WO2013038841A1

WO2013038841A1 - Vehicle seat device

Info

Publication number: WO2013038841A1
Application number: PCT/JP2012/069970
Authority: WO
Inventors: 弘行呉竹; 日比　和宏
Original assignee: トヨタ車体株式会社
Priority date: 2011-09-13
Filing date: 2012-08-06
Publication date: 2013-03-21
Also published as: JP2013060089A; CN103648837A; CN103648837B

Abstract

A vehicle seat device (20) has a vehicle seat (21), a seat surface lifting device (30), and a height operation device (55). The vehicle seat (21) is provided with a seat cushion (22) which moves between the vehicle interior (11) and the outside (12) of the vehicle interior and on which a user (P) sits. The seat surface lifting device (30) raises at least a part of the seat cushion (22) on which the buttocks of the user (P) rest. The height operation device (55) raises the seat cushion (22) by the seat surface lifting device (30) when the vehicle seat (21) is located in the outside (12) of the vehicle interior.

Description

Vehicle seat device

The present invention relates to a vehicle seat device mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile.

Japanese Patent No. 4030331 and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-247195 disclose a vehicle seat device for a wheelchair user with weak legs to easily get on and off the vehicle. The vehicle seat device includes a vehicle seat on which a user is seated and a moving mechanism that changes the position of the vehicle seat. The moving mechanism includes a seat rotating mechanism, a seat slide moving mechanism, and a seat lifting mechanism. The seat rotation mechanism changes the direction of the vehicle seat in the vehicle compartment. The seat slide moving mechanism slides the vehicle seat between the vehicle interior and the exterior. The seat elevating mechanism elevates and lowers the vehicle seat outside the vehicle compartment. By moving the vehicle seat out of the vehicle compartment, the user can move from or to the wheelchair relative to the vehicle seat. By moving the vehicle seat into the vehicle compartment, the user can drive the vehicle.

When a wheelchair user moves between a vehicle seat and a wheelchair, an assistant assists the movement. The assistant needs to hold the wheelchair user whenever the wheelchair user moves between the vehicle seat and the wheelchair. The assistant may suffer from low back pain because he / she is in the middle while holding up or down the wheelchair user.

Therefore, there has been a need for a vehicle seat device that does not require an assistant to become a middle waist when a wheelchair user moves between a wheelchair and a vehicle seat.

According to one feature, the present invention is a vehicle seat device that includes a vehicle seat, a seat lifter, and a height controller. The vehicle seat includes a seat cushion that moves between the vehicle interior and the exterior of the vehicle compartment and on which a user sits. The seat elevation machine raises at least a part of the seat cushion against which the user's buttocks hit. When the vehicle seat is located outside the vehicle compartment, the height operating device raises the seat cushion by the seat raising device.

Therefore, the user can sit on or leave the vehicle seat with the hip in a high posture. The user is lifted or lowered by an assistant when moving between the wheelchair and the vehicle seat. Therefore, the assistant has fewer opportunities for a mid-lumbar posture when moving the user. As a result, the load on the assistant's middle waist posture can be reduced, and the back pain of the assistant can be reduced.

It is a top view of the vehicle seat apparatus which shows the mode of movement of a vehicle seat. It is a top view of the vehicle seat apparatus which shows the mode of movement of a vehicle seat. It is a top view of the vehicle seat apparatus which shows the mode of movement of a vehicle seat. It is a top view of the vehicle seat apparatus which shows the mode of movement of a vehicle seat. It is a top view of the vehicle seat apparatus which shows the mode of movement of a vehicle seat. It is a side view of a vehicle seat device before a seat surface raising operation. It is a side view of the vehicle seat apparatus after a seat surface raising operation. It is a side view of a vehicle seat device showing signs that a user moves from a vehicle seat to a wheelchair. It is a side view of a vehicle seat device showing signs that a user moves from a vehicle seat to a wheelchair. It is a side view of a vehicle seat device showing signs that a user moves from a vehicle seat to a wheelchair. It is a side view of a vehicle seat device showing signs that a user moves from a vehicle seat to a wheelchair. It is a side view of the conventional vehicle seat apparatus which shows a mode that a user moves from a vehicle seat to a wheelchair. It is a side view of the conventional vehicle seat apparatus which shows a mode that a user moves from a vehicle seat to a wheelchair. It is a side view of the conventional vehicle seat apparatus which shows a mode that a user moves from a vehicle seat to a wheelchair. It is a side view of the conventional vehicle seat apparatus which shows a mode that a user moves from a vehicle seat to a wheelchair. It is a side view of a vehicle seat device provided with other tilt mechanisms. It is a side view of a vehicle seat device provided with other tilt mechanisms.

One embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. A vehicle seat device 20 shown in FIGS. 1 to 7 is a seat for an automobile occupant mounted on an automobile 10 as a vehicle. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the vehicle seat device 20 includes a vehicle seat 21 on which an occupant is seated and a moving mechanism 50 for moving the vehicle seat 21. The vehicle seat device 20 is mounted as a passenger seat of the automobile 10 and makes it easy for a wheelchair user who has weak legs to get on and off. As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle seat 21 moves from the vehicle compartment 11 inside the automobile 10 to the vehicle compartment exterior 12 outside the automobile 10. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the vehicle seat 21 is moved from the position in the vehicle compartment 11 to the position outside the vehicle compartment 12 by the moving mechanism 50.

1 to 5, the moving mechanism 50 is attached to the vehicle body (not shown) of the automobile 10 and supports the vehicle seat 21 so as to be movable. The moving mechanism 50 includes a rotating mechanism, a slide moving mechanism, and an elevating mechanism (four-bar linkage mechanism 52). The rotation mechanism changes the direction of the vehicle seat 21 in the vehicle compartment 11. The slide moving mechanism slides the vehicle seat 21 between the vehicle interior 11 and the vehicle exterior 12. The elevating mechanism raises and lowers the vehicle seat 21 outside the vehicle compartment 12.

The moving mechanism 50 is controlled by the operation controller 55 to move the vehicle seat 21. The operation controller 55 is connected to a moving mechanism 50 including the various mechanisms described above (a rotating mechanism, a slide moving mechanism, and an elevating mechanism) in a controllable manner. An occupant or an assistant operates the operation controller 55, and an operation signal is transmitted from the operation controller 55 to the moving mechanism 50. The vehicle seat 21 moves based on the operation signal.

The vehicle seat 21 moves between a normal boarding position in the vehicle compartment 11 shown in FIG. 1 and a boarding / exiting position outside the vehicle compartment 12 shown in FIG. The user gets on the vehicle seat 21 at the boarding / alighting position from a wheelchair (not shown) or gets off the wheelchair. The vehicle seat 21 moves from the normal boarding position to the boarding / alighting position in the order of FIGS. The vehicle seat 21 moves from the boarding / exiting position to the normal boarding position in the order shown in FIGS.

As shown in FIG. 1, the automobile 10 includes a center console 15, a passenger seat door 16, and a center pillar 17. The vehicle seat 21 moves from the normal boarding position in FIG. 1 to the first movement position shown in FIG. The first movement position rotates counterclockwise so that it is closer to the passenger seat door 16 than the normal boarding position and faces outward. The vehicle seat 21 moves from the first movement position to the second movement position shown in FIG. In the second movement position, the user's leg is turned leftward to the outside facing the passenger compartment door 16 and toward the passenger seat door 16 than the first movement position. Therefore, the vehicle seat 21 slides toward the vehicle exterior 12 while rotating.

The vehicle seat 21 moves from the second movement position to the third movement position shown in FIG. The third movement position is closer to the vehicle exterior 12 than the second movement position. The boarding / alighting position shown in FIG. 5 is located outside the vehicle compartment 12 and is located below the third movement position. The user can sit or leave the vehicle seat 21 at the boarding / alighting position. The vehicle seat 21 in the boarding / alighting position is so low that the feet of the user P sitting on the vehicle seat 21 land on the ground G as shown in FIGS.

The vehicle seat 21 includes a seat cushion 22, a seat back 23, and a headrest 24 as shown in FIG. The seat cushion 22 has a seat surface 221 on which a user (occupant) P sits. The seat back 23 is supported by the seat cushion 22 and supports the back of the user P. The headrest 24 is supported by the seat back 23 and supports the head of the user P. When the vehicle seat 21 is in the getting-on / off position shown in FIG. 5, the seating surface 221 can be lifted (tilted up) as shown in FIGS. The seating surface 221 moves to the normal riding position shown in FIG. 6 and the tilt position shown in FIG.

The vehicle seat 21 includes a four-bar linkage mechanism 52 and a seat base 25 as shown in FIGS. The seat base 25 is supported by the four-bar linkage mechanism 52 and supports the seat cushion 22. The four-bar linkage mechanism 52 constitutes an elevating mechanism for the moving mechanism 50 and has a function of elevating the vehicle seat 21.

Between the seat base 25 and the seat cushion 22, a tilt mechanism (sitting surface raising machine) 30 is provided as shown in FIGS. The tilt mechanism 30 moves the rear part of the seat cushion 22 up and down. The tilt mechanism 30 includes a rotary shaft support portion 31 provided at the front portion of the seat cushion 22 and an elevating drive portion 33 provided at the rear portion of the seat cushion 22. The rotation shaft support portion 31 rotatably connects the seat cushion 22 to the seat base 25.

The elevating drive unit 33 includes a drive motor 35, a pinion gear 36, and a driven gear 37 as shown in FIGS. The drive motor 35 is supported by the seat base 25 and generates a rotational driving force. The pinion gear 36 is attached to the rotation shaft of the drive motor 35 and is rotated by the drive motor 35. The driven gear 37 is rotatably supported by the seat base 25, meshes with the pinion gear 36, and is rotated by the pinion gear 36.

The driven gear 37 is provided with a connecting link portion 38 extending in the radial direction as shown in FIG. The distal end of the connecting link portion 38 is fitted into the guide slit 39 of the seat cushion 22 and connected to the seat cushion 22. When the pinion gear 36 is rotated, the connecting link portion 38 is rotated integrally with the driven gear 37. The distal end of the connecting link portion 38 moves in the guide slit 39 and the connecting link portion 38 raises and lowers the seat cushion 22.

The seat cushion 22 has a portion corresponding to the user's buttocks as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, and the portion is connected to the connecting link portion 38. The tilt mechanism 30 raises the seating surface 221 of the seat cushion 22 so as to raise the user's buttocks outside the vehicle compartment 12, and the seating surface 221 is inclined. The tilt mechanism 30 is operated by an operation input from an operation controller (height controller) 55. The tilt mechanism 30 can be operated by a signal from the operation controller 55 only when the vehicle seat 21 is positioned outside the vehicle compartment 12.

When the height of the seat cushion 22 is at the normal riding position shown in FIG. 6, the operation controller (height controller) 55 is operated so as to raise the seat cushion 22. The operation controller 55 issues an operation signal, and the tilt mechanism 30 is driven. In the tilt mechanism 30, the pinion gear 36 is rotated by the drive motor 35, and the driven gear 37 is rotated. The connecting link portion 38 raises the rear portion of the seating surface 221 of the seat cushion 22 from the position of FIG. 6 to the position of FIG. 7, and the seating surface 221 is inclined (seat surface raising operation). Since the seat back 23 is connected to the seat cushion 22, the seat back 23 moves up and down in conjunction with the seat cushion 22.

When the height of the seat cushion 22 is at the tilt position shown in FIG. 7, the operation controller 55 is operated so as to lower the seat cushion 22. The operation controller 55 issues an operation signal, and the tilt mechanism 30 is driven. In the tilt mechanism 30, the pinion gear 36 is rotated by the drive motor 35, and the driven gear 37 is rotated. The connecting link portion 38 lowers the rear portion of the seating surface 221 of the seat cushion 22 from the position of FIG. 7 to the position of FIG. 6, and the seating surface 221 is inclined (seat surface lowering operation).

The operation controller 55 transmits a signal to a control controller (not shown) that controls the tilt mechanism 30 when operated. The control controller that has received the signal controls the tilt mechanism 30 to raise or lower the seat cushion 22 based on the content of the signal.

The vehicle seat device 20 changes to the mode shown in FIGS. 8 to 11, and the user P sitting on the vehicle seat 21 can move from the vehicle seat 21 to the wheelchair. FIGS. 12 to 15 show how the user P sitting on the conventional vehicle seat 21z moves from the vehicle seat 21z to the wheelchair. 8 to 15, an assistant (for example, a caregiver) that assists the movement of the user P when the user P moves from the vehicle seats 21 and 21z to the wheelchair is not illustrated. The conventional vehicle seat apparatus 20z shown in FIGS. 12 to 15 is configured in the same manner as the vehicle seat apparatus 20 shown in FIGS. The configuration corresponding to the vehicle seat device 20 of FIGS. 8 to 11 is shown by adding “z” at the end of the reference numerals in FIGS.

When the user P moves from the vehicle seat 21 to a wheelchair (not shown), the vehicle seat 21 is moved to the boarding / exiting position outside the vehicle compartment 12 shown in FIGS. The seating surface 221 before rising is substantially horizontal. The user P sitting on the seating surface 221 can add weight to the ground G by placing his / her feet on the ground G. As shown in FIGS. 8 to 10, the seating surface 221 located at the rear portion of the seat cushion 22 is raised by the tilt mechanism 30. The leg of the user P is extended and the waist rises. The weight of the user P is gradually added from the foot to the ground G, and most of the weight is added from the foot to the ground G in FIG.

When the assistant lifts up the user P sitting on the seat cushion 22, the waist of the user P floats from the seat cushion 22 as shown in FIG. Thereby, the user P can be moved to a wheelchair (not shown) installed near the vehicle seat 21. In the state of FIG. 10, most of the weight of the user P is applied to the ground G from the feet. For this reason, the force required for the assistant to lift the user P can be made relatively small. As shown in FIGS. 8 to 10, the posture of the user P is inclined forward. For this reason, the force for the user to lift the user P can be made relatively small. As shown in FIGS. 8 to 10, the user P is close to a standing posture. For this reason, the gravity center position of the user P is high, and the force for the assistant to lift the user P can be made relatively small.

When the user P moves from the wheelchair (not shown) to the vehicle seat 21, the operation reverse to that described above is performed. Therefore, the assistant needs to lift the user P only in the case shown in FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 12 to 15, since the conventional vehicle seat device 20z is not provided with the tilt mechanism 30, the height of the seating surface 221z located at the rear portion of the seat cushion 22z is kept substantially constant. When the user P moves from the vehicle seat 21z of the conventional vehicle seat device 20z to a wheelchair (not shown), the assistant lifts the user P in the order shown in FIGS. 12 to 15, a slight weight of the user P is applied to the ground G from the foot. For this reason, the force required for the assistant to lift the user P is large. Since the posture of the user P shown in FIG. 12 is backward tilted, the force required for the assistant to lift the user P is large. In FIGS. 12 to 14, since the center of gravity of the user P is low, the force required for the assistant to lift the user P is large.

The vehicle seat device 20 includes a tilt mechanism (seat surface raising machine) 30 and an operation controller (height operation machine) 55 as shown in FIGS. When the vehicle seat 21 moves outside the vehicle compartment 12, the operation controller 55 can raise a part of the seat cushion 22 against which the user's buttocks hit. Therefore, the user can sit on or leave the vehicle seat 21 in a posture in which the buttocks are high. The user is lifted or lowered by the assistant when moving between the wheelchair and the vehicle seat 21. Therefore, the assistant has fewer opportunities for a mid-lumbar posture when moving the user. As a result, the load on the assistant's middle waist posture can be reduced, and the back pain of the assistant can be reduced.

The operation controller 55 raises the seat cushion 22 by the tilt mechanism 30 when operated by a user (including a person sitting on the seat cushion 22 and an assistant). Therefore, the height of the seat cushion 22 can be adjusted according to the physique of the user sitting on the vehicle seat 21 or the assistant who assists the movement of the user. Thereby, the height of the seat cushion 22 can be adjusted to the user's preference. Alternatively, the height of the seat cushion 22 can be adjusted so that the assistant can easily lift the user.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to the above structure, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many substitutions, improvements, and changes can be made without departing from the object of the present invention. Accordingly, aspects of the invention may include all alterations, modifications, and changes that do not depart from the spirit and scope of the appended claims. For example, the form of the present invention is not limited to the special structure, and can be modified as follows.

A seating sensor (load change detection sensor) may be provided on the seating surface 221 of the seat cushion 22. As the seating sensor, a pressure sensor or the like that detects a change in the weight of the seated user P can be used. The seating sensor transmits a detection signal to a control controller that controls the tilt mechanism 30 based on a change in the load applied from the user P to the seat cushion 22. The controller (height control device) adjusts the height of the seat cushion 22 by operating the tilt mechanism 30 based on the detection signal.

2 to 4, the foot of the user P is floating from the ground G, and the entire weight of the user P is added to the seat cushion 22. In FIG. 5, the foot of the user P lands on the ground G, and the load applied to the seat cushion 22 from the user P decreases. The seating sensor detects a change in load and issues a detection signal to the control controller (height controller).

As shown in FIGS. 8 to 10, when the height of the rear portion of the seat cushion 22 is changed by the tilt mechanism 30, the load applied to the ground G from the foot of the user P is changed. The load applied from the user P to the seat cushion 22 also changes. The seating sensor detects a change in load applied to the seat cushion 22. Since the change in the load applied to the seat cushion 22 corresponds to the height of the rear portion of the seat cushion 22, the tilt mechanism 30 can be controlled in accordance with the change in the load applied to the seat cushion 22.

The seating sensor can detect whether or not the foot of the user P has landed by detecting a load change applied to the seat cushion 22. Therefore, by using the seating sensor, the height of the seat cushion 22 can be automatically adjusted according to the physique of the user P. Therefore, the seat cushion 22 is automatically adjusted to a preferred height without being operated by the assistant, and the assistant can easily move the user between the vehicle seat 21 and the wheelchair.

The vehicle seat device 20 may be provided with a memory for storing past operations of the tilt mechanism 30 performed by the controller. When the memory is provided in the tilt mechanism 30, the tilt mechanism 30 can raise the seat cushion 22 based on the information stored in the memory (height operating device). Therefore, the height of the seat cushion 22 can be automatically adjusted instead of the control based on the operation controller 55 or the seating sensor. Thereby, the height of the seat cushion 22 can be automatically adjusted and the structure can be simplified.

In place of the tilt mechanism 30 shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a tilt mechanism 30A shown in FIGS. 16 and 17 may be provided. The tilt mechanism 30A has a link as the rotation shaft support portion 31A. The rotation shaft support portion 31 </ b> A has a link structure including a rotation shaft support portion main body 321 and a shaft support link portion 322 that is supported by the rotation shaft support portion main body 321. The rotation shaft support portion main body 321 is configured in the same manner as the rotation shaft support portion 31 shown in FIGS. The shaft support link part 322 has a rod-like shape, and has a base end that is rotatably connected to the rotation shaft support part main body 321 and a tip end that is rotatably connected to the seat cushion 22. The distal end of the connecting link portion 38A of the elevating drive portion 33A is connected to the seat cushion 22 so as to be rotatable without being inserted into the guide slit 39 and relatively moved. The tilt mechanism 30A can also lift and lower the rear part of the seat cushion 22.

The seat back 23 may be connected to the seat cushion 22 and move integrally with the seat cushion 22 as described above. Alternatively, the seat back may be fixed separately from the seat cushion, and only the seat cushion 22 may move.

Claims

A vehicle seat device,
A vehicle seat including a seat cushion that moves between the vehicle interior and the exterior of the vehicle and a user sits on, a seat elevation device that raises at least a part of the seat cushion against which the user's buttocks hit, and the vehicle seat The vehicle seat apparatus which has a height operation machine which raises the said seat cushion by the said seat surface raising machine when it locates outside the said vehicle compartment.
The vehicle seat device according to claim 1,
The height operating device is a vehicle seat device that is a controller that is operated by a user to raise the seat cushion by the seat surface raising device.
The vehicle seat device according to claim 1 or 2,
A load change detection sensor for detecting a change in load applied to the seat cushion from the user sitting on the seat cushion is provided;
The height operating machine is a vehicle seat device that elevates the seat cushion by the seat surface raising machine based on a detection signal from the load change detection sensor.
The vehicle seat device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The height controller has a memory for storing an operation of the seat lift by the height controller, and raises the seat cushion by the seat lift based on information stored in the memory. A vehicle seat device.