JPH08230539A - Seat suspension device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To damp vibration and load (force) input from a body side. CONSTITUTION: A lower frame 1 is mounted on a body side through a seat slide rail, etc. On the other hand, an upper frame 2 on which a seat 9 is mounted is provided. Then a damping mechanism 5 to absorb vibration and load (force) input from the body side is provided between both these frames 1 and 2. The damping mechanism 5 comprises a coil spring 51 and rubbery elastic bodies 55 or foaming elastic bodies 55 which are installed around the coil spring 51 without any clearance and integrally with the coil spring. To tune a spring and damping system comprising these parts according to use conditions, multiple damping mechanisms 5 are arranged in parallel with each other.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a seat suspension device for supporting a seat such as an off-road car or a leisure vehicle, and particularly when a vibration input is applied to a vehicle body, the vibration input is absorbed, The present invention relates to a seat suspension device with a cushioning mechanism that reduces input to an occupant.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a seat suspension device mounted on an off-road vehicle, for example, has a lower frame 10 mounted on a floor of a vehicle body and an upper frame mounted with a seat 90. 20
And a link mechanism 30 that is located between the frames 10 and 20 and that regulates relative displacement of the frames 10 and 20,
The buffer mechanism 50 and the like absorb the load (force) input to the lower frame 10. As shown in FIG. 7, the cushioning mechanism 50 absorbs the spring 510 for absorbing an input load (force) from the vehicle body input through the lower frame 10 and the vertical vibration of the lower frame 10. And a shock absorber 550 which is a damping force generating device.

[0003]

By the way, in the above-mentioned conventional type, the shock absorber 550 forming the buffer mechanism 50 is a liquid type which is composed of a piston, an orifice, a liquid and the like. Therefore, in order to obtain a given damping force, the piston must make some stroke, which causes the liquid to pass through the orifice. Therefore, the shock absorbing mechanism 50, particularly the shock absorber 550, must be configured to have a certain length, and therefore, the shock absorbing mechanism 50 having the shock absorber 550 is as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. Between the frames 10 and 20, the frame is formed to project vertically. And
The protruding portion of the head of the cushioning mechanism 50 restricts the form of the seat 90 installed on the upper frame 20 at a part thereof. That is, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, it becomes difficult to secure a sufficient thickness at the tip end portion 990 of the cushion portion of the seat 90. In order to solve such a problem, it is an object of the present invention to provide a seat suspension device having a shock absorber function and having a compact cushioning mechanism which does not require much vertical height.
It is an object (problem) of the present invention.

[0004]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the following measures are taken in the present invention. That is, a lower frame that is attached to a member or the like on the vehicle body side via a seat slide rail, an upper frame to which a seat is attached, and an upper frame that is installed between these frames. In response to this, a seat suspension device including a cushioning mechanism that changes a distance between the upper frame and the lower frame, thereby absorbing an input load (force) input from the vehicle body side through the lower frame. With regard to the above, the cushioning mechanism is configured to include a coil spring and a rubber-like elastic body provided around the coil spring.

Further, in the above structure, the buffer mechanism is composed of a coil spring and a foamed elastic body provided around the coil spring.

[0006]

With the above construction, the following actions are exhibited in the present invention. That is, the cushioning mechanism having a predetermined spring constant and a predetermined damping coefficient,
It is installed between the upper frame and the lower frame, and when a vibration load (force) is input from the vehicle body side to the shock absorbing mechanism via the lower frame, the shock absorbing mechanism bends by a predetermined amount ( By displacing), the vibration load (force) is absorbed and the vertical vibration transmitted to the upper frame and the seat is attenuated.

That is, as shown in FIG. 3, the buffer mechanism according to claim 1 of the present invention includes a coil spring having a predetermined number of turns, and a rubber-like elastic body provided around the coil spring. Therefore, the damping mechanism having such a structure is such that a damping force is generated by the internal friction in the rubber-like elastic body. That is, the cushioning mechanism has a spring constant (spring characteristic) as shown in FIG. 4 and a damping coefficient (damping characteristic) as shown in FIG. Therefore, the vibration load (force) from the vehicle body side
When input to the buffer mechanism via the lower frame,
The cushioning mechanism reduces the input load (force) with a specific spring characteristic, attenuates the vibration input with a specific damping characteristic, and thereby alleviates the vibration transmission to the seat.

Further, a plurality of rubber-like elastic bodies and coil springs (hereinafter referred to as damper springs), which are buffer mechanisms having such basic characteristics, integrated (hereinafter referred to as damper springs) are provided in parallel and in an appropriate number. Thus, the spring characteristic (spring constant) and the damping characteristic (damping coefficient) according to the magnitude of the vibration load (force) input from the lower frame can be exhibited. That is, the spring constant and the damping coefficient can be set (tuned) in accordance with the weight of the occupant seated on the seat, or in accordance with the condition of the traveling road such as off-road. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, by installing a predetermined number of the damper springs between the upper frame and the lower frame, the seat suspension function according to the weight of a specific occupant or the usage state is exhibited. Can be allowed to.

Further, in this case, the shape of the damper spring is limited to a predetermined height as shown in FIG. 3, and is of a cylindrical or prismatic shape. Then, as shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of such forms are installed in parallel between the upper frame and the lower frame. Therefore, it is not necessary to increase the space in the up-down direction between the upper frame and the lower frame, and the space can be compacted in the up-down direction. As a result, the seat installed on the upper frame, in particular,
With respect to the seat cushion and the like, there is no problem that the thickness of the seat cushion portion is restricted. That is, it becomes possible to sufficiently secure the thickness and the like of the seat cushion.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the rubber elastic portion of the damper spring according to the present invention is formed of a foamed elastic body such as foamed silicone rubber.
A specific damping characteristic (damping coefficient) is obtained by the mutual frictional action of the elastic bodies in the foamed portion (bubble portion) formed in the foamed elastic body. Due to the action of this damping characteristic, the vibration load (force) input from the lower frame
Will be absorbed and alleviated.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the configuration of the present embodiment is such that a lower frame 1 that is attached to a member or the like on the vehicle body side through a seat slide rail and a pair that is attached to the lower frame 1 in a pair. And
An upper frame 2 on which a seat 9 is mounted, and one installed between these two frames 1, 2,
A shock absorbing mechanism 5 that operates between the upper frame 2 and the lower frame 1 in response to a vibration load (vibration input) input from the vehicle body side through the lower frame 1.
It is basically composed of

In such a basic structure, the cushioning mechanism 5 is a combination of a rubber elastic body having a predetermined spring constant (spring characteristic) and a predetermined damping coefficient (damping characteristic) and a coil spring. It consists of a thing (damper spring). At least one such damper spring 5 is provided in parallel in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, so that the seat suspension device has a cushioning function.

As shown in FIG. 3, the damper spring 5 having such a structure has a coil spring 51 and a rubber-like elastic body 55 such as a natural rubber or an elastomer which is installed around the coil spring 51 without any trouble, or And a foamed elastic body 55 '. The one having such a structure is formed into a cylindrical shape or a prismatic shape. Specifically, the coil spring 51 is installed in a predetermined mold, and a rubber material or the like forming a rubber-like elastic body or a foam elastic body is injected into the mold in such a state, and the coil spring 51 is formed. And the rubber-like elastic body 55, or the coil spring 51 and the foam elastic body 55 'are integrated and molded into a predetermined shape such as a cylindrical shape or a prismatic shape.

The damper spring 5 having such a structure has the coil spring 51 and the rubber-like elastic body 55.
Alternatively, the spring constant (spring characteristic) as shown in FIG. 4 is exhibited by the interaction with the foamed elastic body 55 '. Note that in FIG. 4, the range actually used is within the range defined as the range of use, and this part has a linear characteristic. Then, beyond the range of use, the spring constant becomes non-linear and rises sharply, and this sharp rise portion is used as a down stopper portion.

In the damper spring 5 having such a structure, the damping force is generated by the internal friction in the rubber-like elastic body 55 or the frictional action in the foamed portion (bubble portion) of the foamed elastic body 55 '. Is being demonstrated. That is, the damper spring 5 itself has the damping characteristic (damping coefficient) as shown in FIG. By the action of such a damping force, the vibration load (vibration input) from the vehicle body side propagated through the lower frame 1 is damped and absorbed.

The spring characteristic and the damping characteristic are formed by one basic damper spring 5, and are related to the mass of the occupant sitting on the seat. A plurality of appropriate damper springs 5 are installed so that the vibration system is tuned to an optimum state. That is, as shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of damper springs 5 are installed between the upper frame 2 and the lower frame 1.

As shown in FIG. 2, between the upper frame 2 and the lower frame 1 on which such a plurality of damper springs 5 are installed, there is a space between the lower frame 1 and the upper frame 2. A guide mechanism 3 that regulates vertical movement is provided. Further, the upper frame 2 is
The front stay 4 rigidly coupled to the front end of the lower frame 1 is rotatably attached to the upper end of the front stay 4 via a fulcrum (O ₂ ). Therefore, the upper frame 2 swings around the fulcrum (O ₂ ) provided on the front stay 4 by the operation of the damper spring 5 provided on the other end side (rear end). It is something that can be done. Note that the link mechanism is not limited to this type, and in addition to this, a pantograph mechanism or the like capable of parallel movement may be used.

A lock mechanism 6 is provided between the upper frame 2 and the lower frame 1 so as not to activate the cushioning function based on the operation of the damper spring 5. When the lock mechanism 6 is locked, the seat suspension device stops operating, and the seat 9 installed on the seat suspension device is
It becomes the same as a normal seat. Therefore, in order to operate the present seat suspension device, it is necessary to release the locked state of the lock mechanism 6.

The operation and the like of this embodiment having such a configuration will be described. The operation of this embodiment is basically the same as that described in the above section. That is, when a damper spring 5 with a damping mechanism having a configuration as shown in FIG. 3 is mounted between the upper frame 2 and the lower frame 1, the damper spring 5 propagated through the lower frame 1 from the vehicle body side. The vibration load (vibration input) is absorbed and simultaneously absorbed by the spring characteristic and the damping characteristic formed by the damper spring 5.

Note that the mechanism of generating the damping force by the damper spring 5 in this embodiment depends on the internal friction of the rubber-like elastic body, unlike the conventional mechanism that is obtained by the flow of liquid in the orifice. Therefore, it does not require a very long stroke amount to obtain a predetermined damping force. Therefore, the damper spring 5 has a shape in which its axial length (height) is not very long. Moreover, the upper frame 2 and the lower frame 1 have such a low profile.
Since a plurality of them are installed in parallel with each other, a vertical space is not required so much, and it can be compactly housed in a narrow space. From these things, the seat suspension device having the damper spring 5 according to the present embodiment is formed to have a small vertical thickness, and the cushion of the seat 9 installed on the seat suspension device having these configurations. The thickness and the like can be made sufficiently thick.

[0021]

According to the present invention, a lower frame mounted on a member on the vehicle body side through a seat slide rail, an upper frame to which a seat is mounted, and a frame provided between these frames are provided. Regarding a seat suspension device including a cushioning mechanism that plays a role of reducing an input load (force) from the lower frame, the cushioning mechanism includes a coil spring and a rubber-like elastic member that is provided around the coil spring. Since the body or the foamed elastic body is formed, the load (force) input from the vehicle body side through the lower frame is
It has become possible to absorb and relax at the buffer mechanism having a predetermined spring characteristic and a predetermined damping characteristic. Therefore, for passengers sitting on the seat,
The vibration and the load (force) from the vehicle body side are now input in a relaxed state, whereby the occupant on the seat is reliably held on the seat.

Further, the cushioning mechanism having the above-mentioned structure is not tall, and even if a plurality of them are installed in order to exert a predetermined damping force, they are all installed in parallel. Therefore, it is not necessary to have much space in the vertical direction between the lower frame and the upper frame, and the seat suspension device itself can be made thin. As a result, it is possible to secure a sufficient thickness for the seat cushion of the seat mounted via the seat suspension device.

Further, since the shock absorbing mechanism having the above-mentioned structure has a smaller number of parts and a simple mechanism as compared with the conventional one, the manufacturing process can be simplified and the manufacturing cost can be reduced. I can do it now. by this,
The manufacturing cost of the seat suspension device itself can also be reduced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an overall configuration of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing an operation mode of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the overall configuration of a buffer mechanism (damper spring) that is a main part of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a cushioning mechanism (damper spring) according to the present invention.
6 is a diagram (graph) showing the spring characteristics of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a cushioning mechanism (damper spring) according to the present invention.
It is a figure (graph) which shows the attenuation characteristic of.

FIG. 6 is a side view showing the overall configuration of a conventional example.

FIG. 7 is a view showing a mounted state of a cushioning mechanism which is a main part of a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Lower Frame 2 Upper Frame 3 Guide Mechanism 4 Front Stay 5 Buffer Mechanism (Damper Spring) 51 Coil Spring 55 Rubber Elastic Body 55 'Foamed Elastic Body 6 Lock Mechanism 9 Seat

Front Page Continuation (72) Inventor Sanji Majima 3-5-8 Shiba, Minato-ku, Tokyo Inside Mitsubishi Motors Corporation

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A lower frame mounted to a member or the like on a vehicle body side through a seat slide rail, an upper frame to which a seat is mounted, and an upper frame mounted between these frames, and an input from the lower frame. In a seat suspension device including a cushioning mechanism that serves to reduce a load (force), the cushioning mechanism includes a coil spring and a rubber-like elastic body provided around the coil spring. A seat suspension device characterized by the above. 2. The seat suspension device according to claim 1, wherein the cushioning mechanism includes a coil spring, and a foam elastic body provided around the coil spring.
A seat suspension device characterized in that