GB2278535A

GB2278535A - A motor vehicle seat belt arrangement

Info

Publication number: GB2278535A
Application number: GB9311657A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Philip Neil Warner
Original assignee: Ford Motor Co
Current assignee: Ford Motor Co
Priority date: 1993-06-05
Filing date: 1993-06-05
Publication date: 1994-12-07
Also published as: GB9311657D0

Abstract

A vehicle seat is provided with an elongate seat belt guide member 7 mounted on the seat back 1 for sliding between an extended position and a retracted position corresponding respectively to the upright and folded positions of pivotally-mounted seat back 1. The seat belt 10 passes through the guide member 7 to an inertia/retractor reel 13. The vehicle seat may have a pivotally mounted squab 2. The retraction movement of the guide member 7 is such that the member does not foul anything on moving the seat back 1 between its upright and its folded position. A lever 8 causes the movement of the seat back 1 to automatically effect sliding of the guide member 7. <IMAGE>

Description

A Motor Vehicle Seat Belt Arrangement This invention relates to a seat belt arrangement for a motor vehicle seat having a seat back which may be folded downwards and particularly, but not exclusively for a rear centre passenger seat of a motor vehicle.

The fitting of seat belts in motor vehicles is the subject of statutory requirements and in the case of seat belts of the known diagonal type, the position of the upper point of the belt in use must fall within specified height limitations. In this connection, reference is made to an average size adult person when seated having an 'R' point, in the pelvic region, 450mm above which is the shoulder height of that person. While the position of the upper point of the belt is required to be within a specified region above this standard shoulder height, the height of seat backs is often somewhat lower.

Although in the case of seats adjacent the sides of saloon vehicles, for example, this presents no serious problem, open topped vehicles may lack structural members at sufficient height for suitable seat belt anchorages or guides. This is also so in the case of seats positioned between those adjacent vehicle sides. Seats which can be folded downwards may present a particular problem since the height of the seat back generally has to be kept low.

Two-door motor vehicles often have front seats provided with seat backs which can be folded downwards in order to facilitate access of passengers to and from the rear seats.

The rear seats of motor vehicles are often provided with seat backs which can be folded downwards to enable the vehicle to be used occasionally for carrying goods. In this connection, the seat squab is often arranged to pivot forwards to a tipped up position to enable the seat back to fold down lower. To accommodate this folding facility, a vehicle rear bench seat is often divided, for example into two portions, one comprising approximately 60% and the other approximately 40% of the seat width, also the seat backs are frequently designed to be generally low so that the back will fold down behind the tipped up squab.

Accordingly, this invention provides a motor vehicle seat belt arrangement comprising a motor vehicle seat provided with a seat belt and having a seat back pivotally mounted for movement between a first position which is a substantially upright riding position and a second position which is a folded position, an elongate seat belt guide member mounted on the seat back and arranged to slide relative to the seat back between an extended position and a retracted position, corresponding respectively to the first and second positions of the seat back, the seat belt guide member having an end to guide the seat belt between an extended belt position above the seat back and a retracted belt position corresponding respectively to the first and second positions of the seat back.

By means of this invention, problems associated with the provision of suitable positioning of the upper point of a seat belt, and particularly of a seat belt of the diagonal type, in use, may be overcome.

The vehicle seat of the seat belt arrangement of this invention may be any vehicle seat with a seat back which has a facility allowing it to fold downwards from a substantially upright riding position. Although to fold the seat back downwards may merely comprise tipping the seat back in a forwards and downwards direction through a relatively small angle, it is preferred that the seat back can be folded down so that the rear side of the seat back reaches a substantially horizontal position when the vehicle is in a horizontal position. Thus, while the seat may be, for example a front seat of an open topped two-door vehicle, it is preferably a rear seat, and particularly a rear seat intermediate between rear seats adjacent vehicle sides.

More preferably, the seat is a centre seat the back of which may fold integrally with that of an adjacent seat such as may be provided in the 60%:40% design mentioned above.

It is preferred that the vehicle seat has a squab which is pivotally mounted such as to enable it to be tipped forward, at least to a substantially vertical position, whereby, for example, a seat back may fold down flat behind it.

The seat belt employed in the arrangement of this invention is preferably of the diagonal type and particularly including an integral lap belt. While the belt may be adjustable in length by buckles and like known devices, the usable length is preferably controlled, in known manner, by an inertia/retractor reel, of known type, being attached at one end. The other end of the seat belt is preferably attached to the vehicle floor and the belt preferably passed between the seat back and the squab for this purpose.

The pivotal mounting of the seat back may be on the frame of the seat squab for example but is preferably via one or more vehicle floor brackets The elongate seat belt guide member may be a tubular or channel-shaped member for example but should have internal dimensions to permit the passage therethrough of the web of the belt. The guide member is mounted on the seat back and arranged to slide relative thereto. To this end the guide member is preferably mounted in slidable manner within an elongate channel fixed to the rear side of or within the seat back. If, as is preferred, a seat belt inertia/retractor reel is employed, this may be attached to the seat back but it is preferably attached to the guide member, in particular to the end nearer to the pivotal mounting of the seat back.

The end of the guide member which is remote from the pivotal mounting of the seat back and which is to guide the seat belt between an extended belt position above the seat back and a retracted belt position, may include a roller, but preferably includes a low friction surface, over which the web of the belt passes.

While the extended position of the seat belt guide member may be temporarily retained by a releasable ratchet device for example, it is preferably retained by a lever device pivotally mounted on the vehicle floor and hingedly connected to the guide member.

It is preferred that the end of the seat belt guide member nearer to the pivotal mounting of the seat back has a lever hingedly attached,the other end of the lever being pivotally attached to the vehicle floor. The length of the lever and its position of attachment to the floor is preferably such that when the seat back is folded downwards the lever automatically pulls the seat belt guide member in sliding manner from the extended position to a retracted position.

The position of attachment of such a lever to the floor is preferably also such that when the seat back is raised from the folded condition to the riding position, it will automatically cause the guide member to resume its extended position. While such a lever may be provided with a locking device of its own, a latch releasably fixing the seat back in the riding position can also serve indirectly to lock the guide member in its extended position.

Retraction of the seat belt guide member is preferably sufficient to enable the seat back to be folded downwards, preferably to a position in which its rear side becomes substantially horizontal, without the guide member fouling on anything ahead of its travel.

The invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a schematic sketch of a seat belt arrangement according to this invention showing the position of an occupant of the centre rear seat of a vehicle and schematically the positions of the arrangement components with the seat back in the riding and in the folded conditions.

Figure 2 is a sketch of a cross-section of the seat belt guide member and its mounting taken in the direction A-A in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sketch of a cross-section of the seat belt guide member and its mounting taken in the direction B-B in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a schematic sketch of the front view of a cut-away section of the seat back shown in Figure 1 showing detail of the position of the guide member in the extended position.

Figure 5 is a sketch of a cross-section of the guide member taken in the direction C-C in Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a sketch of a front view of the arrangement shown in Figure 1 showing the position of the seat belt in its use position.

Figure 7 is a sketch of a front view of the arrangement shown in Figure 1 showing the position of the seat belt in the stowed position and with the guide member still in the extended position.

In the drawings, in which like numbers correspond, Figure 1 shows a motor vehicle seat comprising a seat back 1 and a squab 2. The seat back 1 is pivotally mounted on the floor bracket 3 for movement between a substantially upright riding position to a substantially horizontal position (both positions being shown). The squab 2 is pivotally mounted on the floor bracket 4 for movement between a seating position and a tipped up position (both positions being shown). The seat back 1 and the squab 2 include a centre seat of a rear bench seat of the vehicle as may be better seen in Figures 6 and 7. The seat back 1 may be locked in the riding position by a latch (not shown). In Figure 1 the position of the body of an average size adult in a sitting position is shown and in relation to which the point 'R' in the pelvic region is indicated. A distance d, which represents 450mm, above the 'R' point is the shoulder height of the average size seated adult.

Seat back 1 has mounted behind its rear panel 5 the elongate channel 6 within which elongate channel-shaped seat belt guide member 7 is axially slidable. To the lower end of the guide member 7 is pivotally attached the lever 8 which is pivotally attached at its other end to the floor bracket 9.

The rear panel 5 of the seat back 1 has a slot (not shown) which allows the lever 8 to take up the position shown with the seat back 1 in the substantially horizontal position.

The guide member 7 has the seat belt web 10 within it, which web 10 exits from the guide member 7 via aperture 11 over the low friction plastic seat belt guide 12 incorporated at the end of guide member 7 and as may be more clearly seen in Figures 4 and 5. The in-board end of the seat belt web is housed in inertia/retractor reel 13 which is mounted on the guide member 7 so as to freely feed and retrieve the web 10 from the guide member 7 as desired. The rear panel 5 is provided with a depressed profile, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, to accommodate the movement of the reel 13 with the guide member 7 to which it is bolted.

The mounting of the channel 6, the length of the guide member 7 and the length and positioning of the pivotal attachments of the lever 8, respectively to the guide member 7 and the floor bracket 9, are such that with the seat back 1 in the substantially upright riding position the guide member extends above the seat back 1 such that its upper end and particularly the seat belt guide 12 is above the average adult shoulder height mentioned and with the seat back 1 in the substantially horizontal position is retracted into the channel 6 so that its end barely extends beyond the top of the seat back 1. It will be appreciated from Figure 1 that in order to enable the seat back 1 to be folded downwards to the horizontal position shown, the seat squab 2 is first tipped up to the substantially vertical position shown.

As indicated above, Figure 2 represents a cross-section of the seat belt guide member 7 and its mounting taken in the direction A-A in Figure 1.

Figure 3 shows the manner of accommodating the inertia/retractor reel 13 on the guide member 7 and behind the rear panel 5.

Figure 4 represents a front view of a cut-away section of the seat back shown in Figure 1 showing the guide member 7 in the extended position. Figure 4 also shows the approximate positioning of the channel 6 on the seat back 1 for a centre seat of a three seat rear bench seat of a motor vehicle, a 60% portion of which is shown.

Figure 5 represents a cross-section of the guide member 7 taken in the direction C-C in Figure 4 and shows detail of the aperture 11 and seat belt guide incorporated at the end of guide member 7 from which the web 10 exits.

Figure 6 shows the position of the seat belt web 10 of Figure 1 in its use position and showing the formation of a lap belt from the web 10, by securing an end to the vehicle floor by passage first of the end between the bottom of the seat back 1 and the rear end of the squab 2, and securing the intermediate portion to a releasable catch using latchbuckle 14 in known manner.

Figure 7 shows the position of the seat belt web 10 in the stowed position, the excess web 10 having been retracted by reel 13 in known manner. The guide member is shown retained in the extended position.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle seat belt arrangement comprising a motor vehicle seat provided with a seat belt and having a seat back pivotally mounted for movement between a first position which is a substantially upright riding position and a second position which is a folded position, an elongate seat belt guide member mounted on the seat back and arranged to slide relative to the seat back between an extended position and a retraced position, corresponding respectively to the first and second positions of the seat back, the seat belt guide member having an end to guide the seat belt between an extended belt position above the seat back and a retracted belt position corresponding respectively to the first and second positions of the seat back.

2. A seat belt arrangement as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the second position is one in which the rear side of the seat back is in a substantially horizontal position when the vehicle is in the horizontal position.

3. A seat belt arrangement as claimed in either of Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the seat is a centre seat, the back of which is integral with that of an adjacent seat.

4. A seat belt arrangement as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims wherein the seat has a squab pivotally mounted to enable it to be tipped forward.

5. A seat belt arrangement as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims wherein the retracted position of the seat belt guide is such that the end to guide the seat belt does not foul anything on moving the seat back from the first position to the second position.

6. A seat belt arrangement as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the movement of the seat back between the first position and the second position automatically effects the sliding of the guide member between extended and retracted positions respectively.

7. A seat belt arrangement as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims wherein the seat belt is of the diagonal type having an integral lap belt.

8. A seat belt arrangement as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims wherein the usable length of the seat belt is controlled by an inertia/retractor reel attached to the guide member.

9. A seat belt arrangement as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims wherein the extended position of the seat belt-guide member is retained by a lever device pivotally mounted on the vehicle floor and hingedly connected to the guide member.

10. A seat belt arrangement as claimed in Claim 9 wherein the lever device automatically effects the sliding of the guide member between extended and retracted positions on movement of the seat back between the first and second positions respectively.

11. A seat belt arrangement as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.