Seat device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10093370-B2
Application number	US-201515110263-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 7, 2015
Priority date	Jan 9, 2014
Publication date	Oct 9, 2018
Grant date	Oct 9, 2018

Abstract

A seat device that is capable of improving body pressure distribution during traveling is provided. In a seat device including a seating seat, in both of end portions in the seat width direction of the seating seat, at positions interposed between the bottom plate and a cushion member of the seating seat, turning plates are provided. The parts of the cushion member, where the turning plates are provided between the same and the bottom plate, constitute turning parts that turn around edges thereof on the width direction inner sides as base points, as the turning plates turn. In the cushion member, slits are formed at boundary positions between the turning parts and a non-turning part, that is, a part other than the turning parts.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A seat device comprising:
a seating portion that comprises a bottom plate, a cushion member supported by the bottom plate, and an outer layer member covering the cushion member; and
respective drive mechanisms that are provided in each of both end portions of the seating portion in a seat width direction of the seating portion, the drive mechanisms being interposed between the bottom plate and the cushion member,
wherein at least a part of the each of the both end portions comprises a movable portion that is displaced as the drive mechanisms are actuated,
wherein, the cushion member includes a notch in each of both end portions of the cushion member in the seat width direction, the notches configured to provide clearance between the movable portion of the cushion member and a non-movable portion of the cushion member when the movable portion is displaced as the drive mechanisms are actuated,
wherein each of the notches is provided on an outer side of a turning base point of the movable portion in the seat width direction and formed along an outer edge of the movable portion in the seat width direction, and
wherein each of the notches is a slit that is provided on an upper surface of the cushion member and includes a right-and-left edge portion that extends in the seat width direction and a front-and-back edge portion that is connected to the right-and-left edge portion and extends in a seat front to back direction.

2. The seat device according to claim 1 , further comprising a power source configured to impart power to the drive mechanisms,
wherein the power source is provided at a position that is separated from the notch and that is interposed between the bottom plate and the cushion member.

3. The seat device according to claim 2 , wherein a cable that transmits the power from the power source to the respective drive mechanisms is laid along a support surface of the bottom plate, wherein the support surface supports the cushion member.

4. The seat device according to claim 3 ,
wherein each of the drive mechanisms is a member in a flat plate form, and
wherein the power source includes an actuator configured to pull the cable,
the seat device further comprising a contact member that is arranged between the drive mechanisms and the bottom plate, to be in contact with the drive mechanisms,
wherein, as the cable is pulled, one end portion of the contact member with which the cable is engaged moves toward an other end portion of the contact member, which causes an intermediate portion of the contact member, positioned between the one end portion and the other end portion of the contact member, to be bent in such a direction that the intermediate portion presses the drive mechanisms, and
wherein, on the bottom plate, projection-form guide portions are provided at positions in the seat width direction between which the contact member is interposed, along the direction in which the one end portion is moved.

5. The seat device according to claim 4 , wherein the bottom plate comprises, in a part positioned on an outer side in the seat width direction with respect to the contact member, a flat portion that is formed with a surface on a same side as that side of the outer layer member, the surface being flat.

6. The seat device according to claim 3 ,
wherein each of the drive mechanisms is a member in a flat plate form, and
wherein the cable is pulled by an actuator as the power source,
the seat device further comprising a contact member that is housed in a turnable state in a housing unit that is in a cavity form provided in the bottom plate, the contact member being in contact with the drive mechanisms,
wherein, as the cable is pulled, the contact member is turned to such a position that a protruding part of the contact member protrudes out of the housing unit, and the drive mechanisms, pressed by the protruding part of the contact member, are actuated to displace the movable portion.

7. The seat device according to claim 6 , wherein, on a surface of the drive mechanisms on a side opposed to the contact member, a reinforcement rib formed in a lattice form is provided.

8. The seat device according to claim 6 , wherein, in a surface of the drive mechanisms on a side opposed to the contact member, an area in contact with the contact member protrudes toward the contact member.

9. The seat device according to claim 6 , wherein, on an outer surface of the contact member, a reinforcement rib formed in a lattice form is provided.

10. The seat device according to claim 3 ,
wherein, on the bottom plate, a cable housing groove is formed, the cable housing groove being formed for laying the cable along the support surface, and
wherein, on an interior wall of the cable housing groove, a projected portion that comes into contact with the cable housed in the cable housing groove to fix the position of the cable.

11. The seat device according to claim 3 ,
wherein the cable that transmits the power from the power source to the drive mechanism provided at one end portion in the seat width direction, and the cable that transmits the power from the power source to the drive mechanism provided at another end portion in the seat width direction, are provided separately, and
wherein the power from the power source is transmitted to each of the drive mechanism exclusively via corresponding one of the cables provided separately for the drive mechanisms, respectively.

12. The seat device according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a contact member that is in contact with the drive mechanism,
a housing unit that is in a cavity form, provided in the bottom plate, and configured to house the contact member in a turnable state, and
a cable housing groove that is formed on the bottom plate for laying the cable along the support surface, and
wherein a cavity of the housing unit and the cable housing groove are connected.

13. The seat device according to claim 3 ,
wherein a cable housing groove is formed on the bottom plate, the cable housing groove being formed for laying the cable along the support surface, and
wherein a part of the cable housing groove is covered with the drive mechanism.

14. The seat device according to claim 2 ,
wherein the seating portion is a two-seater seating portion having a front end portion and a rear end portion on which front and rear riders of a vehicle can be seated, respectively, and
wherein the power source is arranged between seated positions of the front end portion and the rear end portion in a front to back direction of the seating portion.

15. The seat device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the drive mechanisms turn around a respective turning axis provided at one end side of the corresponding drive mechanism in the seat width direction, and
wherein the drive mechanisms and the turning axis are arranged at a position in the seat width direction that is outside of a range where an ischium of the rider is located.

16. The seat device according to claim 1 ,
the seat device further comprising:
a sensor that detects a travel speed of the vehicle;
a control mechanism that controls the drive mechanism; and
a switch that is turned between an ON state and an OFF state to switch the presence or absence of control by the control mechanism,
wherein, when the switch is in the ON state, the control mechanism controls the drive mechanism according to a detection result by the sensor.

17. The seat device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a control mechanism that controls the drive mechanisms; and
a movem

Assignees

• Ts Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ogawa Tatsuro
• Isobe Ryuji
• Honma Yuichi

Classifications

• B60N2/40

  saddle type · CPC title

• B62J1/007

  Saddles with specific anatomical adaptations · CPC title

• B60N2/62

  Thigh-rests {(B60N2/914 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B62J1/005 Primary

  Saddles having a seating area with multiple separate weight bearing surfaces · CPC title

• B60N2002/0288

  Adjustable seat width · CPC title