Tethering apparatus for a pedestal mounted vehicle seat

• US 20020130528A1
• Filed: 03/19/2001
• Published: 09/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PACCAR Incorporated
• Original Assignee: PACCAR Incorporated
• Inventors: Mans, Garry J.
• Granted Patent: US 6,481,777 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 296/68.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/4214 longitudinal
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/4221 due to impact coming from the front
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/42781 mechanical triggering
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/4279 electric or electronic triggering
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/43 Safety locks for back-rests B60N2/433
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/26 secured to the seat

Abstract

A tethering system for a vehicle seat movable in at least a vertical direction. The system includes a sensor mechanism to detect the occurrence of a prescribed vehicle event. Upon detecting such an event, the tethering system acts to limit the vertical movement of the vehicle seat and/or draw the vehicle seat toward the surface on which the seat is mounted. The prescribed vehicle event can include a vehicle rollover, a vehicle collision, excessive vehicle acceleration, and the like.

Claims

1. An apparatus for tethering a seat to a vehicle, said apparatus comprising:

a retractor, adapted to be affixed to the seat, having a spool assembly, a locking mechanism, and a biasing mechanism;

a sensing mechanism, coupled to the retractor, to sense at least one operational characteristic of the vehicle and to output a signal representative of at least one sensed operational characteristic; and

a webbing member, having a first end attachable to the vehicle and a second end secured to the spool assembly, to tether the seat to the vehicle;

wherein the spool assembly is rotatably supported by the retractor so as to selectively (i) rotate in a first direction to wind the webbing member about the spool assembly and retract the webbing member within the retractor and (ii) rotate in a second direction to unwind any webbing member wound about the spool assembly,

wherein in response to prescribed signals output from the sensing mechanism, the locking mechanism is adapted to selectively prevent rotation of the spool assembly, and

wherein when the spool assembly is in a freely rotatable state, the biasing mechanism is adapted to bias the spool assembly to rotate in the first direction with a predetermined force.

2. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the at least one operational characteristic concerns a retractor operation characteristic.

3. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the at least one operational characteristic concerns a vehicle collision characteristic.

4. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the at least one operational characteristic concerns extreme vehicle instability, such instability relating to a rollover state of the vehicle.

5. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a guide member, adapted to be affixed to the seat, to receive and slidably support the webbing member at a point intermediate to the first end and the second end of the webbing member.

6. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a retractor driving mechanism adapted to rotatably drive the retractor so as to rotate the spool assembly in the first direction in response to a predetermined sensed operational characteristic.

7. An apparatus in accordance with claim 6, wherein in reference to the seat being in an installed state, a ride height distance extends between a sitting surface of the seat and a surface of the vehicle to which the seat is mounted, and

wherein the reactor driving mechanism is adapted to decrease the ride hide distance in response to a predetermined signal output by the sensing mechanism.

8. An apparatus for tethering a seat to a vehicle, said apparatus comprising:

a retractor, adapted to be affixed to the vehicle, having a spool assembly, a locking mechanism, and a biasing mechanism;

a sensing mechanism, coupled to the retractor, to sense at least one operational characteristic of the vehicle and to output a signal representative of at least one sensed operational characteristic; and

a webbing member, having a first end attachable to the seat and a second end secured to the spool assembly, to tether the seat to the vehicle;

wherein the spool assembly is rotatably supported by the retractor so as to selectively (i) rotate in a first direction to wind the webbing member about the spool assembly and retract the webbing member within the retractor and (ii) rotate in a second direction to unwind any webbing member wound about the spool assembly,

wherein in response to prescribed signals output from the sensing mechanism, the locking mechanism is adapted to selectively prevent rotation of the spool assembly, and

wherein when the spool assembly is in a freely rotatable state, the biasing mechanism is adapted to bias the spool assembly to rotate in the first direction with a predetermined force.

9. An apparatus in accordance with claim 8, wherein the at least one operational characteristic concerns a retractor operation characteristic.

10. An apparatus in accordance with claim 8, wherein the at least one operational characteristic concerns a vehicle collision characteristic.

11. An apparatus in accordance with claim 8, wherein the at least one operational characteristic concerns extreme vehicle instability, such instability relating to a rollover state of the vehicle.

12. An apparatus in accordance with claim 8, further comprising a guide member, adapted to be affixed to the vehicle, to receive and slidably engage the webbing member at a point intermediate to the first end and the second end of the webbing member.

13. An apparatus in accordance with claim 8, further comprising a retractor driving mechanism adapted to rotatably drive the retractor so as to rotate the spool assembly in the first direction in response to a predetermined sensed operational characteristic.

14. An apparatus in accordance with claim 13, wherein in reference to the seat being in an installed state, a ride height distance extends between a sitting surface of the seat and a surface of the vehicle to which the seat is mounted, and

wherein the retractor driving mechanism is adapted to decrease the ride height distance in response to a predetermined signal output by the sensing mechanism.

18. A system in accordance with claim 17, wherein the vehicle event is a vehicle rollover.

20. An apparatus in accordance with claim 19, further comprising a guide member for each webbing member, each guide member being adapted to be affixed to the seat, to respectively receive and slidably support a webbing member at a point intermediate to its first end and its second end.

21. An apparatus in accordance with claim 19, further comprising a retractor driving mechanism adapted to rotatably drive the retractor so as to rotate the spool assembly in the first direction in response to a sensed vehicle rollover.

22. An apparatus in accordance with claim 21, wherein in reference to the seat being in an installed state, a ride height distance would extend between approximately a sitting surface of the seat and a surface of the vehicle to which the seat is mounted, and

wherein the retractor driving mechanism is adapted to decrease the ride height distance in response to a predetermined signal output by the sensing mechanism.

24. An apparatus in accordance with claim 23, further comprising a guide member for each webbing member, each guide member being adapted to be affixed to the vehicle, to respectively receive and slidably engage a webbing member at a point intermediate to its first end and its second end.

25. An apparatus in accordance with claim 23, further comprising a retractor driving mechanism adapted to rotatably drive the retractor so as to rotate the spool assembly in the first direction in response to a sensed vehicle rollover.

26. An apparatus in accordance with claim 23, wherein in reference to the seat being in an installed state, a ride height distance would extend between approximately a sitting surface of the seat and a surface of the vehicle to which the seat is mounted, and

wherein the retractor driving mechanism is adapted to decrease the ride height distance in response to a predetermined signal output by the sensing mechanism.

15. An apparatus to retract a vehicle seat, which is vertically movable, toward a vehicle floor to which the vehicle seat is mounted, said apparatus comprising:

a sensor mechanism to sense at least one characteristic selected from a normal operation characteristic and a vehicle rollover characteristic and to output at least one signal corresponding to a sensed characteristic; and

a retractor mechanism, operatively coupled between the sensor mechanism and the vehicle seat, to operate and retract the vehicle seat toward the vehicle floor in response to a received signal from the sensor mechanism that corresponds to a sensed vehicle rollover.

16. A method of reducing a ride height of a vehicle seat in response to a vehicle event, wherein the ride height extends between approximately a sitting surface of the vehicle seat and a reference surface on to which the vehicle seat is mounted, the method comprising the steps of:

sensing the vehicle event; and

in response to a sensed vehicle event, driving a mechanism that effects a displacement of the vehicle seat toward the reference surface, thereby reducing the ride height.

17. A system to retract a vehicle seat toward a vehicle floor on which such vehicle seat is mounted, the system comprising:

a vehicle seat having a base that is mountable to a vehicle floor;

a sensor mechanism to sense a vehicle event and to output a signal indicative of a detected vehicle event; and

a retractor, coupled in part to the vehicle seat, to effect a retraction of the vehicle seat relative to the vehicle floor in response to an output signal from the sensor mechanism.

19. An apparatus for tethering a vehicle seat, said apparatus comprising:

a retractor, adapted to be affixed to the seat, having a spool assembly, a locking mechanism, and a biasing mechanism;

a sensing mechanism, coupled to the retractor, to sense at least one vehicle event and to output a signal representative of at least one sensed vehicle event; and

a plurality of webbing members to tether the seat to the vehicle, each webbing member having a first end attachable to the vehicle and a second end secured to the spool assembly,

wherein the spool assembly is rotatably supported by the retractor so as to selectively (i) rotate in a first direction to wind the webbing members about the spool assembly and retract the webbing members within the retractor and (ii) rotate in a second direction to unwind any webbing members wound about the spool assembly,

wherein in response to prescribed signals output from the sensing mechanism, the locking mechanism is adapted to selectively prevent rotation of the spool assembly, and

wherein when the spool assembly is in a freely rotatable state, the biasing mechanism is adapted to bias the spool assembly to rotate in the first direction with a predetermined force.

23. An apparatus for tethering a seat to a vehicle, said apparatus comprising:

a retractor, adapted to be affixed to the vehicle, having a spool assembly, a locking mechanism, and a biasing mechanism;

a sensing mechanism, coupled to the retractor, to sense at least one vehicle event and to output a signal representative of at least one sensed vehicle event; and

a plurality of webbing members to tether the seat to the vehicle, each webbing member having a first end attachable to the seat and a second end secured to the spool assembly,

wherein the spool assembly is rotatably supported by the retractor so as to selectively (i) rotate in a first direction to wind the webbing members about the spool assembly and retract the webbing members within the retractor and (ii) rotate in a second direction to unwind any webbing members wound about the spool assembly,

wherein in response to prescribed signals output from the sensing mechanism, the locking mechanism is adapted to selectively prevent rotation of the spool assembly, and

wherein when the spool assembly is in a freely rotatable state, the biasing mechanism is adapted to bias the spool assembly to rotate in the first direction with a predetermined force.

27. A method to inhibit free vertical movement of a vehicle seat having a tethering member and fixing a ride height thereof, wherein the ride height extends between approximately a sitting surface of the vehicle seat and a reference surface on to which the vehicle seat is mounted, the method comprising the steps of:

sensing the vehicle event; and

in response to a sensed vehicle event, engaging the tethering member, wherein when the tethering member is engaged the free vertical movement of the vehicle seat is impeded.

28. A system to tether a vehicle seat to inhibit free vertical movement of the vehicle seat, wherein the vehicle seat includes a tether member, the system comprising:

a sensor mechanism to sense at least one acceleration-based vehicle characteristic and to output at least one signal corresponding to a sensed characteristic; and

an arresting mechanism, coupled to the sensor mechanism so as to receive signals output from the sensor mechanism, to engage the tether member in response to receiving a prescribed signal output from the sensor mechanism, wherein when the tethering member is engaged the free vertical movement of the vehicle seat is impeded.

29. An operator'"'"'s cab for a vehicle, the cab comprising:

an operator'"'"'s compartment including an operator'"'"'s seat mounted to a floor surface of the compartment, wherein the seat is freely movable in at least a vertical direction;

an engaging device, fixed to the seat, having a locking mechanism;

a sensing mechanism, coupled to the engaging device, to sense at least one operational characteristic of the vehicle and to output a signal representative of at least one sensed operational characteristic; and

a tether member, having a first end fixed to the vehicle and a second end received by the engaging device, to tether the seat to the vehicle,

wherein in normal operations, the tether member is capable of relative movement that corresponds to a free movement of the seat, and the engaging device allows the seat to freely move in at least the vertical direction, and

wherein in response to a prescribed signal output from the sensing mechanism, the locking mechanism prevents the relative movement of the tether member, thereby inhibiting the free movement of the seat.

30. An operator'"'"'s cab for a vehicle, the cab comprising:

an operator'"'"'s compartment including an operator'"'"'s seat mounted to a floor surface of the compartment, wherein the seat is freely movable in at least a vertical direction;

an engaging device, fixed to the vehicle, having a locking mechanism;

a sensing mechanism, coupled to the engaging device, to sense at least one operational characteristic of the vehicle and to output a signal representative of at least one sensed operational characteristic; and

a tether member, having a first end fixed to the seat and a second end received by the engaging device, to tether the seat to the vehicle,

wherein in normal operations, the tether member is capable of relative movement that corresponds to a free movement of the seat, and the engaging device allows the seat to freely move in at least the vertical direction, and

wherein in response to a prescribed signal output from the sensing mechanism, the locking mechanism prevents the relative movement of the tether member, thereby inhibiting the free movement of the seat.