GB2470215A - Vehicle seat assembly with integral child seat and leg rest - Google Patents

Vehicle seat assembly with integral child seat and leg rest Download PDF

Info

Publication number
GB2470215A
GB2470215A GB0908284A GB0908284A GB2470215A GB 2470215 A GB2470215 A GB 2470215A GB 0908284 A GB0908284 A GB 0908284A GB 0908284 A GB0908284 A GB 0908284A GB 2470215 A GB2470215 A GB 2470215A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
seat
seat assembly
seat base
leg
bolster
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
GB0908284A
Other versions
GB0908284D0 (en
Inventor
Shaun Watson
Chris Cottingham
Christopher Day
Andrew Young
Peter Humphery
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Nissan Motor Manufacturing UK Ltd
Original Assignee
Nissan Motor Manufacturing UK Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Nissan Motor Manufacturing UK Ltd filed Critical Nissan Motor Manufacturing UK Ltd
Priority to GB0908284A priority Critical patent/GB2470215A/en
Publication of GB0908284D0 publication Critical patent/GB0908284D0/en
Publication of GB2470215A publication Critical patent/GB2470215A/en
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60N—SEATS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES; VEHICLE PASSENGER ACCOMMODATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B60N2/00—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles
    • B60N2/02—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles the seat or part thereof being movable, e.g. adjustable
    • B60N2/0284—Adjustable seat-cushion length
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60N—SEATS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES; VEHICLE PASSENGER ACCOMMODATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B60N2/00—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles
    • B60N2/24—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles for particular purposes or particular vehicles
    • B60N2/26—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles for particular purposes or particular vehicles for children
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60N—SEATS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES; VEHICLE PASSENGER ACCOMMODATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B60N2/00—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles
    • B60N2/24—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles for particular purposes or particular vehicles
    • B60N2/30—Non-dismountable or dismountable seats storable in a non-use position, e.g. foldable spare seats
    • B60N2/3081—Seats convertible into parts of the seat cushion or the back-rest or disapppearing therein, e.g. for children
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60N—SEATS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES; VEHICLE PASSENGER ACCOMMODATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B60N2/00—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles
    • B60N2/24—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles for particular purposes or particular vehicles
    • B60N2/30—Non-dismountable or dismountable seats storable in a non-use position, e.g. foldable spare seats
    • B60N2/3081—Seats convertible into parts of the seat cushion or the back-rest or disapppearing therein, e.g. for children
    • B60N2/3086—Disappearing in a recess of the cushion
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60N—SEATS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES; VEHICLE PASSENGER ACCOMMODATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B60N2/00—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles
    • B60N2/24—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles for particular purposes or particular vehicles
    • B60N2/42—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles for particular purposes or particular vehicles the seat constructed to protect the occupant from the effect of abnormal g-forces, e.g. crash or safety seats
    • B60N2/4207—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles for particular purposes or particular vehicles the seat constructed to protect the occupant from the effect of abnormal g-forces, e.g. crash or safety seats characterised by the direction of the g-forces
    • B60N2/4235—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles for particular purposes or particular vehicles the seat constructed to protect the occupant from the effect of abnormal g-forces, e.g. crash or safety seats characterised by the direction of the g-forces transversal
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60N—SEATS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES; VEHICLE PASSENGER ACCOMMODATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B60N2/00—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles
    • B60N2/90—Details or parts not otherwise provided for
    • B60N2/995—Lower-leg-rests, e.g. calf-rests
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60N—SEATS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES; VEHICLE PASSENGER ACCOMMODATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B60N2205/00—General mechanical or structural details
    • B60N2205/30—Seat or seat parts characterised by comprising plural parts or pieces

Abstract

A seat assembly for a vehicle 10, the seat assembly having an integrated child seat a seat back 14 and a seat base 12, wherein the seat base comprises at least one leg bolster 20, 22 arranged to be rotatable in use between a stowed position and a deployed position. The leg bolster may have a first and a second portion whereby each portion is rotatable relative to the seat base. The leg bolster portions may be pivoted 24 proximate outside edges of the seat base. The leg bolster portions may rotate outwardly to move from a stowed position to a deployed position.

Description

Vehicle Seat Assembly This invention relates to seats for passenger vehicles and in particular to a passenger vehicle seat with a deployable leg bolster.
Seats for passenger vehicles are designed to accommodate a wide range of size and shape of occupant. However, it is widely accepted that a standard adult seat equipped with a standard three point harness, as provided in most passenger vehicles, is inadequate for safely retaining younger children.
Standard vehicle seats are designed for the adult frame and as a result are unsuitable for supporting the frame of smaller children. Furthermore, and of critical importance for restraint of the occupant in the event of a collision, standard seats do not position the child correctly with relation to the seatbelt. The dangers are well known and legislation is widely implemented in order to prevent young children being carried in standard car seats.
As a result, various types of child seat or child restraint systems (CRS) have been developed to provide for the safe transport of younger children in passenger vehicles.
Broadly speaking those restraints fall into the following categories, in order of age of the child: rearward facing infant seat (Group 0 and Group 0+); forward facing child seat (Group 1); boosters (Group 2 or Group 3) take the form of booster seats, and booster cushions.
Rearward facing infant seats, fall into the categories Group 0 or Group 0+. These child seats are suitable for infants from 0 to 9 or 0 to 13 kilograms, depending on the type of seat. These child seats and are typically fixed to the standard vehicle seat using the seatbelt or ISOFIX attachment points.
Forward facing child seats in Group I are suitable for children from 9 to 18 kilograms depending on the specific design of the seat. Booster seats in have a seat back and a seat base and booster cushions only have a seat base. Boosters are intended for children between 15 and 36 kilograms. Like rearward facing seats, forward facing seats well as boosters may be fixed to the vehicle seat using the seatbelt or ISOFIX attachment points.
The purpose of booster seats and cushions is twofold. Firstly, to align the child's shoulder correctly with respect to the anchor points of the seatbelt. Secondly, to provide a seat base with a shorter length than the standard vehicle seat, thereby ensuring that the length of the seat base is proportionate to the thigh length of the child.
Compliance with the regulations regarding children from birth up to four years old, that is to say in rearward facing and forward facing child seats, is generally good. However ensuring compliance with the regulations covering children from four years old to approximately 11 years old is more often problematic, for a number of reasons, principally the reluctance of the older children to use what they consider to be a seat suitable only for young children.
Another problem with boosters is that they may be uncomfortable for the child to sit on for extended periods as they are typically formed from blow-moulded plastic or an expanded form such as polypropylene or polystyrene. Such materials are lightweight and low cost but are relatively unyielding to sit on compared to the form used in the seating surfaces of the vehicle seat.
A further problem with the use of booster seats is that the seats require stowing in, or removing from, the vehicle when an adult wishes to use the seat.
It is an object of the present invention to at least mitigate some of the above problems.
For the avoidance of doubt, the terms adult seat, standard seat and passenger seat refer to a seat configured in the vehicle for adult occupants. The terms child seat and child restraint system (CRS) refer to the seat or those parts of the seat provided or adapted for small statured occupants such as children.
Accordingly, there is provided a seat assembly for a vehicle having an integrated child seat, the seat assembly including a seat back and seat base, wherein the seat base comprises at least one a leg bolster arranged to be rotatable in use between a stowed position and a deployed position.
Advantageously, this feature of the current invention allows the forward part of the seat base to be folded outwards. This reduces the distance from the seat back to the front of the vehicle seat. This in turn makes the child seat more comfortable, and safer, for children who naturally have a shorter thigh length than adults.
In an example, the seat back is substantially vertical.
In an example, the seat base is substantially horizontal.
In an example, the child leg bolster has first and second portions, each rotatable relative to the seat base.
In an example, the first and second leg bolster portions are pivoted adjacent outside edges of the seat base.
In an example, the first and second leg bolster portions rotate outwardly in moving from the stowed position to the deployed position.
This feature allows the leg bolster portions to rotate outwardly thus providing additional protection to the occupant's legs in the event of a side impact.
The invention will now be described, by way of example only, and with reference to the following figures in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a known passenger vehicle rear seat with a standard child booster seat as known in the art; Figure 2 is a perspective view of a passenger vehicle rear seat of the current invention shown in the stowed condition.
Figure 3 is a perspective view of the passenger vehicle rear seat of Figure 2 shown in the deployed condition.
Referring to Figure 1, a known passenger vehicle seat assembly I is shown having a seat base 2 and a seat back 3. Positioned on the seat assembly I is a known child booster seat 4 which is affixed to the seat assembly I in a known manner via ISOFIX anchorages of the like integrated into the vehicle seat. Alternatively, the booster seat 4 may be secured to the seat 4 using the seatbelt (not shown for clarity) in a manner known as the universal mode. This arrangement has the clear disadvantage that the child booster seat 4 must be removed in order to allow an adult to use the passenger seat.
Also shown in Figure 1 is the intersection between the seat base 2 and the seat back 3 known as a bite-line 2a. Distal from the bite-line 2a on the seat base 2 is a leading edge 5. The leading edge 5 forms a transition between a substantially horizontal seating surface of the seat base 2 and a relatively vertical surface leading from the seating surface to the vehicle floor. The longitudinal distance between the bite-line 2a and the leading edge 5 is shown as A1 and corresponds with a hip to heel distance of a seated adult of average build.
In Figure 2, a passenger vehicle seat 10 of the current invention is shown having a seat base 12 and a seat back 14.
The seat 10 has a head restraint 16 and a leg bolster indicated generally at 18. The leg bolster 18 is formed from a first leg bolster portion 20 and a second leg bolster portion 22. The bolster portions 20, 22 are rotatable with respect to the seat base 12 as will be described in further detail with reference to Figure 3. The bolster portions 20, 22 shown in Figure 2 are in a first or stowed position. In the stowed position, the bolster portions 20, 22 are folded against the seat base 2 so that the thickness of the bolster portions 20, 22 add to the length of the seat base 12 so as to provide a seat base intended to provide a suitable seating surface for an adult. In the stowed position the leading edge of the bolster portions 20, 22 form a stowed effective leading edge of the seat base.
This stowed effective leading edge is shown as 15. The longitudinal distance between the bite-line 2a and the effective leading edge 15 is comparable to the hip to heel distance A1 of a seated adult of average build as shown in Figure 1.
Referring now to Figure 3, the leg bolster portions 20, 22 have been rotated from their stowed position shown in Figure 2 to a second or deployed position. The leg bolster portions 20, 22 rotate outwardly about respective pivots 24. The pivots 24 are located either side of the seat base so as to be proximate to a line defining the extent of the seat base area allocated to a single seating position. One side of this line is adjacent to the outer edge of the left knee of a seated occupant and the other side of the line is adjacent to the outer edge of the occupant's right knee. With the bolster portions 20, 22 in the deployed position, the longitudinal distance between the bite-line 2a and the leading edge of the seat base 12 is reduced. In the deployed position, effective leading edge of the seat is moved towards the bite-line 2a and is shown as deployed effective leading edge 25. This reduced distance between bite-line 2a and the leading edge 25, represented by seat base length A2, corresponds to a hip to heel distance more suitable for a seated small statured or child occupant.
Reducing the seat base length from A1 to A2 provides a seat base arranged to accommodate older children who have a sufficiently long torso to position their shoulder at the correct position for the seatbelt but who would otherwise find the position of the seat shown in Figure 2 uncomfortable. In other words the hip to heel distance of the seat 10 is matched to the child occupant.
The pivots 24 include a locking mechanism (not shown for clarity) in order to retain the bolster portions in either the stowed or deployed position. The locking mechanism is released using a button 28 arranged on top of the pivot 24.
In another example, not shown, the locking mechanism links together the action of the leg bolster portions 20, 22 so that they move simultaneously. The movement of the bolsters are linked by a simple twisted belt (also not shown) arranged in a figure of 8 and looped around the two bolster pivots 24. In addition, the bolster pivots 24 are provided with a biasing means (not shown) to bias the position of the bolster portions 20, 22 towards a deployed position. In this way, the bolsters may be deployed by the user depressing the two buttons, the biasing means causing the bolster portions 20, 22 to move simultaneously to the deployed position. The bolster portions 20, 22 remain in the deployed position until the user rotates one or both bolster portions 20, 22 against the biasing means towards the stowed position where the bolster portions 20, 22 fold against the leading edge 25 of the seat base 12 until they are latched in place by the locking mechanism.
It will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, that the leg bolster pivots 24 need not be limited to a single axis of rotation as shown in Figures 2 and 3, but may in addition be permitted to pivot downwards once deployed. In this way, the leg bolster portions 20, 22 may be orientated in substantially vertically when deployed so as to support a greater proportion of the occupant's lower leg. Such an arrangement has the advantage that the leg bolster portions 20, 22 may rotate about a shared pivot which may be arranged to synchronize the movement of the bolster portions 20, 22 between the stowed and deployed positions.

Claims (7)

  1. Claims 1. A seat assembly for a vehicle, the seat assembly having an integrated child seat, the seat assembly including a seat back and a seat base, wherein the seat base comprises at least one leg bolster arranged to be rotatable in use between a stowed position and a deployed position.
  2. 2. The seat assembly of claim I wherein the seat back is substantially vertical.
  3. 3. The seat assembly of claim I or 2 wherein the seat base is substantially horizontal.
  4. 4. The seat assembly of any preceding claim wherein the leg bolster has first and second portions, each portion rotatable relative to the seat base.
  5. 5. The seat assembly of claim 4 wherein the leg bolster portions are pivoted proximate outside edges of the seat base.
  6. 6. The seat assembly of claim 5 wherein the leg bolster portions rotate outwardly to move from the stowed to the deployed position.
  7. 7. A vehicle comprising a seat assembly according to any of the preceding claims.
GB0908284A 2009-05-14 2009-05-14 Vehicle seat assembly with integral child seat and leg rest Withdrawn GB2470215A (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB0908284A GB2470215A (en) 2009-05-14 2009-05-14 Vehicle seat assembly with integral child seat and leg rest

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB0908284A GB2470215A (en) 2009-05-14 2009-05-14 Vehicle seat assembly with integral child seat and leg rest

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB0908284D0 GB0908284D0 (en) 2009-06-24
GB2470215A true GB2470215A (en) 2010-11-17

Family

ID=40833976

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB0908284A Withdrawn GB2470215A (en) 2009-05-14 2009-05-14 Vehicle seat assembly with integral child seat and leg rest

Country Status (1)

Country Link
GB (1) GB2470215A (en)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2568568A (en) * 2017-08-28 2019-05-22 Wonderland Switzerland Ag Child safety seat

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE4333108C1 (en) * 1993-09-29 1994-08-25 Daimler Benz Ag Vehicle seat with an integrated child seat
DE4412617A1 (en) * 1993-04-24 1994-10-27 Volkswagen Ag Vehicle seat which can be converted into a child seat
US5468046A (en) * 1994-07-13 1995-11-21 Hoover Universal, Inc. Seat belt mounting for integral child seat
FR2854107A1 (en) * 2003-04-23 2004-10-29 Faurecia Sieges Automobile Vehicle seat, has sitting surface with nose zone moved between top position in which it is aligned with sitting zone, and inclined position in which it under and inclined to sitting zone
WO2009046938A1 (en) * 2007-10-05 2009-04-16 Lufthansa Technik Ag Seat for transport vehicle

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE4412617A1 (en) * 1993-04-24 1994-10-27 Volkswagen Ag Vehicle seat which can be converted into a child seat
DE4333108C1 (en) * 1993-09-29 1994-08-25 Daimler Benz Ag Vehicle seat with an integrated child seat
US5468046A (en) * 1994-07-13 1995-11-21 Hoover Universal, Inc. Seat belt mounting for integral child seat
FR2854107A1 (en) * 2003-04-23 2004-10-29 Faurecia Sieges Automobile Vehicle seat, has sitting surface with nose zone moved between top position in which it is aligned with sitting zone, and inclined position in which it under and inclined to sitting zone
WO2009046938A1 (en) * 2007-10-05 2009-04-16 Lufthansa Technik Ag Seat for transport vehicle

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2568568A (en) * 2017-08-28 2019-05-22 Wonderland Switzerland Ag Child safety seat
GB2568568B (en) * 2017-08-28 2020-04-22 Wonderland Switzerland Ag Child safety seat
US10766385B2 (en) 2017-08-28 2020-09-08 Wonderland Switzerland Ag Child safety seat

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB0908284D0 (en) 2009-06-24

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
WAP Application withdrawn, taken to be withdrawn or refused ** after publication under section 16(1)