Cushion frame

• US 10,556,528 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2018
• Issued: 02/11/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Boshoku Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Toyota Boshoku Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Ninagawa, Atsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): White, Rodney B
• Application Number:
  US16/167,025
• Publication Number:
  US 20190118686A1
• Time in Patent Office: 477 Days
• Field of Search: 2972161, 29721614, 29721615, 29721616, 29721618, 29721919, 2972162, 29734415, 29734416, 29734417, 29745218, 29745219, 2974522, 2974631, 2974632
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/06 slidable B60N2/12 , B60N2/2209 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/682 Joining means

Abstract

A cushion frame for use in a vehicle seat includes a side frame extending in a seat front-rear direction, a bracket supporting the side frame and a coupling member. The bracket includes a lower end portion having a fixing portion fixed to a vehicle directly or indirectly. The coupling member is fixed to an upper end portion of the bracket to hold the upper end portion at a position offset in a seat width direction relative to the side frame and to fix the upper end portion to the side frame. A welding region of the coupling member, projected on a virtual plane orthogonal to the seat width direction, extends along an outer periphery of the coupling member in a specified area including an intersection between the outer periphery of the coupling member projected on the virtual plane and a bracket normal line.

Claims

1. A cushion frame for use in a vehicle seat, the cushion frame comprising:

a side frame extending in a seat front-rear direction;

a bracket supporting the side frame and comprising a lower end portion having a fixing portion to be fixed to a vehicle directly or indirectly; and

a coupling member fixed to an upper end portion of the bracket and configured to hold the upper end portion at a position offset in a seat width direction relative to the side frame and to fix the upper end portion to the side frame,

wherein a welding region of the coupling member, projected on a virtual plane orthogonal to the seat width direction, extends along an outer periphery of the coupling member in a specified area including an intersection between the outer periphery of the coupling member projected on the virtual plane and a bracket normal line, and

wherein the bracket normal line is a normal line of a bracket center line and passes through a center of the coupling member projected on the virtual plane, and the bracket center line is a virtual line that passes through a center of the fixing portion projected on the virtual plane and through the center of the coupling member projected on the virtual plane.

2. The cushion frame of claim 1, wherein the fixing portion comprises a member having a through hole, through which a fixing bolt is inserted, or comprises a fixing bolt.

3. The cushion frame of claim 1,

wherein the welding region is a region to be welded to fix the coupling member to the bracket, and

wherein the welding region is provided on an opposite side of the bracket relative to the side frame.

4. The cushion frame of claim 1,

wherein the welding region is a region to be welded to fix the coupling member to the side frame, and

wherein the welding region is provided on an opposite side of the side frame relative to the bracket.

5. A cushion frame for use in a vehicle seat, the cushion frame comprising:

a flange;

a side frame;

a bracket including a fixing portion located at a bottom end of the bracket; and

a coupling member including;

a cylindrical portion including a central axis,

a flange portion; and

welding regions,

wherein the side frame and the bracket are separated by a first space,

wherein the flange portion is adjacent to a surface of the bracket and is not located in the first space,

wherein the flange is adjacent to a surface of the side frame and is not located in the first space,

wherein a virtual plane passes substantially vertically through the bracket and includes;

a first center located in the fixing portion,

a second center located on the central axis,

a bracket center line connecting the first center and the second center, wherein the bracket center line has a upward portion located above the second center and has a downward portion located below the second center, and

a bracket normal line intersecting the second center and perpendicular to the bracket center line, wherein the bracket normal line has a front portion located in front of the second center and has a rear portion located in rear of the second center, and

wherein the welding regions include;

a first welding region welding a periphery of the flange portion to the bracket, and

a second welding region welding an inside edge of the flange to an outer surface of the cylindrical portion.

6. The cushion frame of claim 5,

wherein the first welding region, when projected onto the virtual plane, intersects the rear portion of the bracket normal line, and does not intersect the bracket center line, and

wherein the second welding region, when projected onto the virtual plane, intersects the rear portion of the bracket normal line, and does not intersect the bracket center line.

7. The cushion frame of claim 5,

wherein the first welding region is located substantially opposite to the second welding region relative to the central axis of the cylindrical portion when projected on the virtual plane.

8. The cushion frame of claim 5,

wherein the welding regions further include:

a third welding region further welding the periphery of the flange portion to the bracket,

wherein the third welding region, when projected on the virtual plane, intersects the downward portion of the bracket center line and does not intersect the bracket normal line, and

wherein the third welding region is separated from the first welding region by unwelded portions of the periphery of the flange portion.

9. The cushion frame of claim 8,

wherein the first welding region, when projected onto the virtual plane, intersects the rear portion of the bracket normal line, and does not intersect the bracket center line, and

wherein the third welding region, when projected onto the virtual plane, intersects the downward portion of the bracket center line, and does not intersect the bracket normal line.

10. The cushion frame of claim 9,

wherein the first welding region includes approximately 90 degrees of the periphery of the flange portion, and

wherein the third welding region includes approximately 90 degrees of the periphery of the flange portion.

11. The cushion frame of claim 8,

wherein the welding regions further include:

a fourth welding region further welding the inside edge of the flange to the outer surface of the cylindrical portion, and not contacting the second welding region,

a fifth welding region welding a periphery of the flange to a surface of the side frame, and

a sixth welding region further welding the periphery of the flange to the surface of the side frame, and not contacting the fifth welding region,

wherein the fourth welding region, when projected on the virtual plane, intersects the upward portion of the bracket center line and does not intersect the rear portion of the bracket normal line,

wherein the fifth welding region, when projected on the virtual plane, is located between the downward portion of the bracket center line and the rear portion of the bracket normal line,

wherein the sixth welding region is located between the upper portion of the bracket center line and the front portion of the bracket normal line.

12. The cushion frame of claim 11,

wherein the second welding region defines a first angle range relative to the central axis and intersects the bracket normal line when projected on the virtual plane, and

wherein the fourth welding region defines a second angle range relative to the central axis and intersects the bracket normal line when projected on the virtual plane.

13. The cushion frame of claim 12,

wherein the first angle range is approximately 90 degrees and does not intersect the bracket center line when projected onto the virtual plane,

wherein the second angle range is greater than 90 degrees,

wherein the fifth welding region is located within the first angle range when projected onto the virtual plane, and

wherein the sixth welding region is located within the second angle range wherein projected onto the virtual plane.

14. The cushion frame of claim 13,

wherein the first welding region has a third angle range of approximately 90 degrees, and

wherein the third welding region has a fourth angle range of approximately 90 degrees.

15. The cushion frame of claim 5,

wherein the welding regions further include:

a third welding region further welding the periphery of the flange portion to the bracket, and not contacting the first welding region,

a fourth welding region further welding the inside edge of the flange to the outer surface of the cylindrical portion, and not contacting the second welding region,

a fifth welding region welding a periphery of the flange to a surface of the side frame, and

a sixth welding region further welding the periphery of the flange to the surface of the side frame, and not contacting the fifth welding region, and

wherein a horizontal plane intersecting the central axis;

intersects the first welding region,

intersects the second welding region,

does not intersect the third welding region,

intersects the fourth welding region,

does not intersect the fifth welding region, and

intersects the sixth welding region.