JP6290880B2 - Skeletal shape measuring device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a skeletal shape measuring apparatus that measures the skeleton shape of a predetermined part of a seated occupant, and in particular, a flexible sensor that detects the bent shape of the skeleton by bending along the skeleton of the seated person. The present invention relates to the skeleton shape measuring apparatus used.

  An apparatus for measuring a sitting posture of a person sitting on a seat, in other words, a skeleton shape, is already well known, for example, based on an output from a shape sensor interposed between the seat and the seated person. An apparatus to measure is mentioned as an example (for example, refer patent document 1).

  On the other hand, in recent years, a sensor comprising a shape sensing optical fiber has been developed as a shape sensor. When such a sensor is applied to the measuring device of Patent Document 1, the sensor itself bends along the curved shape of the skeleton of the seated person, and the refractive index of light at each part of the sensor that changes in accordance with this is detected. The bent shape can be measured.

Japanese Patent No. 2690978

  By the way, in order to accurately measure the bent shape of the skeleton of the seated person, the sensor composed of the shape sensing optical fiber needs to be bent so as to reproduce the bent shape of the skeleton. On the other hand, the conventional shape sensor is disposed between the seat and the seated person, and more strictly, is disposed between the cushion material of the seat and the seated person. Here, if the shape sensor is in contact with the surface of the cushion material of the seat, the surface shape of the cushion material affects the bending state of the shape sensor, which hinders detection of the skeleton shape by the sensor. . For this reason, the structure which does not exert influence of a cushion material with respect to the skeleton shape measurement by a shape sensor is needed.

  Moreover, when adopting a configuration that does not affect the skeletal shape measurement by the shape sensor, it is necessary not to impair the seating feeling (in other words, riding comfort) of the seat. Furthermore, it is still desirable if the configuration is such that the load input to the shape sensor at the time of measuring the skeleton shape does not become excessive.

Then, this invention is made | formed in view of said problem, The objective is to provide the skeleton shape measuring apparatus which can measure a skeleton shape correctly, without receiving the influence of a cushioning material. is there.
Another object of the present invention is to secure a seating feeling when adopting a configuration in which the skeleton shape is accurately measured without being affected by the cushion material.
Furthermore, another object of the present invention is to prevent an excessive input load to the sensor at the time of measuring the skeleton shape.

According to the skeleton shape measuring apparatus of the present invention, the subject is a skeleton shape measuring apparatus that measures the skeleton shape of a predetermined part of a seated occupant, and a support part that supports the predetermined part of the seated person, A flexible sensor that can be bent along the curved shape in order to detect the curved shape of the skeleton at the predetermined portion in the support portion, and a portion that is provided in the support portion and that faces the flexible sensor. A cushioning material having a recess formed along the flexible sensor, and the flexible sensor has the greatest degree of curvature when the seated person sits on the seat in the seated person's spine. The curved shape of the portion to be detected is detected, and at the stage before the seated person is seated on the seat, at least the portion of the concave portion adjacent to the portion where the degree of bending is greatest Min is solved by forming the space between the flexible sensor in the longitudinal direction of the sheet.
In said apparatus, the recessed part along a flexible sensor is formed in the part which opposes a flexible sensor among cushion materials. Then, before the seated person sits on the seat, a portion of the recess adjacent to the portion where the degree of curvature in the spine is the largest forms a space with the flexible sensor in the front-rear direction of the seat. ing. As a result, when the flexible sensor bends along the portion of the spine where the degree of curvature is greatest, the above space is secured as the bending space. It becomes possible to suppress contact. As a result, it is possible to accurately measure the bent shape even at a portion where the degree of curvature in the spine is the largest. That is, in the above apparatus, by providing a space between the flexible sensor and the cushioning material, the flexible sensor exerts the influence of the cushioning material (specifically, pressing from the cushioning material) when measuring the skeleton shape. It becomes difficult to receive. Therefore, the flexible sensor can bend appropriately along the curved shape of the skeleton of the seated person without interfering with the cushion material, and therefore, the curved shape of the skeleton can be accurately measured. .

In the skeleton shape measuring apparatus, the space may be a through hole.
In said structure, the part adjacent to the site | part where the curvature degree in the spine becomes the largest among the recessed parts formed in the cushion material is a through-hole. This makes it possible to secure a wider space in the depth direction when the flexible sensor bends along the portion of the spine where the degree of curvature is greatest. This makes it possible to more effectively suppress the contact between the flexible sensor and the cushion material, and more accurately measure the bent shape of the portion where the degree of curvature in the spine is the largest.

In the skeletal shape measuring apparatus, the space may be formed above the waist of the seated person when the seated person is seated on the seat.
In the above configuration, the position of the space (that is, the portion of the concave portion where the degree of curvature in the spine is the largest) in the cushion material is located above the waist of the seated person seated on the seat. In other words, in the cushion material, the space is not formed near the portion corresponding to the waist of the seated person, so that the waist of the seated person is appropriately fixed and supported. In such a state where the waist is properly supported, the bending shape of the skeleton is measured above the waist, so that the measurement accuracy is further improved.

Further, in the portion of the concave portion adjacent to the portion of the spine where the degree of curvature is the largest, the length of the concave portion in the width direction of the sheet is longer than the portion other than the portion. May be.
In said structure, the part adjacent to the site | part where the curvature degree in a spine becomes the largest among recessed parts is formed more widely. Thereby, the part in which the recessed part was formed more broadly in the cushion material, that is, the part located in the vicinity of the part where the degree of curvature in the spine becomes the largest comes to bend appropriately according to the degree of curvature. By appropriately bending the cushion material in this way, it becomes possible to effectively suppress the influence of the cushion material on the flexibility sensor, and as a result, it becomes possible to accurately measure the bending shape of the skeleton. . Furthermore, it is possible to secure a wider space in the width direction of the seat when the flexible sensor bends along a portion where the degree of curvature in the spine is greatest. As a result, the contact between the flexible sensor and the cushioning material can be further effectively suppressed, so that the bent shape of the portion where the degree of curvature in the spine is the largest can be measured more accurately.

In the skeletal shape measuring apparatus, the support portion is a seat back that supports the back of the seated person, and the seat back includes a seat back frame that forms a frame body of the seat back, and the flexible The sensor is arranged so as to extend along the height direction of the seat back, and one end of the flexible sensor in the height direction is on the same side as the one end in the height direction. It is attached to the sensor fixing | fixed part provided in the edge part of the said seat back frame located in, and the elastic body may interpose between the one end part of the said flexible sensor, and the said sensor fixing | fixed part.
In the above configuration, since the elastic body is attached to the end portion of the flexible sensor that is fixed to the sensor fixing portion provided in the seat back frame, the flexible sensor is input to the sensor. The load can be reduced. That is, if it is said structure, it will become possible to suppress that the input load to the sensor at the time of frame | skeleton shape measurement becomes excessive.

In the skeletal shape measuring apparatus, a plate-like support member that supports the cushion material on the opposite side of the flexible sensor is attached to the seat back frame, and the plate-like support member is attached to the cushion. You may arrange | position in the position concerning the part in which the said recessed part was formed among members.
In said structure, the plate-shaped support member which supports a cushion material is provided, and this support member is arrange | positioned in the position which starts on the part in which the recessed part was formed among cushion members. Thereby, even if the recess is provided in the cushion material, the plate-like support member supports the portion where the recess is located, so that the support stability for the seat occupant is ensured. That is, if it is said structure, it will become possible to ensure the seating feeling of a sheet | seat, employ | adopting the structure which measures a frame | skeleton shape correctly, without being influenced by a cushion material.

In the skeleton shape measuring apparatus, a plate-like support member that supports the cushion material on the opposite side of the flexible sensor is attached to the seat back frame, and the plate-like support in the seat back frame is attached. A plurality of member attachment locations may be present across the central position of the recess in the height direction.
In the above configuration, there are a plurality of attachment points of the plate-like support member in the seat back frame across the center position of the recess in the height direction of the seat back. On the other hand, as described above, the support stability of the plate-like support member is higher at the portion at the same position as the above attachment location in the height direction of the seat back. In other words, a part of the plate-like support member with high support stability exists at a position sandwiching the central position of the part where the concave part of the cushion material is formed, so that the part where the concave part of the cushion material is formed is more stable. And can be supported.

In the skeleton shape measuring apparatus, the support portion is a seat back that supports the back of the seated person, and the seat back includes a seat back frame that forms a frame body of the seat back. A plate-like support member that supports the cushion material on the opposite side of the flexible sensor is attached to the frame. The plate-like support member is pressed against the seated person's back to press the seated person's back. A plurality of posture correction members for correcting the posture are attached at different positions in the width direction of the seat, and the seating is performed when the seated person is seated on the seat among the flexible sensors. The portion of the person's spine facing the portion with the greatest degree of curvature is between the posture correction members at different positions in the width direction. It may be location. In this case, the flexible sensor is disposed between the posture correction members at different positions in the width direction from one end to the other end of the flexible sensor in the height direction of the seat back. It is more preferable.
In the above configuration, at least a portion of the flexible sensor facing a portion where the degree of curvature in the seated person's spine is the largest is between posture correction members arranged at different positions in the width direction of the seat. is there. As a result, for example, the influence of the posture correction member on the flexibility sensor can be reduced as compared with the case where the flexible sensor is disposed so as to reach the position where the posture correction member is disposed in the width direction of the sheet. It becomes possible.

In the skeleton shape measuring apparatus, the support portion is a seat back that supports the back of the seated person, and the seat back includes a seat back frame that forms a frame body of the seat back. The frame includes a plate-like support member that supports the cushion material on the side opposite to the flexible sensor, and the seated person is pressed against the plate-like support member by pressing the back of the seated person. A plurality of posture correction members for correcting the posture of the sheet are attached at different positions in the width direction of the sheet, and the space is formed between the posture correction members at different positions in the width direction. May be.
In the above-described configuration, the posture correction member in which the space formed between the portion of the concave portion where the degree of curvature in the spine is the largest and the flexible sensor are arranged at different positions in the width direction of the sheet is provided. between. In other words, since the space secured as the bending space of the flexible sensor is at a position different from the posture correction member in the width direction of the sheet, the influence of the posture correction member on the flexible sensor can be reduced. Is possible.

In the skeletal shape measuring apparatus, the posture correction member is a bag body that presses the back of the seated person when the fluid is sealed and bulges, and the bent shape using the flexible sensor. The controller may execute the measurement process when the bag body is in a contracted state.
In the above configuration, the bending shape of the skeleton is measured using the flexible sensor before the bag body bulges, that is, before the seated person's back is pressed by the bag body. Here, the influence of the bag body before the bulging on the flexible sensor is sufficiently smaller than the influence of the bulging bag body, so if the measurement process is executed before the bag bulges, It becomes possible to measure the curved shape of the skeleton more accurately and more quickly.

In the skeletal shape measuring apparatus, the support portion includes the seat back and a seat cushion that supports the seated person's buttocks, and the flexible sensor includes the seat back, and A controller that is provided in each of the seat cushions and that performs the bending shape measurement process using the flexible sensor, and the controller uses the flexible sensor provided in the seat cushion; After executing the measurement process, the measurement process using the flexible sensor provided in the seat back may be executed after a preset time has elapsed.
In the above configuration, the measurement process using the flexible sensor provided in the seat cushion is performed prior to the measurement process using the flexible sensor provided in the seat back. This configuration assumes that the seated person sits back after seating on the seat (adjustment of the upper body position). With the above configuration, the spine is fixed with the upper body fixed after sitting back. It becomes possible to accurately measure the bent shape (strictly, the portion located in the upper body).

According to the skeletal shape measuring apparatus of the present invention, the flexible sensor can be appropriately bent along the curved shape of the skeleton of the seat occupant without being affected by the cushioning material. It becomes possible to measure accurately. In particular, according to the skeletal shape measuring apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to accurately measure a bent shape even at a site where the degree of curvature in the spine of the seated person is the largest.
The skeletal shape measuring apparatus of the present invention is more meaningful in a configuration in which the bending shape of the seated person's spine is measured by a flexible sensor.
Further, according to the skeletal shape measuring apparatus of the present invention, the curved shape of the skeleton is measured above the lumbar portion while appropriately fixing and supporting the occupant's lumbar portion, so that measurement accuracy is further improved.
Further, according to the skeleton shape measuring apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to prevent an excessive input load to the sensor during the skeleton shape measurement.
Moreover, according to the skeleton shape measuring apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to measure the skeleton shape without being affected by the cushion material, and further to ensure the seating feeling of the seat.
Moreover, according to the skeleton shape measuring apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to stably support the portion where the concave portion of the cushion material is formed by the plate-like support member.
Further, according to the skeleton shape measuring apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to reduce the influence of the posture correction member attached to the plate-like support member on the flexible sensor.
Further, according to the skeleton shape measuring apparatus of the present invention, the curved shape of the skeleton is measured before the bag body as the posture correcting member bulges, so that accurate and quick measurement is realized.
Further, according to the skeletal shape measuring apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to accurately measure the curved shape of the spine after the seated person sits on the seat and then sits back.

It is a conceptual diagram of the attitude | position control system containing a skeleton shape measuring device. It is an external view of a vehicle seat. It is a figure which shows the structure of a seat frame. It is an external view of a cushion material. It is a figure which shows the AA cross section of FIG. It is a figure which shows the positional relationship of the attachment location of a plate-shaped support member, and a through-hole. It is sectional drawing of the cushion material which concerns on a 1st modification. FIG. 8 is an enlarged view around the flexible sensor in FIG. 7. It is explanatory drawing which shows the positional relationship of the cushion material which concerns on a 1st modification, and a flexible sensor. It is an external view of the cushion material which concerns on a 2nd modification.

Hereinafter, a skeletal shape measuring apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as the present embodiment) will be described with reference to the drawings.
In the following description, the front-rear direction refers to the front-rear direction when viewed from a seated person seated on the vehicle seat, and the width direction refers to the width direction (lateral width direction) of the seat back of the vehicle seat. The height direction means the height direction of the seat back, strictly speaking, the vertical direction of the seat back when the seat back is viewed from the front.

  The following embodiments are merely examples for facilitating the understanding of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the present invention. The present invention can be modified and improved without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Of course, the present invention includes equivalents thereof.

  A skeletal shape measuring apparatus (hereinafter, this apparatus) 1 according to this embodiment is mounted on a vehicle seat S and measures the skeleton shape of a seated person on the seat S. The apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 1. The apparatus 1 is a component of the posture control system AR that corrects and controls the seated person's posture, and measures the skeletal shape of the seated person, in particular, the bent shape of the spine. To do. FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of an attitude control system AR including the apparatus 1.

  The attitude control system AR is configured by the apparatus 1 and the air cell 2, and the apparatus 1 is configured by a shape sensor 10 and a controller 11.

  The air cell 2 corresponds to a bag body, and presses the back of the seated person when air is enclosed and bulges out. In other words, the air cell 2 functions as a posture correction member in the present embodiment, and will be used to correct the posture of the seated person by pressing the back of the seated person.

  The shape sensor 10 detects the bent shape of the skeleton, and outputs information indicating the detection result to the controller 11. The controller 11 executes a measurement process for measuring the skeleton shape using the shape sensor 10. More specifically, in the measurement process, the curved shape of the skeleton is determined based on the signal received from the shape sensor 10. After the execution of the measurement process, the controller 11 drives an adjustment mechanism (not shown) according to the measurement result, and adjusts the bulge amount of the air cell 2 that presses the back side of the seated person. By adjusting the bulge amount of the air cell 2 in this way, the position of each part of the seating surface of the vehicle seat S changes, and as a result, the body of the seated person in contact with the seating surface is moved, and the seated person The posture is controlled to be corrected.

  In this embodiment, an optical fiber sensor, more specifically, a sensor made of a shape sensing optical fiber is used as the shape sensor 10. This optical fiber sensor is an example of a flexible sensor, and detects the bent shape by bending along the bent shape of the skeleton of the seated person. Specifically, the shape sensor 10 which is an optical fiber sensor is pressed against the back side portion of the seated person's body, particularly the portion where the spine is located, in a state where the seated person is seated on the vehicle seat S. As a result, the shape sensor 10 bends in an arc shape along the curved shape of the spine, whereby the refractive index of light in each part of the sensor changes. On the other hand, the sensor 10 is connected to a circuit board (not shown) provided in the controller 11 via a connector, a cable, or the like, and outputs information representing a change in the refractive index of light to the board. The controller 11 specifies three-dimensional shape information such as torsion and bending of the sensor 10 from the information received from the shape sensor 10, and calculates the bent shape of the spine from the specification result.

  By the way, generally the shape sensor 10 is arrange | positioned between the skin material 20 and the cushion material of the seat S in the vehicle seat S. In such a configuration, when the seated person is seated on the vehicle seat S, the shape sensor 10 is sandwiched between the seated person and the cushion material. On the other hand, in order to accurately measure the bent shape of the spine, the shape sensor 10 needs to bend so as to reproduce the bent shape. However, if the shape sensor 10 is in contact with the surface of the cushion material (the surface facing the shape sensor 10), the surface shape affects the bending state of the shape sensor 10 and hinders detection of the bent shape of the spine. Resulting in.

  Therefore, the present apparatus 1 employs a configuration that does not affect the skeletal shape measurement by the shape sensor 10, and realizes accurate measurement with this configuration. Hereinafter, regarding the configuration of the apparatus 1, a configuration for preventing the influence of the cushion material from affecting the skeleton shape measurement by the shape sensor 10 will be described.

  First, in describing the characteristic configuration of the device 1, a vehicle seat S on which the device 1 is mounted will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is an external view of the vehicle seat S. FIG. In addition, in order to make the explanation easy to understand, unlike the original vehicle seat S, a part of the skin material is shown in a peeled state.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle seat S includes a seat back S <b> 1 that supports the back (back) of the seated person, a seat cushion S <b> 2 that supports the buttocks of the seated person, and a headrest S <b> 3 that supports the head of the seated person. I have. Here, the seat back S1 and the seat cushion S2 each correspond to a support portion that supports a predetermined part of the seated person. The headrest S3 is supported by a pair of headrest pillars attached to the upper end of the seat back S1.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle seat S according to the present embodiment is provided with the above-described shape sensor 10 in each of the seat back S <b> 1 and the seat cushion S <b> 2. It is arranged at the center in the width direction of S. Here, the shape sensor 10 provided on the seat back S1 side detects the bent shape of the lower cervical vertebra, the thoracic vertebra and the upper lumbar vertebra in the seated person's spine. The thoracic vertebra is a portion of the seated person's spine where the degree of curvature is greatest when the seated person sits on the vehicle seat S. On the other hand, the shape sensor 10 provided on the seat cushion S2 side detects a bent shape of the lower part of the lumbar vertebra in the seated person's spine.

  And the structure for not having the influence of a cushion material with respect to the frame | skeleton shape measurement by the shape sensor 10 is employ | adopted by each of seat back S1 and seat cushion S2. Hereinafter, the seat back S1 will be described in detail as an example.

  The seat back S1 is pressed by the seat back frame Sf1 illustrated in FIG. 3 which is a rectangular frame, the support plate PL as a plate-like support member attached to the seat back frame Sf1, and the back of the seated person. 4 includes the urethane pad 21 illustrated in FIG. 4 and a skin material 20 that covers the front and sides of the urethane pad 21. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the overall structure of the seat frame including the seat back frame Sf1, and FIG. 4 is an external view of the urethane pad 21. As shown in FIG.

  The urethane pad 21 is an example of a cushion material, but the material may be other than urethane as long as the material is suitable as a cushion material for a seat.

  Further, the shape sensor 10 is disposed at the center in the width direction of the seat back S1 so as to extend along the height direction of the seat back S1. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the shape sensor 10 is provided in a stretched manner between the upper part and the lower part of the seat back frame Sf1. More specifically, among the end portions of the shape sensor 10 in the height direction of the seat back S1, the lower end portion is a central portion in the width direction of the lower member frame fa corresponding to the lower portion of the seat back frame Sf1. It is fixed.

  On the other hand, the upper end (corresponding to one end) of the shape sensor 10 in the height direction of the seat back S1 is the upper end of the seat back frame Sf1 located on the same side as the upper end, More specifically, it is attached to a sensor fixing portion fc provided on the upper frame fb. The sensor fixing portion fc is a rod-like member bent in an L shape so that the tip thereof is directed to the front of the seat, and is welded to the center portion in the width direction of the upper frame fb. And the upper side edge part of the shape sensor 10 is attached to the front-end | tip part of the sensor fixing | fixed part fc.

  Here, in this embodiment, the spiral spring 22 as an elastic body is interposed between the sensor fixing portion fc and the shape sensor 10. That is, the upper end portion of the shape sensor 10 is attached to the sensor fixing portion fc via the spiral spring 22. As described above, in the present embodiment, the spiral spring 22 is interposed between the sensor fixing portion fc and the shape sensor 10, thereby reducing the load input to the sensor 10, and thus the shape sensor at the time of measuring the skeleton shape. The input load to 10 is suppressed so as not to be excessive.

  In the present embodiment, the spiral spring 22 as an elastic body is provided between the upper end portion of the shape sensor 10 and the sensor fixing portion fc provided in the upper portion of the seat back frame Sf1. However, the present invention is not limited to this. That is, an elastic body may be interposed between the lower end portion of the shape sensor 10 in the height direction of the seat back S1 and the lower end portion of the seat back frame Sf1 to which the lower end portion is attached.

  The arrangement position of the shape sensor 10 will be described. In the seat back S <b> 1, the shape sensor 10 is the rear side of the skin material 20 (the side opposite to the side in contact with the seated person). It is arrange | positioned immediately on the back side of the part which contact | abuts the back side center (part in which the spine is located among backs). On the other hand, a urethane pad 21 is provided on the rear side of the skin material 20.

  And the urethane pad 21 which concerns on this embodiment has the substantially rectangular through-hole 23 by front view, as shown in FIG. The through hole 23 is formed at the center in the width direction of the urethane pad 21 and is elongated along the height direction of the seat back S1. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the through hole 23 is located in a portion facing the shape sensor 10 in the urethane pad 21, and is formed along the shape sensor 10. That is, in this embodiment, the urethane pad 21 does not exist on the rear side of the shape sensor 10 and is hollow. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the vehicle seat S, and shows a cross section taken along the line AA of FIG.

  By forming the through hole 23 in the portion of the urethane pad 21 facing the shape sensor 10, contact between the shape sensor 10 and the urethane pad 21 can be suppressed, and the sensor 10 can be used to measure the skeleton shape. It becomes difficult to be affected by. As a result, the shape sensor 10 according to the present embodiment can be appropriately bent so as to reproduce the bent shape of the skeleton of the seated person. Therefore, the present apparatus 1 can accurately measure the bent shape of the seated person's spine.

  In particular, in this embodiment, since the through hole 23 is formed to suppress contact between the shape sensor 10 and the urethane pad 21, the shape sensor 10 is seated on the vehicle seat S in the seated person's spine. Sometimes, contact with the urethane pad 21 is suppressed when bending along a portion where the degree of curvature is greatest (ie, the thoracic vertebra). To put it simply, the portion of the shape sensor 10 that bends along the thoracic vertebra has the largest degree of bending and the largest range that extends behind the seat, but is the through hole 23, so that it is as described above. Even in the portion where the degree of bending is maximized, contact with the urethane pad 21 is suppressed. As a result of the above, in the present embodiment, it is possible to accurately measure the bent shape even for the thoracic vertebra having the greatest degree of curvature in the spine.

  In addition, in the urethane pad 21 according to the present embodiment, a portion located on the upper side of the through hole 23 and a portion located on the lower side of the urethane pad 21 on one end side in the width direction (right side) of the through hole 23. Connecting portions 21a and 21b are formed for connecting the portion located at the other end and the portion located on the other end side (left side) in the width direction. That is, the urethane pad 21 according to the present embodiment can be handled as a single member without being divided along with the formation of the through hole 23, thereby suppressing an increase in the number of components.

  Further, as described above, the shape sensor 10 has the highest degree of bending in the range where it is bent along the thoracic vertebra of the seated person. For this reason, from the viewpoint of reliably suppressing contact between the shape sensor 10 and the urethane pad 21, at least a portion adjacent to the thoracic vertebra is formed as a through hole 23 in a recess formed in a portion facing the shape sensor 10 of the urethane pad 21. It should be.

  Furthermore, by forming the through hole 23 in the urethane pad 21, for example, maintenance of the shape sensor 10 and the like can be easily performed. On the other hand, when the through hole 23 is formed, the back cover 24 or the like prevents the person or object from coming into contact with the shape sensor 10 from the rear side of the through hole 23 in a normal state. It is desirable to cover the rear opening.

  Furthermore, the formation position of the through hole 23 in the urethane pad 21 is above the waist of the seated person when the seated person is seated on the vehicle seat S. In other words, the through hole 23 does not reach the portion of the urethane pad 21 that contacts the waist of the seated person (specifically, the portion where the connecting portion 21b is formed). When seated on the seat S, it presses well against the waist of the seated person. Thereby, a seated person's waist | hip | lumbar part comes to be fixedly supported appropriately. And as a result of measuring the bending shape of the spine in a state where the waist is properly fixed, the measurement accuracy is improved.

  By the way, a seating feeling (riding comfort) is required for the performance of the vehicle seat S, and particularly for the seat back S1, the support stability (back) that favorably supports the back side of the seated person's body. A feeling of drowning) is required. For this reason, in this embodiment, the support plate PL is provided on the rear side of the urethane pad 21. The support plate PL is a resin plate and is disposed in a space surrounded by the seat back frame Sf1 as shown in FIG. Further, the support plate PL is sufficiently wide in the width direction of the seat back S1, and is relatively long in the height direction of the seat back S1, specifically, substantially the same length as the entire length of the through hole 23. It is shaped as follows. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of air cells 2 are attached to the front surface of the support plate PL at symmetrical positions.

  And the through-hole 23 is located in the front position of the width direction center part of the support plate PL. Thus, in the present embodiment, the support plate PL that supports the urethane pad 21 on the rear side of the urethane pad 21, in other words, the side opposite to the shape sensor 10 hangs on the portion where the through hole 23 of the urethane pad 21 is formed. Placed in position. As a result, even if the through hole 23 is provided in the urethane pad 21, the above support stability is ensured.

  To explain in an easy-to-understand manner, it is difficult to provide the through hole 23 in the urethane pad 21 from the viewpoint of ensuring the support stability as the required performance for the vehicle seat S, but in this embodiment, the contact between the shape sensor 10 and the urethane pad 21 is made. For the purpose of restraining, the above-described through hole 23 is provided. On the other hand, by arranging the support plate PL from behind the portion of the urethane pad 21 in which the through hole 23 is formed (that is, the portion without the pad), the support for the portion in which the through hole 23 is formed is supported. The decrease in stability is suppressed, and the support stability is maintained.

  On the other hand, the support plate PL is attached to the side portion of the seat back frame Sf1 by an attachment wire PW attached to the rear surface thereof. More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the mounting wire PW protrudes somewhat from both ends in the width direction of the support plate PL, and the protruding portion is locked to the side portion of the seat back frame Sf1. Has been.

  In the present embodiment, the attachment wires PW are attached at two positions different from each other in the height of the seat back S1. In other words, there are two places where the support plate PL is attached in the seat back frame Sf1 (strictly speaking, the place where the attachment wire PW is locked) at different positions in the height direction of the seat back S1. In addition, about the attachment location of support plate PL in seat back frame Sf1, it is not limited to the case where it exists in two places in the height direction of seat back S1, It is possible to set to arbitrary numbers of one or more places.

  And in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the attachment location of support plate PL exists between the both ends of the through-hole 23 in the height direction of seat back S1. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the positional relationship between the through hole 23 and the attachment location of the support plate PL.

  More specifically, the positional relationship between the through hole 23 and the attachment location of the support plate PL will be described with reference to FIG. 6. Of the attachment locations of the support plate PL existing in two locations in the height direction of the seat back S1, more The upper attachment location (the upper attachment location in FIG. 6) is located above the center position of the through hole 23 in the height direction of the seat back S1. Further, the lower attachment location (the lower attachment location in FIG. 6) is located below the center position of the through hole 23 in the height direction of the seat back S1.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the attachment location of the support plate PL is present with the center position of the through hole 23 in the height direction of the seat back S1. In particular, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, each attachment location of the support plate PL is set so that the distance between the attachment location of the support plate PL and the center position of the through hole 23 is equal.

  Due to the positional relationship between the mounting position of the support plate PL and the through hole 23 described above, the support function of the support plate PL is appropriately exhibited in the present embodiment. More specifically, the support stability of the support plate PL is higher at the portion at the same position as the attachment location in the height direction of the seat back S1. That is, in the present embodiment, the portion of the support plate PL where the support stability is higher is located at the same position as the through hole 23 formed in the urethane pad 21 in the height direction of the seat back S1. Become. If it is such a positional relationship, the effect of ensuring support stability by reinforcing the part in which the through-hole 23 of the urethane pad 21 was formed with the support plate PL will be exhibited more effectively. .

  Furthermore, as in the present embodiment, a portion at the same position as the mounting position of the support plate PL, that is, a portion having high support stability in the support plate PL exists with the central position of the through hole 23 interposed therebetween. In this case, the effect of ensuring the support stability by the support plate PL can be more effectively exhibited.

With the configuration described above, in the present embodiment, the shape sensor 10 can appropriately detect the bent shape of the skeleton of the seated person in the seat back S1, and the through hole 23 is formed in the urethane pad 21. It becomes possible to ensure the support stability of the seat back S1.
In addition, about the structure demonstrated so far, the application object is not restricted to seat back S1, Of course, it can apply also to seat cushion S2.

  Next, the relationship between the air cell 2 attached to the support plate PL and the shape sensor 10 will be described. As described above, the air cell 2 is attached to the front surface of the support plate PL, and in the present embodiment, a plurality of air cells 2 are arranged at different positions in the width direction. More specifically, a plurality of air cells 2 are attached to the left half of the front surface of the support plate PL, and the same number of air cells 2 are attached to the right half.

  On the other hand, the shape sensor 10 is disposed between the left air cell 2 and the right air cell 2 in the width direction, as shown in FIG. In this way, if the shape sensor 10 is between the air cells 2 arranged at different positions in the width direction, for example, compared with the case where the shape sensor 10 is arranged so as to reach the position where the air cell 2 is arranged in the width direction. Thus, the influence of the air cell 2 on the shape sensor 10 can be reduced.

  In the present embodiment, the entire shape sensor 10 (that is, a portion extending from one end to the other end in the height direction) is disposed between the left and right air cells 2 in the width direction. Thereby, the above-mentioned effect (effect which reduces the influence from the air cell 2) will be exhibited more effectively. On the other hand, in order to exert the above-described effects, the portion of the shape sensor 10 that faces the thoracic vertebra where the degree of curvature in the spine is largest when the seated person is seated on the vehicle seat S is at least the left and right sides. What is necessary is just to be arrange | positioned between the air cells 2. FIG.

  The through hole 23 formed in the urethane pad 21 is also disposed between the left air cell 2 and the right air cell 2 in the width direction. In this way, if the through hole 23 is between the air cells 2 arranged at different positions in the width direction, the influence of the air cell 2 on the shape sensor 10 that is bent in the through hole 23 becomes even more difficult. Further, since the through hole 23 is provided between the air cells 2, the urethane pad 21 follows and appropriately bends when the air cell 2 swells. Thereby, it is possible to further effectively suppress the influence of the urethane pad 21 on the flexibility sensor. As a result, the skeleton shape measurement using the shape sensor 10 can be performed with higher accuracy.

  Next, the start time etc. of the measurement process of the skeleton shape using the shape sensor 10 will be described. In this embodiment, when a seated person sits on the vehicle seat S, a sensor (not shown) (for example, a weight sensor) detects the seated person, and the controller 11 starts measurement processing using this as a trigger. In the present embodiment, the controller 11 performs a measurement process when the air cell 2 is in a contracted state. That is, in the present embodiment, the measurement process is performed before the air cell 2 bulges (in other words, before the seated person's back is pressed by the air cell 2). Here, the influence of the air cell 2 before bulging on the shape sensor 10 is sufficiently smaller than the influence of the bulged air cell 2. Therefore, by performing the measurement process before the air cell 2 bulges, it becomes possible to measure the curved shape of the skeleton more accurately and more quickly.

  Furthermore, in this embodiment, the shape sensor 10 is provided in each of the seat back S1 and the seat cushion S2. In the present embodiment, the controller 11 first executes a measurement process using the shape sensor 10 provided in the seat cushion S2. Thereafter, when a preset time elapses, the controller 11 executes a measurement process using the shape sensor 10 provided in the seat back S1. Such a configuration assumes that the seated person re-seats (adjustment of the body position) after sitting on the vehicle seat S. In other words, after measuring the lower body side bending shape of the seated person's spine, if the upper body side bending shape is measured after a predetermined time has passed, the spine bends with the upper body fixed after re-sitting. The shape can be accurately measured.

  The characteristic configuration according to the present embodiment has been described above, but is merely an example, and other configurations (modifications) are also conceivable. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the through hole 23 is provided in the urethane pad 21. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and it is only necessary that a concave portion is formed along the shape sensor 10 at a portion facing the shape sensor 10. In order to prevent the shape sensor 10 from coming into contact with the urethane pad 21 when the shape sensor 10 is bent, at least before the seat occupant sits on the vehicle seat S, at least in the spine of the seat occupant. The portion adjacent to the portion (specifically, the thoracic vertebra) where the degree of curvature is the largest is only required to form a space with the shape sensor 10 in the front-rear direction.

  As an example of the space other than the through-hole 23, as shown in FIG. 7, for example, a non-through-hole-shaped recess such as a recess or a groove is conceivable. In the configuration in which such a recess is provided, a space 25 (gap) is formed between the bottom 21 c of the recess and the shape sensor 10 in the urethane pad 21. The space 25 is formed so as to have a sufficient depth so that the shape sensor 10 does not come into contact with the bottom 21c of the recess as shown in FIG. 8 in a state where the seated person is seated on the vehicle seat S. That's fine. In FIG. 8, the position of the shape sensor 10 indicated by the solid line indicates the position in the previous stage where the seated person is seated on the vehicle seat S, and the position of the shape sensor 10 indicated by the two-dot chain line is the position of the seated person. The position in a state of being seated on the vehicle seat S is shown.

  As for the space 25, as shown in FIG. 9, between the shape sensor 10 and the portion of the concave portion adjacent to the portion (thoracic vertebra) where the degree of curvature is maximum in the seated person's spine. It only has to be formed.

  In the above-described embodiment, the through hole 23 provided in the urethane pad 21 has a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from the front. In other words, the length (width) in the width direction extends from the upper end to the lower end of the through hole 23. ) Has been described as being substantially uniform. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the width of the through hole 23 is not uniform as shown in FIG. 10, and the predetermined portion may be wider than the other portions. In addition, as shown in FIG. 10, the width | variety of the part adjacent to the site | part (thoracic vertebrae) where the curvature degree in the spine becomes the largest in the state where the seated person seated on the vehicle seat S in the through-hole 23, other than that It is preferable that it is longer than the width of the portion. With such a configuration, a portion of the urethane pad 21 in which the through hole 23 is formed wider, that is, a portion located in the vicinity of the thoracic vertebra is appropriately bent according to the degree of curvature of the thoracic vertebra. By appropriately bending the urethane pad 21 as described above, the influence of the urethane pad 21 on the shape sensor 10 can be effectively suppressed, and as a result, the bending shape of the thoracic vertebra can be accurately measured. Become. Furthermore, when the shape sensor 10 bends along the thoracic vertebra when the seated person sits on the vehicle seat S, the portion adjacent to the thoracic vertebra in the through hole 23 is wide. It becomes possible to secure a wider space in the width direction. As a result, the contact between the shape sensor 10 and the urethane pad 21 can be more effectively suppressed, so that the bent shape of the thoracic vertebra can be accurately measured.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the vehicle seat S is cited as an example of the seat, and the skeletal shape measuring device mounted on the vehicle seat S has been described. However, the skeletal shape measuring apparatus according to the present invention is a sheet having other purposes, for example, a sheet used in entertainment facilities such as movie theaters and public facilities such as hospitals, particularly a sheet having a purpose (necessity) for measuring the skeleton shape. If so, it can be installed.

1 This device (skeleton shape measuring device)
2 Air cell 10 Shape sensor (flexibility sensor)
11 Controller 20 Skin material 21 Urethane pad (cushion material)
21a, 21b Connecting portion 21c Recess bottom 22 Spiral spring (elastic body)
23 Through hole (recess)
24 Back cover 25 Space AR Attitude control system fa Lower member frame, fb Upper frame fc Sensor fixing part PL Support plate (plate-like support member)
PW Attachment wire S Vehicle seat S1 Seat back (support), S2 Seat cushion, S3 Headrest Sf1 Seat back frame

Claims (12)

A skeletal shape measuring device for measuring the skeleton shape of a predetermined part of a seat occupant,
A support part for supporting the predetermined part of the seated person;
A flexible sensor that can be bent along the bent shape in order to detect the bent shape of the skeleton at the predetermined portion in the support portion;
A cushioning material provided in the support portion and having a recess formed along the flexible sensor at a portion facing the flexible sensor;
The flexible sensor detects the bent shape of the portion where the degree of curvature is greatest when the seated person sits on the seat in the seated person's spine,
In a stage before the seated person sits on the seat, at least a portion of the concave portion adjacent to the portion having the greatest degree of curvature in the spine is in contact with the flexible sensor in the front-rear direction of the seat. A skeletal shape measuring device characterized in that a space is formed between them.   The skeleton shape measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the space is a through hole.   3. The skeletal shape measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in a state in which the seated person is seated on the seat, the formation position of the space is above the waist of the seated person.   Of the concave portion, in the portion adjacent to the portion of the spine where the degree of curvature is the largest, the length of the concave portion in the width direction of the sheet is longer than the portion other than the portion. The skeletal shape measuring apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein The support part is a seat back that supports the back of the seated person,
The seat back includes a seat back frame forming a frame of the seat back,
The flexible sensor is arranged so as to extend along the height direction of the seat back,
One end portion of the flexible sensor in the height direction is attached to a sensor fixing portion provided at an end portion of the seat back frame located on the same side as the one end portion in the height direction,
The skeletal shape measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an elastic body is interposed between one end of the flexible sensor and the sensor fixing portion. A plate-like support member that supports the cushion material on the side opposite to the flexible sensor is attached to the seat back frame,
6. The skeletal shape measuring apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the plate-like support member is disposed at a position of the cushion material that covers a portion where the concave portion is formed. A plate-like support member that supports the cushion material on the side opposite to the flexible sensor is attached to the seat back frame,
The skeletal shape measuring apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a plurality of attachment portions of the plate-like support member on the seat back frame are present across a central position of the concave portion in the height direction. The support part is a seat back that supports the back of the seated person,
The seat back includes a seat back frame forming a frame of the seat back,
A plate-like support member that supports the cushion material on the opposite side to the flexible sensor is attached to the seat back frame,
A plurality of posture correction members for correcting the posture of the seated person by pressing the back of the seated person are attached to the plate-like support member at positions different from each other in the width direction of the seat,
Of the flexible sensor, the portions facing the portion where the degree of curvature in the spine of the seated person is the largest when the seated person is seated on the seat are at different positions in the width direction. The skeleton shape measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the skeleton shape measuring apparatus is disposed between the posture correction members.   The flexible sensor is disposed between the posture correction members at different positions in the width direction from one end to the other end of the flexible sensor in the height direction of the seat back. The skeletal shape measuring apparatus according to claim 8. The support part is a seat back that supports the back of the seated person,
The seat back includes a seat back frame forming a frame of the seat back,
The seat back frame includes a plate-like support member that supports the cushion material on the side opposite to the flexible sensor,
A plurality of posture correction members for correcting the posture of the seated person by pressing the back of the seated person are attached to the plate-like support member at positions different from each other in the width direction of the seat,
The skeletal shape measuring apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the space is formed between the posture correction members at different positions in the width direction. The posture correction member is a bag body that presses the back of the seated person by swelling with fluid filled therein,
A controller that executes the measurement process of the bent shape using the flexible sensor;
The skeleton shape measuring apparatus according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the controller executes the measurement process when the bag body is in a contracted state. The support portion includes the seat back and a seat cushion that supports the buttocks of the seated person,
The flexible sensor is provided in each of the seat back and the seat cushion,
A controller that executes the measurement process of the bent shape using the flexible sensor;
The controller executes the measurement process using the flexible sensor provided in the seat cushion, and then, after a predetermined time has elapsed, the flexible sensor provided in the seat back. The skeleton shape measuring apparatus according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the measurement process using a sex sensor is executed.

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