the left seat support portion 16C extending linearly in the seat width direction in the left seat area 7C, and the center seat support portion 16B and the support portions 16A and 16C on both sides thereof, respectively It has a recessed portion 16D that is recessed downward, and leg portions 16E that are formed at both ends in the seat width direction.

As shown in FIG. 2, the frame 14 is provided with a thin layer of the support section 12 (referred to as a buffer layer 120) above the right seat support section 16A, the center seat support section 16B and the left seat support section 16C. It is embedded in the support portion 12 in this state. The bottom surface of the concave portion 16D and the leg portion 16E of the frame 14 are exposed downward (outside) from the support portion 12 and are in contact with the floor panel 6 of the automobile. In other words, the seat 1 is joined to the floor panel 6 of the automobile by means of fixtures provided at locations different from the frame 14, and the bottom surface of the recess 16D and the leg 16E of the frame 14 are in contact with the floor panel 6. It is not joined just by being attached. However, the bottom surface of the concave portion 16D and the leg portion 16E of the frame 14 may be joined (fixed) to the floor panel 6 of the automobile by fixing means such as bolts and nuts or welding.

As shown in FIG. 1, the upper surfaces of the right seat support portion 16A, the center seat support portion 16B, and the left seat support portion 16C are formed downward along the upper surface 12a of the support portion 12. As shown in FIG. As a result, in the event of a frontal collision of the automobile, the load of the occupant M seated on each of the seat regions 7A to 7C of the seat cushion 2 is transferred via the cushioning layer 120 to the right seat support portion 16A, the center seat support portion 16B, and the right seat support portion 16B. It can be received by the left seat support portion 16C.

[2. Manufacturing method of seat pad 3]
FIG. 3 is a process drawing showing a method of manufacturing the seat pad 3 of the seat 1. As shown in FIG. The seat pad 3 is generally manufactured through a frame processing step, a support portion forming step, and a cushion portion forming step. Each step will be described below. In this process chart, the seat pad 3 is manufactured upside down from the state shown in FIG.

<Frame processing process>
In this step, a rectangular (belt-shaped) metal plate made of high-strength steel (high-tensile material) is pressed to produce the above-described corrugated frame 14 (FIG. 3(a)).

<Support portion molding process>
In this step, a foam molded body that becomes the rigid portion 13a of the support portion 12 is formed. Specifically, raw material beads made of polypropylene or the like are pre-expanded with steam to form foamed beads, and the foamed beads are filled in a mold and further steam-heated. As a result, a bead foam (foam molding) 121 having recesses 122 for embedding the frame 14 as shown in FIG. 3B is formed. Although schematically shown in the figure, the foamed beads 121 have the same shape as the rigid portion 13a of the support portion 12 .

<Cushion molding process>
In this step, the frame 14 manufactured in the frame processing step is set in the concave portions 122 of the foamed beads 121 molded in the step of molding the support portion, and the foamed beads 121 are formed by a lower mold 42 and an upper mold 43. It is set in the cavity 44 of the mold 40 (Fig. 3(c)). At this time, the foamed beads 121 are set in the cavity 44 while the foamed beads 121 are supported by the support pins 124 provided in the cavity 44 .

Then, the urethane liquid is injected into the concave portion 122 and the cavity 44 of the foamed beads 121 , and after the mold 40 is closed, the urethane liquid is heated through the mold 40 . As a result, a urethane foam (foam molding) 123 is formed integrally with the outside of the bead foam 121 and inside the recess 122 . That is, the urethane foam 123 is formed on the foamed beads 121 by insert molding using the foamed beads 121 on which the frame 14 is set as an insert member.

Thereby, as shown in FIG. 3(d), the seat pad 3 in which the cushion portion 10, the support portion 12 and the frame 14 are integrally formed is manufactured.

[3. Action effect]
According to the seat 1 of the above embodiment, since the support portion 12 (hard portion 13a) harder than the cushion portion 10 of the seat cushion 2 is provided inside the cushion portion 10, the support portion 12 may This restricts the body of the occupant M from sinking forward and downward. Therefore, occurrence of a so-called submarine phenomenon, in which the occupant M slides (displaces) forward from the seat cushion 2, is effectively suppressed.

In particular, a frame 14 is embedded in the support portion 12, and the frame 14 serves as a core of the support portion 12, and together with the support portion 12, the frame 14 restrains the body of the occupant M from sinking. Therefore, even though a bead foam having a relatively high foaming ratio (low density) is used as the foamed beads constituting the support portion 12, the support portion 12 has a strength sufficient to restrict the sinking of the occupant M as described above. can be appropriately secured in Therefore, the sheet 1 has the advantage of being able to effectively suppress the occurrence of the submarine phenomenon while suppressing an increase in weight and cost.

In other words, if the frame 14 were not provided, it would be necessary to keep the foaming ratio of the foamed beads constituting the hard portion 13a low in order to ensure the strength of the support portion 12. This results in an increase in the weight and cost of the seat cushion 2). However, according to the configuration in which the frame 14 is embedded in the support portion 12, even if the frame 14 is made of metal, the frame 14 is a corrugated plate as described above, so that the support portion 12 (hard portion 13a) It is difficult to involve a significant increase in weight and cost as in the case of forming a bead foam with a high expansion ratio. Therefore, according to the sheet 1, it is possible to effectively suppress the occurrence of the submarine phenomenon while avoiding an increase in weight and cost.

Moreover, according to the seat 1, as shown in FIG. 2, the recessed portion 16D is provided between the center seat support portion 16B of the frame 14 and the support portions 16A and 16B on both sides of the center seat support portion 16B. , while the frame 14 is provided, the riding comfort of the occupant M is not impaired. That is, since the thickness of the seat pad 3 is thinner at the hanging portion 8 of the trim 4 than at other portions, if the frame 14 exists in the hanging portion 8, the seated occupant may feel uncomfortable. . However, according to the configuration in which the frame 14 is provided with the concave portion 16D as described above, the frame 14 sinks toward the floor panel 6 at the position of the hanging portion 8, so that the occupant does not feel uncomfortable. is suppressed. Therefore, according to this seat 1, there is an advantage that the occurrence of the submarine phenomenon can be suppressed without impairing the riding comfort of the passenger.

[4. Modifications, etc.]
Although the seat 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the seat 1 is an example of a preferred embodiment of the seat according to the present invention, and its specific configuration does not depart from the gist of the present invention. It can be changed as appropriate within the range. For example, it is possible to employ the following configuration.

(1) In the above embodiment, the frame 14 is provided with the recesses 16D that are recessed downward between the center seat support portion 16B and the support portions 16B and 16C on both sides of the center seat support portion 16B. The portion 16A, the center seat support portion 16B and the left seat support portion 16C are independent of each other. However, as shown in FIG. 4, the frame 14 may have a support portion 23 that extends straight across the left and right support portions 16A to 16C in the seat width direction. That is, each of the right seat support portion 16A, the center seat support portion 16B, and the right seat support portion 16A may have a shape that is straight and continuous in the seat width direction. For example, when the frame 14 does not affect the seating comfort of the occupant M at the position of the hanging portion 8, or when the thickness of the cushion portion 10 between the left and right bank regions 7D is constant, the thickness shown in FIG. Such a frame 22 can be applied.

(2) In the above-described embodiment, the frame 14 is continuous in the seat width direction over the right seat region 7A, the center seat region 7B, and the left seat region 7C of the seat cushion 2 . However, as shown in FIG. 5, independent frames 20A-20C may be provided for the right seat area 7A, the center seat area 7B and the left seat area 7C, respectively.

(3) In the above embodiment, the right seat support portion 16A, the center seat support portion 16B, and the left seat support portion 16C of the frame 14 are each flat. A cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the direction may be curved so as to be convex downward (toward the side opposite to the occupant). According to this configuration, each of the support portions 16A to 16C has a shape corresponding to the buttocks of the occupant M, so that the load of the occupant M can be received more stably. Therefore, it is possible to more reliably prevent the occupant M from slipping (slipping) forward from the seat cushion 2 .

(4) In the above embodiment, the frame 14 is formed of a rectangular metal plate elongated in the seat width direction. However, as shown in FIG. 7, the frame 14 may be made of a metal pipe elongated in the seat width direction. In this case, the frame 14 can be a pipe with a rectangular cross section as well as a pipe with a circular cross section (perfect circle or ellipse) as shown in FIG. Also, the frame 14 may be made of a material having a higher strength than the support portion 12 . Therefore, the frame 14 may be made of a metal other than high-strength steel (high-tensile material), such as carbon steel for machine structural use, or may be made of a resin material such as carbon fiber reinforced resin. .

When the frame 14 is made of metal pipes, the cross sections of the right seat support portion 16A, the center seat support portion 16B, and the left seat support portion 16C, which are perpendicular to the axial direction of the pipes, are flat. It may be crushed in such a way as to have a curved cross-sectional shape that is convex downward (toward the side opposite to the occupant). According to this configuration, even when the frame 14 is made of a metal pipe, each of the support portions 16A to 16C has a shape corresponding to the buttocks of the occupant M, as in the modification (3). Therefore, the load of the occupant M can be received more stably.

(5) In the above embodiment, the frame 14 is completely embedded in the support section 12. However, the frame 14, for example, includes the right seat support section 16A, the center seat support section 16B, and the left seat support section 16C. It may be arranged in the portion 10 or may be provided in contact with the cushion portion 10 .

However, as in the above embodiment, the frame 14 is completely embedded in the support portion 12, and the cushioning layer 120 (support portion) is placed on the right seat support portion 16A, the center seat support portion 16B and the left seat support portion 16C According to the configuration of the seat pad 3 in which the 12 thin layers) are formed, the buffer layer 120 functions as a cushion, so there is an advantage that the frame 14 is less likely to make the occupant M feel uncomfortable. In addition, the manufacturing of the seat pad 3 also has the following advantages. That is, when the support portions 16A to 16C are arranged in the cushion portion 10, or when the frame 14 is provided in contact with the cushion portion 10, in the support portion forming step shown in FIG. As the foam 121, it is necessary to mold the foam 121 in which through holes are formed instead of the recesses 122 described above. In this case, since the mating surface of the mold is set inside or at the edge of the through hole, burrs are likely to occur inside or at the edge of the through hole. Therefore, a deburring process is required before the cushion part forming process, which is complicated. On the other hand, according to the configuration of the above-described embodiment, since such a deburring process is unnecessary, there is an advantage that the productivity of the seat pad 3 and the productivity of the seat 1 are good.

(6) In the above-described embodiment, the frame 14 is positioned on the left and right sides of each of the right seat support portion 16A, the center seat support portion 16B, and the left seat support portion 16C (the bottom surface of the recess 16D and the leg portion 16E). Although it is configured to contact the panel 6, it may be configured to contact the floor panel 6 at positions on both front and rear sides of each of the support portions 16A to 16C. That is, the frame 14 further includes legs extending in the front and rear directions from each of the right seat support portion 16A, the center seat support portion 16B, and the left seat support portion 16C and contacting the floor panel 6. may The same applies to the frame 22 shown in FIG. 4 and the frames 20A to 20C shown in FIG. With such a configuration, it is possible to receive the load of the occupant M more stably. The frames 20A to 20C and 22 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 may be configured to have only legs extending in the front and rear directions by omitting the left and right leg portions.

(7) In the above embodiment, an example in which the present invention is applied to the seat cushion 2 of the vehicle seat 1 has been described, but the present invention can also be applied to the seat back 5 of the vehicle seat 1 . For example, similar to the seat cushion 2, the seat back 5 is provided with a cushion portion and a support portion, the support portion holds the occupant M, and a frame is embedded in the support portion, and the occupant M is seated together with the frame. may be configured to hold

(8) In the above embodiment, the vehicle seat was described as an example of the seat of the present invention. As described, the invention is also applicable to vehicles other than automobiles and vehicles other than vehicles, such as airplanes, railroads and ships. The present invention can also be applied to a vehicle seat that is used as a driver's seat or a passenger's seat of an automobile. The present invention is also applicable to seats other than vehicle seats, such as chairs used indoors and outdoors in buildings such as houses.

1 Vehicle seat (seat)
2 seat cushion 3 seat pad 4 trim 5 seat back 6 floor panel 8 hanging part 7A right seat area 7B center seat area 7C left seat area 7D bank area 10 cushion part 12 support part 13a hard part 13b soft part 14 frame 16A right seat support portion 16B center seat support portion 16C left seat support portion 16D recessed portion 16E flange portion M occupant

Claims (5)

A seat including a seat cushion on which an occupant sits, the seat cushion being provided with a seat pad that elastically supports the occupant,
The seat pad includes a cushion portion made of a foam molded body, a support portion disposed inside the cushion portion and made of a foam molded body having a density lower than that of the cushion portion, and at least one of the cushion portion and the support portion. a frame embedded and made of a higher strength material than the support ;
The frame is formed of a plate having a thickness in the vertical direction, extends in the seat width direction at a position at or behind the center of the seat cushion in the longitudinal direction of the seat, and receives the load of the occupant. including a support extending to
A seat, wherein the support portion is curved such that a cross section along the seat front-rear direction is convex downward when viewed from one side in the seat width direction. The sheet according to claim 1 ,
The seat cushion has a plurality of seat areas arranged in the seat width direction,
A seat, wherein the frame is provided at a position corresponding to at least each seat area. In the sheet according to claim 2 ,
The seat, wherein the frame is provided continuously in the seat width direction over the plurality of seat areas. In the sheet according to claim 3 ,
The seat cushion includes a trim that covers the surface of the cushion portion, and a hanging portion of the trim at a boundary portion between adjacent seat areas,
A seat according to claim 1, wherein the frame has a recess recessed downward at a position corresponding to the suspension part. In the sheet according to any one of claims 1 to 4 ,
A seat, wherein the frame is in contact with or joined to a floor panel on which the seat cushion is supported.

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