GB2293315A

GB2293315A - Vehicle seat support

Info

Publication number: GB2293315A
Application number: GB9419164A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Temple; John Savill
Original assignee: Nissan Technical Centre Europe Ltd
Current assignee: Nissan Technical Centre Europe Ltd
Priority date: 1994-09-22
Filing date: 1994-09-22
Publication date: 1996-03-27
Anticipated expiration: 2014-09-22
Also published as: GB9419164D0; GB2293315B

Abstract

A support post 8 is mounted on the floor structure of the vehicle so as to be movable between an upstanding active position and a reclining inactive position. In the active position it is locked to the floor structure so as to prevent movement away from the active position and it is also locked to the seat back 6 so as to prevent movement of the seat back away from its upright operative position. The post can be pivoted down to sit in a well 11 in the floor. The device is intended for hatchback type vehicles to provide extra support for the inner side of the seat back, particularly those with integral seat belts. <IMAGE>

Description

Vehicle seat support This invention relates to a vehicle seat assembly and in particular to a seat assembly whose seat back is movable between a tilted inoperative position and an upright operative potion.

The rear passenger seat of an estate car or hatchback usually has a seat back which can be tilted forwards to enlarge the load carrying space in the rear. It is now common to split the rear seat so that it has two tiltable seat backs, one of which is tiltable independently of the other. Usually, one of these seat backs will be wider than the other and the load carrying space is usually hidden from general view by a re-ovable parcel shelf assembly which does not form a structural part of the vehicle.

In the upright operative position, the or each seat back of the rear passenger seat of such vehicles is releasably latched to part of the bodywork. However, as there is only a removable parcel shelf and not a structural support member to the rear of the seat back, the inboard end of each seat back is unrestrained and is only held in place by the integral structural rigidity of the seat backs.

Furthermore, there is now an increasing requirement for the upper part of the seat backs to incorporate one or more seat belt retractors or at least a belt bearing location. This is particularly the case when three rear passengers are each =o be provided with a three-oint seat belt. As will be apprec-aed, in an impact situation, this arrangement can subject the sea baok to an additional load particularly in the area where the seat belt for the rear centre seat passes over or is attached to the centre portion or inboard end of one of the seat backs. This can cause dislodgement or distortion of the seat back, unless the seat back is provided with substantial structural reinforcement, which can cause the seat to become very cumbersome and unacceptably heavy to use.

Accordingly, it would be desirable to be able to provide a seat back with enhanced support in which the above concerns are at least alleviated.

The present invention provides an elongate stay for connecting the seat back to the vehicle body.

The present invention provides a vehicle a seat support for a seat having a seat cushion and a seat back, the seat back being movable between an operative position and an inoperative position, the seat support comprising a support post, means for mounting the support post on a floor structure of a vehicle so as to be movable between an upstanding active position and a reclining inactive position, first releasable means for locking the upstanding support post to the floor structure so as to prevent movement away from the active position, and second releasable means for locking together the upstanding support post and the seat back in its operative position so as to prevent movement of the seat back away from its operative position.

Preferred and optional features are set forth in the subsidiary claims.

The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic side view of a first embodiment of a seat arrangement in a vehicle; Figure 2 is a fragmentary rear perspective view of the first embodiment, showing a support post in its active position; Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, but showing the support post in its inactive or stowed position; Figure 4 is a fragmentary side view of the upper parts of the seat back and support post; Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4, in a second embodiment of the seat arrangement; Figure 6 is a fragmentary rear perspective view of the second embodiment; Figure 7 is a fragmentary rear perspective view of a third embodiment, showing a support post in its active position; and Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 7 but showing the support post in its inactive or stowed position.

The seat arrangement shown in Figures 1 to 4 is mounted in the rear passenger space of an automobile vehicle such as a hatchback or estate car. The seat arrangement comprises a seat 1 which is split laterally into two parts, one of which is wider than the other. Such seats are commonly known as 60:40 split rear seats. In the drawing, only the wider part of the seat 1 is shown, and this occupies aproximat-oly 23 of the width of the s2scenger space.

The seat 1 includes a seat cushion 2 which is pivotably mounted to a floor 3 of the vehicle so as to be forwardly tiltable about an axis 4 to a position show in chain-dotted line in Figure 1. The seat 1 also includes a seat back 6 which is also mounted to the floor 3 so as to be pivotable about an axis 7 between an upstanding operative position (indicated in full line in Figures 1 to 3) and a forwardly tilted inoperative position (shown in chain-dotted line in Figure 1). In the operative position the outboard end of the seat back 6 is locked to the vehicle body by a conventional releasable latch mechanism (not shown).

A support post 8 is pivotally mounted on a mounting structure which comprises a bracket 9 bolted to the base of an elongate well 11 fabricated in the vehicle floor 3 and extending rearwardly in the load storage space of the vehicle. The floor 3 has a reinforcement 12 in the region of the mounting bracket 9.

The support post 8 is pivotable about an axis 13 between an upstanding active position (shown in full line in Figure 1 and in Figure 2) and a reclining inactive or stowed position (shown in chain-dotted line in Figure 1 and in full line in Figure 3). In its active position, the support post 8 is substantially vertical or slightly rearwardly inclined (as shown) and is substantially parallel to the seat back 6.

In the active position, a first releasable locking device (not shown) acts between the lower end portion of the upstanding pport post 8 and the mounting bracket 9 so as to prevent movement of the post away from its active position. The skilled person will be aware of many locking devices which are available for this purpose, and which need not be described in detail here.

In particular, retractable spring-loaded pins carried by the post may be arranged to snap into latching holes in the mounting bracket 9. This would provide the necessary resistance to forward and rearward pivoting of the post 8. A release lever 14 of the first locking device is shown in Figure 2, which also indicates in chain-dotted line an alternative lateral position for the release lever (ill').

With the seat back 6 locked in its upright operative position and the support post 8 locked in its upstanding active position, a second releasable locking device (not shown) acts between the upper end portion of the post and the upper end portion of the seat back so as to prevent movement of the seat back away from the post and hence away from its operative position. This locking device includes a latch 16 (Figure 3) which is mounted on the post 8 and which lockingly engages with a belt retractor 17 (Figure 4) carried by the seat back and aligned with the upstanding support post. The upper end of the post carries a lever 17 for releasing the latch 16.

The belt retractor is of a type which is adapted to receive a latching element and which prevents belt pay-out when the latching element is not locked into the belt retractor, i.e. when the upstanding support post and the upright seat back are not locked together. Of course, the belt retractor prevents belt pay-out if it is in the wrong attitude, if it is subjected to abnormal acceleration, or if the belt is pulled abruptly. Such retractors are well to those skilled in the art.

Accordingly, when the post 8 is locked in its upstanding active position and the seat back 6 is locked to it, the seat back is substantially reinforced (in the region of the centre seat-belt) against distortion or dislodgement arising from forces due to accidental impact, whether from the front or the rear.

When the seat back 6 is to be tilted forwards, the levers 14 and 17 are operated to release the above-mentioned locking devices; the seat back 6 is unlatched from the vehicle body; the post 8 is tilted back until it is accommodated in the well 11; and the seat back is tilted forwards to its inoperative position.

It will be appreciated that the movement of the seat back between its operative and inoperative positions may be kinematically linked to the movement of the support post between its active and inactive position, for instance by the interconnection of gears rotating about the pivot axes 7 and 13. In the inactive or stowed position, the post lies substantially flush with the base of the load storage space.

Figures 5 and 6 illustrate a second embodiment, in which the belt retractor 17 is mounted in the upper end of the support post 8. In this case, the latch 16 engages with a separate receiver in the upper end of the seat back 6. The belt 18 extends along inside the post 8 and up the inside of the rear of the seat back 6.

Figures 7 and 8 illustrate a third embodiment, in which the support post 8 reclines laterally from its active position to its inactive position, about a pivot axis 13 extending longitudinally of the vehicle, and is stowed in an elongate well 11 which extends generally transversely of the vehicle.

Various modifications may be made within the scope of the invention. For example, the belt retractor may be mounted at floor level, instead of in the seat back or support post.

Furthermore, when the support post is reclined from its upstanding position, it may be located above the floor level 3.

This may particularly be the case for the third embodiment shown in Figures 7 and 8 where the support posts reclines laterally from its active position and may therefore lie immediately behind the seat back 6.

Claims

Claims:

1. A vesicle seat support for a seat having a seat cushion and a seat back, the seat back being movable between an operative position and an inoperative position, the seat support comprising a support post, means for mounting the support post on a floor structure of a vehicle so as to be movable between an upstanding active position and a reclining inactive position, first releasable means for locking the upstanding support post to the floor structure so as to prevent movement away from the active position, anJ second releasable means for locking together the upstanding support post and the seat back in its operative position so as to prevent movement of the seat back away from its operative position.

2. A vehicle seat support as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which the support post is substantially vertical or inclined rearwardly from the vertical in its active position.

3. A vehicle seat support as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which the upstanding support post is substantially parallel to the seat back in its operative position.

4. A vehicle seat support as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3, in which the support post in its inactive position is received in a well in the floor structure.

5. A vehicle seat support as claimed in any preceding claim, including means for kinematically linking the movement of the support rst between its active and inactive positions to the movement of rce seat back between its operative and inoperative positions.

6. A vehicle seat support as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the first releasable means acts between a lower end portion of the upstanding support post and a mounting structure for the lower end portion.

7. A vehicle seat sport as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the second releasable means acts between an upper end portion of the upstanding support post and an upper end portion of the upright seat back.

8. A vehicle seat support as claimed in any of claims 1 to 7, in which the support post reclines laterally from its active position to its inactive position.

9. A vehicle seat support as claimed in any of claims 1 to 7, in which the support post reclines rearwardly from its active position to its inactive position.

10. A vehicle seat support as claimed in any of claims 1 to 9, including a seat belt retractor carried by the support post.

11. A vehicle seat support as claimed in any of claims 1 to 9, including a seat belt retractor aligned with the upstanding support post and carried by the seat back.

12. A vehicle seat belt as claimed in claim 10 or 11, in which the seat belt retractor prevents belt pay-out when the upstanding support post is not locked to the seat back in its operative position.

13. A vehicle seat support substantially as described with reference to, and as shewn in, Figures 1 to 4, 'ires 5 and 6, or Figures 7 and 8 of the ncoompanyin; dr2wir--c.