Vehicle seat assembly

• US 10,384,566 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2017
• Issued: 08/20/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Kondrad, Marcos Silva, Line, Johnathan Andrew, Berry, S. M. Akbar, Preuss, Kevin Wayne, Moua, Jimmy
• Primary Examiner(s): White, Rodney B
• Application Number:
  US15/834,756
• Publication Number:
  US 20190061561A1
• Time in Patent Office: 621 Days
• Field of Search: 2972161, 29721612, 29721613, 29721614, 2972843, 297353, 297410, 297487, 297488, 297118, 297341, 297342, 297343
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/002 Seats provided with an occupancy detection means mounted therein or thereon detection means responsive to presence or absence of children B60N2/266
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/005 Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles , e.g. dismountable auxiliary seatsB60N2/02 takes precedence ; for railway vehicles B61D1/04
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/02246 Electric motors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/02253 characterised by the transmission between the electric motor and the seat or seat parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0244 with logic circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0268 using sensors or detectors for adapting the seat or seat part, e.g. to the position of an occupant
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0272 using sensors or detectors for detecting the position of seat parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/22 the back-rest being adjustable B60N2/2878 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/688 Particular seat belt attachment and guiding
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/797 for use as electrical control means, e.g. switches
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/879 with additional features not related to head-rest positioning, e.g. heating or cooling devices or loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2002/2204 Adjustable back-rest height or length
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/3402 Retractor casings; Mounting thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/26 secured to the seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/34 Belt retractors, e.g. reels anchoring devices , e.g. guide loops , with means to tension the belt in an emergency B60R22/195

Abstract

A seat assembly is provided herein. The seat assembly includes a seat member having a support surface. A pair of seat member bolsters is disposed on opposing sides of the seat member. A seat base supports the seat member and has a wraparound sidewall that extends above a bottom portion of each seat member bolster.

Claims

1. A seat assembly comprising:

a seatback having an inset surface and including left and right seatback bolsters, wherein each of the seatback bolsters has an upper region that extends a first distance from the inset surface, a lower region extending a second distance, and a middle region extending a third distance;

a seat base supporting a seat member and a seatback, wherein the seat base includes a support portion adapted for being mounted to a vehicle floor and includes a wraparound sidewall having side portions and a rear portion including a raised central portion;

a seat member including left and right seat member bolsters, wherein the seat member bolsters extend vertically above the side portions of the wraparound sidewalk;

a headrest assembly disposed within the seatback

a position sensor disposed within the seatback; and

an adjustment mechanism operably coupling the seatback to the seat base, wherein the seatback is vertically adjusted with respect to the raised central portion of the seat base based on a signal detection from the position sensor.

2. The seat assembly of claim 1, wherein the signal detection is a sensed height of an occupant disposed on the seat member.

3. The seat assembly of claim 1, wherein the position sensor is disposed in a top portion of the headrest assembly.

4. The seat assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

an audio system disposed within the seatback.

5. The seat assembly of claim 4, wherein the audio system includes a pair of speakers disposed on opposing sides of the headrest assembly.

6. The seat assembly of claim 5, wherein the pair of speakers are capable of noise control and cancellation.

7. The seat assembly of claim 1, wherein the seatback is adjusted to a position where the position sensor is disposed over an occupant'"'"'s head.

8. The seat assembly of claim 1, wherein the adjustment mechanism includes a power drive unit having an electric motor and a drivetrain that includes one or more gears.

9. The seat assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

a seatbelt assembly having a belt webbing coupled to the seat assembly at one end and to a retractor disposed within the seatback at an opposing end.

17. The seat assembly of claim 1, wherein support portion is planar and adapted to be mounted to a track assembly of the vehicle.

18. The seat assembly of claim 17, wherein the wraparound sidewall extends upwardly from the support portion and above a bottom portion of the seat member, and wherein the wraparound sidewall includes first and second side portions.

19. The seat assembly of claim 1, wherein the raised central portion extends upwardly and above the first and second side portions.

10. A seat assembly comprising:

a seat base supporting a seat member, the seat base including first and second side portions coupled to a rear portion, the rear portion having a raised central portion extending above the side portions;

a seatback including seatback bolsters, wherein an upper region of the seat bolsters extends a first distance from the seat back and a lower region of the seat bolsters extends a second distance, and wherein the first distance is less than the second distance to accommodate the pivotable restraint bar in the first position;

a headrest assembly disposed within the seatback, wherein the seatback is vertically adjustable relative to the seat base;

a pivotable restraint bar pivotally coupled to a seatback and operable between a retracted position above the headrest and abutting the seatback and a second position where the restraint bar is in an extended position and configured to be positioned in front of a seat occupant, wherein the restraint bar is complimentarily accommodated in the left and right seatback bolsters when in the retracted position;

a position sensor disposed within the seatback for determining a height of an occupant; and

a seat sensor for determining a presence of the occupant.

11. The seat assembly of claim 10, further comprising:

an adjustment mechanism operably coupling the seatback to the seat base, wherein the seatback is vertically adjusted based on a height of the occupant on the seat member.

12. The seat assembly of claim 11, wherein the adjustment mechanism includes a power drive unit having an electric motor and a drivetrain that includes one or more gears.

13. The seat assembly of claim 10, wherein the pivotable restraint bar includes a horizontal portion disposed above the headrest assembly in the retracted position.

14. The seat assembly of claim 10, further comprising:

a seatbelt assembly having a belt webbing coupled to the seat assembly at one end and to a retractor disposed within the seatback at an opposing end.

15. A seat assembly comprising:

a seat base supporting a seatback, wherein the seatback includes left and right seatback bolsters;

a headrest assembly disposed within the seatback;

a position sensor disposed within the seatback; and

an adjustment mechanism operably coupling the seatback to the seat base, wherein the seatback is vertically adjusted based on a height of an occupant, wherein the adjustment mechanism is disposed between a raised central portion of the seat base and a bottom portion of the seatback; and

a seatbelt assembly including having a belt webbing coupled to the seat assembly and a retractor positioned between the seatback and the raised central portion of the seat base, wherein the seatbelt assembly is configured to vertically adjust with the seatback based on the height of the occupant.

16. The seat assembly of claim 15, further comprising:

an audio system disposed within the seatback.