JPS6410372B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an improvement in a support device for improving the comfort of a person sitting on a seat.

For example, it is desirable for vehicle seats to hold the occupants stably while the vehicle is in motion, provide appropriate sitting comfort, and reduce fatigue as much as possible even when the occupants are seated for long periods of time. For this purpose, support devices are attached to each part of the seat. The most commonly known type of support device is the lumbar support that supports the lower back of the seated person, but there are also other types of support devices, such as seat backs and seat cushions that can be expanded on both sides to provide a secure hold. Also known are side supports that allow the seated person to lean up, and thigh supports that lift the lower thighs of the seated person to provide an appropriate driving posture.

Incidentally, support devices for such seats have been known in various configurations, including those in which a portion of the seat is movable, and those in which a portion of the seat is configured to be inflatable using air. There are things etc. However, all of these conventional devices not only have complicated configurations and a large number of parts, resulting in high costs, but the latter in particular suffers from operational reliability due to air leaks in the middle of piping, such as air pipes. There was a drawback that it lacked.

It is also known that a leaf spring is suspended horizontally on the seat and is curved to protrude outward from the seat, but such a configuration in which the leaf spring is simply curved lacks reliability. However, if the locking condition is strengthened, the material loses its flexibility and becomes hard, making it unable to function as a support.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and uses a simple configuration using a spiral leaf spring to easily and appropriately demonstrate its performance as a support, and to make its adjustment easier than before. The purpose of this invention is to provide a seat support device that allows for a large and finely adjustable seat support device, has a small number of parts, and is inexpensive in terms of cost.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment in which the seat support device according to the present invention is applied to a lumbar support for a seat back. back frame 1
A pair of left and right side plates 3, 3 facing toward the front of the seat are provided below both sides of the seat. Note that 4 in the figure is a member that supports a headrest frame (not shown).

Now, according to the present invention, in the above-described configuration, the shaft 5 is rotatably supported between the side plates 3, 3, and the spiral leaf spring 6 with one end fixed to the shaft 5 is wound around the shaft 5. By fixing the other end to the seat back frame 1, the spiral leaf spring 6 can be used as a lumbar support. In addition, 7 in the figure is the shaft 5.
The operation knob 8 for rotating the shaft 5 is a locking mechanism for appropriately locking the rotational position.As this locking mechanism, one having a well-known structure that can be engaged and disengaged in both rotational directions of the shaft 5 may be used. be.

According to the support device using such a spiral leaf spring 6, as is clear from FIGS. Since the amount of protrusion can be freely adjusted and the flat part of the leaf spring 6 can be used as a support surface, it is possible to match it to the body shape and preference of the seated person. , the amount of adjustment can be made larger than in the past, which is a great advantage. Of course, a fixing plate or the like may be attached to the back side of the spiral leaf spring 6 so that it can bulge only toward the front of the seat.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the structure of the embodiments described above, and it goes without saying that the shape and structure of each part can be modified and changed as appropriate, and furthermore, its application is not limited to lumbar supports.

For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the spiral spring 6 may be arranged to be divided into left and right parts so that the function as a support can be further enhanced. It is also free to install it vertically with respect to the seat instead of horizontally.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4, the device of the present invention provides side supports (13,
It can be used as a thigh support (indicated by 15) at the front end of the seat cushion 11.

As explained above, according to the support device according to the present invention, a spiral leaf spring is wound around the shaft rotatable within the seat, and this is used as a support, which is simple and has a small number of parts. Although it has a low-cost structure with less friction and is superior in terms of installation, it is possible to obtain a seat support device that has a larger amount of adjustment than conventional ones and can also be finely adjusted, and is also highly reliable in its operation. In addition, it has various excellent effects such as being able to provide a cushiony feeling as a sheet by skillfully utilizing the flexibility of the spirally wound leaf spring.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of essential parts showing an embodiment of the seat support device according to the present invention applied to a lumbar support, FIGS. 2a and b are diagrams for explaining its operating state, and FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing a modification thereof. In the figure, 1... seat back frame, 3... side plate, 5... shaft, 6... spiral leaf spring, 7... operation knob, 8... lock mechanism.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A spiral leaf spring having one end fixed to a shaft rotatably supported within the seat, wound around the shaft, and the other end fixed to the frame side of the seat. ,
A seat support device characterized in that a flat portion of the spiral leaf spring is formed as a support surface.