Vehicle seat

• US 9,302,602 B2
• Filed: 08/12/2013
• Issued: 04/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TS Tech Company Limited
• Original Assignee: TS Tech Company Limited
• Inventors: Yoshida, Hajime, Tsukamoto, Masaru
• Primary Examiner(s): WHITE, RODNEY BARNETT
• Application Number:
  US14/421,026
• Publication Number:
  US 20150239379A1
• Time in Patent Office: 967 Days
• Field of Search: 297/180.12, 297/218.1, 297/218.2, 297/218.3, 297/218.4, 297/218.5
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/748 for heating
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/5685 Resistance
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/5816 attachments thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/5825 by hooks, staples, clips, snap fasteners or the like

Abstract

A seat heater provided in a seat cushion of a vehicle seat includes a first heater wire and a second heater wire which are arranged on the opposite side to each other through the groove provided on the surface of a cushion pad, and a groove portion heater wire provided in the groove for connecting the second heater wire with the first heater wire. The groove portion heater wire includes one end portion extending toward a groove bottom beyond a first corner of the groove, the other end portion extending toward the groove bottom beyond a second corner of the groove, and a folded portion folded in the central part of the groove bottom. The extending direction of at least one of the one end portion and the other end portion of the groove portion heater wire is inclined with respect to the depth direction of the groove.

Claims

1. A vehicle seat, comprising:

a cushion pad;

a skin for covering the cushion pad; and

a seat heater between the cushion pad and the skin for covering the cushion pad,

wherein;

a groove is provided on a surface of the cushion pad;

the seat heater comprises;

a first heater wire and a second heater wire which are arranged on opposite sides to each other through the groove; and

a groove portion heater wire provided in the groove for connecting the second heater wire with the first heater wire;

the groove comprises;

a first corner located on a side on which the first heater wire is arranged of both ends of an opening of the groove; and

a second corner located on a side on which the second heater wire is arranged;

the groove portion heater wire comprises;

a first end portion extending toward a bottom of the groove beyond the first corner;

a second end portion extending toward a bottom of the groove beyond the second corner; and

a folded portion folded in an extending direction of the groove at the bottom of the groove;

the folded portion is arranged in a central part of the groove in a direction of connecting the first heater wire with the second heater wire; and

the extending direction of at least one of the first end portion and the second end portion of the groove portion heater wire is inclined with respect to a depth direction of the groove.

2. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein:

a region where the first heater wire is placed is located at a side where a deformation amount of the cushion pad with respect to a load applied to the cushion pad by seating of an occupant is larger than a region where the second heater wire is placed, of a surface of the cushion pad; and

the extending direction of the first end portion of the groove portion heater wire is inclined with respect to the depth direction of the groove.

3. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the first corner and the second corner are chamfered into an R-shape.

4. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the groove portion heater wire comprises one folded portion.

5. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein:

a positioning portion for arranging the seat heater on the cushion pad is provided on at least either one of the cushion pad and the seat heater, and

the positioning portion positions the seat heater at a position where the groove portion heater wire extends toward the bottom of the groove from at least one of the corners to be inclined than the depth direction of the groove beyond the corner.

6. The vehicle seat according to claim 5, wherein:

the positioning portion comprises a concave portion provided on the surface of the cushion pad and a notch formed by notching a part of the seat heater, and

when the seat heater is arranged on the cushion pad, the position where the notch is provided is aligned with the position where the concave portion is provided.

7. The vehicle seat according to claim 5, wherein:

the positioning portion comprises a convex portion provided on the surface of the cushion pad and a notch formed by notching a part of the seat heater; and

when the seat heater is arranged on the cushion pad, the position where the notch is provided is aligned with the position where the convex portion is provided, and the notch is abutted to the convex portion.

8. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein:

the heater wire comprising the first heater wire, the second heater wire and the groove portion heater wire extends to intersect with the groove;

the groove comprises a first region where the groove portion heater wire extends and a second region different from the first region; and

the first region comprises an escape portion in which the length along the extending direction of the heater wire at the opening is longer than the second region.

9. The vehicle seat according to claim 8, wherein the escape portion widens in a tapered shape from the bottom toward the opening of the groove.

10. The vehicle seat according to claim 8, wherein

the escape portion comprises concave portions arranged on opposite sides to each other through the groove, and

the concave portion are recessed in the bottom direction of the groove and are shallower than the depth of the groove.

11. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the groove comprises a regulation member in a region different from a region where the groove portion heater wire extends in the extending direction of the groove.

12. The vehicle seat according to claim 11, wherein:

a hanging member inserted into the groove is attached to the skin; and

the regulation member is attached to the skin together with the hanging member.