VEHICLE SEAT WITH INTEGRAL SEAT AND BACK PORTIONS

• US 3,695,696 A
• Filed: 01/19/1970
• Issued: 10/03/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Robert L. Stephenson, Thomas E. Lohr
• Original Assignee: Robert L. Stephenson, Thomas E. Lohr
• Inventors: Lohr, Thomas E., Stephenson, Robert L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zugel, Francis K.
• Application Number:
  US05/003,816
• Time in Patent Office: 988 Days
• Field of Search: 297/388,389,385,452 244/122B 280/15B 24/23A,23AT,23AV
• US Class Current: 297/452.14
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/686 Panel like structures
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/026 at least two ends of the belt being retractable after use
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/26 secured to the seat
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/45696 Requiring manual force thereon to interlock or disengage
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/45785 Requiring manual force applied against bias to interlock or disengage

Abstract

A self-contained seat and restraint system including a semirigid seat shell having a channel about the rear and sides thereof, a fixed, beltless buckle in one side of the channel, and a retractable lap belt guided through and by the other side of the channel. A shoulder belt and a particular buckle design is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A seat assembly comprising:

a seat support member having seat, back and side portions, said member provided with means defining a channel extending around the member mediate the seat and back portions;

a lap belt means including a belt portion and a tongue on the belt, said belt portion connected to one side of said channel; and

a buckle means beltlessly and rigidly secured to said channel member on the side opposite the disposition of said lap belt means, said buckle means including a housing having a mouth portion opening forwardly and upwardly for receiving said lap belt tongue, a pair of caliper latch dogs within said buckle housing, bias means urging the dogs toward a tongue-engaging position, and a pivotal handle operatively connected to spread the dogs upon pivotal displacement thereof, said member is a contoured seat shell and the means defining the channel includes a depression in the shell extending from one side portion to the other, and a rigid channel member disposed in the depression and secured to the shell.

2. A seat assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein the lap belt means comprises a reel mounted rearwardly beneath the member.

3. A seat assembly as defined in claim 1 including a shoulder belt assembly carried wholly by the member.

4. A seat assembly as defined in claim 3 wherein the shoulder belt assembly includes a reel mounted on and beneath the seat portion of the member and a belt portion extending rearwardly and upwardly along the back portion of the member.

5. A seat assembly as defined in claim 4 including a tongue carried by the shoulder belt portion and connectible to the lap belt tongue.

6. A seat assembly as defined in claim 1, the combination further including cushion means disposed in the shell.

7. A seat assembly as defined in claim 6 wherein the shell is formed of substantially unified sheet material.