Seat assembly with movable seat and backrest and method

• US 20050242634A1
• Filed: 04/30/2004
• Published: 11/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hector Serber
• Original Assignee: Hector Serber
• Inventors: Serber, Hector
• Granted Patent: US 7,780,230 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 297/216.100
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0745 the slide path being curved
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/42736 of the whole seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/42763 with anti-submarining systems

Abstract

A seat assembly (21) for a vehicle including a seat (22), a seat mounting assembly (20) mounting the seat (22) for movement along an upwardly concaved arcuate path, a backrest (25) assembly with a backrest member (23) having a lower portion (18) coupled for arcuate motion with the seat (22) and an upper portion (99) mounted for movement in a vertically extending direction. The backrest assembly (25) further includes a recliner mechanism (32, 33). A method of providing a seat assembly also is disclosed including the steps of mounting the seat (22) for movement along an upwardly arcuate path, mounting the backrest (25) proximate the seat, coupling a lower portion (18) of the backrest for movement with the seat (22) and mounting the upper portion (99) of the backrest for vertically extending movement.

Claims

1. A seat assembly comprising;

(a) a seat;

(b) a seat mounting assembly mounting the seat in a near horizontal orientation for movement along an upwardly concaved arcuate seat path having one center of curvature proximate the center of mass of a person seated on the seat; and

(c) a backrest assembly including a backrest member extending in a near vertical orientation proximate the seat mounting assembly, the backrest member having an upper backrest portion thereof mounted to the backrest assembly for movement in a vertically extending direction and having a lower backrest portion coupled for movement with the seat.

2. The seat assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein,

the backrest member includes backrest frame,

an upper frame portion of the backrest frame is coupled to the backrest assembly for guided vertically extending movement and

a lower frame portion of the backrest frame is coupled for movement to the seat.

3. The seat assembly as defined in claim 2 wherein,

the backrest assembly includes a pair of guided channels positioned outwardly of opposite sides of the backrest member.

4. The seat assembly as defined in claims 2 wherein,

the backrest assembly includes a pair of guide channels positioned inwardly of opposite sides of the backrest member.

5. The seat assembly as defined in claim 2 wherein,

the backrest frame is pivotally connected to slider members,

the backrest assembly includes a pair of guide channels and,

the slider members are slidably mounted in the guide channels.

6. The seat assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein,

the backrest assembly includes a recliner frame separate from the backrest frame, the backrest frame being movably mounted to the recliner frame, and a recliner mechanism formed for selective tilting of the recliner frame, the backrest frame and the backrest member rearwardly from a near vertical orientation.

7. The seat assembly as defined in claim 6 wherein,

the backrest frame is mounted to the recliner frame by a pair of laterally space apart guide channels and by members movably mounted in the guide channels.

8. The seat assembly as defined in claim 7 wherein,

the guide channels are carried by the recliner frame, and the members movably mounted in the guide channels are one of:

roller members, and slider members carried by the backrest frame.

9. The seat assembly as defined in claim 7 wherein,

the guide channels are carried by the backrest frame, and the members movably mounted in the channels are provided by rollers carried by the recliner frame.

10. The seat assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein,

the backrest member is provided by a first backrest member formed and positioned to support the user'"'"'s lumbar region and a second backrest member mounted above the first backrest member, the second backrest member being formed and positioned to support the user'"'"'s upper back, and the second backrest member being mounted to an upper portion of the first backrest member for vertical movement therewith.

11. The seat assembly as defined in claim 10, and

a headrest member carried by one of the first backrest member and the second backrest member for movement therewith, the headrest being formed and positioned for support of the user'"'"'s head.

12. The seat assembly as defined in claim 10 wherein,

the backrest member includes a backrest frame movably mounted to a recliner frame provided in the backrest assembly, and the recliner frame is tiltably mounted to the seat mounting assembly.

13. The seat assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein

the seat mounting assembly includes guide tracks carried by one of the seat and a seat support structure, and a plurality of movable members carried by the other of the seat and the seat support structure and formed for movement relative to the guide tracks.

14. The seat assembly as defined in claim 13 wherein,

the guide tracks are arcuate and extend over substantially the full fore and aft dimension of the seat.

15. The seat assembly as defined in claim 13 wherein,

the guide tracks are arcuate proximate an edge of the seat and are linear proximate the other edge of the seat.

16. The seat assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein,

mounting assembly includes a seat support structure, and the seat is mounted to the seat support structure by a plurality of link members pivotally coupled at opposite ends to the seat and the seat support structure.

17. The seat assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein,

the seat mounting assembly mounts the seat for movement along an upwardly concaved spherical path having a center of movement proximate the center of mass of a person seated on the seat.

18. The seat assembly as defined in claim 17 wherein,

the backrest is coupled at a lower portion thereof for movement with the seat along the spherical path.

19. The seat assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein,

said seat is coupled to the backrest assembly by a seat-femur length and lumbar depth adjustment assembly.

20. The seat assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein,

the seat-femur length and lumbar depth adjustment assembly includes a lumbar adjustment member slidably mounted to the seat and coupled to the backrest assembly, and a rotatable adjustment device coupled to displace lumbar adjustment member in a fore-and-aft direction to thereby adjust the distance from the front edge of the seat to the lower portion lumbar region of the backrest frame.

21. The seat assembly as defined in claim 20 wherein,

the lumbar adjustment member is a bar having a plurality of teeth formed therein, and

the rotatable adjustment device is a rotatable axle mounted by bushings to the seat and having at least one slot therein formed to and receiving one of the teeth therein and having a manually engageable knob provided thereon.

22. The sea assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein,

the seat mounting assembly includes a seat locking assembly formed for selective locking of the seat in and releasing the locked seat from a desired fore-and-aft position opposite sides of the backrest.

23. The seat assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein,

the seat locking assembly includes a friction member having a coefficient of friction selected to lock the seat in the desired fore-and-aft position during normal use of the seat and to allow seat arcuate motion in a crash event.

24. The seat assembly as defined in claim 23 wherein,

the friction member is provided by a pad:

a spring biasing member formed to bias the pad relative to the set mounting assembly toward engagement with a portion of the seat;

a cam mounted to the seat mounting assembly and formed to urge the pad away from engagement with the seat in opposition to the spring biasing member; and

a cam actuator formed and coupled for selective operations by the user of the seat assembly.

25. The seat assembly as defined in claim 24 wherein,

the cam actuator is provided by a rotatable mounted rod carrying the cam and having a manually engageable handle thereon.

26. A seat assembly as defined in claim 2, and

a safety belt restraining harness anchored in a vehicle with at least one of a lap belt, shoulder belt or middle belt.

27. The seat assembly as defined in claim 26 wherein,

the shoulder belt is anchored at one end to a recliner frame carried by the seat mounting assembly.

28. The seat assembly as defined in claim 26 wherein,

the belt harness is anchored at one end to a seat mounting assembly in a position below and rearward of the center of mass of a user seated on the seat.

29. The seat assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein,

the seat mounting assembly includes a height adjustment mechanism formed to selectively raise and lower the height at which the seat is supported for arcuate movement.

30. The seat assembly as defined in claim 29 wherein,

the height adjustment mechanism is provided by an actuator coupled to displace a height adjusting link acting on the seat assembly support structure.

31. The seat assembly as defined in claim 6 wherein,

the recliner mechanism includes a gear member carried by the recliner frame and having a plurality of teeth formed therein, an arm pivotally mounted to the seat mounting assembly, the arm carrying an interlocking member formed to interengage the teeth to prevent movement relative to the arm, and manually engageable handle mounted on the arm to enable pivoting of the arm to cause the interlocking member to move into and out of engagement with the teeth.

32. The seat assembly as defined in claim 1, and

a motion controller coupled to the seat and one of the seat mounting assembly and a structure to which the seat is mounted and formed to apply a force biasing the seat against the weight of the user'"'"'s torso on the seat.

33. The seat assembly as defined in claim 32 wherein,

the motion controller is formed for adjustment of the biasing force applied to the seat.

34. The seat assembly as defined in claim 32 wherein,

the motion controller is provided by at least one spring assembly.

35. The seat assembly as defined in claim 32 wherein,

the motion controller is a shock absorber.

36. The seat assembly as defined in claim 32 wherein,

the motion controller includes a piston and cylinder assembly with the pressure in the cylinder being controlled by the user.

37. The seat assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein,

the seat mounting assembly includes a backrest biasing spring biasing the backrest member in an upward direction.

38. The seat assembly as defined in claim 37 wherein,

the seat mounting assembly includes a backrest biasing spring biasing the backrest member in an upward direction.

39. The seat assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein,

the seat mounting assembly includes a backrest biasing spring biasing the backrest member in an upward direction.

40. The seat assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein,

the seat mounting assembly includes an inertia locking assembly formed to selectively lock the seat against arcuate motion and release the seat for arcuate motion when a predetermined inertia level has been exceeded.

41. The seat assembly as defined in claim 40 wherein,

the seat includes at least one arcuate track having spaced pin-receiving structures in a fore-and-aft direction therealong:

the inertial locking assembly includes a movable pin dimension for insertion into said openings, and an assembly for selectively moving the pin into and out of the pin-receiving structures.

42. The seat assembly as defined in claim 41 wherein,

the pin is resiliently biased into engagement with the pin-receiving structures, and

the pin and pin-receiving structures are cooperatively formed to automatically urge the pin out of the pin-receiving structures when inertia on the seat assembly exceeds a predetermined level.

43. The seat assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein,

the seat includes an upwardly concaved seat pan with an anti-submarine member extending transversely across the seat.

48. The seat assembly as defined in claim 2, and

a pair of vertically extending side bolster mounted on opposite sides of one of a recliner frame and backrest member.

57. The inventions as defined in claim 1 and 44, and

the step of using a turning knob or motorized means to cause said movement by selectively rotating the rollers elements around its axis and thereby rotate the seat position.

58. The seat assembly as defined in claim 26 wherein,

the belt harness is coupled to at least one of a buckle, pretensioner, retractor, or load limiter mechanism.

59. The seat assembly as defined in claim 26 wherein,

the belt harness is mounted to each side of the seat mounting assembly and at least one of the backrest frame sides.

60. The seat assembly as defined in claim 26 wherein,

a lap-belt re-route roller loop is anchored to the seat mounting assembly in a position substantially below, and rearward of the center of mass of the body to change the inclined direction of a lap belt in use, anchored in a vehicle into a substantially vertical direction.

61. The invention as defined in claim 32 wherein,

the seat and backrest path of motion combined with the spring like action are formed to provide an arcuate suspension system where the body of the user is suspended in equilibrium with acceleration forces against the biasing force about the center of rotation of the seat.

44. A seat assembly comprising:

(a) a seat;

(b) a seat mounting assembly mounting the seat in a near horizontal orientation for movement along an upwardly concaved arcuate seat path having a center of curvature proximate the center of mass of a person seated on the seat; and

(c) a backrest assembly including a backrest extending in a near vertical orientation, the backrest including a lower backrest member having a lower lumbar portion coupled for movement to the seat an upper lumbar portion coupled for guided movement to a remainder of the backrest assembly, and an upper backrest member mounted above the lower backrest member, the upper backrest member being movably mounted to the remainder of the backrest assembly and coupled to the lower backrest for movement therewith.

45. A seat assembly as defined in claim 44, and

a headrest coupled to said upper backrest member for movement therewith.

46. The seat assembly as defined in claim 44, wherein,

the lower backrest member is pivotally coupled to the seat and pivotally coupled to the backrest assembly for vertical displacement of the backrest member during arcuate movement of the seat.

47. The seat assembly as defined in claim 46, and

a pair of vertically extending side bolsters members mounted in a stationary manner to the seat mounting assembly on opposite sides of the backrest member.

49. The seat assembly as defined in claim 44 wherein

the backrest assembly includes a recliner frame separate from the backrest frame and mounted to the seat mounting assembly for tilting relative thereto, a recliner mechanism formed for selective rearward tilting of the recliner frame, the backrest member being moveable mounted to the recliner frame and being tiltable with the recliner frame

50. The seat assembly as defined in claim 49 wherein,

the backrest frame is mounted to the recliner frame by a pair of vertically extending guide channels and movable members mounted to the channels.

51. The seat assembly as defined in claim 50 wherein,

the movable members are one of slider members and roller members.

52. The seat assembly as defined in claim 50 wherein,

the channels are carried by one of the backrest frame and the recliner frame, and the movable members are carried by the other.

53. The seat assembly as defined in claim 50 wherein,

the guide channels positioned laterally outwardly of the lower backrest member, and the guide channels extend vertically along opposite sides of the lower backrest member.

54. The seat assembly as defined in claim 50 wherein,

the guide channels are positioned laterally inwardly of opposite sides of the lower backrest member, and

the slider movable members are mounted to a back of the backrest frame.

55. The seat assembly as defined in claim 53 wherein,

the upper backrest member is coupled for movement relative to the guide channels above the lower backrest member.

56. A seat assembly as defined in claim 44 wherein,

the lower backrest member is pivotally coupled to the seat and pivotally coupled to the backrest assembly for vertical displacement during arcuate movement of the seat, and

the upper backrest member is fixed to the recliner frame, and

the headrest motion is coupled to the lower backrest member for movement therewith.

62. The seat assembly as defined in claim 44 wherein,

the seat mounting assembly mounts the seat for movement along an upwardly concaved spherical path having a center of curvation proximate a person'"'"'s center of mass when seated on the seat.

63. A seat assembly comprising:

(a) a seat; and

(b) a seat mounting assembly mounting the seat in a near horizontal orientation for movement between a fore and aft direction and a side-to-side direction and diagonally oriented between the two directions

64. The seat assembly as defined in claim 63 wherein,

the seat mounting assembly mounts the seat for movement along an upwardly concaved spherical path having a center of curvation proximate the center of mass of a person seated on the seat.

65. The seat assembly as defined in claim 64, and

a backrest movably mounted to the seat mounting assembly in a position proximate the seat, the backrest being coupled for movement of a lower portion thereof with movement of the seat and mounted for near vertical reciprocation of an upper portion of the backrest member upon movement of the lower portion with the seat.

66. A method of providing a seat assembly comprising the steps of:

mounting a seat in a near horizontal orientation for movement along an upwardly concaved arcuate path;

mounting a backrest in a near vertical orientation proximate the seat for support of the back of a user while seated on the seat;

coupling a lower portion of the backrest to the seat for movement of the lower portion of the backrest with movement of the seat; and

mounting an upper portion of the backrest for vertically extending movement in response to movement of the lower portion of the backrest.

67. The method as defined in claim 66, and the steps of:

mounting a second backrest above the first-named backrest for movement in a vertically extending direction, the first-named backrest being formed for support of a user'"'"'s lumbar region and the second backrest being formed for support of the user'"'"'s upper back; and

coupling the second backrest for vertical movement with the first-named backrest member.

68. The method as defined in claim 66 wherein,

the step of mounting the backrest is accomplished by mounting the backrest to a recliner frame having a mechanism formed for selective reclining of the position of the backrest by the user.

69. The method as defined in claim 66 wherein,

the step of mounting the backrest is accomplished by mounting the backrest to a recliner frame formed to support said movement to position the backrest member by the user.

70. The method as defined in claim 66 wherein,

the step of mounting the backrest is accomplished by mounting the backrest for movement to a recliner frame coupled to the backrest by guiding channels and mating sliding-roller elements mounted in the backrest assembly.

71. The method as defined in claim 66 wherein,

said movement mounted in a vehicle is used to reduce injury loads to the user suffered in one of a frontal crash and in a rear-end crash or diagonally offset impact.

72. The method as defined in claim 71 and,

the step of using said seat assembly to distribute the crash load bearing contribution with at least one of a safety belt restraint, upper body airbags, knee bolsters, lower leg air bag, lower leg bolster cushion and headrest.