GB2407029A

GB2407029A - Removable seat back for vehicle

Info

Publication number: GB2407029A
Application number: GB0422931A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Cameron
Original assignee: Nissan Technical Centre Europe Ltd
Current assignee: Nissan Technical Centre Europe Ltd
Priority date: 2003-10-17
Filing date: 2004-10-15
Publication date: 2005-04-20
Anticipated expiration: 2024-10-15
Also published as: GB0422931D0; GB2407029B; GB0324395D0; EP1689610A1; WO2005037598A1

Abstract

A seat assembly for a vehicle (coupe or 2 + 2) including a passenger seat (50a) having a seat support means (51, 52, 54) for supporting a seat member (56) upon which a passenger sits, in use, and a seat back (58) which defines a back rest for the seated passenger. Additional mounting means (66, 60; 70, 72, 74; 84, 82) FIG 5 - 7 is provided for removably mounting at least the seat back (58) on the seat support means (51, 52, 54) so as to increase room available in the rear of the vehicle to facilitate the installation of a child seat or the like. The seat base, squab, may also be detachable from the vehicle chassis. Removal of the seat back provides additional legroom for a child seat affixed to the rear of a passenger front seat. A child seat may also be affixed to the seat support means (52) and may be held in position with a seat belt.

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO VEHICLE CHILD SEATS

The present invention is concerned with improvements in or relating to child seats and the installation thereof in vehicles such as automobiles.

It is recognised by many vehicle manufacturers that the safest way for young children to be carried in a vehicle is for them to be seated in a child seat placed on the rear seat or bench of the vehicle. One problem associated with this arrangement is that there may be insufficient space in the rear of the vehicle to locate the child seat safely while providing comfort for the child. This problem is particularly acute in coupe-type vehicles or those having a so-called 2+2 seating configuration in which the rear bench defines only two small jump seats with very little legroom and which are suitable only for persons of very small stature, such as children.

In such vehicles, there may be insufficient space between the rear of the front seats and the seat back of the rear seats to install a child seat, which may be a relatively bulky item, whilst providing sufficient room for the child's legs. In this case, the user is forced to install the child seat on the front passenger seat which no then prevents another adult from travelling in the vehicle at the same time.

It would be advantageous to provide an arrangement whereby a child seat can be installed in or on the rear seats of vehicles having limited rear passenger space.

Is According to one aspect of the invention, therefore, there is provided a seat assembly for use in a vehicle, the seat assembly comprising a passenger seat including a seat support means for supporting a seat member upon which a passenger sits and a seat back which defines a back rest surface for the seated passenger, in use, and mounting means for removably mounting the seat back and/or the seat member on the support means so as to provide an increased accommodation space for a child seat assembly.

In a preferred embodiment, the passenger seat is a rear passenger seat of the vehicle, as mentioned previously.

The seat support means may be a seat support frame including a seat member support upon which the seat member is mounted and a seat back support upon lo which the seat back is removably mounted by said mounting means.

In one embodiment, the mounting means includes at least one projection provided on the seat back and at least one opening provided on the seat support means, wherein the at least one opening is shaped to permit insertion of a corresponding projection into the opening when the seat back is at a first height relative to the seat support means but to prevent the projection being removed through the opening when the seat back is at a second height relative to the seat support means.

The seat assembly may also comprise a further mounting means for removably mounting the seat member on the seat support means.

The passenger seat is preferably provided with a restraining belt which is co- operable with a buckle having a first buckle height at which it cooperates with the restraining belt to restrain a passenger seated on the seat member when the seat member is mounted upon the seat support means, and wherein the buckle is adjustable to a second height at which it cooperates with the restraining belt to restrain a child seat assembly mounted on the seat support means when the seat member is removed from the seat support means.

As the seat member (e.g. the seat cushion or squab) and the seat back (e. g. the s seat back cushion) of the rear passenger seat are mounted on the seat support frame so as to be readily removable, a convenient means for adapting the vehicle to provide space for a child seat assembly is provided.

In one embodiment, it is the rear passenger seat of the vehicle that is provided lo with a removable seat member and a removable seat back so that an increased accommodation space is made available for child seat assembly that may be mounted on a rear-facing side of the front passenger seat or may be mounted directly on the exposed surface of the seat support means with the seat member removed (in either the forward or rear facing seat position).

The invention also overcomes the problem of how to accommodate a child in a rear-facing seat position in vehicles provided with a passenger airbag, and in such a manner that a reasonable space is available for larger children, in particular, to be seated in comfort.

The second aspect of the invention is also applicable to a front seat of a vehicle having a removable seat back, and preferably a removable seat member also, for example as may be used in a two-seater vehicle having no passenger airbag.

as According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a vehicle having a seat assembly in accordance with the first aspect of the invention.

The vehicle may be manufactured and sold with the detachably mounted child seat assembly, or the latter may be manufactured and sold separately.

It will be appreciated that the preferred and/or optional features of the first aspect s of the invention may be employed alone or in appropriate combination within the second aspect of the invention also.

The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the interior of a vehicle illustrating a first configuration of a seat assembly according to a first embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the interior of the vehicle of Figure 1 when the Is seat assembly is in a second configuration; Figure 3 is a schematic side view of the seat assembly in Figures 1 and 2 when in the first configuration; Figure 4 is a schematic side view of the seat assembly in Figures 1 and 2 when in the second configuration; Figure 5 shows (a) a plan view and (b) a side view of a mounting arrangement for use with a removable seat back of the seat assembly shown in Figures 1 to 4; 2s Figure 6 shows (a) a plan view and (b) a side view of an alternative mounting arrangement to that shown in Figure 7 for use with a removable seat back of the seat assembly shown in Figures 1 to 4; and s Figure 7 shows (a) a plan view and (b) a side view of a mounting arrangement for use with a removable seat back of the seat assembly shown in Figures 1 to 4.

s Referring firstly to Figure 3, this shows a vehicle seat assembly according to one embodiment of the invention when in a first seat configuration. The vehicle seat assembly includes two front seats, a driver seat 10b and a passenger seat 10a, and two rear passenger seats 50b, 50a (seat 50a being equivalent to seat 50 in Figure 2).

Figure 2 shows the seat assembly in Figure 1 when in a second seat configuration in which one of the rear seats 50a has been removed (identified by location Y).

By removing the rear seat 50a, an increased accommodation space is provided for a child occupying a child seat assembly mounted upon the rear-facing side 24b of Is the front passenger seat 10a. In Figure 2, the driver's seat 10b is shown in dashed lines only so that the space Y vacated by the removable seat 50a can be seen more clearly.

Figures 3 and 4 show side views of the seats on the passenger's side of the vehicle (as opposed to the driver's side of the vehicle) for the first and second seat configurations, respectively. For clarity, the child seat assembly 30 mounted upon the rear-facing side 24b of the front passenger seat 10a is not shown in Figures 1 to 4.

as The rear passenger seats 50a, 50b share a common seat support means 51 in the form of a seat support frame, or 'seat pan', including a seat member support 52 and a seat back support 54 (as shown in Figures 3 and 4) . The seat support frame 51 is fixed to the vehicle floor in a known manner. As can be seen in particular in Figure 3, the removable rear seat 50a includes a removable seat member or cushion 56 and a removable seat back 58, preferably formed as separate parts 56, 58. The other rear seat 50b is formed in a conventional manner so that its seat cushion and its seat back are fixed permanently to the seat member support 52 s and the seat back support 54, respectively.

The removability of the seat member 56 and the seat back 58 of the rear seat 50a is enabled by means of a mounting arrangement which permits ease of removal of the seat parts 56, 58 from the seat support frame 51. Figures 5 to 7 show three :to alternative mounting arrangements which may be provided on the rear seat 50a to permit ease of removal of the seat back 58 and the seat member 56.

Referring to Figures 5 (a) and (b), the seat back support 54 is provided with an opening 60 which is shaped to include a relatively enlarged lower region 62 and a Is relatively narrow upper region 64. The seat back 58 is provided with a projection or peg 66 having a head 70 and a circumferential groove 68 of similar dimension to the narrow upper region 64 of the opening 60. Typically, three or four openings 60 are provided within the seat back support 54 and a corresponding number of pegs 66 are provided on the removable seat back 58 to align with a zo respective one of the openings 60.

As a first step in mounting the seat back 58 upon the seat back support 54, the removable seat member 56 should be removed. Each peg 66 on the seat back 58 is then aligned with the enlarged region 62 of its respective opening 60 on the as seat back support 54. The seat back 58 is then raised in a generally upward direction (as indicated by arrow Z) so that the groove 68 on each peg 66 slides upwardly into the narrow region 64 of the respective opening 60. The provision of the head 70 on the peg 66 ensures that when the groove 68 of each peg is received within the narrow region 64 of its opening, the seat back 58 cannot be detached from the seat back support 54 by pulling in a forward direction, for

example.

s The seat member 56 is placed on the seat member support 52 and slid in a rearward direction across the seat member support 52 until its upper surface abuts against the lowermost end of the seat back 58. The seat back 58 and the seat member 56 form a close fit together on the seat support frame 51, so that the seat back 58 is maintained at the required height for the groove 68 of each peg 66 to lo locate within the narrow region 64 of its opening 60. A similar mounting arrangement may be provided for the seat member 56 to locate the seat member 56 securely on the seat member support 52.

In order to remove the seat back 58 from the seat back support 54, the seat Is member 56 should first be removed to enable the seat back 58 to be lowered, thereby disengaging the groove 68 of each peg 66 from the narrow region 64 of its respective opening 60 and thus permitting the peg 66 to be removed through the enlarged region 62 of the opening 60. The seat back 58 can then be removed from the seat back support 54 by pulling in a forward direction, for example.

Figures 6(a) and (b) show an alternative mounting arrangement for the seat back 58, in which the seat back 58 is provided with a plurality of hooks 70 (only one of which is shown), each of which is engageable with a respective slotted opening 72 provided in the seat back support 54. Each slot 72 opens into a hollow or recess 74 defined by shaping the rear side of the seat back support 54 in an appropriate manner.

To mount the seat back 58 on the seat back support 54, the seat back 58 is tilted slightly to permit each hook 70 to pass through its respective slot 72. In a continuous movement the seat back 54 is then moved generally upwards (i.e. in direction Z) so that each hook 72 engages within its respective recess 74 on the s rear side of the seat back support 54. As described previously, the seat member 56 is placed on the seat member support 52 and a lowermost end of the seat back 58 rests on and forms a close fit with the seat member 56 to ensure the seat back 58 is maintained at the required height for the hooks 70 to engage in their respective recesses 74. In this position the seat back 58 cannot be removed from lo the seat back support 54 by pulling in a forward direction.

Figures 7(a) and (b) show an alternative mounting arrangement in which a spring biased movable locking member 80 is mounted on the rear side of the seat back support 54. The locking member 80 is movable against the biasing force in an Is upward direction (as indicated by arrow Z). The seat back support 54 is also provided with an opening 82 for receiving a peg or projection 84 mounted on the seat back 58. The projection 84 has a neck region 86 and an enlarged tapered head 88. The seat back 58 may be provided with a plurality of such projections 84, with a corresponding number of openings 82 being provided on the seat back So support 54 to align with respective ones of the projections 84.

As a projection 84 is inserted into its opening 82, the tapered surface of its head 88 comes into contact with the locking member 80 on the rear side of the seat back support 54. Contact between the tapered surface of the projection 84 and the locking member 80 serves to urge the locking member 80 in a generally upward direction as the locking member 80 rides up the tapered head surface. Eventually, the locking member 80 rides over the edge of the tapered head 88, locating within the neck region 86 of the projection 84 under its spring biasing force and, hence, securely fixing the seat back 58 to the seat back support 54.

The locking member 80 is provided, at its upper end, with a manually operable s handle or clasp (not shown), which can be pulled in a generally upward direction (direction Z) to disengage the locking member 80 from the neck region 86 of the projection 84 when it is required to remove the seat back 58 from the seat back support 54.

lo As mentioned previously, similarly convenient mounting arrangements to those shown in Figures 5 to 7 may be provided to mount the seat member 56 in a removable manner on the seat member support 52. It is acknowledged that it is known to provide removable rear seats in vehicles, for example in MPVs, but this involves the complete removal of the entire seat assembly, including the seat Is support. In the present invention only removal of the seat cushion 56 and the seat back 58 is required, and the floor-mounted seat support frame 51 remains fixed to the vehicle.

It is one benefit of providing the removable rear seat Sea that an increased space no is made available for accommodating a child in the child seat assembly 30 mounted upon the rear-facing side of the front seat 10. In particular, an increased space is made available for the child's legs. It will be appreciated, however, that it is not necessary for both the seat back 58 and the seat member 56 to be removably mounted on the seat support frame 51, and the benefit of increased as accommodation space for the child is also provided if only the seat back 58 is removable, with the seat member 56 being fixed to the seat member support 52 in a usual manner.

In an alternative embodiment, the child seat assembly 30 need not be mounted upon the rear-facing side of the front passenger seat 10a, but instead may be mounted so that the base plate of the child seat mounting frame rests upon the exposed surface of the seat member support 52 when the seat member 56 is s removed. As before, the child seat assembly can be oriented on the seat member support 52 so as to provide a rear-facing seat position for the child seat occupant.

Alternatively, the child seat assembly can be mounted on the seat member support 52 to provide a conventional forward facing child seat position, and again an increased accommodation space is available by virtue of the seat back 58 lo and/or the seat cushion 56 being removed.

In another embodiment, in addition to, or as an alternative to, the seat 50a being provided with a removable seat cushion and/or a removable seat back, one or more other passenger seats in the rear of the vehicle (e.g. seat 50b in Figure 3) Is may include a removable seat cushion and/or a removable seat back.

The seat support frame 51 may be provided with an appropriate ISOFIX mounting arrangement, for example anchors, for coupling with the attachment means of the child seat assembly to mount the child seat assembly on the frame no 51 in a detachable manner. Whilst this particular embodiment does not provide the driver of the vehicle with as clear a view of the child, nonetheless an increased space is made available for the child's legs by virtue of the rear seat 50a not being present.

Is Whilst it may be preferable for an ISOFIX mounting arrangement to be provided on the rear seat 50a to enable the child seat assembly to be mounted upon the exposed surface of the seat member support 52 (i.e. when the seat member 56 and the seat back 58 are removed), it is also possible for an adult seat belt to be employed to hold the child seat assembly in position. In this situation the adult seat belt may be provided with an adjustable buckle, so as to permit the height of the buckle to be varied between usual passenger use (i.e. when the seat member 56 and the seat back 58 are present) and child seat use (i.e. when the seat member 56 and the seat back 58 are removed).

The present invention provides a simple but highly effective solution to the problem of installing a child seat in the rear of a vehicle having only limited rear passenger space. By providing the rear seat or seats with removable, but easily replaceable, seat cushions and/or seat backs, additional space can be freed for the installation of the child seat. The mounting means permits the seat cushion and/or seat back to be easily replaced and fixed to the support means when the child seat is no longer required in the rear of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A seat assembly for use in a vehicle, the seat assembly comprising a s passenger seat including a seat support means for supporting a seat member upon which a passenger sits, in use, and a seat back which defines a back rest for the seated passenger, and mounting means for removably mounting the seat back on the seat support means.

lo

2. The seat assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the passenger seat is a rear passenger seat of the vehicle.

3. The seat assembly as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the seat support means includes a seat member support upon which the seat member is Is mounted and a seat back support upon which the seat back is removably mounted.

4. The seat assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the mounting means includes at least one projection provided on the seat back and at least one opening provided on the seat support means, wherein the at least one opening is shaped to permit insertion of the projection through the opening when the seat back is at a first height relative to the seat support means but to prevent the projection from passing through the opening when the seat back is at a second height relative to the seat support means.

5. The seat assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a further mounting means for removably mounting the seat member on the seat support means.

6. The seat assembly as claimed in claim 5, wherein the passenger seat is provided with a restraining belt which is co-operable with a buckle having a first buckle height at which it co-operates with the restraining belt to restrain a s passenger seated on the seat member when it is mounted on the seat support means, wherein the buckle is adjustable to a second height at which it co-operates with the restraining belt to restrain a child seat assembly mounted on the seat support means when the seat member is removed therefrom.

lo

7. The seat assembly as claimed in claim 5 wherein the mounting means comprises one or more of the arrangements described in the statements of invention hereinabove and/or as described with reference to Figures 5 - 7.

8. A seat assembly constructed and arranged substantially as described herein Is with reference to the accompanying drawings.