FR3071198A1 - REINFORCED ANCHORING DEVICE FOR THE REMOVABLE FASTENING OF A CHILD SEAT ON THE REAR BENCH OF A MOTOR VEHICLE. - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an anchoring device for the removable attachment of a child seat (4) on the rear seat of a motor vehicle, said anchoring device comprising two folded wire stirrups (110, 120), welded on a support plate (130) intended to be moored to the floor (2) of said vehicle and able to serve as anchoring points for ISOFIX-type locking members (5) formed on a said child seat (4) attached to said bench seat; said anchoring device further comprising two metal reinforcing casings (150, 160) rigidly fixed to said plate (130), each said casing extending on the back of a said corresponding caliper (110, 120) against which it is also rigidly fixed.

Description

REINFORCED ANCHORING DEVICE FOR THE REMOVABLE FIXING OF A CHILD SEAT ON THE REAR BENCH OF A MOTOR VEHICLE.

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to the field of removable attachment systems for a child seat on the rear seat of a motor vehicle, and in particular to those conforming to the ISOFIX standard.

Invention background

Child seats intended to be mounted on a seat in a motor vehicle, designated by the term attached child seat, make it possible to ensure the safety of children transported in road vehicles and in particular motor vehicles.

These child seats are generally made up of a rigid shell fixed to a frame comprising fixing means making it possible, for example, to fix child seats on the rear seat of a motor vehicle. Child seats are known in particular provided with universal fixing means designated by the name "ISOFIX", standardized by standard ISO 13216 relating to a universal removable fixing system of a seat adapted to the morphology of children on the bench rear of motor vehicles.

The purpose of this anchoring system is to avoid assembly errors that may occur with the universal models of these child seats because of their installation difficulties (too short belt, contortions, complex assembly diagram ...), and thus reducing the risk of injury in the event of a collision.

The international regulations ECE R14 and R 16 specify the dimensions, general requirements and static resistance requirements of rigid anchorages intended to cooperate with the retaining devices of removable child seats for rear seats in vehicles.

These regulations require two rigid anchorages positioned in the area of the seat-back cushion-seat junction of a rear seat of a vehicle, these anchorages being dimensioned and positioned to allow two metal clips to be easily and securely attached to them. corresponding locks located on each side of the child seats.

These rigid anchors are generally constituted by a pair of metal wire stirrups folded in a U shape and the ends of the two lateral legs of which are rigidly fixed by welding to the seat frame.

This solution is however only possible for seats whose rear part of the frame is rigidly moored to the floor, so as to avoid any pivoting of these anchorages towards the front in the event of an impact from the front of the vehicle.

It also requires beforehand a substantial reinforcement of this frame which results in a significant additional cost and a significant increase in the mass of the seat.

Another known solution consists in directly welding these anchoring stirrups to the floor of the vehicle.

However, this solution has the drawback of forcing car manufacturers to provide different floor references according to the standards concerning the retention of child seats in force in the countries or regions of destination of the vehicle, which leads in particular to an increase in the costs of management and storage.

In order to remedy this problem, patent application EP 0 936 104 A1 discloses an anchoring device intended to be removably mounted on the vehicle floor behind a rear bench seat.

The device comprises a plate of metal sheet on which are welded two pairs of metal wire anchoring stirrups folded in U shape and being arranged so as to come in correspondence with the two lateral places of the bench.

This anchoring device also comprises fixing means able to cooperate with elements provided on the floor to rigidly and releasably secure it to this floor.

In the event of a violent impact from the front of the vehicle and due to the tensile stresses exerted by the clamps of the child seat being locked there, these U-shaped stirrups are liable to twist forward and this is more so than their medium plane is inclined relative to the plate resting on the floor.

In order to limit this twist and to avoid it having an impact on safety, the stirrups are therefore arranged according to mean planes slightly inclined relative to the plate, which prevents this type of device from being used. anchoring on vehicle platforms in which the height difference between the lower edge of the rear seat (where the interface area between the ISOFIX locking clips of the child seat and these stirrups is located) and the floor area located just behind this same rear bench seat (and intended to accommodate the plate) exceeds a certain threshold.

Subject and summary of the invention

The present invention therefore aims to improve the situation.

To this end, it provides an anchoring device for the removable fixing of a child seat on the rear seat of a motor vehicle, said anchoring device comprising two folded metal wire stirrups, welded to a support plate intended to be moored to the floor of said vehicle and able to serve as anchoring points for ISOFIX-type locking members of a said child seat attached to said seat;

characterized in that it further comprises two metal reinforcement casings rigidly fixed to said plate, each said casing extending at the back of a said corresponding stirrup against which it is also rigidly fixed.

Thanks to the presence of these reinforcement casings rigidly fixed both to the stirrups and to the plate, the latter can be arranged according to a mean plane clearly more inclined with respect to the plate.

The anchoring device according to the invention can thus be installed in complete safety on all the platforms of motor vehicles, including those having a significant height separation between the lower edge of the rear seat and the floor area. located just behind the same back seat.

According to preferred characteristics of the anchoring device according to the invention:

- Each said stirrup has a transverse hook strand intended to serve as an anchor for a said locking member of a child seat, as well as at least one curved side leg extending from one end of said transverse strand and being welded to said plate;

each said lateral leg successively comprises a proximal rectilinear section extending rearwards from the corresponding end of said grip strand, a rear rectilinear section extending substantially vertically to said plate, and a lower rectilinear section resting against said plate to which it is rigidly fixed by welding;

- Said lower section extends substantially longitudinally forward, each said leg further comprising a distal rectilinear section extending said lower section by extending parallel to said rear section and joining said proximal section to which its free end is welded;

- Each said housing comprises a flat main wall extending in a transverse vertical plane and resting against the rear section of at least one said lateral leg of a said corresponding stirrup;

- Each said housing also comprises a flat roof wall extending forwardly partially covering the proximal section of at least one said lateral leg of a said corresponding stirrup;

- Each said casing comprises a projecting support foot at the front of said main wall and being welded against said plate as well as on at least the lower section of a said lateral leg of a said corresponding stirrup;

- one of said stirrups has a lateral arm extending rearwards from the end of said strand opposite to said leg and being welded to a joint yoke of said seat rigidly connected to one of the ends of said plate;

- At least one of said stirrups has two said lateral legs extending from the two ends of said strand and symmetrically with respect to the median vertical longitudinal plane of the latter; and

- Said housings are each produced by stamping from a cut sheet.

Brief description of the drawings

The description of the invention will now be continued with the detailed description of an exemplary embodiment, given below by way of illustration but not limitation, with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

- Figure 1 is a perspective view of three rear quarters of a rear seat structure of a motor vehicle and two anchoring devices according to the invention moored to the floor of this vehicle and arranged directly above the two lateral seats from this bench;

- Figure 2 shows an enlargement of detail II of Figure 1 showing the first anchoring device;

- Figure 3 shows a back view of this first anchoring device;

- Figure 4 is an enlarged perspective view of three quarter front of the outer portion of the first anchoring device;

- Figure 5 is an enlarged perspective view of three rear quarters of the outer portion of the first anchoring device; and

- Figure 6 is an enlargement of detail VI of Figure 1 showing the second anchoring device.

Detailed description of a preferred embodiment

Figure 1 shows a rear seat structure 1 of a motor vehicle, for example of row two, mounted on the floor 2 of this vehicle.

The bench seat structure 1 comprises two back frames 10, 20 arranged side by side across the width of the vehicle and having different dimensions: the first back frame 10 intended to receive the back of a single passenger represents approximately 40 % of the total width of the bench structure, while the second back frame 20 which can accommodate up to two passengers represents approximately 60% of this same width.

The two back frames 10, 20 are pivotally hinged, independently of one another, about the same transverse axis and by means of two side screeds arranged on either side of the bench seat 1 (the latter, secured to the structure of the vehicle not being shown in the figures for easier reading) as well as a central yoke 30 located between these two back frames 10, 20 and being stowed on the floor 2.

Each of these two back frames 10, 20 is thus able to pivot between a raised position in which it is slightly inclined towards the rear relative to the vertical as illustrated in FIG. 1, and a folded position substantially horizontal. allowing the volume of the luggage compartment to be increased.

According to the invention, two anchoring devices 100, 200 are removably mounted on the floor 2 behind the bench structure 1, each being arranged in correspondence with one of the two lateral places of this bench so as to allow the removable attachment of a respective child seat 4 attached to the latter and having metal locking clips ISOFIX 5.

In the remainder of this description and by convention, the terms “front”, “rear”, “upper”, “lower”, “longitudinal” and “transverse” will be defined relative to the mounting position of a device for anchoring according to the invention in the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle.

The anchoring device 100, located in correspondence with the first backrest frame 10 of smaller width, comprises two metal anchoring stirrups external 110 and internal 120 spaced laterally and rigidly fixed on a metallic support plate 130 moored to the floor 2 of the vehicle.

We will now describe in support of Figures 2 and 3 the anchoring device 100 in detail.

The support plate 130 is constituted by two half-plates 131, 132 each made from a cut and stamped sheet whose thickness is preferably between 2 and 3 mm (advantageously 2.5 mm), these two half plates 131, 132 extending in line with one another while being welded to each other at an overlapping zone.

This plate 130 is moored to the floor 2 of the vehicle by means of four fixing screws 6 successively passing through circular bores made near its four corners and holes made in this floor 2.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the central yoke 30 is advantageously fixed to the internal end of this support plate 130 by means of a return square 31 extending to the lower end of this yoke 30 under the internal end portion of the plate 130 and being welded to it. This makes it easier to assemble and to use the fixing holes of this central yoke 30 already made in the floor 2 to also fix the support plate 130 there.

The two anchoring stirrups 110, 120 intended not to serve as anchoring points for the two ISOFIX locking clamps 5 of a child seat 4, are each formed by a single folded metal wire, advantageously made of steel and having a diameter advantageously between 6 and 10 mm, for example, 7 or 8 mm.

In support of FIGS. 4 and 5, the external anchoring stirrup 110 comprises a strand of upper rectilinear grip 111 extending transversely and intended to serve as an anchoring point for a first locking clamp 5 of a child seat 4; as well as two lateral legs external 112 and internal 113, curved in the shape of a P, extending from the two ends of this grip strand 111 and symmetrically relative to the median vertical longitudinal plane of the latter.

Each lateral leg 112, 113 successively comprises:

a proximal rectilinear section 112A, 113A constituting the upright of the P and extending backwards and downwards from the corresponding end of the grip strand 111,

a rear rectilinear section 112B, 113B extending vertically inclining slightly in the direction of the median vertical longitudinal plane of the strand 111 up to a raised plate 133 formed on the plate 130 by stamping,

a lower rectilinear section 112C, 113C extending substantially longitudinally forward while resting against said plate 133 to which it is rigidly fixed by a weld bead, and

- A distal rectilinear section 112D, 113D extending parallel to the rear section 112B, 113B and joining the proximal rectilinear section 112A, 113A to which its free end is rigidly fixed by welding at the central area of this section 112A, 113A.

This particular conformation of the lateral legs 112, 113 makes it possible to reinforce the mechanical rigidity of the anchoring stirrup 110 and to prevent it from deforming, in the event of a violent impact from the front of the vehicle, due to the stresses in tension exerted by the clamp 5 of the child seat 4 being locked there.

In support of FIGS. 2 and 3, the internal anchoring stirrup 120 comprises a strand of upper rectilinear hook 121 extending transversely and intended to serve as an anchoring point for a second locking clamp 5 of a child seat 4, as well as an external lateral arm 122 and an internal lateral leg 123 extending from the two ends of this attachment strand 121.

The internal lateral leg 123 is similar to the external lateral leg 113 of the external anchoring stirrup 110 described above, its lower rectilinear section being rigidly fixed by a weld bead against a raised plate 134 formed on the plate 130 by stamping.

The external lateral arm 122 extends substantially longitudinally towards the rear against the central yoke 30 to which it is rigidly fixed by welding.

Like the lateral leg 123, this lateral arm 122 also makes it possible to reinforce the mechanical rigidity of the anchoring stirrup 120 and to prevent it from deforming, in the event of a violent impact from the front of the vehicle, of the makes tensile stresses exerted by the clamp 5 of the child seat 4 being locked there.

In order to further reinforce the mechanical rigidity of the anchoring stirrups 110, 120, each of them is associated with a respective reinforcement casing 150, 160 produced by stamping from a cut sheet and rigidly fixed to the plate 130 thus than to a respective anchor bracket 110, 120.

With the support of FIGS. 4 and 5, the casing 150 has a flat main wall 151 extending in a vertical plane transverse to the rear of the external anchoring stirrup 110 and the lower edge of which is welded against the plate. raised 133 from plate 130 by two weld beads.

The main wall 151 also rests against the rear rectilinear sections 112B and 113B of the two lateral legs 112, 113 of this external anchoring stirrup 110, while being fixed to at least one of them by a weld bead produced on along a slot 152 formed in this main wall 151.

The casing 150 also comprises a flat roof wall 154 extending in an inclined plane upwards and forwards while partially covering the proximal rectilinear sections 112A, 113A of the lateral legs 112, 113 of this external anchoring stirrup 110 , by being fixed to the latter by two weld beads.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, the casing 150 further comprises a support leg 157 projecting from the front of the main wall 151 from its lower part, and being welded against the raised plate 133 of the plate 130 between the two lower sections 112C, 113C of the lateral legs 112, 113 of the external anchoring stirrup 110.

The base 157 furthermore comprises two symmetrical lateral extensions 158 in an arc of circle each partially surrounding a corresponding lower section 112C, 113C to which it is welded.

The housing 160 is identical to the housing 150 but its location with respect to the anchoring stirrup 120 is different since it is slightly offset from the internal side so that it does not interfere with the fixing screws 6 and the central yoke 30 (Figure 2).

Its main walls 161 and roof 164 thus rest only and respectively against the rear section and the proximal section of the internal lateral leg 123 to which they are also welded.

We will now quickly describe the anchoring device 200 with the support of FIG. 6.

The latter, located in correspondence with the lateral position of the second backrest frame 20 of greater width, comprises two metallic anchoring brackets external 210 and internal 220 spaced laterally and rigidly fixed on a metal support plate 230 moored to the floor 2 of the vehicle.

The support plate 230 is formed by stamping from a single piece of cut sheet metal of the same thickness as that constituting the plate 130.

It is also moored to the floor 2 of the vehicle by means of four fixing screws 6 passing successively through circular bores made near its two outer corners and in its internal part, and holes made in this floor 2.

Intended to serve as anchoring points for the two ISOFIX locking clips 5 of a child seat 4, the two anchoring stirrups 210, 220 are identical to the external anchoring stirrup 110 of the device 100 described above and are each welded similarly to the latter by the lower sections of their lateral legs on a respective raised plate 233, 234 formed on the plate 230 by stamping.

Each of the anchoring stirrups 210, 220 is also associated with a respective reinforcement casing 250, 260 identical to the casings 150, 160 of the device 100 and whose lower edge is welded against the corresponding raised plate 233, 234 of the plate 230 by two weld beads.

Each casing 250, 260 is also located with respect to the corresponding anchoring stirrup 210, 220 in the same way as the casing 150 with respect to the anchoring stirrup 110: its main wall 251, 261 thus resting against the rear rectilinear sections of the two lateral legs of this anchoring stirrup 210, 220 while being fixed to at least one of them by a weld bead produced along a slot made in this wall main 251, 261; while its roof wall 254, 264 partially covers the rectilinear proximal sections of the lateral legs of this anchoring stirrup 210, 220 by being fixed to the latter by two weld beads.

According to variant embodiments not shown, the anchoring stirrups, the plates and / or the reinforcement casings have different profiles or shapes.

Finally, it should be recalled that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described and shown, but that it encompasses any other variant of execution within the reach of those skilled in the art.

Claims (10)

1. Anchoring device for the removable fixing of a child seat (4) on the rear seat (1) of a motor vehicle, said anchoring device comprising two folded metal wire stirrups (110, 120; 210, 220), welded to a support plate (130; 230) intended to be moored to the floor (2) of said vehicle and capable of serving as anchoring points for ISOFIX type locking members (5) of a said child seat (4) attached to said seat (1); characterized in that it further comprises two metal reinforcing casings (150, 160; 250, 260) rigidly fixed to said plate (130; 230), each said casing extending on the back of a said corresponding bracket (110 , 120; 210, 220) against which it is also rigidly fixed. 2. Anchoring device according to claim 1, characterized in that each said stirrup (110, 120; 210, 220) comprises a transverse hook strand (111, 121) intended to serve as an anchoring point for a said locking member (5) of a child seat (4), as well as at least one curved side leg (112, 113, 123); extending from one end of said transverse strand (111, 121) and being welded to said plate (130; 230). 3. Anchoring device according to claim 2, characterized in that each said lateral leg (112, 113, 123) successively comprises: - a proximal rectilinear section (112A, 113A) extending rearward from the corresponding end of said grip strand (111, 121), a rear rectilinear section (112B, 113B) extending substantially vertically up to said plate (130; 230), and - A lower rectilinear section (112C, 113C) resting against said plate (130; 230) to which it is rigidly fixed by welding. 4. An anchoring device according to claim 3, characterized in that said lower section (112C, 113C) extends substantially longitudinally forward, each said leg (112, 113, 123) further comprising a straight distal section (112D, 113D) extending said lower section (112C, 113C) by extending parallel to said rear section (112B, 113B) and joining said proximal section (112A, 113A) to which its free end is welded. 5. An anchoring device according to one of claims 3 or 4, characterized in that each said casing (150, 160; 250, 260) has a flat main wall (151, 161; 251, 261) extending in a transverse vertical plane and resting against the rear section (112B, 113B) of at least one said lateral leg (112, 113, 123) of a said corresponding stirrup (110, 120; 210, 220). 6. Anchoring device according to claim 5, characterized in that each said casing (150, 160; 250, 260) also comprises a flat roof wall extending forwardly partially covering the proximal section (112A, 113A) of at least one said lateral leg (112, 113, 123) of a said corresponding stirrup (110, 120; 210, 220). 7. Anchoring device according to one of claims 5 or 6, characterized in that each said housing (150, 160; 250, 260) comprises a support foot (157) projecting in front of said main wall (151, 161; 251, 261) and being welded against said plate (130; 230) as well as on at least the lower section (112C, 113C) of a said lateral leg (112, 113, 123) of a said corresponding bracket (110, 120; 210, 220). 8. Anchoring device according to one of claims 2 to 7, characterized in that one (120) of said stirrups (110, 120) comprises a lateral arm (122) extending rearward from the 'end of said strand (121) opposite said leg (123) and being welded to a hinge yoke (30) of said seat (1) rigidly connected to one end of said plate (130). 9. Anchoring device according to one of claims 2 to 8, characterized in that at least one (110; 210, 220) of said stirrups (110, 120; 210, 220) comprises two said lateral legs ( 112, 113) extending from the two ends of said attachment strand (111) and symmetrically with respect to the median vertical longitudinal plane of the latter. 10.Anchoring device according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that said casings (150, 160; 250, 260) are each produced by stamping from a cut sheet.