GB2087226A

GB2087226A - Shock absorbing seat

Info

Publication number: GB2087226A
Application number: GB8028621A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: TRANSPORT MINISTER OF
Current assignee: TRANSPORT MINISTER OF
Priority date: 1980-09-04
Filing date: 1980-09-04
Publication date: 1982-05-26
Also published as: GB2087226B

Abstract

A vehicle seat is formed by two connected parts. The shorter rear portion is a flat metal sheet bent upwardly at the back and riveted to the rear cross-member 3 of a tubular support frame. The front portion 6 includes a metal sheet which is "waisted" in plan view and curved upwardly from the rear in side elevation to a smoothly curved peak 7 from which it is bent downwardly as a flat vertical panel, which is cross-member 2 of the support frame. Side panels 8 attached to the edges of the curved surface of the front sheet are splayed outward to define a pan and each has a flap 9 formed at its rear edge. Each flap 9 is wrapped over a short tube 10 upwardly inclined and projecting outwardly from the support frame. The flaps are riveted to the short tubes and the two parts of the seat are riveted together and to an intermediate cross-member 4 of the support frame. On impact, the raised part of portion 6 buckles at Z, portion 6 rotates about cross-member 4, thus causing lowering of the portion 6 and further buckling at X, and the attachments of flaps 9 to tubes 10 shear. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Shock absorbing seat This invention relates to seats which can be used for example in motor vehicles to provide a measure of shock absorbance to occupants in the event of a sudden deceleration as would occur in a collision.

When a vehicle collides with an obstacle or another vehicle, one effect of the impact is that any occupants will, if unrestrained, continue to travel in substantially the original direction of movement at substantially the same rate while the speed of the vehicle is checked. The bodies of the occupants will thus make contact with parts of the vehicle usually with disastrous results.

Restraining devices for inhibiting movement of occupants relative to the structure of a vehicle are widely used. These include seat belts, crash pads and self inflating air bags and can have certain disadvantages such as the need to be put on or adjusted by an individual occupant, difficulty of stowage when not in an active position without interfering with vehicle operation, restriction of an occupant's movements, or implicit reliance on some sensing device for unfailing automatic operation.

The present invention provides a seat which will restrict undesirable movement of an occupant and limit the effects to an occupant as a result of impact damage while becoming operative merely by the act of being occupied by a person in a normal manner According to the invention a shock absorbing seat comprises a pan of which at least a portion is carried on a member disposed to act as a pivot extending generally transversely of the fore and aft axis of the seat so that a predetermined force transmitted to the pan substantially in the direction of the fore and aft axis will cause rotation of the pan about the pivot axis.

Preferably the pan is shaped to receive the lower portion of a human body disposed so as to transmit forces to the pan in said direction.

In one form of the invention, the pan is arranged to be deformed by the application of said predetermined force and is carried by a support frame having a member on which the pan can pivot.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings of which: Figure 1 is a view in partial section of a seat assembly intended for use in a motor vehicle, as seen from the front, Figure2 is a section through the seat assembly of Figure 1 taken on the line ll-ll therein, Figure 3 is a general view of part of the above seat, and Figure 4 is a view generally as in Figure 2 showing part of the seat in a distorted state.

Referring to the drawings, a seat support frame of tubular construction comprises two parallel longitudinal members 1 connected to cross-members 2, 3, 4 respectively at front and rear and intermediately.

The support frame carries a seat pass formed of two connected parts 5, 6. The shorter rear portion 5 is essentially a flat metal sheet bent upwardly at the back where it is attached to the rear cross-member 3 of the support frame by rivets. The front portion 6 is fabricated from sheet metal and includes a bottom panel which is "waisted" at the sides and curved upwardly from rear to front in side elevation to a smoothly curved peak 7 from which it extends substantially vertically downwards to be attached at its lower edge by rivets to the front cross-member 2 of the support frame. The two parts 5,6 of the seat pan are riveted together and to the intermediate cross-member 4 of the support frame.

Side panels 8 attached to the longer, curved, edges of the bottom panel of the front portion 6 complete the seat pan. Each of the side panels 8 has a flap 9 formed at its rear edge which is wrapped over a short tube 10 upwardly inclined and projecting outwardly from the respective longitudinal members 1 of the support frame. The flaps 9 are attached to the short tubes 10 by rivets.

Padding and upholstery of a conventional nature is carried by the seat pan and is shaped and arranged to a suitable outline.

When the seat is occupied, the padding will be compressed by the individual's weight so that the seat portion of their body will be carried effectively within the seat pan with the underportions of their thighs supported on the smoothly curved peak 7.

In the event of a collision impact, the upper part of the occupant's thighs will bear again the upwardly curved face of the bottom panel of the front portion 6 as indicated by the arrow A in Figure 2 and a restraining force will in consequence be applied tending to keep the lower part of the occupant's body in place in the seat pan.

The dimensions and thickness of metal of the bottom panel and its front vertically extending section are selected that buckling will occur at a predetermined loading as indicated at Z in Figure 4 and so absorb some of the shock involved. The direction of loading can also cause the front portion 6 to rotate about the intermediate cross section 4 which will act as a hinge, leading in turn to a lowering of the bottom panel and further buckling is likely to take place in this region as indicated at X in Figure 4 (with attendant shock absorption) and ultimately shearing of the attachments of the fiaps 9 to the short tubes 10 will give further shock absorption.

The foregoing assumes of course that the seat is firmly secured to the vehicle in question as by attachment of the seat frame to the floor or other structure in suitable manner.

A seat according to the invention will assist in restraining a vehicle occupant from excessive movement with relation to the vehicle in the event of a collision or other undesirable check without any special action on the part of the individual or operation of any specific apparatus. In the interests of safety however it is to be expected that a seat according to the invention would be used in conjunction with other forms of restraint such as seat belts, crash pads and air bags to give an overall measure of protection.

Claims

1. A shock absorbing seat comprising a pan of which at least a portion is carried on a member disposed to act as a pivot extending transversely of the fore and aft axis of the seat wherein a predetermined force transmitted to the pan substantially in the direction of the fore and aft axis will cause rotation of the pan about the pivot axis.

2. A shock absorbing seat according to claim 1 comprising a metal pan supported on a frame including inclined members extending transversely of the fore and aft axis of the pan and secured to flaps formed on the pan.

3. A shock absorbing seat according to claim 2 in which the pan includes a raised portion spaced from the inclined members and separately connected to the frame.

4. A shock absorbing seat comprising a metal pan having a raised portion connected to a frame and a lower portion extending rearwardly from the raised portion with respectto the fore-and-aft axis of the seat and connected with at least one transversely extending member in such manner that a force acting forwardly on the raised portion will tend to cause rotation of the pan about the transversely extending members on each of them.

5. A shock absorbing seat according to claim 3 or claim 4 in which the raised portion includes a smoothly curved peak.

6. A shock absorbing seat according to claim 3, claim 4 or claim 5 in which a force acting forwardly on the pan will tend to cause buckling of the raised portion.

7. A shock absorbing seat according to any of claims 2 to 6 in which the or each transversely extending member is located intermediately with respect to the fore and aft extent of the pan.

8. Ashockabsorbing seat substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.