JP7842639B2 - Vehicle seats - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to a vehicle seat equipped with a connecting bracket that connects the left and right side frames.

Conventionally, vehicle seats are known to consist of left and right side frames and members connecting the left and right side frames (see Patent Document 1).

Patent No. 5848696

By the way, there is a need to improve the rigidity of the connecting members between the left and right side frames compared to conventional designs.

Therefore, the present invention aims to improve the rigidity of the member connecting the left and right side frames.

To solve the aforementioned problems, the vehicle seat according to the present invention comprises left and right side frames and connecting brackets that connect the left and right side frames.
The connecting bracket comprises two opposing walls that face each other in the extending direction of the side frame, a connecting wall that connects the two opposing walls, and a bent portion provided at the end of the two opposing walls opposite to the connecting wall, which is bent in a U-shape in cross-section.

This configuration allows for the formation of a U-shaped section in cross-section, created by the two opposing walls and the connecting wall. This further enhances the rigidity of the connecting bracket, which connects the left and right side frames.

Furthermore, the left and right ends of the connecting wall may be provided with inclined walls that are inclined relative to the connecting wall and connected to the connecting wall and the opposing wall.

This configuration allows for improved rigidity at the left-right ends of the connecting bracket.

Furthermore, the connecting wall may have an opening in the center in the left-right direction.

This configuration allows the openings in the connecting walls to be used, for example, as openings for attaching components.

Furthermore, the connecting wall may have beads between both ends and the opening in the left-right direction.

This configuration allows for improved rigidity around the opening of the connecting bracket.

Furthermore, the height of the two opposing walls from the connecting wall at their left-right ends may be greater than the height of the connecting wall at their central left-right ends.

This configuration allows for a larger contact area between the opposing wall and the side frame, as the height of the left and right ends of the opposing wall is greater, thereby improving the joint strength between the opposing wall and the side frame.

Furthermore, the side frame constitutes the seat cushion frame, and the vehicle seat further includes a left-right sliding mechanism that supports the seat cushion frame so that it can move in the left-right direction. The left-right sliding mechanism may be located below the connecting bracket.

This configuration allows the highly rigid connecting bracket to be supported by a left-right sliding mechanism, enabling stable left-right sliding of the seat cushion frame.

Furthermore, the left-right sliding mechanism comprises an upper rail supporting the seat cushion frame, a lower rail slidably supporting the upper rail, and a locking mechanism for locking the upper rail to the lower rail. The locking mechanism may be located within the opening.

This configuration, compared to a structure where, for example, the locking mechanism is positioned separately below the connecting bracket, can suppress the increase in the vertical size of the vehicle seat.

Furthermore, the vehicle seat may further include a front-to-back sliding mechanism that supports the seat cushion frame so that it can move in the front-to-back direction, and this front-to-back sliding mechanism may be located below the left-to-right sliding mechanism.

This configuration allows the highly rigid connecting bracket to be supported by a front-to-back sliding mechanism via a left-to-right sliding mechanism, enabling stable front-to-back sliding of the seat cushion frame.

Furthermore, the vehicle seat may further include a pressure-receiving member for supporting the occupant, and this pressure-receiving member may be positioned above the connecting bracket.

This configuration allows for the restriction of excessive downward movement of the pressure-receiving member using a highly rigid connecting bracket.

Furthermore, the pressure-receiving member is a plate-shaped pan frame, comprising an inner recess and an outer recess positioned laterally outward from the inner recess. The depth of the outer recess may be greater than the depth of the inner recess.

This configuration allows for improved rigidity of the pan frame and better support of the occupants, thereby enhancing ride comfort.

According to the present invention, the rigidity of the connecting bracket, which is a member that connects the left and right side frames, can be improved.

Furthermore, by providing inclined walls at the left-right ends of the connecting wall, the rigidity of the left-right ends of the connecting bracket can be improved.

Furthermore, by providing an opening in the center of the connecting wall in the left-right direction, this opening can be used, for example, as an opening for attaching parts.

Furthermore, by providing beads between the left and right ends of the connecting wall and the opening, the rigidity around the opening of the connecting bracket can be improved.

Furthermore, by making the height of the left and right ends of the opposing wall greater than that of the central part, the contact area between the opposing wall and the side frame can be increased, thereby improving the joint strength between the opposing wall and the side frame.

Furthermore, by positioning the left-right sliding mechanism beneath the connecting bracket, the highly rigid connecting bracket can be supported by the left-right sliding mechanism, allowing the seat cushion frame to slide stably from side to side.

Furthermore, by positioning the locking mechanism that secures the left-right sliding mechanism within the opening of the connecting wall, it is possible to suppress the increase in the vertical size of the vehicle seat compared to a structure where, for example, the locking mechanism is positioned separately below the connecting bracket.

Furthermore, by positioning the front-to-back sliding mechanism beneath the left-to-right sliding mechanism, a highly rigid connecting bracket can be supported by the front-to-back sliding mechanism via the left-to-right sliding mechanism, allowing the seat cushion frame to slide stably back and forth.

Furthermore, by positioning the pressure-receiving member above the connecting bracket, excessive downward movement of the pressure-receiving member can be restricted by the highly rigid connecting bracket.

Furthermore, by making the depth of the outer recess formed in the plate-shaped pan frame greater than the depth of the inner recess, the rigidity of the pan frame can be improved, and the pan frame can better support the occupants, thereby improving ride comfort.

This is a perspective view of a seat frame for a vehicle seat according to one embodiment of the present invention. This is a side view of a vehicle seat, seen from the left. This is a rear view of a vehicle seat, seen from behind. This is a perspective view showing a disassembled view of the structure around the upper hook. (a) is a perspective view of the first fixing bracket seen from the front, and (b) is a perspective view showing the structure around the upper hook. This is a perspective view showing the fixing wire and the second fixing bracket. Figure 7(a) shows a disassembled perspective view of the connecting bracket and wire (a), Figure 7(a) shows a cross-sectional view taken along line I-I (b), and Figure 7(a) shows a view taken from arrow II (c). This is a top-down plan view of a vehicle seat. This is a cross-sectional view from the front of the connecting bracket, showing the area near the opening cut by a plane perpendicular to the front-to-back direction. This is a perspective view showing the right-side back frame disassembled. This is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in Figure 10. This is a perspective view of the left side back frame, seen from the right. This is a perspective view of the intermediate bracket from the left. This is a perspective view showing a modified example of the pressure-receiving member. This is a perspective view showing a modified version of the reclining bracket. This is a rear view showing a modified example of the auxiliary bracket.

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings as appropriate.
As shown in Figure 1, the vehicle seat according to the first embodiment is configured as, for example, a vehicle seat S installed in an automobile. The vehicle seat S is constructed by covering a seat frame F that constitutes the frame of the vehicle seat S with a pad made of a cushioning material such as urethane foam and a surface material made of synthetic leather or fabric.

The seat frame F comprises a seat cushion frame F1 and a seat back frame F2. In this specification, the front-to-back, left-to-right, and up-and-down directions are based on the occupant seated in the vehicle seat S.

The seat cushion frame F1 is a component that makes up the frame of the seat cushion. The seat back frame F2 is a component that makes up the frame of the seat back.

The seat cushion frame F1 is installed on the floor of the vehicle via a left-right sliding mechanism M1 and a front-rear sliding mechanism M2. This allows the seat frame F to move forward, backward, left-right, and right relative to the floor. Furthermore, the seat back frame F2 is rotatably connected at its lower end to the rear of the seat cushion frame F1 via a reclining unit RU. This allows the seat back frame F2 to tilt forward and backward relative to the seat cushion frame F1.

The seat cushion frame F1 mainly comprises left and right cushion side frames F11, a front frame F12 connecting the left and right cushion side frames F11, a rear frame F13 and connecting bracket 10, and a pressure-receiving member 20. The left and right cushion side frames F11 extend in the front-rear direction. The front frame F12 is a pipe-shaped frame connecting the front parts of the left and right cushion side frames F11. The rear frame F13 is a pipe-shaped frame connecting the rear parts of the left and right cushion side frames F11.

The connecting bracket 10 is positioned between the front frame F12 and the rear frame F13 in the front-rear direction. In the front-rear direction, the distance from the connecting bracket 10 to the front frame F12 is smaller than the distance from the connecting bracket 10 to the rear frame F13. The left and right ends of the connecting bracket 10 are welded to the left and right cushion side frames F11. The structure of the connecting bracket 10 will be described in detail later.

The pressure-receiving member 20 is a member that supports the occupant and has a plurality of pressure-receiving wires 21 and a pressure-receiving plate 22. Three of the plurality of pressure-receiving wires 21 extend in the front-rear direction and are supported by the front frame F12 and the rear frame F13. These three pressure-receiving wires 21 are positioned above the connecting bracket 10.

One of the multiple pressure-receiving wires 21 extends in the left-right direction and is supported by the left and right cushion side frames F11. The pressure-receiving plate 22 is fixed to three pressure-receiving wires 21 that extend in the front-rear direction. The pressure-receiving plate 22 is positioned in the front-rear direction between the connecting bracket 10 and the pressure-receiving wires 21 extending in the left-right direction.

The left-right sliding mechanism M1 is a mechanism that supports the seat cushion frame F1 so that it can move in the left-right direction. The left-right sliding mechanism M1 is positioned between the seat cushion frame F1 and the front-rear sliding mechanism M2 in the vertical direction.

As shown in Figure 2, the left-right sliding mechanism M1 comprises a pair of front and rear upper rails M11 that support the seat cushion frame F1, and a pair of front and rear lower rails M12 that slidably support the upper rails M11. The front upper rail M11 is positioned below the connecting bracket 10 and fixed to the connecting bracket 10. The rear upper rail M11 is fixed to the left and right cushion side frames F11 or to members fixed to the left and right cushion side frames F11.

The front-to-back sliding mechanism M2 is a mechanism that supports the seat cushion frame F1 and the left-to-right sliding mechanism M1 so that they can move in the front-to-back direction. The front-to-back sliding mechanism M2 is located below the left-to-right sliding mechanism M1. The front-to-back sliding mechanism M2 comprises a front-to-back moving member M21 that moves in the front-to-back direction together with the seat cushion frame F1 and the left-to-right sliding mechanism M1, and a support rail M22 that supports the front-to-back moving member M21 so that it can move in the front-to-back direction. One front-to-back moving member M21 and one support rail M22 are each located on the left and right sides of the seat cushion frame F1 (see Figure 1).

The longitudinal movement member M21 is a support member that supports the seat cushion frame F1 via the left-right sliding mechanism M1. The lower rails M12 of the left-right sliding mechanism M11 are fixed to the upper end of the longitudinal movement member M21.

A contact member TM is attached to the front end M211 of the longitudinal movement member M21, which can contact the support rail M22 when the seat frame F is tilted forward. The contact member TM extends downward from the front end M211 of the longitudinal movement member M21. The lower end of the contact member TM is bent into a U-shape in cross-section.

More specifically, the lower end of the contact member TM is bent forward and then bent upward. As shown in Figure 1, a notch TM1 is formed in the center of the left-right direction of the lower end of each contact member TM. As a result, the bent lower ends of the contact members TM are arranged side by side.

As shown in Figure 2, the vehicle seat S further includes an upper hook 30 and a lower hook 40 with a cross-sectional shape that engage with each other when excessive load is applied to the seat frame F or the vehicle body in the longitudinal direction. The upper hook 30 is provided at the rear of the seat cushion frame F1, and the lower hook 40 is provided at the rear of the longitudinal movement member M21.

More specifically, the upper hook 30 is fixed to the first fixing bracket B1, which is fixed to the rear frame F13. The upper hook 30 protrudes below the lower surface of the seat cushion frame F1, specifically below the upper surface M212 that supports the lower rail M12 of the front-rear moving member M21. The lower hook 40 is fixed to the rear end of the front-rear moving member M21. The lower hook 40 protrudes above the upper surface M212 of the front-rear moving member M21.

As shown in Figure 3, the first fixing bracket B1 and upper hooks 30 are provided in multiple units, specifically two units, spaced apart from each other on the left and right sides. The lower hooks 40 extend continuously in the left-right direction, encompassing the area where the two upper hooks 30 are located. More specifically, the length of the lower hooks 40 in the left-right direction is greater than the distance from the left end of the left upper hook 30 to the right end of the right upper hook 30.

As shown in Figure 4, the upper hook 30 has a first base portion 31 extending vertically, a U-shaped first bent portion 32 that is bent upward from the lower end of the first base portion 31, and a first tip portion 33 that extends upward from the upper end of the first bent portion 32. The first base portion 31 has two holes 31A at its upper end through which a screw SC passes. The two holes 31A are spaced apart in the left-right direction. The screw SC is a screw for fixing the upper hook 30 to the first fixing bracket B1. When the first base portion 31 is fixed to the first fixing bracket B1 with the screw SC, it extends downward from the first fixing bracket B1. More specifically, as shown in Figure 2, when the upper hook 30 is fixed to the seat cushion frame F1, the first base portion 31 extends downward from the seat cushion frame F1.

As shown in Figure 4, the first base portion 31 has a Y-shaped bead BD1 that protrudes rearward. The bead BD1 has a first linear portion BD11 extending vertically, a second linear portion BD12 extending diagonally downward to the left from the lower end of the first linear portion BD11, and a third linear portion BD13 extending diagonally downward to the right from the lower end of the first linear portion BD11.

The first linear portion BD11 is positioned between the two holes 31A. The second linear portion BD12 is positioned below the left hole 31A. The third linear portion BD13 is positioned below the right hole 31A.

The lower hook 40 has a second base portion 41 extending substantially vertically, a U-shaped second bent portion 42 that is bent downward from the upper end of the second base portion 41, and a second tip portion 43 extending downward from the lower end of the second bent portion 42. The second base portion 41 has a shape that conforms to the rear surface shape of the front-to-back moving member M21, and has multiple bent portions 41A. The second base portion 41 has a hole 41B at its lower end through which a screw (not shown) passes. The screw is used to fix the lower hook 40 to the front-to-back moving member M21.

As shown in Figure 3, the holes 41B are formed at the left and right ends of the second base portion 41, respectively. As shown in Figure 2, with the lower hook 40 fixed to the front-rear moving member M21, the second base portion 41 extends upward from the front-rear moving member M21.

As shown in Figure 4, the first fixing bracket B1 includes a first base wall B11 and a first peripheral wall portion B12 rising from the periphery of the first base wall B11. The first base wall B11 is a substantially rectangular plate-shaped wall. The first base wall B11 has three holes H1 spaced apart in the left-right direction.

The first circumferential wall portion B12 is formed along the entire periphery of the first base wall B11 and has a plurality of bent portions B13 that are bent along the periphery of the first base wall B11. The first circumferential wall portion B12 has a front wall B14, a left wall B15, a right wall B16, and a rear wall B17, located at the front, left, right, and rear ends of the first base wall B11, respectively. The front wall B14, left wall B15, right wall B16, and rear wall B17 are each connected via the bent portions B13.

The amount of protrusion of the front wall B14 from the first base wall B11 is smaller than the amount of protrusion of the left wall B15, right wall B16, and rear wall B17 from the first base wall B11. The left wall B15 and right wall B16 are formed symmetrically. As shown in Figure 5(b), the left wall B15 and right wall B16 have arc-shaped recesses D1 at their upper ends that contact the outer circumferential surface of the rear frame F13. With each recess D1 in contact with the rear frame F13, the upper ends of the left wall B15 and right wall B16 are joined to the rear frame F13 by welding.

As shown in Figure 5(a), the rear wall B17 has three holes H2 arranged in the left-right direction. The two rightmost holes H2 are mounting holes for attaching the upper hook 30 (see Figure 5(b)). Specifically, screws SC are fastened into the two rightmost holes H2.

Two beads BD2 are formed on the first base wall B11 and the rear wall B17, extending from the first base wall B11 to the rear wall B17. Each bead BD2 is spaced apart in a predetermined direction, specifically in the left-right direction. Each bead BD2 protrudes from the upper surface of the first base wall B11 and the front surface of the rear wall B17. Of the three holes H2, the middle hole H2 is positioned between the two beads BD2 in the left-right direction. Specifically, one bead BD2 is positioned between the right hole H2 and the middle hole H2, and the other bead BD2 is positioned between the left hole H2 and the middle hole H2.

Furthermore, the left bead BD2 is positioned in the leftmost hole H1 of the three holes, with a gap in the front-to-back direction. The right bead BD2 is positioned in the left-to-right direction, between the leftmost hole H1 and the rightmost hole H1.

As shown in Figure 5(b), with the upper hook 30 fixed to the seat cushion frame F1 and the lower hook 40 fixed to the front-rear moving member M21, the first tip portion 33 of the upper hook 30 is positioned between the second base portion 41 and the second tip portion 43 of the lower hook 40, with a gap between them in the front-rear direction (see also Figure 2).

As shown in Figure 3, one second fixing bracket B2, to which a fixing wire W1 is attached, is fixed to each of the left and right ends of the rear frame F13. The fixing wire W1 is used to secure the child seat to the seat cushion frame F1.

As shown in Figure 6, the fixing wire W1 is bent into a U-shape, and each end W11 is welded to the second fixing bracket B2, thereby fixing it to the second fixing bracket B2. The second fixing bracket B2 includes a second base wall B21 and a second peripheral wall portion B22 rising from the periphery of the second base wall B21. The second base wall B21 is a roughly rectangular, plate-shaped wall.

The second base wall B21 has a flat plate portion B211 extending diagonally upward and forward from the rear frame F13, and an arc-shaped curved portion B212 extending from the rear end of the flat plate portion B211 along the outer circumferential surface of the rear frame F13. The flat plate portion B211 has two holes H3 spaced apart in the left-right direction. The two holes H3 are positioned between the ends W11 of the fixing wire W1 in the left-right direction. The curved portion B212 overlaps with the rear frame F13 so as to cover a portion of its outer circumferential surface. A recess D3 is formed at the rear end of the curved portion B212.

The second periphery wall B22 is formed along the entire periphery of the second base wall B21 and has multiple bent portions B23 that are bent along the periphery of the second base wall B21. The second periphery wall B22 has a front wall B24, left wall B25, right wall B26, and rear wall B27 located at the front, left, right, and rear ends of the second base wall B21, respectively. The front wall B24, left wall B25, right wall B26, and rear wall B27 are each connected via the bent portions B23.

The left wall B25 and the right wall B26 have arc-shaped recesses D2 at their lower ends that contact the outer surface of the rear frame F13. Each recess D2 is welded to the rear frame F13.

As shown in Figures 7(a) to 7(c), the aforementioned connecting bracket 10 has two opposing walls 11 and 12 that face each other in the extending direction of the cushion side frame F11, i.e., in the front-to-back direction, a connecting wall 13 that connects the two opposing walls 11 and 12, and bent portions 14 and 15 provided at the ends of the two opposing walls 11 and 12 opposite to the connecting wall 13, which are bent in a U-shape in cross-section. In this embodiment, each opposing wall 11 and 12 extends upward from the connecting wall 13.

At the left and right ends of the connecting wall 13, inclined walls 16 and 17 are provided, which are inclined relative to the connecting wall 13. The inclined walls 16 and 17 are positioned at the rear end of the connecting wall 13 and are connected to the rear opposing wall 12.

The connecting wall 13 has an opening 13A in the center in the left-right direction. The opening 13A is formed as a rectangular hole that is elongated in the left-right direction. The connecting wall 13 has beads 13B between both ends and the opening 13A in the left-right direction.

Two beads 13B are provided side-by-side in the front-to-back direction on the right end of the connecting wall 13, and two more are also provided side-by-side in the front-to-back direction on the left end of the connecting wall 13 (see also Figure 8). Each bead 13B extends in the left-to-right direction.

The connecting wall 13 has three holes H4 on both the left and right sides of the opening 13A. Of the three holes H4 on the right side, the rightmost hole H4 is positioned between the right end of the connecting wall 13 and the bead 13B in the left-right direction. Of the three holes H4 on the right side, the two leftmost holes H4 are positioned between the bead 13B and the opening 13A in the left-right direction. Of the six holes H4, a predetermined hole H4 is for the passage of a screw SC used to fasten the upper rail M11 to the connecting bracket 10 (see Figure 8).

A U-shaped wire W2 is provided at the front end of the connecting wall 13. The wire W2 is long in the left-right direction and is adjacent to the opposing wall 11 on the front side. One end of the wire W2 is welded to the right end of the opposing wall 11, and the other end is welded to the left end of the opposing wall 11. Furthermore, the wire W2 is welded below the pressure-receiving member 20, supporting the pressure-receiving member 20 from below.

The height of the two opposing walls 11 and 12 from the connecting wall 13 at their left-right ends is greater than the height from the connecting wall 13 at the center in the left-right direction. Specifically, the upper end of the front opposing wall 11 is highest at the left-right end, slopes downwards as it moves inward from the left-right end, and then extends along the left-right direction towards the center. Similarly, the upper end of the rear opposing wall 12 is highest at the left-right end, slopes downwards as it moves inward from the left-right end, and connects to the connecting wall 13. In other words, the rear opposing wall 12 does not exist in the left-right center of the connecting wall 13, and the height of the rear opposing wall 12 in the left-right center is 0. At the left-right center of the rear end of the connecting wall 13 where the rear opposing wall 12 is absent, a bent portion 15 is formed, as shown in Figure 7(b). In the left-right center of the connecting wall 13, the rear bent portion 15 is positioned below the upper end of the front bent portion 14.

The upper end of wire W2 is positioned above the center of each opposing wall 11, 12 in the left-right direction. This prevents the pressure-receiving member 20 from moving excessively downwards, as it will contact the wire W2 (see Figure 1).

The front bent portion 14 is formed to fold back from the opposing wall 11 towards the front. The rear bent portion 15 is formed to fold back from the opposing wall 12 towards the rear.

As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the front upper rail M11 of the left-right sliding mechanism M1 is fixed to the connecting bracket 10 and the cushion side frame F11 by multiple screws SC. The front upper rail M11 is provided with a locking mechanism M3 that locks the upper rail M11 to the lower rail M12. The locking mechanism M3 is located within the opening 13A of the connecting bracket 10. The locking mechanism M3 protrudes above the connecting wall 13 of the connecting bracket 10.

As shown in Figure 1, the seat back frame F2 mainly comprises a right-side back frame F21, a left-side back frame F22, a pipe frame P1 and reinforcing pipe P2 connecting the left and right back side frames F21 and F22, and left and right armrest mechanisms M4. The right-side back frame F21 is rotatably supported at the rear end of the right-side cushion side frame F11 via the right-side reclining unit RU. Between the left-side back frame F21 and the left-side cushion side frame F11, an intermediate bracket B3 is provided to support a spring SP that biases the seat back frame F2 forward. The intermediate bracket B3 is fixed to the rear end of the left-side cushion side frame F11 and rotatably supports the left-side back frame F21.

The armrest mechanism M4 comprises an arm frame M41 that constitutes the armrest frame, and a support mechanism M42 that rotatably supports the arm frame M41. The support mechanism M42 is fixed to the left and right backside frames F21 and F22, respectively.

As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the pipe frame P1 has a first portion P11 extending in the left-right direction, a second portion P12 extending downward from the left end of the first portion P11, and a third portion P13 extending from the lower end of the second portion P12 toward the right-side back frame F21. The right end of the first portion P11 bends diagonally downward from the center in the left-right direction, then extends to the right and is welded to the upper end of the right-side back frame F21. The first portion P11 has two flat portions P111 that become flat when flattened in the front-rear direction. Each flat portion P111 is provided with two headrest mounting members AT for attaching the headrest to the pipe frame P1.

The second section P12 bends diagonally downward to the left from the left end of the first section P11, and then extends downward along the left backside frame F22. The third section P13 is bent approximately 90 degrees relative to the second section P12, and its right end is welded to the right backside frame F21.

A cover member B4 is provided at the upper right corner of the seat back frame F2. The cover member B4 is welded to the right back side frame F21 and the first part P11, covering the joint between the upper end of the right back side frame F21 and the first part P11. The cover member B4 has a box shape, consisting of a base wall with an L-shaped cross-section that is bent to follow the first part P11 and the back side frame F21, and a peripheral wall portion that rises from the periphery of the base wall and has multiple bent sections that bend along the periphery of the base wall. A resin seat guide (not shown) with a seat belt outlet is fixed to the upper surface of the cover member B4.

The reinforcing pipe P2 is positioned vertically between the first section P11 and the third section P13 of the pipe frame P1. The reinforcing pipe P2 has a first pipe section P21 extending to the left from the right-side back frame F21, a second pipe section P22 extending diagonally backward to the left from the left end of the first pipe section P21 (see also Figure 8), a third pipe section P23 extending to the left from the left end of the second pipe section P22, and a fourth pipe section P24 extending downward from the third pipe section P23, bent at approximately 90 degrees. In other words, the upper part of the fourth pipe section P24 is adjacent to the left-side back frame F22 and bends downward from the third pipe section P23.

The first pipe section P21 is joined to the right-side back frame F21 by welding. The fourth pipe section P24 is joined to the second part P12 of the pipe frame P1 by welding.

The right-side rear frame F21 is provided with a retractor mounting bracket 50 and an auxiliary bracket B5 to which a retractor for retracting the seat belt is attached. The retractor mounting bracket 50 is located behind the reinforcing pipe P2. The retractor mounting bracket 50 has third side walls 51 and 52 that face each other in the left-right direction, and a third bottom wall 53 that connects the two third side walls 51 and 52.

Each of the third side walls 51 and 52 extends forward from the left and right ends of the third bottom wall 53. The right third side wall 51 is welded to the right backside frame F21. The left third side wall 52 is welded to the third pipe section P23 of the reinforcing pipe P2. Therefore, the bent portion of the reinforcing pipe P2 between the second pipe section P22 and the third pipe section P23 is located in front of the retractor mounting bracket 50 and is bent forward.

A mounting member 54 for attaching the retractor to the third bottom wall 53 is welded to the third bottom wall 53. As a result, a joint where the mounting member 54 is joined to the third bottom wall 53 is formed as a weld mark WP. In each drawing, areas with an oval outline filled in black or areas with dot hatching all represent weld marks.

The third bottom wall 53 has a rearward-projecting annular bead 53A and multiple linear beads 53B. The annular bead 53A surrounds the weld mark WP, which is the joint. The multiple linear beads 53B are positioned to the left and right of the annular bead 53A, respectively. The multiple linear beads 53B on the left extend to the left from the annular bead 53A and wrap around to the left third side wall 52. The multiple linear beads 53B on the right extend to the right from the annular bead 53A and wrap around to the right third side wall 51.

The auxiliary bracket B5 has two side walls B51 that face each other in the left-right direction, and a bottom wall B52 that connects the two side walls B51. The right side wall B51 is welded to the right back side frame F21.

As shown in Figure 10, the right-side back frame F21 has a hollow frame FM with a rectangular closed cross-section and a reclining bracket 60. The hollow frame FM is composed of a first frame 70 and a second frame 80, both of which have a U-shaped cross-section.

The first frame 70 has two first side walls 71 and 72 facing each other in the front-rear direction, and a first bottom wall 73 connecting the two first side walls 71 and 72. The second frame 80 has two second side walls 81 and 82 facing each other in the front-rear direction, and a second bottom wall 83 connecting the two second side walls 81 and 82, and a second bottom wall 83 facing the first bottom wall 73 in the left-right direction. Here, the front-rear direction is an example of the first direction, and the left-right direction is an example of the second direction.

The first frame 70 and the second frame 80 are identical parts molded using the same mold. The hollow frame FM is constructed by reversing one of these two identical parts and combining them. When the first frame 70 and the second frame 80 are combined, the front first side wall 72 and the front second side wall 81 overlap, and the rear first side wall 71 and the rear second side wall 82 overlap. Since the first frame 70 and the second frame 80 are identical parts, the following description will refer to each part of the first frame 70. For each part of the second frame 80, "Second" will be added to the beginning of the part name, and the end of the reference numeral will be the same as the corresponding part of the first frame 70; the description will be omitted.

The edge E1 of the rear first side wall 71, opposite to the first bottom wall 73, has multiple, specifically three, protruding shapes 71A. The edge E1 has a first protruding edge portion E11 and a first base edge portion E12. The first protruding edge portion E11 is the tip of the protruding shape 71A and is joined to the rear second side wall 82 by welding. The first base edge portion E12 is the edge closer to the first bottom wall 73 than the first protruding edge portion E11 and is joined to the rear second side wall 82 by welding. As a result, as shown in Figure 3, the multiple weld marks WP joining the rear first side wall 71 and the rear second side wall 82 are arranged in a staggered pattern. More specifically, the weld marks WP joining the first protruding edge portion E11 and the weld marks WP joining the first base edge portion E12 are located at different positions in the left-right direction.

Returning to Figure 10, the front second side wall 81 has an edge E2, a protruding shape 81A, a second protruding edge E21, and a second base edge E22, which have the same structure as the edge E1, protruding shape 71A, first protruding edge portion E11, and first base edge portion E12 of the rear first side wall 71 described above. The edge E2 of the front second side wall 81 is joined to the front first side wall 72 by weld marks arranged in a staggered pattern.

The edge of the front first side wall 72 opposite to the first bottom wall 73 does not have a protruding shape, but extends vertically along the first bottom wall 73. The rear second side wall 82 has the same structure as the front first side wall 72.

The first bottom wall 73 has two first recesses 73A, a semicircular recess 73B, and two first protrusions 73C. Each first recess 73A and semicircular recess 73B is recessed toward the second bottom wall 83. Each first protrusion 73C protrudes away from the second bottom wall 83. The semicircular recess 73B is formed at the upper end of the first bottom wall 73. A semicircular notch H11 is formed at the bottom of the semicircular recess 73B to support the end of the first portion P11 of the pipe frame P1.

Each first recess 73A is provided at intervals along the longitudinal direction, i.e., the vertical direction, of the first frame 70. Specifically, the upper first recess 73A is located approximately in the center of the first bottom wall 73 in the vertical direction, and the lower first recess 73A is located at the lower end of the first bottom wall 73. A hole H12 is formed at the bottom of the upper first recess 73A through which the first pipe portion P21 of the reinforcing pipe P2 passes. A hole H13 is formed at the bottom of the lower first recess 73A through which the third portion P13 of the pipe frame P1 passes.

The two first protrusions 73C are positioned between the two first recesses 73A in the vertical direction. The two first protrusions 73C extend vertically and are spaced apart in the front-to-back direction. In the front-to-back direction, the distance between the front first protrusion 73C and the front first side wall 72 is smaller than the distance between the two first protrusions 73C. In the front-to-back direction, the distance between the rear first protrusion 73C and the rear first side wall 71 is smaller than the distance between the two first protrusions 73C.

The second bottom wall 83 has a second recess 83A, a semicircular recess 83B, a second protrusion 83C, a notch H21, and holes H22 and H23, which have the same structure as the first recess 73A, semicircular recess 73B, first protrusion 73C, notch H11, and holes H12 and H13 of the first bottom wall 73 described above. When the first frame 70 and the second frame 80 are joined together, as shown in Figure 11, each first recess 73A and each second recess 83A face each other in the left-right direction.

Returning to Figure 10, the first portion P11 of the pipe frame P1 is welded to the hollow frame FM while being supported by the respective notches H11 and H21 of the hollow frame FM. The third portion P13 of the pipe frame P1 is welded to the hollow frame FM while being inserted into the respective holes H13 and H23 of the hollow frame FM (see Figure 11). The first pipe portion P21 of the reinforcing pipe P2 is welded to the hollow frame FM while being inserted into the respective holes H12 and H22 of the hollow frame FM. The joint portion (contacting portion) between the armrest mechanism M4 and the hollow frame FM is located in the vertical direction between the upper recesses 73A and 83A and the lower recesses 73A and 83A. A portion of the joint portion between the armrest mechanism M4 and the hollow frame FM is located within the range of the first protrusion 73C in the vertical direction.

The reclining bracket 60 is a bracket rotatably supported by the reclining unit RU and is welded to the lower end of the hollow frame FM. The reclining bracket 60 has a bottom wall 61 and two side walls 62 and 63 extending to the right from each front-to-rear end of the bottom wall 61.

The bottom wall 61 has a hole H31 through which the third portion P13 of the pipe frame P1 passes, and a plurality of annularly arranged holes H32 for attaching the reclining unit RU. The holes H32 are arc-shaped holes centered on the pivot axis of the backside frame F21. The two side walls 62 and 63 sandwich the hollow frame FM in the front-to-back direction.

As shown in Figure 12, the left backside frame F22 is formed in a front-to-back symmetrical shape. The left backside frame F22 has a base wall 221 and a peripheral wall portion 222 that rises from the periphery of the base wall 221. The peripheral wall portion 222 protrudes to the right from the base wall 221. The upper end of the base wall 221 gradually decreases in width in the front-to-back direction as it rises. The upper end of the backside frame F22 is formed in a U-shape in cross-section along the outer circumferential surface of the second portion P12 of the pipe frame P1.

The base wall 221 has two third recesses 221A and an X-shaped bead BD3. The two third recesses 221A are recessed to the right from the base wall 221. The two third recesses 221A are aligned horizontally on either side of the second portion P12. The two third recesses 221A are positioned above the vertical center of the back side frame F22.

Bead BD3 is formed by four recesses D4 formed in the base wall 221. Bead BD3 protrudes to the left from the bottom of the recesses D4. Bead BD3 is located below the third recess 221A, specifically at the lower part of the base wall 221.

The second portion P12 of the pipe frame P1 is joined to the backside frame F22 by welding, while in contact with the upper end of the U-shaped cross-section of the backside frame F22, each of the third recesses 221A, and the base wall 221. The third portion P13 of the pipe frame P1 is positioned within the range of the bead BD3 in the vertical direction. As shown in Figure 2, the weld mark WP, which is the joint between the armrest mechanism M4 and the backside frame F22, is positioned between the upper end of the third recess 221A and the lower end of the bead BD3 in the vertical direction.

As shown in Figure 13, the intermediate bracket B3 supporting the left reclining unit RU has a base wall B31 and a peripheral wall portion B32 rising from the periphery of the base wall B31. The base wall B31 has a wire support portion B311 for supporting the wire used to operate the reclining unit RU. The wire support portion B311 is formed by cutting and bending a portion of the base wall B31. The wire support portion B311 and the peripheral wall portion B32 protrude to the left from the base wall B31.

The vehicle seat S of this embodiment, as described above, can achieve the following effects.
As shown in Figure 3, the multiple weld marks WP, which are the joints between the first side wall 71 on the rear side of the first frame 70 and the second side wall 82 on the rear side of the second frame 80, are positioned at different locations in the left-right direction. This improves the joint strength of the first frame 70 and the second frame 80. Furthermore, since the front sides of the first frame 70 and the second frame 80 have the same structure, a similar effect can be achieved.

As shown in Figure 10, by aligning the first recess 73A provided in the first bottom wall 73 of the first frame 70 and the second recess 83A provided in the second bottom wall 83 of the second frame 80 with each other in the left-right direction, the rigidity of the hollow frame FM against external forces applied from the left-right direction can be improved.

By positioning the first protrusion 73C between the two first recesses 73A, the rigidity of the first frame 70 can be further improved. The same effect can be achieved with the second frame 80, which has the same structure as the first frame 70.

By forming holes H13 and H23 in the first recess 73A and the second recess 83A, and joining the third portion P13 to the hollow frame FM while it is inserted into holes H13 and H23, the assembly work between the hollow frame FM and the pipe frame P1 can be facilitated while improving the joint strength between the hollow frame FM and the pipe frame P1.

By forming multiple annularly arranged holes H32 in the reclining bracket 60, the reclining unit RU can be stably attached to the reclining bracket 60 while suppressing an increase in the weight of the reclining bracket 60.

As shown in Figure 3, by joining the first portion P11 of the pipe frame P1 to the upper end of the hollow frame FM, covering the joint between the hollow frame FM and the first portion P11 with a cover member B4, and joining the cover member B4 to the hollow frame FM and the first portion P11, the rigidity of the upper corner portion of the seat back frame F2 can be improved.

By providing annular beads 53A and linear beads 53B on the retractor mounting bracket 50 to which the retractor is attached, the rigidity of the retractor mounting bracket 50 can be improved, thereby enabling stable support of the retractor by the retractor mounting bracket 50.

As shown in Figure 1, by bending the reinforcing pipe P2 to which the retractor mounting bracket 50 is joined, the rigidity of the reinforcing pipe P2 can be improved, allowing the retractor to be stably supported by the retractor mounting bracket 50 and the reinforcing pipe P2.

The pipe frame P1 has a third portion P13 that extends from the lower end of the second portion P12 toward the right-side back frame F21 and is joined to the right-side back frame F21. This allows for improved rigidity of the seat back frame F2 while suppressing an increase in the number of parts.

As shown in Figure 12, the connection strength between the left backside frame F22 and the pipe frame P1 can be improved by sandwiching the second portion P12 of the pipe frame P1 between the two third recesses 221A of the left backside frame F22. Furthermore, the rigidity of the left backside frame F22 can be improved by forming an X-shaped bead BD3 on the left backside frame F22.

As shown in Figure 7, the connecting bracket 10 has a U-shaped section formed by the two opposing walls 11 and 12 and the connecting wall 13, and further U-shaped bent sections 14 and 15 are formed in the same section. This improves the rigidity of the connecting bracket 10.

By providing inclined walls 16 and 17 at the left-right ends of the connecting wall 13, the rigidity of the left-right ends of the connecting bracket 10 can be improved.

By providing an opening 13A in the center of the connecting wall 13 in the left-right direction, the locking mechanism M3 (see Figure 8) can be placed within this opening 13A. Therefore, compared to a structure where the locking mechanism is placed separately below the connecting bracket, for example, the increase in the vertical size of the vehicle seat S can be suppressed.

By providing beads 13B between the left and right ends of the connecting wall 13 and the opening 13A, the rigidity around the opening 13A of the connecting bracket 10 can be improved.

By making the height of the left-right ends of the opposing walls 11 and 12 greater than that of the central part, the contact area between the opposing walls 11 and 12 and the cushion side frame F11 can be increased, thereby improving the joint strength between the opposing walls 11 and 12 and the cushion side frame F11. Furthermore, because the height of the central part of the opposing walls 11 and 12 in the left-right direction is small, the vertical movement of the pressure-receiving member 20 can be prevented from being obstructed by the connecting bracket 10.

As shown in Figure 2, the left-right sliding mechanism M1 is positioned below the connecting bracket 10, and the highly rigid connecting bracket 10 is supported by the left-right sliding mechanism M1, allowing the seat cushion frame F1 to slide stably from side to side.

By positioning the front-to-back sliding mechanism M2 below the left-to-right sliding mechanism M1, and supporting the highly rigid connecting bracket 10 via the left-to-right sliding mechanism M1 and the front-to-back sliding mechanism M2, the seat cushion frame F1 can be stably slid back and forth.

As shown in Figure 1, since the pressure-receiving member 20 is positioned above the connecting bracket 10, the rigid connecting bracket 10 can restrict the excessive downward movement of the pressure-receiving member 20.

As shown in Figure 2, the seat cushion frame F1 is provided with an upper hook 30 with a J-shaped cross-section, and the front-to-back moving member M21 is provided with a lower hook 40 with a J-shaped cross-section. This configuration allows the upper hook 30 and lower hook 40 to engage when excessive force is applied to the seat cushion frame F1 in the front-to-back direction, causing it to move relative to the front-to-back moving member M21. This prevents the seat cushion frame F1 from shifting significantly away from the front-to-back moving member M21.

By providing a lower hook 40 on the forward/backward moving member M21, which moves in the forward/backward direction along with the seat cushion frame F1, the relative positions of the hooks 30 and 40 remain unchanged even when the seat cushion frame F1 is slid back and forth. Therefore, even if excessive force is applied to the seat cushion frame F1 in the forward/backward direction, the hooks 30 and 40 can be properly engaged.

By providing a contact member TM extending downward from the front end M211 of the longitudinal movement member M21, the contact member TM comes into contact with the support rail M22 when the vehicle seat S tilts forward, thereby preventing the vehicle seat S from tilting excessively forward.

By bending the lower end of the contact member TM, the rigidity of the contact member TM can be improved, thereby more effectively suppressing excessive forward tilting of the vehicle seat S.

By forming a notch in the center of the lower end of the contact member TM in the left-right direction, when the vehicle seat S is tilted forward, both ends of the lower end of the contact member TM in the left-right direction come into contact with the support rail M22, allowing the contact member TM to distribute the load evenly.

By providing multiple upper hooks 30 spaced apart on the left and right sides, the load can be distributed and supported to both sides.

The lower hook 40 is formed to extend continuously in the left-right direction, encompassing the area where the multiple upper hooks 30 are located. This allows the seat cushion frame F1 to slide smoothly from side to side without interference between the hooks 30 and 40.

As shown in Figure 5, by fixing the upper hook 30 to the box-shaped first fixing bracket B1, which includes the first base wall B11 and the first peripheral wall portion B12, the rigidity around the upper hook 30 of the seat cushion frame F1 can be improved.

By positioning the hole H2 for attaching the upper hook 30 between the two beads BD2, the rigidity of the portion of the first fixing bracket B1 to which the upper hook 30 is attached can be improved.

As shown in Figure 6, by fixing the fixing wire W1 for securing the child seat to the box-shaped second fixing bracket B2, which includes the second base wall B21 and the second peripheral wall B22, the load of the child seat applied to the fixing wire W1 is transmitted to the rear frame F13 via the box-shaped second fixing bracket B2, thereby stably supporting the child seat.

By forming a recess D3 in the portion of the second fixing bracket B2 that overlaps with the rear frame F13, the mounting rigidity between the second fixing bracket B2 and the rear frame F13 can be improved.

Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention can be implemented by modifying it as appropriate, as shown in the following other embodiments. In the following description, components substantially the same as those in the above embodiments will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions will be omitted.

The pressure-receiving member is not limited to the pressure-receiving member 20 of the above embodiment; for example, it may be a plate-shaped pan frame PF as shown in Figure 14. The pan frame PF has two inner recesses D5, two outer recesses D6, two front recesses D7, a central recess D8, and four rear recesses D9. Each recess D5 to D9 is elongated in the front-to-back direction and recessed downwards.

The two inner recesses D5 are positioned symmetrically with respect to the left-right center of the pan frame PF. Two holes H5 are formed at the bottom of each inner recess D5, spaced apart in the front-to-back direction.

Each outer recess D6 is positioned further outward in the left-right direction than the two inner recesses D5. Specifically, one of the two outer recesses D6 is positioned to the left of the two inner recesses D5, and the other outer recess D6 is positioned to the right of the two inner recesses D5. The depth of the outer recesses D6 is greater than the depth of the inner recesses D5. The outer recesses D6 are also larger than the inner recesses D5 in the front-to-back direction. Two holes H6 are formed at the bottom of each outer recess D6, spaced apart in the front-to-back direction. Clips for securing harnesses or other components under the pan frame PF are engaged with the holes H6.

The two front recesses D7 are positioned in front of the inner recess D5. A long, horizontal hole H7 is formed at the bottom of each front recess D7.

The central recess D8 extends from between the two front recesses D7 to between the two inner recesses D5. The width of the central recess D8 in the lateral direction is smaller than the width of each recess D5-D7 in the lateral direction.

The four rear recesses D9 are spaced apart in the left-right direction. Two of the four rear recesses D9 are located behind each inner recess D5. The two rear recesses D9 on the left and the two rear recesses D9 on the right are positioned symmetrically with respect to the left-right center of the pan frame PF.

In this configuration, the depth of the outer recess D6 formed in the plate-shaped pan frame PF is greater than the depth of the inner recess D5. This improves the rigidity of the pan frame PF and enhances ride comfort by providing better support to the occupant. Furthermore, the greater depth of the outer recess D6 prevents the clip engaged in the hole H6 from digging into the pad placed on the pan frame PF, thus reducing discomfort to the occupant's buttocks.

The reclining bracket is not limited to the reclining bracket 60 of the above embodiment; for example, it may be a reclining bracket B6 as shown in Figure 15. The reclining bracket B6 has a bottom wall B61 and two side walls B62 and B63 extending to the left from each end of the bottom wall B61 in the front-rear direction. In the example in Figure 15, the hollow frame FM and the reclining bracket B6 are applied to the left back side frame.

The bottom wall B61 has multiple annularly arranged holes H61 and a rectangular hole H62 for mounting the reclining unit RU. Holes H61 are circular. Hole H62 is formed spanning the bottom wall B61 and the side wall B63. The front edge E1 of the first frame 70 and the front second side wall 82 and second bottom wall 83 of the second frame 80 are exposed within hole H62. The exposed edge E1 and second side wall 82 within hole H62 are joined by a weld mark WP1. The rear edge of hole H62 and the second bottom wall 83 of the second frame 80 are joined by a weld mark WP2.

In this configuration, the front edge E1 of the first frame 70 and the front second side wall 82 and second bottom wall 83 of the second frame 80 are exposed within the hole H62. Therefore, the three components—the first frame 70, the second frame 80, and the reclining bracket B6—can be joined together by welding while assembled.

The auxiliary bracket is not limited to the auxiliary bracket B5 of the above embodiment; for example, it may be an auxiliary bracket B7 as shown in Figure 16. The auxiliary bracket B7 has a base wall B71 and a peripheral wall portion B72 rising from the periphery of the base wall B71. The auxiliary bracket B7 is joined to the first portion P11 of the pipe frame P1 and the hollow frame FM by welding. This further improves the rigidity of the auxiliary bracket B7, allowing for more stable support of the retractor.

In the above embodiment, a hollow frame was applied to the back side frame, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the hollow frame may also be applied to, for example, the cushion side frame.

In the above embodiment, the number of protruding shapes on the first frame was set to three, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the number of protruding shapes may be two, four or more.

In the above embodiment, the side frame to which the connecting bracket is connected is a cushion side frame; however, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the side frame may be, for example, a back side frame.

In the above embodiment, each bent portion of the connecting bracket was formed to be folded back in a direction away from each other. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and each bent portion may be formed to be folded back in a direction toward each other.

In the above embodiment, inclined walls were provided at both the left and right ends of the connecting bracket. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the inclined walls may be provided only at either the left or right end of the connecting bracket.

The support members that support the seat cushion frame are not limited to members that move forward and backward. For example, in a vehicle seat structure where the seat does not move forward or backward, a member that does not move forward or backward may be used as the support member.

The number of upper hooks may be one or three or more. The number of lower hooks may also be multiple.

In a box-shaped bracket having a base wall and a peripheral wall, the peripheral wall does not necessarily have to be formed along the entire periphery of the base wall. Furthermore, the peripheral wall only needs to have at least one bent portion.

In the above embodiment, the first direction was defined as the front-to-back direction and the second direction as the left-to-right direction, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, when a hollow frame is applied to a seat cushion frame, the first direction may be the up-and-down direction and the second direction may be the left-to-right direction.

In the above embodiment, a vehicle seat S used in an automobile was exemplified as the vehicle seat, but the present invention is not limited to this and can also be applied to other vehicle seats, such as seats used in ships and aircraft. Furthermore, the vehicle seat S according to the above embodiment may have a left-right inverted structure.

The elements described in the above embodiments and modifications may be implemented in any combination.

10 Connecting bracket 11, 12 Opposing wall 13 Connecting wall 14, 15 Bent section F11 Cushion side frame S Vehicle seat

Claims (7)

The left and right side frames that make up the seat cushion frame ,
A connecting bracket that connects the left and right side frames,
The seat cushion frame is supported by a left-right sliding mechanism that allows it to move in the left-right direction ,
The aforementioned connecting bracket is
Two opposing walls facing each other in the extending direction of the side frame,
A connecting wall that connects the two opposing walls,
It has a bent portion provided at the end of the two opposing walls opposite to the connecting wall, which is bent in a U-shape in cross-section,
At the left and right ends of the connecting wall, there are inclined walls that are inclined with respect to the connecting wall and connected to the connecting wall and the opposing wall.
A vehicle seat characterized in that the left-right sliding mechanism is located below the connecting bracket . The vehicle seat according to claim 1, characterized in that the connecting wall has an opening in the center in the left-right direction. The vehicle seat according to claim 2 , characterized in that the connecting wall has beads between both ends and the opening in the left-right direction. The vehicle seat according to claim 2 , characterized in that the height of the two opposing walls from the connecting wall at their left-right ends is greater than the height of the connecting wall at their central left-right ends. The aforementioned left and right sliding mechanism is
An upper rail that supports the aforementioned seat cushion frame,
A lower rail that slidably supports the upper rail,
The upper rail is equipped with a locking mechanism for locking it to the lower rail,
The vehicle seat according to claim 2 , characterized in that the locking mechanism is located within the opening. The seat cushion frame is further supported by a front-to-back sliding mechanism that allows it to move in the front-to-back direction,
The vehicle seat according to claim 1 , characterized in that the forward and backward sliding mechanism is located below the left and right sliding mechanism. The aforementioned left and right sliding mechanism is
An upper rail that supports the aforementioned seat cushion frame,
The upper rail is slidably supported by a lower rail,
The vehicle seat according to claim 1, characterized in that the upper rail is fixed to the connecting bracket.