JP7469721B2 - Seat cushion frame structure - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to the structure of a seat cushion frame in a vehicle seat.

Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle seat including a seat cushion and a seat back. In particular, a seat cushion frame constituting the framework of the seat cushion includes a rear frame, a front frame disposed in front of the rear frame, a pair of left and right side frames connecting both ends of the rear frame and the front frame, a pair of vertically aligned center frames connecting centers of the rear frame and the front frame, and a plurality of wires (pressure-receiving members) supporting a cushion pad in the seat cushion.
The multiple wires include multiple front-rear wires that are spanned between the rear frame and the front frame, and multiple left-right wires that are spanned between a pair of left and right side frames or between a pair of left and right side frames and a central frame, and these multiple front-rear wires and multiple left-right wires are arranged to cross each other, and the intersections are joined.
Further, an inner flange forming an upwardly facing flat surface is provided on the pair of side frames toward the center of the seat cushion, and the ends of the left and right wires are placed and joined on the upper surface of this inner flange.

Patent No. 6219683

Incidentally, in order to reduce the weight of a seat, there is a method of inclining the cushion pad so that the height increases toward the front, and reducing the thickness of the cushion pad by the amount of inclination, thereby achieving weight reduction.
When this method is adopted, among the wires supporting the cushion pad, a number of front and rear wires are inclined. However, when the front and rear wires are inclined, the upper surface of the inner flange of the pair of side frames is separated from the ends of the left and right wires, and the ends of the left and right wires must be bent to adjust the height. Therefore, while the cushion pad can be made lighter, the assembly work of the wires becomes laborious.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to reduce the weight of the cushion pad and improve the ease of assembling multiple pressure-receiving members to a pair of left and right side frames.

In order to solve the above problems, the invention described in claim 1 is:
a rear frame disposed at the rear;
a front frame disposed forward of the rear frame;
a pair of left and right side frames connecting both ends of the rear frame and the front frame;
a plurality of pressure-receiving members fixed to the rear frame, the front frame, and the pair of left and right side frames and configured to receive a load of an occupant,
each of the pair of left and right side frames has a plurality of end fixing portions provided on a seat center side of the pair of left and right side frames, and ends of the plurality of pressure-receiving members are fixed to the end fixing portions;
The end fixing portions are arranged in a stepped manner so that their height positions become higher toward the front,
each of the pair of left and right side frames has a through hole formed at a position other than a portion where the plurality of end fixing portions are provided;
A step is formed in any one of the plurality of end fixing portions.

The present invention provides a seat cushion frame structure according to claim 1,
The through hole and any one of the plurality of end fixing portions are characterized in being disposed at the same position in the front-rear direction .

The present invention relates to a seat cushion frame structure comprising :
the side frame has a web portion that constitutes a lower surface of the side frame and in which the through hole is formed,
A portion of the web portion adjacent to the through hole is formed to protrude downward,
The web portion and the portion where the end fixing portion is provided are characterized in being disposed at the same position in the front-rear direction.

The present invention also provides
a rear frame disposed at the rear;
a front frame disposed forward of the rear frame;
a pair of left and right side frames connecting both ends of the rear frame and the front frame;
a plurality of pressure-receiving members fixed to the rear frame, the front frame, and the pair of left and right side frames and configured to receive a load of an occupant,
each of the pair of left and right side frames has a plurality of end fixing portions provided on a seat center side of the pair of left and right side frames, and ends of the plurality of pressure-receiving members are fixed to the end fixing portions;
The end fixing portions are arranged in a stepped manner so that their height positions become higher toward the front,
the plurality of pressure-receiving members are a plurality of wires,
The plurality of wires includes a wire bent into a substantially U-shape in a plan view, and both ends of the substantially U-shaped wire are fixed to two of the plurality of end fixing portions,
The two end fixing portions are disposed on only one of the pair of left and right side frames.

The present invention also provides
a rear frame disposed at the rear;
a front frame disposed forward of the rear frame;
a pair of left and right side frames connecting both ends of the rear frame and the front frame;
a plurality of pressure-receiving members fixed to the rear frame, the front frame, and the pair of left and right side frames and configured to receive a load of an occupant,
each of the pair of left and right side frames has a plurality of end fixing portions provided on a seat center side of the pair of left and right side frames, and ends of the plurality of pressure-receiving members are fixed to the end fixing portions;
The end fixing portions are arranged in a stepped manner so that their height positions become higher toward the front,
the plurality of pressure-receiving members are a plurality of wires,
The plurality of wires includes a plurality of front and rear wires that are stretched between the rear frame and the front frame,
The plurality of front and rear wires are formed such that both ends protrude to either the left or right and are substantially U-shaped in a plan view,
The directions in which both ends of the multiple front and rear wires protrude are the same.

The present invention also provides
a rear frame disposed at the rear;
a front frame disposed forward of the rear frame;
a pair of left and right side frames connecting both ends of the rear frame and the front frame;
a plurality of pressure-receiving members fixed to the rear frame, the front frame, and the pair of left and right side frames and configured to receive a load of an occupant,
each of the pair of left and right side frames has a plurality of end fixing portions provided on a seat center side of the pair of left and right side frames, and ends of the plurality of pressure-receiving members are fixed to the end fixing portions;
The end fixing portions are arranged in a stepped manner so that their height positions become higher toward the front,
An upward protruding wire is provided on the outer side of the pair of left and right side frames so as to protrude obliquely upward,
The upwardly protruding wire and any one of the plurality of end fixing portions are characterized by being disposed at the same position in the front-rear direction.

The invention described in claim 4 is the seat cushion frame structure described in any one of claims 1 to 3 ,
The upper ends of the plurality of end fixing parts are characterized in being located below the front frame.

The invention described in claim 5 is the seat cushion frame structure described in any one of claims 1 to 4 ,
A foot bracket for supporting the entire seat is disposed on the lower surface side of the side frame,
The multiple end fixing portions are characterized in that they are arranged at positions overlapping with the foot bracket in the front-rear direction.

According to the invention described in claim 1, the end fixing parts to which the ends of the multiple pressure-receiving members are fixed are arranged in a stepped manner so that the height position increases toward the front, so that the cushion pad placed on the multiple pressure-receiving members can be inclined by fixing the ends of the multiple pressure-receiving members to the end fixing parts. Therefore, the thickness of the cushion pad can be reduced by the amount of inclination, thereby making it lighter.
Furthermore, the cushion pad can be inclined by placing and fixing the ends of multiple pressure-receiving members on multiple end fixing portions arranged in a stepped manner, thereby eliminating the need to process the ends of the multiple pressure-receiving members and improving the ease of assembling the multiple pressure-receiving members to a pair of left and right side frames.
Furthermore, each of the pair of left and right side frames has a through hole formed in a position other than the area where the multiple end fixing portions are provided, thereby making it possible to reduce the weight of the pair of left and right side frames.

According to the second aspect of the invention, the same effects as those of the first aspect of the invention can be obtained.
According to the third aspect of the invention, the same effects as those of the first aspect of the invention can be obtained.
According to the fourth aspect of the invention, the same effects as those of the first aspect of the invention can be obtained.
According to the fifth aspect of the invention, the same effects as those of the first aspect of the invention can be obtained.

According to this invention, the end fixing parts to which the ends of the pressure-receiving members are fixed are arranged in a stepped manner so that the height position increases toward the front, so that the cushion pad placed on the pressure-receiving members can be inclined by fixing the ends of the pressure-receiving members to the end fixing parts. Therefore, the thickness of the cushion pad can be reduced by the amount of inclination, thereby making it lighter.
Furthermore, the cushion pad can be inclined by placing and fixing the ends of multiple pressure-receiving members on multiple end fixing portions arranged in a stepped manner, thereby eliminating the need to process the ends of the multiple pressure-receiving members and improving the ease of assembling the multiple pressure-receiving members to a pair of left and right side frames.
In addition, since both ends of the approximately C-shaped wire, which is the pressure-receiving member, are fixed to two of the multiple end fixing portions, two wires can be installed at the two end fixing portions at once, improving the ease of assembly of the multiple pressure-receiving members to the seat cushion frame.

According to this invention, the end fixing parts to which the ends of the pressure-receiving members are fixed are arranged in a stepped manner so that the height position increases toward the front, so that the cushion pad placed on the pressure-receiving members can be inclined by fixing the ends of the pressure-receiving members to the end fixing parts. Therefore, the thickness of the cushion pad can be reduced by the amount of inclination, thereby making it lighter.
Furthermore, the cushion pad can be inclined by placing and fixing the ends of multiple pressure-receiving members on multiple end fixing portions arranged in a stepped manner, thereby eliminating the need to process the ends of the multiple pressure-receiving members and improving the ease of assembling the multiple pressure-receiving members to a pair of left and right side frames.
Furthermore, since the multiple front and rear wires can be hung between the rear frame and the front frame with the left and right reversed, the workability of assembling the multiple front and rear wires to the seat cushion frame can be improved.

According to this invention, the end fixing parts to which the ends of the pressure-receiving members are fixed are arranged in a stepped manner so that the height position increases toward the front, so that the cushion pad placed on the pressure-receiving members can be inclined by fixing the ends of the pressure-receiving members to the end fixing parts. Therefore, the thickness of the cushion pad can be reduced by the amount of inclination, thereby making it lighter.
Furthermore, the cushion pad can be inclined by placing and fixing the ends of multiple pressure-receiving members on multiple end fixing portions arranged in a stepped manner, thereby eliminating the need to process the ends of the multiple pressure-receiving members and improving the ease of assembling the multiple pressure-receiving members to a pair of left and right side frames.
In addition, an upwardly protruding wire is provided on the outer side of the seat of the pair of left and right side frames so as to protrude diagonally upward, thereby increasing the reliability of supporting an occupant seated at the position where this upwardly protruding wire is located (both ends of the seat cushion).

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a vehicle seat. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the seat frame as viewed from the front. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the seat frame as viewed from the rear. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a left end portion of the seat frame. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an attachment structure for the front end portions of a pair of upper and lower central frames. 4 is a front view of the left end portion of the seat frame as viewed from the bottom side. FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an example of an arrangement of a plurality of pressure-receiving members. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a right end portion of the seat frame. FIG. 11 is a side view showing a state in which a plurality of pressure-receiving members are fixed to a side frame. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a state in which a plurality of pressure-receiving members are fixed to a side frame. FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the first division body and the second division body as viewed from the rear. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the intermediate strength member as seen from the rear.

The following describes the embodiments of the present invention with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiments described below have various limitations that are technically preferable for implementing the present invention, but the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments and illustrated examples.

In Fig. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a vehicle seat. The vehicle seat 1 includes a seat cushion 2 that supports a person's buttocks and thighs, a seat back 3 that serves as a backrest, and a headrest 4 that supports the person's head.
The vehicle seat 1 in this embodiment is a rear seat (back seat) of a passenger vehicle. However, the vehicle seat 1 is not limited to this, and may be a seat other than a rear seat of a passenger vehicle, a seat in another automobile such as a bus or truck, or a seat in a vehicle other than an automobile such as a train, ship, or aircraft.
In a passenger vehicle in which the vehicle seat 1 of this embodiment is installed, a luggage compartment R is provided behind the vehicle seat 1.

The vehicle seat 1 in this embodiment has one seat cushion 2, two seat backs 3, and accordingly two head rests 4.
The two seat backs 3 are provided side by side in the left-right direction at the rear end of the seat cushion 2. The headrests 4 are provided at the center of the upper end of each of the two seat backs 3.
Such a vehicle seat 1 is generally configured, as shown in FIG. 2 etc., by a seat frame 11 that forms the skeleton of the vehicle seat 1, a cushion pad (not shown) supported by the seat frame 11, and covering materials 2a, 3a, 4a that cover the seat frame 11 and the cushion pad.

The seat frame 11 includes a seat cushion frame 12 that constitutes the skeleton of the seat cushion, a seat back frame 13 that constitutes the skeleton of the seat back 3, and a head rest frame 14 that constitutes the skeleton of the head rest 4.
The cushion pad and covering materials 2a, 3a, 4a are provided on a seat cushion frame 12, a seat back frame 13, and a headrest frame 14, respectively.

As shown in Figures 1 to 6, the seat cushion frame 12 includes a rear frame 12a, a front frame 12b, a pair of left and right side frames 12c, 12d, and a pair of upper and lower central frames 12e, 12f.
In addition, a plurality of pressure-receiving members 30, 31, 32 for receiving the load of an occupant are fixed to the rear frame 12a, the front frame 12b, and the pair of left and right side frames 12c, 12d.
Further, a slide mechanism 40 is provided on the lower surface of the seat cushion frame 12 for sliding the seat cushion 2, and therefore the entire vehicle seat 1.

The rear frame 12a is disposed in the left-right direction at the rear of the seat cushion frame 12, and is configured of a large-diameter pipe frame (i.e., formed in a cylindrical shape).
The front frame 12b is disposed in the left-right direction in front of the seat cushion frame 12, and is configured of a pipe frame (i.e., formed in a cylindrical shape).
The rear frame 12a and the front frame 12b are disposed parallel to each other, and the front frame 12b is disposed higher than the rear frame 12a.

The pair of left and right side frames 12c, 12d are arranged in the front-rear direction at the right and left ends of the seat cushion frame 12, and connect both ends of the rear frame 12a and the front frame 12b.
More specifically, a highly rigid pivot bracket 15 is provided at the rear end of each of the pair of left and right side frames 12c, 12d, and the rear frame 12a is provided to this pivot bracket 15.
The pair of left and right side frames 12c, 12d and the pivot bracket 15 are both formed with a U-shaped cross section (also called a channel-shaped cross section), and the pivot bracket 15 is fitted inside the pair of left and right side frames 12c, 12d, with the bottoms of both frames connected to each other with bolts. In other words, the rear frame 12a and the pair of left and right side frames 12c, 12d are connected via the pivot bracket 15.
The seat back frame 13 is provided at an upper end of the pivot bracket 15 so as to be rotatable in the front-rear direction.

The pair of upper and lower central frames 12e, 12f are disposed in the front-rear direction in the center of the seat cushion frame 12 and are provided to span between the rear frame 12a and the front frame 12b. The pair of upper and lower central frames 12e, 12f are formed of pipe frames.
More specifically, an intermediate strength member 20 is provided in the center of the rear frame 12a, which is fixed to the outer circumferential surface of the rear frame 12a and supports the seat back frame 13. A pair of upper and lower center frames 12e, 12f are bridged between the front frame 12b and the intermediate strength member 20, with their rear ends fixed to the intermediate strength member 20 so as to be located above and below the rear frame 12a, and their front ends fixed to the front frame 12b.

Furthermore, of the pair of upper and lower central frames 12e, 12f, the front end of the upper central frame 12e is welded to the front frame 12b in a crushed state (flattened vertically), and the front end of the lower central frame 12f is fixed to the front frame 12b via a first bracket 17.
The first bracket 17 has a web portion and flange portions provided on both side edges thereof, and is formed in a U-shaped cross section. More specifically, each flange portion is welded to the outer circumferential surface of the front frame 12b, and the front end portion of the lower central frame 12f is welded to the underside of the web portion in a crushed state (flattened vertically).
The front ends of the pair of upper and lower central frames 12e, 12f are both welded and fixed in a crushed state, which has the advantage of ensuring a wide welding area, increasing the strength of the welded joint, and making the unit more compact in the vertical direction.

The intermediate strength member 20 is a box-shaped body made up of a first divided body 21 and a second divided body 22 which are combined with each other to be integrated as the intermediate strength member 20, and a reclining bracket 16 which constitutes a reclining mechanism for adjusting the angle of the seat back frame 13 is provided at the upper end thereof. The seat back frame 13 is provided on the reclining bracket 16 so as to be rotatable in the front-rear direction.
In addition, the reclining mechanism is provided between the reclining bracket 16 and the seat back frame 13.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the operating portion 18 of the reclining mechanism is provided on the upper end portion of each of the two seat backs 3 toward the center of the seat.

As shown in Figs. 2, 7 and the like, the pressure-receiving members 30, 31, 32 are formed as a plurality of wires.
The wires 30, 31, 32 include a plurality of front-rear wires 30 that are stretched between the rear frame 12a and the front frame 12b, and left-right wires 31, 32 that are arranged in the left-right direction and at least one end of which is fixed to one of the pair of left and right side frames 12c, 12d. The front-rear wires 30 and the left-right wires 31, 32 are arranged to cross each other, and the crossings of the wires are joined.

The front-rear wire 30 has a long portion 30a formed long in the front-rear direction, inclined portions 30b protruding obliquely upward from both ends of the long portion 30a, and fixed ends 30c protruding to either the left or right from the upper ends of each of the inclined portions 30b, and is generally U-shaped in plan view as a whole. The fixed ends 30c are welded and fixed to the rear frame 12a and the front frame 12b.
In other words, the two fixed ends 30c protrude in the same direction. The lengths of the two inclined portions 30b from the long portion 30a are equal, and the angles of the two inclined portions 30b with respect to the long portion 30a are also set equal.
The longitudinal wire 30 having such a shape can be used with the left and right orientation reversed, since it does not matter whether the fixed end 30c faces left or right as long as the long portion 30a and the inclined portion 30b are positioned in the predetermined positions (positions as designed). In other words, when the longitudinal wire 30 is stretched across the rear frame 12a and the front frame 12b and fixed by welding, the work can be performed without worrying about the orientation of the fixed end 30c.

The left and right wires 31 , 32 include a first left and right wire 31 and a second left and right wire 32 .
The first left-right wire 31 is formed long in the left-right direction, and in this embodiment, the right end is fixed to the right side frame 12c, and the left end is fixed to the left side frame 12d. The center of the first left-right wire 31 is curved along the upper surface of the lower center frame 12f of the pair of upper and lower center frames 12e, 12f, and is welded and fixed to the upper surface of the lower center frame 12f. In other words, the first left-right wire 31 is provided by being bridged over the pair of left and right side frames 12c, 12d via the lower center frame 12f.
The second left and right wire 32 is bent into a substantially U-shape (or a C-shape) in plan view. One end and the other end of the second left and right wire 32 are fixed to the same side frame 12c (12d). The bent portion of the second left and right wire 32 is set to a length that does not reach the pair of upper and lower central frames 12e, 12f. A space without a pressure-receiving member is formed between the bent portion of the second left and right wire 32 and the pair of upper and lower central frames 12e, 12f. Although not shown, such a space is used to arrange the buckle of the seat belt.

As one of the pressure-receiving members in the seat cushion frame 12, an upward protruding wire 33 is provided on the outer side of the seat cushion frame 12 in the pair of left and right side frames 12c, 12d so as to protrude obliquely upward.
More specifically, the upward protruding wire 33 has both ends fixed to the outer surfaces of the pair of left and right side frames 12c, 12d and is provided so as to protrude obliquely upward from the fixed positions. The upward protruding wire 33 has protruding parts 33a protruding obliquely upward from both ends which are the fixed ends, and a connecting part 33b connecting the upper ends of both protruding parts 33a, and the center of the connecting part 33b is bent into a substantially V-shape to form a downward protruding part 33c protruding vertically downward.
The upward protruding wire 33 can support from below the portion of the cushion pad that protrudes outward beyond the pair of left and right side frames 12c, 12d, of the cushion pad placed on the seat cushion frame 12. Therefore, the upward protruding wire 33 can improve the durability of the vehicle seat 1 when getting on and off, and can demonstrate the function of allowing the protruding portion of the cushion pad to maintain its original shape.

The slide mechanism 40 is provided between the underside of each of the pair of left and right side frames 12c, 12d and the floor panel of the vehicle, and enables the seat cushion frame 12, and ultimately the entire vehicle seat 1, to slide along the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle.
The slide mechanism 40 includes a movable rail 41, a fixed rail 42, and a slide lock mechanism.

The movable rail 41 is formed long in the sliding direction (front-to-back direction) and is fixed to the underside of a pair of left and right side frames 12c, 12d. The movable rail 41 is also provided inside the fixed rail 42 and supported by the fixed rail 42 so as to be slidable thereon.
The fixed rail 42 is formed long in the sliding direction (front-rear direction), is provided below the pair of left and right side frames 12c, 12d, and slidably supports the movable rail 41. In addition, a front foot bracket 43 and a rear foot bracket 44 are fixed to the underside of the fixed rail 42. The front foot bracket 43 and the rear foot bracket 44 are fixed to the floor panel of the vehicle to support the seat cushion 2 and, by extension, the entire vehicle seat 1.

The slide lock mechanism is a known mechanism that is provided between the movable rail 41 and the fixed rail 42 and can selectively lock the vehicle seat 1 at multiple front and rear adjustment positions. A release lever 45 that releases the locked state of the slide lock mechanism is supported on each movable rail 41, and a lock spring 46 that biases the release lever 45 in the locking operation direction of the slide lock mechanism is connected to each release lever 45.

Both ends of a common release bar 47 are connected to the left and right release levers 45. This release bar 47 is made by bending a single round bar, and has a pair of left and right arms 47a extending forward from the left and right release levers 45, and a rod portion 47b that integrally connects the front ends of these arms 47a together. The rod portion 47b is disposed parallel to the front edge of the seat cushion frame 12 at the bottom of the seat cushion frame 12.

A knob 48 is fixed to the center of the rod portion 47b. The knob 48 protrudes from the front center of the rod portion 47b so as to face the front surface of the seat cushion frame 12 and is formed in a U-shape so as to be easily gripped by hand.
By pulling up the knob 48, the release bar 47 swings upward together with the release lever 45, releasing the locked state of the slide lock mechanism and allowing the movable rail 41 to slide, i.e., the vehicle seat 1 to slide in the fore-aft direction. After adjusting the fore-aft position of the vehicle seat 1, by releasing the knob 48, the slide lock mechanism is activated by the action of the lock spring 46, and the vehicle seat 1 can be locked in the adjusted position.

The slide lock mechanism is configured to be operable not only by the knob 48 but also from the rear of the vehicle seat 1 .
That is, the rear operation member 49 is provided so as to be exposed to the rear of the vehicle seat 1, and a Bowden cable 49a is connected to this rear operation member 49. The Bowden cable 49a includes an outer cable and an inner cable. The outer cable is routed along and fastened to the upper central frame 12e. One end of the inner cable is connected to the rear operation member 49, and the other end is connected to the central portion of the release bar 47. Then, by operating in a pulling manner on the rear operation member 49, the release bar 47 is pulled up via the inner cable, and the locked state of the slide lock mechanism can be released.
The front end of the outer cable is hooked and held in a notch 17a formed in the web portion of the first bracket 17, so that the inner cable can be guided toward the release bar 47.
In addition, a restriction ring 19 is provided on flange portions on both side edges of the first bracket 17, passing through the U-shaped interior of the knob 48 and extending downward. The restriction ring 19 is located forward of the first bracket 17 and restricts, for example, the upholstery material 2a and a trim cover (not shown) that covers substantially the entire lower surface of the seat cushion 2 from interfering with the Bowden cable 49a.

At the bottom center of the front end of the seat cushion 2, there is a recess 2b that corresponds to the position of the knob 48 and is recessed from the surrounding area. At least the base end side (release bar 47 side) of the knob 48 is designed to fit within the recess 2b. Therefore, the knob 48 can be designed not to protrude too far forward from the front end of the seat cushion 2.

In addition to the basic configuration described above, the seat cushion frame 12 is also provided with a support wire 50 that supports items placed in the luggage compartment R located behind the seat, and an energy absorbing wire 55 that absorbs forward loads on the rear frame 12a.

The support wire 50 is formed by bending a single wire and is disposed so as to protrude upward. The support wire 50 is fixed to the rear side surface of the rear frame 12a at both ends in the longitudinal direction via second brackets 51.
The second bracket 51 has a web portion and flange portions provided on both side edges thereof, and is formed in a U-shaped cross section. More specifically, each flange portion is welded to the rear side surface of the rear frame 12a, and both ends of the support wire 50 are inserted into two through holes formed in the web portion and welded to the web portion.
The items supported by the support wire 50 include, but are not limited to, various items such as luggage, fixtures, storage items, etc., placed in the luggage compartment R. The items are hooked or fixed to the support wire 50 so that the support wire 50 can reliably support the items.

The energy absorbing wire 55 is formed by bending a single wire, and is provided on the rear frame 12a toward the center of the rear frame 12a, closer to the support wire 50, so as to protrude diagonally downward toward the rear. In addition, both ends of the energy absorbing wire 55 are fixed to the upper side of the rear frame 12a.

Two seat back frames 13 are provided for one seat cushion frame 12. Each seat back frame 13 has a frame main body 13a whose upper side, lower side, left and right sides are formed by a bent pipe frame, a pivot bracket 13b, and a side frame 13c.
The pivot bracket 13 b is provided on the outer side edge of the frame main body 13 a and is rotatably connected to the pivot bracket 15 of the seat cushion frame 12 .
The side frame 13c is provided on the inner side edge of the frame main body 13a, and is rotatably connected to a reclining bracket 16 of the seat cushion frame 12. In addition, a reclining mechanism is provided between the side frame 13c and the reclining bracket 16.
A pillar holding portion 13d for holding a headrest pillar 14b of the headrest 4 is provided on the upper side of the frame body 13a.

The headrest frame 14 is provided at the center of the upper end of the seatback frame 13, and has a frame body 14a and a headrest pillar 14b that protrudes downward from the lower end of the frame body 14a.
The headrest pillar 14 b is held by a pillar holding portion 13 d provided at the upper end of the seat back frame 13 .

The vehicle seat 1 in this embodiment is described in more detail below.

[Regarding the side frames 12c, 12d and the pressure-receiving members 30, 31, 32]
As described above, the pair of left and right side frames 12c, 12d are formed to have a U-shaped cross section (also called a channel-shaped cross section), and therefore, as shown in Figures 9 to 11, each of the pair of left and right side frames 12c, 12d has a web portion 60 and flange portions 61, 62 provided on both side edges thereof.
The web portion 60 forms the underside of the pair of left and right side frames 12c, 12d, and the flange portions 61, 62 include an outer flange 61 located on the outer side of the seat and an inner flange 62 located on the center side of the seat.

The front ends (referring to the longitudinal front ends of the side frames 12c, 12d) of the outer flange 61 and the inner flange 62 are formed with a longer vertical dimension than the central and rear ends (referring to the longitudinal central and rear ends of the side frames 12c, 12d), and the height position of the upper end of the front ends is also set higher than the height positions of the central and rear ends.
Arc portions 61a, 62a on which the front frame 12b is placed are formed at the upper front ends of the outer flange 61 and the inner flange 62. The cylindrical front frame 12b is placed on the arc portions 61a, 62a and fixed by welding or the like. Therefore, the front frame 12b is disposed at a higher position than the rear frame 12a.

The upper end of the inner flange 62 is bent at a right angle in the opposite direction to the outer flange 61 (toward the center of the vehicle seat 1: toward the center of the seat cushion frame 12) to be stiffened (formed into a brim shape). By bending the upper end of the inner flange 62 in this manner, not only is it stiffened, but it is also possible to form an upward surface that is set wider than the upper end surface when the upper end of the inner flange 62 is used without being bent.
The portion bent at a right angle in this manner includes a plurality of end fixing parts 63, 64, 65 to which the ends of the left and right wires 31, 32, which are a plurality of pressure-receiving members, are fixed. Furthermore, the plurality of end fixing parts 63, 64, 65 are arranged in a stepped manner so that their height position increases toward the front.
The bent portion at the upper end of the inner flange 62 includes the above-mentioned arc portion 62a, so that the front frame 12b can be stably supported.

More specifically, the left and right wires 31, 32 include the first left and right wires 31 that are long in the left and right direction as described above, and the second left and right wires 32 that are formed in a substantially U-shape in a plan view. Therefore, three ends of the two types of left and right wires 31, 32 are provided facing the pair of left and right side frames 12c, 12d.
In other words, the multiple end fixing portions 63, 64, 65 include a first end fixing portion 63, a second end fixing portion 64, and a third end fixing portion 65 to which the three ends of the left and right wires 31, 32 are fixed.

The first end fixing portion 63 is the lowest tier (lower tier) among the multiple end fixing portions 63, 64, 65, and is positioned at the rearmost in the arrangement order of the multiple end fixing portions 63, 64, 65, and has one end of the second left and right wire 32 placed on and fixed thereon.
The second end fixing portion 64 is the middle stage (middle stage) among the multiple end fixing portions 63, 64, 65, and is positioned in the middle of the arrangement of the multiple end fixing portions 63, 64, 65, on which the other end of the second left/right wire 32 is placed and fixed.
The third end fixing portion 65 is the highest stage (upper stage) among the multiple end fixing portions 63, 64, 65, and is positioned at the front in the arrangement of the multiple end fixing portions 63, 64, 65, and has the end of the first left and right wire 31 placed on it and fixed thereon.

The portions of the upper surfaces of the first end fixing portion 63, the second end fixing portion 64, and the third end fixing portion 65 on which the ends of the first left and right wire 31 and the second left and right wire 32 are placed are horizontal planes, so that the first left and right wire 31 and the second left and right wire 32 can be stably supported when placed on them, and can then be fixed thereon by welding or the like.
In this embodiment, the upper surface of the first end fixing portion 63 is formed in a stepped shape (two steps, upper and lower), and one end of the second left-right wire 32 is placed and fixed on the upper surface of the lower step. The upper surface of the lower step on which the one end of the second left-right wire 32 is placed is a horizontal plane.

In addition, since the first left and right wire 31 and the second left and right wire 32 are also placed on the front and rear wire 30, which is a plurality of pressure-receiving members, the first left and right wire 31 and the second left and right wire 32 are suspended between the front and rear wire 30 and each end fixing portion 63, 64, 65.
Therefore, workability is excellent both when welding the first left-right wire 31 and the second left-right wire 32 to each end fixing portion 63, 64, 65 and when welding them to the front-rear wire 30.

On the other hand, the upper end of the outer flange 61 is bent at a right angle in the opposite direction to the inner flange 62 (the outside of the vehicle seat 1: the outside of the seat cushion frame 12) to be stiffened (formed into a brim shape).
The above-mentioned arc portion 61a is also included, so that the front frame 12b can be stably supported.

The upper ends of the outer flange 61 and the inner flange 62 are bent and stiffened as described above, but in this embodiment, they are not bent at the position where the pivot bracket 15 is provided.

Each of the pair of left and right side frames 12c, 12d has a through hole 66 formed in a position other than the portion where the multiple end fixing portions 63, 64, 65 are provided, in order to reduce weight.
In the present embodiment, a plurality of through holes 66 are formed in the web portions 60 of the pair of left and right side frames 12c, 12d. However, this is not limited thereto, and the through holes 66 may be formed in the outer flange 61 or the inner flange 62.
Furthermore, a portion 60a of the web portion 60 adjacent to the through hole 66 is processed so as to protrude downward, thereby making it possible to improve rigidity.

By adopting the above-described configuration, the multiple end fixing portions 63, 64, 65 make it possible to reduce the labor required for assembling the multiple left and right wires 31, 32.
In this embodiment, the wires 30, 31, and 32 are used as the pressure-receiving members, but the present invention is not limited to this and a plate-shaped pressure-receiving member may be used. However, even such a plate-shaped pressure-receiving member has ends that are placed on and fixed to the multiple end fixing portions 63, 64, and 65.

[Regarding intermediate strength member 20]
As shown in Figures 12 and 13, the first and second divisional bodies 21 and 22 constituting the intermediate strength member 20 each have a web portion 21a and 22a and flange portions 21b, 22b and 21c, 22c provided on both side edges thereof, and are formed to have a U-shaped cross section (channel-shaped cross section). Furthermore, the first and second divisional bodies 21 and 22 are formed into an arc shape as a whole (which may be expressed as a U-shaped shape, form, appearance, etc.). The first and second divisional bodies 21 and 22 are assembled to each other so that the opening sides opposite the web portions 21a and 22a face each other.
Moreover, the intermediate strength member 20 in the state in which the first division body 21 and the second division body 22 are combined with each other and integrated is formed into a box (box-shaped body) by combining the first division body 21 and the second division body 22. Furthermore, since the first division body 21 and the second division body 22 are formed into an arc-shaped body, the intermediate strength member 20 is also formed into an arc-shaped (U-shaped) shape as a whole.
The flange portions 21b, 22b and 21c, 22c of the first and second division bodies 21 and 22 are divided into flange portions 21b, 22b (hereinafter referred to as outer peripheral flange portions 21b, 22b) that form the outside of the "arc" and flange portions 21c, 22c (hereinafter referred to as inner peripheral flange portions 21c, 22c) that form the inside of the "arc".

The web portions 21 a, 22 a of the first division 21 and the second division 22 form the left and right side surfaces of the intermediate strength member 20 .
The web portion 21a of the first partition 21 and the web portion 22a of the second partition 22 are formed symmetrically with approximately the same shape, but the area of the web portion 21a of the first partition 21 is set to be slightly larger (by the plate thickness of the outer peripheral flange portion 21b) than the area of the web portion 22a of the second partition 22.
Furthermore, the reclining bracket 16 is fixed to the upper ends of these web portions 21a, 22a.
The plurality of through holes formed in the web portions 21a, 22a allow the shanks of bolts used for connecting the reclining bracket 16 and other members to be inserted therethrough, and also contribute to weight reduction.

The outer peripheral flange portions 21b, 22b are set to have a longer sideward protrusion dimension from the web portions 21a, 22a than the inner peripheral flange portions 21c, 22c. When the first division 21 and the second division 22 are assembled, the outer peripheral flange portions 21b, 22b are overlapped and joined by welding or the like. In this case, in this embodiment, the outer peripheral flange portion 21b of the first division 21 is overlapped so as to be positioned outside the outer peripheral flange portion 22b of the second division 22. In this manner, the outer peripheral flange portion 21b of the first division 21 is overlapped with the outer peripheral flange portion 22b of the second division 22 so that the outer peripheral flange portion 21b of the first division 21 is covered from above with the outer peripheral flange portion 22b of the second division 22, so that the area of the web portion 21a of the first division 21 is set to be slightly larger than the area of the web portion 22a of the second division 22.
Furthermore, in this embodiment, the outer peripheral flange portion 21 b of the first division body 21 is set to have a larger lateral protrusion dimension than the outer peripheral flange portion 22 b of the second division body 22 .
The outer peripheral flange portion 21b of the first partition 21 has a long protruding dimension to the side and is arranged to cover the outer peripheral flange portion 22b of the second partition 22 from above, so that the rear end portions of the pair of upper and lower central frames 12e, 12f are fixed to the outer peripheral flange portion 21b of the first partition 21.

A cable holding portion 23 for holding the Bowden cable 49a is integrally formed on the front upper end of the outer peripheral flange portion 21b of the first divided body 21. The cable holding portion 23 protrudes upward and has a bifurcated upper end, so that the bifurcated tip portions can hold the Bowden cable 49a. The cable holding portion 23 is disposed between the left and right reclining brackets 16 fixed to the upper ends of the web portions 21a and 22a.

The inner peripheral flange portions 21c, 22c are set so that the sideways protruding dimension from the web portions 21a, 22a is shorter than the sideways protruding dimension of the outer peripheral flange portions 21b, 22b.
When the outer peripheral flange portion 21b of the first division 21 is overlapped with the outer peripheral flange portion 22b of the second division 22, the inner peripheral flange portion 21c of the first division 21 and the inner peripheral flange portion 22d of the second division 22 are in a state where the end faces are spaced apart and face each other. That is, the inner peripheral flange portions 21c, 22c of the first division 21 and the second division 22 do not overlap each other like the outer peripheral flange portions 21b, 22b, but are symmetrically positioned and arranged to draw the same arc. In other words, a gap is formed between the inner peripheral flange portions 21c, 22c of the first division 21 and the second division 22, and as a result, the intermediate strength member 20 opens upward.
The first divided body 21 and the second divided body 22, which are formed with a U-shaped cross section, also have both ends in the extension direction (both ends in the arc-like/U-shaped form) in an open state. However, the outer peripheral flanges 21b, 22b of the front end (the end where the cable holding part 23 is located) of the both ends in the extension direction are bent backward, and the open state is slightly narrower than the open state of the rear end (the end where the cable holding part 23 is not located).
The inner circumferential flange portions 21c, 22c of the first and second divisional bodies 21, 22 are fixed surfaces that are fixed to the outer circumferential surface of the rear frame 12a. That is, the rear frame 12a is disposed on the inner circumferential side of the intermediate strength member 20 formed in an arc shape and is in contact with the inner circumferential flange portions 21c, 22c that form the inner circumferential surface, and the inner circumferential flange portions 21c, 22c are fixed to the rear frame 12a by welding or the like.
Since the rear frame 12a is connected to the intermediate strength member 20 in this manner, the inner flange portions 21c, 22c are curved along the outer peripheral surface of the rear frame 12a, which is formed in a cylindrical shape.
As described above, a gap is formed between the inner flange portions 21c, 22c of the first division 21 and the second division 22, but the rear frame 12a is provided across this gap and is fixed to the inner flange portions 21c, 22c. Therefore, even if a gap is formed between the inner flange portions 21c, 22c, the rigidity of the intermediate strength member 20 can be improved.

By adopting the above-mentioned configuration, the intermediate strength member 20 can improve the torsional rigidity of the rear frame 12a compared to the conventional case.

According to this embodiment, the end fixing parts 63, 64, 65 to which the ends of the left and right wires 31, 32, which are the pressure-receiving members, are fixed are arranged in steps so that the height position increases toward the front, so that the cushion pad placed on the left and right wires 31, 32 can be inclined by fixing the ends of the left and right wires 31, 32 to the end fixing parts 63, 64, 65. Therefore, the thickness of the cushion pad can be reduced by the amount of inclination, thereby making it lighter.
Furthermore, the cushion pad can be inclined by placing and fixing the ends of the multiple left and right wires 31, 32 on the multiple end fixing portions 63, 64, 65 arranged in a stepped manner, so there is no need to process the ends of the multiple left and right wires 31, 32, and the ease of assembling the multiple left and right wires 31, 32 to the pair of left and right side frames 12c, 12d can be improved.

In addition, each of the pair of left and right side frames 12c, 12d has a through hole 66 formed in a position other than the area where the multiple end fixing parts 63, 64, 65 are provided, so that the weight of the pair of left and right side frames 12c, 12d can be reduced.

In addition, both ends of the roughly U-shaped wire 32, which is the pressure-receiving member, are fixed to two of the multiple end fixing parts 63, 64, 65, so two wires 32 can be installed at the two end fixing parts 63, 64 at once, improving the ease of assembly of the multiple left and right wires 31, 32 to the seat cushion frame 12.

In addition, the multiple front and rear wires 30 can be hung between the rear frame 12a and the front frame 12b with the left and right reversed, improving the workability of assembling the multiple front and rear wires 30 to the seat cushion frame 12.

In addition, an upward protruding wire 33 is provided on the outer side of the seat of the pair of left and right side frames 12c, 12d, which is arranged to protrude diagonally upward, so that the occupant seated at the position where this upward protruding wire 33 is located (both ends of the seat cushion 2) can be supported more reliably.

Furthermore, compared to a case where, for example, each of the first and second dividers 21, 22 constituting the intermediate strength member 20 has a web portion 21a, 22a and a flange portion 21b, 22b provided on one side edge thereof and is formed with an L-shaped cross section, not only can the rigidity of the first and second dividers 21, 22 be improved, but the rigidity of the intermediate strength member 20 in which these are combined with each other and integrated can also be improved.
Furthermore, of the first and second partitions 21 and 22 which are formed in a U-shaped cross section, the inner flange portions 21c, 22c arranged on the rear frame 12a side form a fixing surface which is fixed to the outer circumferential surface of the rear frame 12a, thereby increasing the contact area with the outer circumferential surface of the rear frame 12a and improving the fixing strength of the first and second partitions 21 and 22 to the rear frame 12a.

In addition, the inner flange portions 21c, 22c, which form the fixing surfaces in the curved state, can be fixed along the outer peripheral surface of the rear frame 12a, improving the fixing strength of the first division 21 and the second division 22 to the rear frame 12a.

In addition, a truss structure can be formed by the pair of upper and lower central frames 12e, 12f, the intermediate strength member 20, and the front frame 12b, improving the rigidity of the entire seat cushion frame 12.

Furthermore, of the pair of upper and lower central frames 12e, 12f, the front end of the upper central frame 12e is welded to the front frame 12b in a crushed state, and the front end of the lower central frame 12f is fixed to the front frame 12b via the first bracket 17. Therefore, deflection of the front frame 12b can be suppressed compared to, for example, a case in which both of the pair of upper and lower central frames 12e, 12f are directly welded to the front frame 12b.
Furthermore, since the front end portion of the lower central frame 12f is fixed to the front frame 12b via the first bracket 17, the joint strength of the lower central frame 12f to the front frame 12b can be improved and the rigidity of the joint portion can be improved.

Furthermore, since the support wire 50 fixed to the rear frame 12a can support items such as luggage, fixtures, storage equipment, etc. placed in the luggage compartment R, the structure for supporting the items can be easily formed compared to, for example, the case where another structure for supporting the items in the luggage compartment R is adopted.
Furthermore, since the support wire 50 is fixed to the rear frame 12a via the second bracket 51, there is no need to process the rear frame 12a for crimping, as compared to, for example, a case in which the support wire 50 is fixed to the rear frame 12a by crimping, and the strength of the rear frame 12a can be improved.

In addition, the energy absorbing wire 55 can reduce the impact when luggage stored in the luggage compartment R hits the rear frame 12a hard, thereby protecting the rear frame 12a and, ultimately, the seat cushion frame 12.

1 Vehicle seat 2 Seat cushion 2a Covering material 2b Recess 3 Seat back 4 Headrest 11 Seat frame 12 Seat cushion frame 12a Rear frame 12b Front frame 12c Side frame 12d Side frame 12e Upper central frame 12f Lower central frame 13 Seat back frame 14 Headrest frame 16 Reclining bracket 17 First bracket 19 Restriction ring 20 Intermediate strength member 21 First divided body 21a Web portion 21b Outer peripheral flange portion 21c Inner peripheral flange portion 22 Second divided body 22a Web portion 22b Outer peripheral flange portion 22c Inner peripheral flange portion 23 Cable holding portion 30 Front and rear wires 30a Long portion 30b Inclined portion 30c Fixed end 31 First left and right wires 32 Second left and right wires 33 Upward protruding wires 33a Protruding portion 33b Connecting portion 33c Downward protruding portion 40 Slide mechanism 41 Movable rail 42 Fixed rail 43 Front foot bracket 44 Rear foot bracket 45 Release lever 46 Lock spring 47 Release bar 47a Arm portion 47b Rod portion 48 Knob 49 Rear operation member 49a Bowden cable 50 Support wire 51 Second bracket 52 Hook member 55 Energy absorbing wire 60 Web portion 61 Outer flange 62 Inner flange 63 First end fixing portion 64 Second end fixing portion 65 Third end fixing portion 66 Through hole

Claims (5)

a rear frame disposed at the rear;
a front frame disposed forward of the rear frame;
a pair of left and right side frames connecting both ends of the rear frame and the front frame;
a plurality of pressure-receiving members fixed to the rear frame, the front frame, and the pair of left and right side frames and configured to receive a load of an occupant,
each of the pair of left and right side frames has a plurality of end fixing portions provided on a seat center side of the pair of left and right side frames, and ends of the plurality of pressure-receiving members are fixed to the end fixing portions;
The end fixing portions are arranged in a stepped manner so that their height positions become higher toward the front,
each of the pair of left and right side frames has a through hole formed at a position other than a portion where the plurality of end fixing portions are provided;
A seat cushion frame structure, characterized in that a step is formed in any one of the plurality of end fixing portions. 2. The seat cushion frame structure according to claim 1, wherein the through hole and any one of the plurality of end fixing portions are disposed at the same position in the front-rear direction. the side frame has a web portion that constitutes a lower surface of the side frame and in which the through hole is formed,
A portion of the web portion adjacent to the through hole is formed to protrude downward,
3. The seat cushion frame structure according to claim 2, wherein the web portion and the portion where the end fixing portion is provided are disposed at the same position in the front-rear direction. 4. The seat cushion frame structure according to claim 1, wherein upper ends of the plurality of end fixing portions are disposed lower than the front frame. A foot bracket for supporting the entire seat is disposed on the lower surface side of the side frame,
5. The seat cushion frame structure according to claim 1, wherein the end fixing portions are arranged at positions overlapping with the foot brackets in the front-rear direction.

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