Seat assembly with movable seat and backrest and method

• US 20060055214A1
• Filed: 11/03/2005
• Published: 03/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hector Serber
• Original Assignee: Hector Serber
• Inventors: Serber, Hector
• Granted Patent: US 9,399,415 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 2/181 Rods
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/1832 including a curved slide
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/1846 pivoting about a distant axis, e.g. virtual
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/1853 Linear actuator, e.g. screw mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/22 the back-rest being adjustable B60N2/2878 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2209 by longitudinal displacement of the cushion, e.g. back-rest hinged on the bottom to the cushion and linked on the top to the vehicle frame
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2222 the back-rest having two or more parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/42736 of the whole seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/42763 with anti-submarining systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 3/066 with protection systems against abnormal g-forces

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 for a vehicle having a brake pedal and an accelerator pedal, the seat assembly comprising:

a seat adjacent the brake and accelerator pedals; and

a foot restraint assembly located proximate the brake and accelerator pedals, the foot restraint assembly being dimensioned and configured to prevent a driver'"'"'s feet from sliding under the brake and accelerator pedals during a collision.

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

an upper surface of the foot restraint assembly is substantially planar with the upper surfaces of at least one of the brake and accelerator pedals.

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

the foot restraint assembly is L-shaped having a side leg extending along a side edge of at least one of the brake and accelerator pedals and a lower leg extending along a lower edge of at least one the brake and accelerator pedals.

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

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

5. The seat assembly as defined in claim 4 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, wherein the guide tracks are arcuate and extend over substantially the full fore and aft dimension of the seat, wherein the seat mounting assembly includes a seat support structure, and the seat is mounted to the seat support structure by a plurality of link members coupled at opposite ends to the seat and the seat support structure, and wherein the seat is mounted to the seat support structure only by the plurality of link members.

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

the seat is mounted to the seat support structure by a plurality of link members.

16. The seat assembly as defined in claim 2

the seat is mounted to the seat support structure only by the plurality of link members.

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

the backrest member includes a 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.

18. 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.

19. 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.

6. A seat assembly comprising:

a seat;

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, the seat including an upwardly concaved seat pan with an anti-submarine member extending transversely across the seat; and

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,

wherein the anti-submarine member is dimensioned and configured to deform and absorb impact energy in response to a predetermined force of impact exerted on the anti-submarine member by the buttocks of a person seated on the seat during collision to decelerate the mass of the person.

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

the backrest member includes a 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.

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

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

9. The seat assembly as defined in claim 6 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.

10. The seat assembly as defined in claim 6 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.

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

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

12. The seat assembly as defined in claim 11 wherein,

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

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

the seat is mounted to the seat support structure only by the plurality of link members.

14. A seat assembly comprising:

a seat;

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

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,

wherein the seat mounting assembly includes a seat support structure, and the seat is mounted to the seat support structure at opposite ends to the seat and the seat support structure.

20. A vehicular seat assembly comprising:

a plurality of seats;

a plurality of seat mounting assemblies mounting the respective seats in a near horizontal orientation for movement along respective upwardly concaved arcuate seat paths having one center of curvature adjacent a predetermined center of mass zone;

a plurality of backrest assemblies, each including a backrest member extending in a near vertical orientation proximate a respective seat mounting assembly, each backrest member having an upper backrest portion thereof mounted to the respective backrest assembly for movement in a vertically extending direction and each backrest member having a lower backrest portion coupled for movement with the respective seat; and

a seat assembly frame for mounting the plurality of seat mounting assemblies and the plurality of backrest assemblies to a vehicle.

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

the seat assembly frame is configured and dimensioned to mount the vehicular seat assembly in an aircraft cabin.

22. The vehicular seat assembly as defined in claim 20 wherein,

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

23. The vehicular seat assembly as defined in claim 20 wherein,

each backrest member includes a backrest frame,

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

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

24. The vehicular seat assembly as defined in claims 23 wherein,

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

25. The vehicular seat assembly as defined in claim 23 wherein,

each backrest frame is pivotally connected to slider members,

each backrest assembly includes a pair of guide channels and,

the slider members are slidably mounted in the guide channels.