Vehicle seat

• US 10,449,921 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2019
• Issued: 10/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Subaru Corp.
• Original Assignee: Subaru Corp.
• Inventors: Nagasawa, Isamu
• Primary Examiner(s): Condra, Darlene P
• Application Number:
  US16/251,406
• Publication Number:
  US 20190152420A1
• Time in Patent Office: 277 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/4221 due to impact coming from the front
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/4228 due to impact coming from the rear
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/4249 fixed structures, i.e. where neither the seat nor a part thereof are displaced during a crash
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/42709 involving residual deformation or fracture of the structure
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/7094 Upholstery springs
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23153 specially adapted for rear seat passengers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23161 specially adapted for protecting at least two passengers, e.g. preventing them from hitting each other
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23169 specially adapted for knee protection
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23382 Internal tether means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/207 in vehicle seats
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2338 Tethers

Abstract

A vehicle seat includes a seat back, and an airbag that deploys in the seat back. After having deployed, the airbag has such a shape that a deployment amount, in a front-back direction, of the airbag near an upper part of the seat back differs from that near a lower part of the seat back. The airbag deploys in the seat back in such a way that, after having deployed, the airbag elastically supports an upper body of an occupant and elastically receives an impact force applied to a back surface of the seat back.

Claims

1. A vehicle seat, comprising:

a seat cushion;

a seat back connected to the seat cushion, the seat back including;

a seat pad including a surface configured to support a first upper body of an occupant, who sits on the seat cushion, from a back of the occupant;

a covering including front portion that covers the surface of the seat pad, and a back portion opposite to the front portion; and

an airbag disposed between the front portion and the back portion in a deflated state; and

an inflator connected to the airbag,

wherein the inflator is configured to supply an inflation gas into the airbag to transform the airbag from the deflated state to a deployed state in response to a collision,

wherein, in the deployed state, the airbag has such a shape that a deployment amount, in a front-back direction, of the airbag near an upper part of the seat back is greater than that near a lower part of the seat back, and

wherein the airbag deploys in the seat back in such a way that, in the deployed state, the airbag elastically supports a second upper body of another occupant and elastically receives an impact force applied to a back surface of the seat back.

2. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein, after the airbag has deployed, the back surface of the airbag has an undulating shape that allows the airbag to restrain and hold an impact applying member.

3. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein, after the airbag has deployed, the back surface of the airbag has an undulating shape that allows the airbag to restrain and hold an impact applying member that applies an impact force to the back surface of the seat back.

4. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the impact force is applied by a knee of said another occupant who is sitting behind the vehicle seat.

5. The vehicle seat according to claim 4, wherein, after the airbag is deployed, the airbag elastically supports an upper body of said another occupant.

6. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein, after the airbag is deployed, the airbag elastically supports the second upper body of said another occupant who is sitting behind the vehicle seat.

7. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the airbag includes tethers disposed in one of the near the upper part of the seat back and the near the lower part of the seat back to restrict the deployment amount of the airbag in the front-back direction.

8. The vehicle seat according to claim 7, wherein, by restricting the deployment amount of the airbag in the front-back direction, the tethers change the shape of the airbag near the upper part of the seat back from the shape of the airbag near the lower part of the seat back.

9. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the airbag includes tethers disposed only in one of the near the upper part of the seat back and the near the lower part of the seat back to restrict the deployment amount of the airbag in the front-back direction.

10. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein, when the airbag transforms from the deflated state to the deployed state, the airbag causes the back portion to be protruded in a direction directed from the front portion toward the back portion.

11. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein, when the airbag transforms from the deflated state to the deployed state, the airbag causes the back portion to be torn.

12. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the seat back further includes:

a seat back frame that forms a skeleton of the seat back and that includes frames to form a frame-like shape; and

an elastic support member fixed to the seat back frame, and extended between the frames,

wherein the seat pad is disposed between the front portion and the elastic support member, and

wherein the airbag in the deflated state is disposed between the back portion and the elastic support member.

13. A vehicle, comprising:

the vehicle seat according to claim 1;

a sensor that acquires information to detect the collision with another vehicle or to predict the collision with another vehicle; and

a controller that causes the airbag to transform from the deflated state to the deployed state based on the information acquired with the sensor.

14. A vehicle, comprising:

the vehicle seat according claim 1;

a sensor that acquires information to detect the collision including a rear-end collision with another vehicle or to predict the rear-end collision of the another vehicle; and

a controller that causes the airbag to transform from the deflated state to the deployed state based on the information acquired with the sensor.

15. A vehicle seat, comprising:

a seat back; and

an airbag that deploys in the seat back,

wherein, after having deployed, the airbag has such a shape that a deployment amount, in a front-back direction, of the airbag near an upper part of the seat back differs from that near a lower part of the seat back,

wherein the airbag deploys in the seat back in such a way that, after having deployed, the airbag elastically supports an upper body of an occupant and elastically receives an impact force applied to a back surface of the seat back,

wherein, after having deployed, the airbag has such a shape that a deployment amount, in the front-back direction, of the airbag near an upper part of the seat back is greater than that near a lower part of the seat back, and

wherein, after the airbag has deployed, the back surface of the airbag has an undulating shape that allows the airbag to restrain and hold an impact applying member that applies an impact force to the back surface of the seat back.