Straddle-type seat

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10086893-B2
Application number	US-201615266533-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 15, 2016
Priority date	Sep 24, 2015
Publication date	Oct 2, 2018
Grant date	Oct 2, 2018

Abstract

A seat to be provided on a vehicle such as an automotive two-wheeled vehicle includes a seat body on which a rider rides, a backrest arranged at a rear side of the seat body, and an electric upward and downward movement mechanism configured to move the backrest upward or downward based on at least one of an acceleration of the vehicle or operation information for controlling the acceleration. The upward and downward movement mechanism includes a link mechanism, which connects a lower portion of the seat body and the backrest together, and an electric actuator, which is configured to input force to at least one of links included in the link mechanism.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A straddle-type seat to be provided on a vehicle, comprising:
a seat body on which a rider is to ride;
a backrest arranged at a rear side of the seat body; and
an electric upward and downward movement mechanism configured to move the backrest upward or downward based on at least one of an acceleration of the vehicle or operation information for controlling the acceleration;
wherein the backrest comprises:
a first support surface configured to support the rider when the backrest is at a lower limit position; and
a second support surface configured to support the rider when the backrest is at an upper limit position;

wherein a first angle between an upper surface of the seat body and the first support surface is different from a second angle between the upper surface of the seat body and the second support surface.

2. The straddle-type seat according to claim 1 , wherein the upward and downward movement mechanism comprises:
a link mechanism that connects a lower portion of the seat body with the backrest; and
an electric actuator configured to input force to at least one of links included in the link mechanism.

3. The straddle-type seat according to claim 2 , wherein the link mechanism is configured to move the backrest upward or downward so that the backrest moves along a pivotal trajectory with respect to the seat body.

4. The straddle-type seat according to claim 3 , wherein the backrest is substantially at a same position in a front to back direction in respective cases where the backrest is at the upper limit position and at the lower limit position.

5. The straddle-type seat according to claim 2 , wherein:
the link mechanism comprises a backrest side link member connected to the backrest; and
the backrest side link member comprises a front face of the backrest side link member in a seat front to back direction; and
a part of the front face of the backrest side link member is substantially parallel to the first support surface.

6. The straddle-type seat according to claim 2 , wherein:
the link mechanism comprises a backrest side link member connected to the backrest; and
the backrest side link member comprises an upper end portion provided above a corner where the first support surface and the second support surface are connected.

7. The straddle-type seat according to claim 1 , wherein the operation information for controlling the acceleration is an opening degree of an accelerator of the vehicle.

8. The straddle-type seat according to claim 7 , wherein:
when the opening degree of the accelerator is equal to or greater than a threshold, the upward and downward movement mechanism starts an upward movement of the backrest, and
when a predetermined upward movement stopping condition is satisfied, the upward and downward movement mechanism stops the upward movement of the backrest.

9. The straddle-type seat according to claim 8 , wherein the predetermined upward movement stopping condition is at least one of conditions that an upper limit switch for the backrest is turned on, that the number of output pulses synchronized with rotation of a motor as a primary mover for the upward and downward movement mechanism reaches an upper limit, or that an overload on the motor is detected.

10. The straddle-type seat according to claim 7 , wherein:
when a state in which the opening degree of the accelerator is below a threshold continues for a predetermined time, the upward and downward movement mechanism starts a downward movement of the backrest, and
when a predetermined downward movement stopping condition is satisfied, the upward and downward movement mechanism stops the downward movement of the backrest.

11. The straddle-type seat according to claim 10 , wherein the predetermined downward movement stopping condition is at least one of conditions that a lower limit switch for the backrest is turned on or that an overload on a motor as a primary mover for the upward and downward movement mechanism is detected.

12. A straddle-type seat to be provided on a vehicle, comprising:
a seat body on which a rider is to ride;
a backrest arranged at a rear side of the seat body; and
an electric upward and downward movement mechanism configured to move the backrest upward or downward based on at least one of an acceleration of the vehicle or operation information for controlling the acceleration;
wherein:
the upward and downward movement mechanism comprises:
a link mechanism that connects a lower portion of the seat body with the backrest; and
an electric actuator configured to input force to at least one of links included in the link mechanism; and

wherein the link mechanism connects the electric actuator with the backrest, and the electric actuator is attached to the seat body.

13. The straddle-type seat according to claim 12 , wherein the link mechanism is configured to move the backrest upward or downward so that the backrest moves along a pivotal trajectory with respect to the seat body.

14. The straddle-type seat according to claim 13 , wherein the backrest is substantially at a same position in a front to back direction in respective cases where the backrest is at an upper limit position and at a lower limit position.

15. The straddle-type seat according to claim 12 wherein the operation information for controlling the acceleration is an opening degree of an accelerator of the vehicle.

16. The straddle-type seat according to claim 15 , wherein:
when the opening degree of the accelerator is equal to or greater than a threshold, the upward and downward movement mechanism starts an upward movement of the backrest, and
when a predetermined upward movement stopping condition is satisfied, the upward and downward movement mechanism stops the upward movement of the backrest.

17. The straddle-type seat according to claim 16 , wherein the predetermined upward movement stopping condition is at least one of conditions that an upper limit switch for the backrest is turned on, that the number of output pulses synchronized with rotation of a motor as a primary mover for the upward and downward movement mechanism reaches an upper limit, or that an overload on the motor is detected.

18. The straddle-type seat according to claim 15 , wherein:
when a state in which the opening degree of the accelerator is below a threshold continues for a predetermined time, the upward and downward movement mechanism starts a downward movement of the backrest, and
when a predetermined downward movement stopping condition is satisfied, the upward and downward movement mechanism stops the downward movement of the backrest.

19. The straddle-type seat according to claim 18 , wherein the predetermined downward movement stopping condition is at least one of conditions that a lower limit switch for the backrest is turned on or that an overload on a motor as a primary mover for the upward and downward movement mechanism is detected.

Assignees

• Ts Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ogawa Tatsuro
• Honma Yuichi
• Kawada Haruhiko
• Kuma Tomokazu

Classifications

• B62J1/12

  Box-shaped seats; Bench-type seats, e.g. dual or twin seats · CPC title

• B62J1/28 Primary

  Other additional equipment, e.g. back-rests for children · CPC title

• B62J27/00

  Safety equipment · CPC title

• B62J6/24

  warning or informing the rider, e.g. low fuel warning lights · CPC title