Vehicle seat structure

• US 5,816,661 A
• Filed: 12/12/1996
• Issued: 10/06/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Kyouji, Takahashi, Kenji, Sakurai, Hideaki, Sugiyama, Toshimi, Ohnishi, Yasuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Cranmer, Laurie K.
• Application Number:
  US08/763,945
• Time in Patent Office: 663 Days
• Field of Search: 297/452.48, 297/452.26, 297/452.27, 297/452.32, 297/452.35, 297/452.37, 297/452.46, 297/452.47, 297/DIG. 1, 5/730
• US Class Current: 297/452.48
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/14 of adjustable shape; elastically mounted ; adaptable to a user contour or ergonomic seating positions movably-coupled seat and backrests with elastic adjustment means A47C1/03261; elastically-mounted back-rests or backrest-seat units in the base frame A47C7/44
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/70 Upholstery springs ; Upholstery
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/7017 characterised by the manufacturing process; manufacturing upholstery or upholstery springs not otherwise provided for

Abstract

A vehicle seat structure includes a seat cushion provided such that a spring constant of the seat cushion is set to be lowest at a central portion of a vehicle occupant at a hip point position of the vehicle occupant and become greater from the central portion of the vehicle occupant at the hip point position of the vehicle occupant toward vehicle transverse direction peripheries of the seat cushion.

Claims

1. A vehicle seat structure comprising:

a seat cushion having a spring constant distribution such that the spring constant of the seat cushion is lowest at a portion of the seat cushion which supports a central portion of a vehicle occupant at a hip point position of the vehicle occupant and increases continuously from the portion supporting the central portion of the vehicle occupant at the hip point position of the vehicle occupant toward vehicle transverse direction peripheries of said seat cushion.

2. A vehicle seat structure according to claim 1, wherein the spring constant distribution of said seat cushion is such that the spring constant of said seat cushion becomes continuously greater toward vehicle longitudinal direction peripheries of said seat cushion from the position supporting the central portion of the vehicle occupant at the hip point position of the vehicle occupant.

3. A vehicle seat structure according to claim 2, wherein said seat cushion has a space forming means in a cushion material which forms a portion of said seat cushion, said space forming means adjusting the spring constant.

4. A vehicle seat structure according to claim 3, wherein said space forming means is a large number of holes provided in a surface of the cushion material, and the spring constant is adjusted by at least one of depths of said holes, diameters of said holes, and density of said holes.

5. A vehicle seat structure according to claim 4, further comprising a second large number of holes formed in the surface of the cushion material interspersed with the first mentioned large number of holes, each of the second large number of holes having a larger diameter and less depth than each of the first mentioned large number of holes, and all of the second large number of holes having substantially the same depth.

6. A vehicle seat structure according to claim 4, wherein the surface of the cushion material is continuous between each of the large number of holes.

7. A vehicle seat structure according to claim 3, wherein said space forming means is a plurality of slits provided in a surface of the cushion material, and the spring constant is adjusted by at least one of depths of said slits, widths of said slits, and intervals between said slits.

8. A vehicle seat structure according to claim 2, wherein the spring constant of said seat cushion is adjusted by at least one of thickness and hardness of a cushion material which forms a portion of said seat cushion.

9. A vehicle seat structure according to claim 6, wherein the hardness of the cushion material is adjusted by superposing a plurality of cushion materials having different hardnesses.

10. A vehicle seat structure according to claim 1, wherein said seat cushion has a space forming means in a cushion material which forms a portion of said seat cushion, said space forming means adjusting the spring constant.

11. A vehicle seat structure according to claim 10, wherein said space forming means is a large number of holes provided in a surface of the cushion material, and the spring constant is adjusted by at least one of depths of said holes, diameters of said holes, and density of said holes.

12. A vehicle seat structure according to claim 10, wherein said space forming means is a plurality of slits provided in a surface of the cushion material, and the spring constant is adjusted by at least one of depths of said slits, widths of said slits, and intervals between said slits.

13. A vehicle seat structure according to claim 1, wherein the spring constant of said seat cushion is adjusted by at least one of thickness and hardness of a cushion material which forms a portion of said seat cushion.

14. A vehicle seat structure according to claim 13, wherein the hardness of the cushion material is adjusted by superposing a plurality of cushion materials having different hardnesses.

15. A vehicle seat structure comprising:

a seat back having a spring constant distribution such that the spring constant of the seat back is lowest at a central portion of a vehicle occupant back contacting portion of said seat back and increases continuously from the central portion of the vehicle occupant back contacting portion toward vehicle transverse directions of said seat back.

16. A vehicle seat structure according to claim 15, wherein said seat back has a space forming means in a cushion material which forms a portion of said seat back, said space forming means adjusting the spring constant.

17. A vehicle seat structure according to claim 16, wherein said space forming means is a large number of holes provided in a surface of the cushion material toward a seat back surface covering which forms a portion of said seat back, and the spring constant is adjusted by at least one of depths of said holes, diameters of said holes, and density of said holes.

18. A vehicle seat struct;

ure according to claim 17, further comprising a second large number of holes formed in the surface of the cushion material interpersed with the first mentioned large number of holes, each of the second large number of holes having a larger diameter and less depth than each of the first mentioned large number of holes, and all of the second large number of holes having substantially the same depth.

19. A vehicle seat structure according to claim 17, wherein the surface of the cushion material is continous between each of the large number of holes.

20. A vehicle seat structure according to claim 15, wherein the spring constant of said seat back is adjusted by at least one of thickness and hardness of a cushion material which forms a portion of said seat back.

21. A vehicle seat structure according to claim 20, wherein the hardness of the cushion material is adjusted by superposing a plurality of cushion materials having different hardnesses.