Vehicle seat

• US 9,884,574 B2
• Filed: 11/27/2013
• Issued: 02/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TS Tech Company Limited
• Original Assignee: TS Tech Company Limited
• Inventors: Mizoi, Kensuke, Abe, Ryuzaburo, Niitsuma, Kenichi, Tanaka, Soichiro, Muto, Chihiro, Ito, Takeshi, Furuta, Ai
• Primary Examiner(s): Brindley, Timothy J
• Application Number:
  US14/647,709
• Publication Number:
  US 20150321590A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,532 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/002 Seats provided with an occupancy detection means mounted therein or thereon detection means responsive to presence or absence of children B60N2/266
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0284 Adjustable seat-cushion length B60N2/0224 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/42 the seat constructed to protect the occupant from the effect of abnormal g-forces, e.g. crash or safety seats for protecting children B60N2/26; arm-rests B60N2/75; head-rests B60N2/888
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/4228 due to impact coming from the rear
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/4235 transversal
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/42754 of the cushion
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/62 Thigh-rests B60N2/914 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/643 shape of the back-rests B60N2/66 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/66 Lumbar supports
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/68 Seat frames
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/80 Head-rests
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/914 Hydro-pneumatic adjustments of the shape
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/986 Side-rests B60N2/2872, B60N2/885 take precedence

Abstract

A seating posture is stabilized for the shoulders of a passenger seated on a vehicle seat. A vehicle seat is provided with a seat back configured to support the seated person from the rear. A shoulder support portion of the seat back configured to support a corresponding one of the shoulders of the seated passenger includes an air cell configured to expand when air is supplied. When the air cell expands, one end portion of the shoulder support portion on the outside in the width direction of the vehicle seat moves more forward than the other end portion of the shoulder support portion on the inside in the width direction.

Claims

1. A vehicle seat comprising:

a seat back that supports a seated passenger from a rear,

wherein;

a shoulder support portion provided at the seat back and that supports each of shoulders of the seated passenger includes a bag that expands by supply of fluid into the bag,

the bag expands such that one end portion of the shoulder support portion positioned on an outside in a width direction of the vehicle seat moves more forward than another end portion of the shoulder support portion positioned on an inside in the width direction, and

when the bag expands to move the one end portion more forward than the other end portion, an upper portion of the one end portion moves more forward than a lower portion of the one end portion.

2. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the bag is arranged such that an outer portion of an upper end of the bag on the outside in the width direction is positioned below an inner portion of the upper end of the bag on the inside in the width direction.

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

the seat back includes a plate-shaped member disposed in a front of the bag,

when the bag expands while contacting a rear surface of the plate-shaped member, the plate-shaped member deforms such that a portion of the plate-shaped member corresponding to the one end portion is positioned more forward than a portion of the plate-shaped member corresponding to the other end portion, thereby moving the one end portion more forward than the other end portion, and

an area of a front surface of the plate-shaped member is greater than an area of a surface of the bag contacting the plate-shaped member.

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

the seat back includes a plate-shaped member disposed in the front of the bag,

when the bag expands while contacting the rear surface of the plate-shaped member, the plate-shaped member deforms such that the portion of the plate-shaped member corresponding to the one end portion is positioned more forward than the portion of the plate-shaped member corresponding to the other end portion, thereby moving the one end portion more forward than the other end portion, and

in the plate-shaped member, a dividing portion divides the plate-shaped member into first and second portions and is formed between the first and second portions, the first portion being positioned in the rear of one of the shoulders of the seated passenger, and the second portion being positioned in the rear of another shoulder of the seated passenger.

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

the bag includes two bags arranged in the width direction, and

a tube member that forms a path of fluid to be supplied to each bag and to be sucked from each bag is disposed to pass a middle portion of the seat back where a clearance is formed between the bags in the width direction.

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

the seat back includes a plate-shaped member disposed in the front of the bags,

the plate-shaped member includes, at an upper end portion thereof, a deformable portion that, when the bag expands while contacting the rear surface of the plate-shaped member, deforms such that the portion of the plate-shaped member corresponding to the one end portion is positioned more forward than the portion of the plate-shaped member corresponding to the other end portion, and

an outer end portion of an outer edge of the deformable portion positioned on the outside in the width direction inclines downward toward the outside in the width direction.

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

the seat back comprises;

a seat back frame forming a framework of the seat back;

a support plate attached to the seat back frame that supports the bags from the rear; and

a holding portion attached to the seat back frame that contacts a rear surface of the support plate to hold the support plate.

10. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the bag is arranged such that a direction from an end of the bag on the inside in the width direction toward an end of the bag on the outside in the width direction is coincident with a longitudinal direction of the bag.

11. The vehicle seat according to claim 10, wherein a length in a vertical direction is greater in an end portion of the bag on the inside in the width direction than in an end portion of the bag on the outside in the width direction.

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

the seat back includes a pillar support portion that supports a head rest pillar extending from a lower portion of a head rest of the vehicle seat, and

the bag is arranged such that an end of the bag on the inside in the width direction is positioned on the inside relative to a middle of the pillar support portion in the width direction.

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

the seat back includes a plate-shaped member disposed in the front of the bags,

the plate-shaped member includes a deformable portion that, when the bags expand while contacting the rear surface of the plate-shaped member, deforms such that the portion of the plate-shaped member corresponding to the one end portion is positioned more forward than the portion of the plate-shaped member corresponding to the other end portion, and

in a state in which the seated passenger is seated on the vehicle seat, the deformable portion deforms, by expansion of the bags, while curving to cover around the shoulders of the seated passenger.

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

the seat back includes a plate-shaped member disposed in the front of the bags,

when the bags expand while contacting the rear surface of the plate-shaped member, the plate-shaped member deforms such that the portion of the plate-shaped member corresponding to the one end portion is positioned more forward than the portion of the plate-shaped member corresponding to the other end portion, thereby moving the one end portion more forward than the other end portion, and

each bag is arranged such that an end of the bag on the outside in the width direction is positioned on the outside relative to an end of the plate-shaped member on the outside in the width direction.

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

the seat back includes a seat back frame forming a framework of the seat back, and

each bag is arranged such that a front end of the bag is positioned more forward than the seat back frame when the bag expands.

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

the seat back includes a seat back frame forming a framework of the seat back, and

each bag is provided such that an end of the bag on the outside in the width direction is positioned on the outside relative to an end of the seat back frame on the outside in the width direction.

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

the seat back comprises;

a seat back frame forming a framework of the seat back;

a connection member that connects between one end portion of the seat back frame and another end portion of the seat back frame in the width direction; and

a plate-shaped support plate that supports the bag from the rear, and

the support plate is fixed to the connection member.

18. The vehicle seat according to claim 17, wherein, in a vertical direction, a region of the seat back where the bag is arranged overlaps with a region of the seat back where the connection member is disposed.

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

the seat back includes a plate-shaped member disposed in the front of the bags,

the plate-shaped member includes a deformable portion that, when the bags expand while contacting the rear surface of the plate-shaped member, deforms such that the portion of the plate-shaped member corresponding to the one end portion is positioned more forward than the portion of the plate-shaped member corresponding to the other end portion, and

a lower end region of an outer edge of the deformable portion in the portion located at an end portion on the outside in the width direction inclines inward in the width direction toward a lower side.

5. A vehicle seat, comprising:

a seat back that supports a seated passenger from a rear,

wherein;

a shoulder support portion provided at the seat back and that supports each of shoulders of the seated passenger includes a bag that expands by supply of fluid into the bag,

the bag expands such that one end portion of the shoulder support portion positioned on an outside in a width direction of the vehicle seat moves more forward than another end portion of the shoulder support portion positioned on an inside in the width direction,

the seat back comprises;

a plate-shaped member disposed in the front of the bag; and

movement restriction portions disposed respectively at both end portions of the seat back in the width direction that restrict movement of the seated passenger in the width direction,

the plate-shaped member comprises;

a deformable portion that, when the bag expands while contacting the rear surface of the plate-shaped member, deforms such that the portion of the plate-shaped member corresponding to the one end portion is positioned more forward than the portion of the plate-shaped member corresponding to the other end portion, and

an extension positioned below the deformable portion and extending downward to pass a space between the movement restriction portions in the width direction,

wherein the extension;

is narrower than the deformable portion in the width direction, and

is disposed such that both ends of the extension in the width direction are positioned on an inside of the movement restriction portions.

8. A vehicle seat, comprising:

a seat back that supports a seated passenger from a rear,

wherein;

a shoulder support portion provided at the seat back and that supports each of shoulders of the seated passenger includes a bag that expands by supply of fluid into the bag,

the bag expands such that one end portion of the shoulder support portion positioned on an outside in a width direction of the vehicle seat moves more forward than another end portion of the shoulder support portion positioned on an inside in the width direction,

the seat back includes a plate-shaped member disposed in the front of the bags,

the plate-shaped member comprises;

a deformable portion that, when the bag expands while contacting the rear surface of the plate-shaped member, deforms such that the portion of the plate-shaped member corresponding to the one end portion is positioned more forward than the portion of the plate-shaped member corresponding to the other end portion, and

an extension positioned below the deformable portion and extending downward, and

the deformable portion and the extension are integrally connected together.