VEHICLE SEAT

• US 20130307301A1
• Filed: 11/07/2011
• Published: 11/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NHK Spring Company Limited
• Original Assignee: NHK Spring Company Limited
• Inventors: Munemura, Nozomu, Nakane, Hironobu, Matsumoto, Atsuo, Nagahara, Ryo, Nagai, Kensuke
• Granted Patent: US 9,371,022 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 297/216.13
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/22 the back-rest being adjustable B60N2/2878 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/4214 longitudinal
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/4228 due to impact coming from the rear
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/42709 involving residual deformation or fracture of the structure
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/42745 of the back-rest B60N2/433 takes precedence; higher part of the back-rest moving together with the headrest B60N2/888
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/682 Joining means

Abstract

In a vehicle seat (10), a deformable portion (32) extends continuously from an edge portion of a placement hole (28) towards an outside of the placement hole (28). When the deformable portion (32) is plastically deformed by a fastening bolt (40), the deformable portion (32) does not readily deform so as to be pushed outwards, but deforms so as to be squashed. When a low press-contact force acts on a side face (32D), the deformable portion (32) does not readily perform plastic deformation, and an impact load imparted to a seatback frame (44) can be stably absorbed by the deformable portion (32). Impact load imparted to the seatback frame (44) can be continuously absorbed by the deformable portion (32) since the deformable portion (32) deforms continuously. Accordingly, impact load imparted to the seatback frame (44) can be efficiently absorbed by the deformable portion (32).

Claims

1. A vehicle seat comprising:

a cushion frame provided inside a seat cushion of a vehicle seat on which an occupant sits;

a seatback frame provided inside a seatback of the seat;

a coupling member that rotatably supports the seatback frame, that couples together the cushion frame and the seatback frame, and that is provided with a fixing hole such that the coupling member is fixed to the cushion frame;

a fixing portion that is inserted through the fixing hole, and that fixes the coupling member to the cushion frame; and

a weakened portion that is provided to the coupling member, that extends continuously from an edge portion of the fixing hole to an outside of the fixing hole, and that lets the coupling member undergo relative rotation with respect to the cushion frame by performing plastic deformation due to being pushed by the fixing portion when load in the vehicle rear direction or the vehicle front direction is imparted to the seatback frame at a time of vehicle collision.

2. The vehicle seat of claim 1 wherein:

the coupling member further comprises a first coupling portion that is coupled to the cushion frame and a second coupling portion that is coupled to the seatback frame; and

the fixing hole is disposed to a vehicle rear side of the first coupling portion and also disposed lower than the second coupling portion, such that the coupling member turns centered on the first coupling portion towards a vehicle bottom side when load in the vehicle rear direction is imparted to the seatback frame.

3. The vehicle seat of claim 1, wherein the weakened portion is integral to the coupling member.

4. The vehicle seat of claim 1, wherein the weakened portion is a separate body from the coupling member.

5. The vehicle seat of claim 1, wherein the thickness of the weakened portion becomes thicker on progression from an edge portion of the fixing hole towards the outside of the fixing hole.

6. The vehicle seat of claim 1, wherein the weakened portion is provided aligned along a movement direction of the coupling portion.

7. The vehicle seat of claim 1, wherein a width dimension of the weakened portion is set so as to increase on progression from an edge portion of the fixing hole towards the outside of the fixing hole.