Seat structure

• US 8,540,313 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2008
• Issued: 09/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Delta Tooling Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Delta Tooling Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Fujita, Etsunori, Kawasaki, Seiji, Oshimo, Hiroki, Kojima, Shigeyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): BARFIELD, ANTHONY DERRELL
• Application Number:
  US12/601,404
• Publication Number:
  US 20100187881A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,953 Days
• Field of Search: 297291-293, 297/296, 297/300.5, 297/354.11, 297/284.4, 297/300.3, 297/317
• US Class Current: 297/300.3
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/028 Elastically mounted back-rests
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/22 the back-rest being adjustable B60N2/2878 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/42736 of the whole seat
• 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 2/42763 with anti-submarining systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/502 attached to the base of the seat B60N2/504 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/504 attached to the base and the backrest
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/507 Parallelogram-like structure
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/548 Torsion springs, e.g. torsion helicoidal springs
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/68 Seat frames
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/7094 Upholstery springs
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/986 Side-rests B60N2/2872, B60N2/885 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B61D 33/0014 Seat frames B61D33/0092 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B61D 33/0035 Cushions or the like; Covers
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/064 Adjustable inclination or position of seats
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/0647 Seats characterised by special upholstery or cushioning features
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/0649 Seats characterised by special features for reducing weight

Abstract

Follow-up performance to respiratory movements is made higher than that of the prior art without obstructing movements of the pelvis of a person. A configuration is adopted that a cushioning member arrangement frame for a seat back 34, 140 and a cushioning member arrangement frame for a seat cushion are displaced according to load fluctuation to a cushioning member for a seat back 40, 150 or a cushioning member for a seat cushion 20. That is, such a configuration is adopted that the cushioning member arrangement frame for a seat back 34, 140 or the cushioning member for a seat cushion 20 not only moves according to load fluctuation but also frames themselves supporting them move via tension structure members spread over the frames (a cushioning member for a seat back and a cushioning member for a seat cushion). Accordingly, when a person lays his/her pelvis at his/her sitting position for deep breathing, the cushioning member arrangement frame for a seat back is displaced to push the vicinity of an upper portion of the cushioning member for a seat back, so that the vicinity of a lower portion of the cushioning member for a seat back is pushed forward to enrich support of the sacrum of the person.

Claims

1. A seat structure comprising:

a seat back section provided with an elastic supporting mechanism for a seat back which supports a cushioning member arrangement frame for a seat back provided for arranging a cushioning member for a seat back such that the cushioning member arrangement frame for a seat back can be displaced according to load fluctuation to the cushioning member for a seat back; and

a seat cushion section provided with an elastic supporting mechanism for a seat cushion which supports a cushioning member arrangement frame for a seat cushion provided for arranging a cushioning member for a seat cushion such that the cushioning member arrangement frame for a seat cushion can be displaced according to load fluctuation to the cushioning member for a seat cushion, wherein

the seat cushion section is provided with a platform frame and a parallel linkage having a front link portion and a rear link portion which are disposed in the vicinity of a front portion of the platform frame and in the vicinity of a rear portion thereof, respectively,

the cushioning member arrangement frame for a seat cushion is provided with a front portion supporting frame disposed between a pair of front link portions of the parallel linkage and a rear portion supporting frame disposed between a pair of rear link portions of the parallel linkage,

the elastic supporting mechanism for a seat cushion is provided with a torsion bar coupled to at least one of a rotation center of the front link portion and a rotation center of the rear link portion,

the front link portion and the rear link portion of the parallel linkage are attached such that positions of the front portion supporting frame and the rear portion supporting frame supported by the front link portion and the rear link portion are displaced obliquely forward and downward at a load applying time while being displaced obliquely backward and upward at a load removing time,

a cushion pan with flexibility for supporting the cushioning member for a seat cushion which is supported by the front portion supporting frame and the rear portion supporting frame is disposed at a lower portion of the cushioning member for a seat cushion,

the cushion pan includes a hole portion formed at a site including a position corresponding to at least an ischial tuberosity of a person,

the cushion pan is provided with a front portion engagement portion engaged with the front portion supporting frame and a rear portion engagement portion engaged with the rear portion supporting frame, and the cushion pan is provided such that, when load pressing a front edge portion of the cushion pan at a leg stretching time of a person acts on the cushion pan, the cushion pan is rotated about the front portion supporting frame such that a portion of the cushion pan positioned on the side of a hip of a person rises upwardly,

the front portion engagement portion comprises a pair of plate springs projecting from the cushion pan downwardly such that the plate springs can clamp the front portion supporting frame, and

the rear portion engagement portion is formed of a plate spring having a bent portion obtained by bending a base plate portion joined to a lower face of the cushion pan downward and then bending the same backward, where the bent portion is inserted below the rear portion supporting frame so that the rear portion supporting frame is clamped between the bent portion and the lower face of the cushion pan.

2. The seat structure according to claim 1, wherein

the cushioning member arrangement frame for a seat back is made of flexible material and configures a portion of the elastic supporting mechanism for a seat back,

the vicinity of an upper portion of the cushioning member arrangement frame for a seat back is displaced backward by load fluctuation for pressing the vicinity of an upper portion of the cushioning member for a seat back backward, and

the vicinity of an upper portion of the cushioning member arrangement frame for a seat back is displaced forward via the cushioning member for a seat back by load fluctuation pressing the vicinity of a lower portion of the cushioning member for a seat back backward.

3. The seat structure according to claim 2, wherein

the vicinity of the upper portion of the cushioning member arrangement frame for a seat back is displaced backward and the vicinity of a lower portion thereof is displayed forward by load fluctuation pressing the vicinity of the upper portion of the cushioning member for a seat back backward.

4. The seat structure according to claim 3, wherein

the cushioning member arrangement frame for a seat back is provided with a high rigid portion in the vicinity of a portion corresponding to a waist of a person, and can be displaced forward and backward utilizing the vicinity as a fulcrum.

5. The seat structure according to claim 1, wherein

the seat back section is provided with a resin cover, a base frame fixed inside the resin cover, and the cushioning member arrangement frame for a seat back, and

the cushioning member arrangement frame for a seat back is provided such that an upper hem portion thereof is spaced from the resin cover forward.

6. The seat structure according to claim 1, wherein

a combination of the resin cover and the base frame fixed and integrated to the resin cover, and the cushioning member arrangement frame for a seat back have different elasticities and the elasticity of the cushioning member arrangement frame for a seat back is lower than that of the combination of the resin cover and the base frame fixed and integrated to the resin cover.

7. The seat structure according to claim 5, wherein

a spring member configuring a portion of the elastic supporting mechanism for a seat back is provided on an upper portion side of the base frame, and the upper hem portion of the cushioning member arrangement frame for a seat back is elastically supported by the spring member.

8. The seat structure according to claim 1, wherein

the seat back section is provided with a base frame and a parallel linkage having an upper link portion and a lower link portion which are respectively arranged in the vicinity of an upper portion of the base frame and in the vicinity of a lower portion thereof,

the cushioning member arrangement frame for a seat back is disposed such that the vicinity of an upper portion thereof is coupled to the upper link portion of the parallel linkage and the vicinity of a lower portion thereof is coupled to the lower link portion of the parallel linkage, and

the elastic supporting mechanism for a seat back is provided with a torsion bar coupled to at least one of a rotation center of the upper link portion and a rotation center of the lower link portion.

9. The seat structure according to claim 8, wherein the upper link portion and the lower link portion of the parallel linkage are attached such that a position of the cushioning member for a seat back supported by the upper link portion and the lower link portion is displaced obliquely backward and upward at a load applying time while being displaced obliquely forward and downward at a load removing time.

10. The seat structure according to claim 1, wherein an upper end of a coil spring whose lower end is engaged with any frame is engaged with a lower portion of the cushioning member for a seat back.

11. The seat structure according to claim 10, wherein the coil spring is disposed in the vicinity of a portion corresponding to a waist of a person along a vertical direction, where forward and backward swing centering around a lower end of the coil spring and expansion and contraction occur in the coil spring according to load fluctuation.

12. The seat structure according to claim 10, further comprising an auxiliary cushion for a seat back whose upper end is engaged with an approximately central portion of the cushioning member for a seat back and whose lower end is provided covering a front side of the coil spring, wherein a lower end side of the auxiliary cushion for a seat back is thicker than an upper end side thereof.

13. The seat structure according to claim 1, wherein the cushion pan comprises a combination of synthetic resin material, and tetra-axial woven fabric, bi-axial woven fabric, or non-woven fabric which is integrated with the synthetic resin material to impart stiffness to the synthetic resin material.

14. The seat structure according to claim 1, wherein the front link portion and the rear link portion configuring the parallel linkage are provided such that a seat angle of the cushion pan at a non-loaded time is in a range from 0°

to 10°

when the front link portion and the rear link portion support the cushion pan.

15. The seat structure according to claim 1, wherein the cushioning member for a seat cushion has a structure obtained by stacking at least a base cushion, an intermediate cushion, and an upper cushion.