# US 12,214,704 B2 · Vehicle seat > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,214,704 B2 - Document ID: US12214704B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/638,496 - Filed: 2020-08-27 - Published: 2022-12-22 - Granted: 2025-02-04 - Earliest claimed: 2019-08-28 - Assignees: Ts Tech Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Ts Tech Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Hiroshi Baba; Soichiro Kamei; Masashi Nakano; Takuya Arai; Ryota Urushihara; Masayuki Hoshi; Hironori Watanabe - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12214704B2 ## CPC - B60N 2/68: Seat frames - B60N 2/5621: {by air} - B60N 2/682: {Joining means} - B60N 2/897: with sleeves located in the back-rest for guiding the rods of the head-rest - B60N 2002/5808: {comprising opening zones for airbags} - B60R 21/207: in vehicle seats - B60N: SEATS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES; VEHICLE PASSENGER ACCOMMODATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract In a vehicle seat, a side frame of a seat back frame has a front wall that is formed so as to be bent inward continuously from a front edge of a plate-shaped portion and forms a curved region extending vertically from around the rotating shaft and reaching an upper frame, and a rear wall that is formed so as to be bent inward continuously from a rear edge of the plate-shaped portion and forms a curved region extending vertically from around the rotating shaft and reaching the upper frame, and an inner edge of the front wall has a projecting piece that spreads to the inside from a virtual outline corresponding to a shape of the upper frame and is superimposed on the front wall of the upper frame from the rear. This provides a vehicle seat that can contribute to improvement of the work efficiency when assembling a seat back frame. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicle seat comprising: a seat back frame including: left and right side frames that have a plate-shaped portion spreading along a vertical plane orthogonal to a rotational axis around a rotating shaft and extending upward along the vertical plane, a front wall that extends inward from a front edge of the plate-shaped portion and extends vertically from the rotating shaft, and a rear wall that extends inward from a rear edge of the plate-shaped portion and extends vertically from the rotating shaft; and an upper frame that provides a link between the left and right side frames above the rotating shaft; and a ventilation fan; wherein: the upper frame includes a front wall that is partitioned by an upper ridge line and a lower ridge line extending in a horizontal direction, an upper wall that spreads rearward from the upper ridge line, an upper standing wall that extends upward from a rear end of the upper wall, a lower wall that spreads rearward from the lower ridge line, and a lower standing wall that extends downward from a rear end of the lower wall; an inner edge of the front wall of the side frame has a projecting piece that spreads to the inside from a virtual outline corresponding to a shape of the upper frame and is superimposed to a rear side of the front wall of the upper frame; and the ventilation fan is fixed to the lower standing wall of the upper frame. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the rear wall of the side frame comprises an upper superimposition region that is superimposed on the upper standing wall of the upper frame; and the upper superimposition region protrudes inward in a seat width direction past the projecting piece in a front view. ### Claim 3 A vehicle seat comprising: a seat back frame including: left and right side frames that have a plate-shaped portion spreading along a vertical plane orthogonal to a rotational axis around a rotating shaft and extending upward along the vertical plane, a front wall that extends inward from a front edge of the plate-shaped portion and extends vertically from the rotating shaft, and a rear wall that extends inward from a rear edge of the plate-shaped portion and extends vertically from the rotating shaft; and an upper frame that provides a link between the left and right side frames above the rotating shaft; wherein: the upper frame includes a front wall that is partitioned by an upper ridge line and a lower ridge line extending in a horizontal direction, an upper wall that spreads rearward from the upper ridge line, an upper standing wall that extends upward from a rear end of the upper wall, a lower wall that spreads rearward from the lower ridge line, and a lower standing wall that extends downward from a rear end of the lower wall; an inner edge of the front wall of the side frame has a projecting piece that spreads to the inside from a virtual outline corresponding to a shape of the upper frame and is superimposed to a rear side of the front wall of the upper frame; the upper standing wall includes a curved shape portion having a curved shape in a longitudinal cross-sectional view; the upper frame has a first flange that extends forward from an upper end of the upper standing wall; and the first flange extends forward from the upper end of the curved shape portion of the upper standing wall, and has generally a same curvature as a curvature of the curved shape portion in the longitudinal cross-sectional view. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The vehicle seat according to claim 3, wherein the rear wall of the side frame comprises an upper superimposition region that is superimposed on the upper standing wall of the upper frame; and the upper superimposition region protrudes inward in a seat width direction past the projecting piece in a front view. ### Claim 5 A vehicle seat comprising: a seat back frame including: left and right side frames that have a plate-shaped portion spreading along a vertical plane orthogonal to a rotational axis around a rotating shaft and extending upward along the vertical plane, a front wall that extends inward from a front edge of the plate-shaped portion and extends vertically from the rotating shaft, and a rear wall that extends inward from a rear edge of the plate-shaped portion and extends vertically from the rotating shaft; and an upper frame that provides a link between the left and right side frames above the rotating shaft; wherein: the upper frame includes a front wall that is partitioned by an upper ridge line and a lower ridge line extending in a horizontal direction, an upper wall that spreads rearward from the upper ridge line, an upper standing wall that extends upward from a rear end of the upper wall, a lower wall that spreads rearward from the lower ridge line, and a lower standing wall that extends downward from a rear end of the lower wall; an inner edge of the front wall of the side frame has a projecting piece that spreads to the inside from a virtual outline corresponding to a shape of the upper frame and is superimposed to a rear side of the front wall of the upper frame; and the front wall of the upper frame is provided with a vertical valley fold line and is bent forward along the vertical valley fold line. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The vehicle seat according to claim 5, wherein the vertical valley fold line extends from the front wall of the upper frame to the lower wall. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The vehicle seat according to claim 5, wherein the upper frame has a first support hole that is formed in the upper wall and receives a headrest pillar guide supporting a headrest pillar so that the headrest pillar can be displaced in an axial direction, and a second support hole that is formed in the lower wall and receives the headrest pillar guide, and the vertical valley fold line is formed at an outer side of the first support hole and the second support hole in a seat width direction in the front view. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The vehicle seat according to claim 5, wherein a portion of the upper wall at an inner side of the vertical valley fold line in a seat width direction and a portion of the lower wall at the inner side of the vertical valley fold line in the seat width direction are parallel to each other. ### Claim 9 (depends on 5) The vehicle seat according to claim 5, wherein a portion of the upper wall at an outer side of the vertical valley fold line in a seat width direction and a portion of the lower wall at the outer side of the vertical valley fold line in the seat width direction are not parallel to each other. ### Claim 10 (depends on 5) The vehicle seat according to claim 5, wherein a surface of the front wall of the upper frame to which the projecting piece is joined is inclined in a fore-and-aft direction with respect to a portion of the front wall of the upper frame at an inner side of the vertical valley fold line in a seat width direction. ### Claim 11 (depends on 5) The vehicle seat according to claim 5, wherein the front wall of the upper frame is bent rearward along a vertical peak fold line provided at an outer side of the vertical valley fold line in a seat width direction. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The vehicle seat according to claim 11, wherein the front wall of the upper frame and the projecting piece of the side frame have a weld mark due to welding, and the weld mark is provided at a position closer to the virtual outline than the vertical peak fold line. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The vehicle seat according to claim 11, wherein a portion of the lower wall at an outer side of the vertical peak fold line in the seat width direction is inclined in a fore-and-aft direction with respect to a portion of the lower wall at an inner side of the vertical valley fold line in the seat width direction. ### Claim 14 (depends on 5) The vehicle seat according to claim 5, wherein the rear wall of the side frame comprises an upper superimposition region that is superimposed on the upper standing wall of the upper frame; and the upper superimposition region protrudes inward in a seat width direction past the projecting piece in a front view. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The vehicle seat according to claim 14, wherein the front wall of the upper frame is provided with a vertical valley fold line and is bent forward along the vertical valley fold line, and a surface of the upper standing wall to which the upper superimposition region is joined is inclined in a fore-and-aft direction with respect to a portion of the front wall of the upper frame at an inner side of the vertical valley fold line in the seat width direction. ### Claim 16 A vehicle seat comprising: a seat back frame having: left and right side frames that have a plate-shaped portion spreading along a vertical plane orthogonal to a rotational axis around a rotating shaft and extending upward along the vertical plane, a front wall that extends inward from a front edge of the plate-shaped portion and extends vertically from around the rotating shaft, and a rear wall that extends inward from a rear edge of the plate-shaped portion and extends vertically from around the rotating shaft; and an upper frame that provides a link between the left and right side frames above the rotating shaft, wherein the upper frame has a front wall that is partitioned by an upper ridge line and a lower ridge line extending in a horizontal direction, an upper wall that spreads rearward from the upper ridge line, an upper standing wall that extends upward from a rear end of the upper wall, a lower wall that spreads rearward from the lower ridge line, and a lower standing wall that extends downward from a rear end of the lower wall, an inner edge of the front wall of the side frame has a projecting piece that spreads to the inside from a virtual outline corresponding to a shape of the upper frame and is superimposed to a rear side of the front wall of the upper frame, a lower projecting piece that extends inward in a seat width direction is provided at a lower end portion of the inner edge of the front wall of the side frame, and the projecting piece protrudes inward in the seat width direction past the lower projecting piece in a front view. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The vehicle seat according to claim 16, wherein the rear wall of the side frame comprises a lower superimposition region that is superimposed on the lower standing wall of the upper frame, and the lower superimposition region protrudes inward in the seat width direction with respect to the projecting piece in the front view. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The vehicle seat according to claim 17, wherein the front wall of the upper frame is provided with a vertical valley fold line and is bent forward along the vertical valley fold line, and a surface of the lower standing wall to which the lower superimposition region is joined is inclined in a fore-and-aft direction with respect to a portion of the front wall of the upper frame at an inner side of the vertical valley fold line in the seat width direction. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The vehicle seat according to claim 17, wherein a portion of the lower standing wall that does not overlap the lower superimposition region extends longer in an up-and-down direction than a portion of the lower standing wall that overlaps the lower superimposition region in the front view. ### Claim 20 A method for manufacturing a vehicle seat, wherein the vehicle sea comprises a seat back frame having: left and right side frames that have a plate-shaped portion spreading along a vertical plane orthogonal to a rotational axis around a rotating shaft and extending upward along the vertical plane, a front wall that extends inward from a front edge of the plate-shaped portion and extends vertically from around the rotating shaft, and a rear wall that extends inward from a rear edge of the plate-shaped portion and extends vertically from around the rotating shaft; and an upper frame that has a front wall that is partitioned by an upper ridge line and a lower ridge line extending in a horizontal direction, an upper wall that spreads rearward from the upper ridge line, an upper standing wall that extends upward from a rear end of the upper wall, a lower wall that spreads rearward from the lower ridge line, and a lower standing wall that extends downward from a rear end of the lower wall, the method comprising: linking the left and right side frames by the upper frame above the rotating shaft, wherein the linking the left and right side frames by the upper frame includes: disposing a projecting piece that is formed at an inner edge of the front wall of the side frame and that spreads to the inside from a virtual outline corresponding to a shape of the upper frame to be superimposed to a rear side of the front wall of the upper frame, wherein a lower projecting piece that extends inward in a seat width direction is provided at a lower end portion of the inner edge of the front wall of the side frame, and wherein the projecting piece protrudes inward in the seat width direction past the lower projecting piece in a front view.