SAFETY SEAT, PARTICULARLY FOR AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLES

• US 3,802,737 A
• Filed: 07/07/1972
• Issued: 04/09/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Wolfgang Mertens
• Original Assignee: Wolfgang Mertens
• Inventors: Mertens, Wolfgang
• Primary Examiner(s): Nunberg, Casmir A.
• Application Number:
  US05/269,881
• Time in Patent Office: 641 Days
• Field of Search: 297/216,384,385,396,397,410 296/65,110-113 280/15SB 188/1
• US Class Current: 297/216.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/045 Longitudinal adjustment by means of articulated rods supporting the seat, e.g. parallelogram mechanisms B60N2/38 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/809 vertically slidable
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/838 Tiltable
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/888 with arrangements for protecting against abnormal g-forces, e.g. by displacement of the head-rest

Abstract

There is described a safety seat supported in its entirety by a frame formed of members deformable under impact. The length adjusting means for the seat as well as the adjusting means for the headrest also include deformable elements. There is further provided a backup means which supports the backrest cushion and which is connected to the backrest frame by deformable elements. The backup means also supports the adjustable headrest which includes a buckling cover and torsion members for a limited rearward rotation.

Claims

1. In a vehicle safety seat of the known type having (a) stationary means affixed to the vehicle floor, (b) a seat portion, (c) a length adjusting means including a detent structure to immobilize said seat portion with respect to said stationary means in any preselected position, (d) a seat carrier frame connecting said length adjusting means with said seat portion, (e) a backrest portion secured to said seat portion and including a backrest frame and a backrest cushion, (f) a headrest secured to said backrest portion, said headrest including a headrest cushion, (g) a height and inclination adjusting means associated with said headrest and including detent means to immobilize said headrest in any selected angular and height position, the improvement including the combination of A. deformable detent elements forming part of said detent structure associated with said length adjusting means, said detent elements deforming in the direction of length adjustment of said seat upon an accident-caused impact, B. a trapezoidal torsion bar assembly constituting said seat carrier frame and deforming upon an accident-caused impact, C. a rigid backup means for supporting said backrest cushion, D. deformable connecting elements attaching said backup means to said backrest frame, said deformable connecting elements deforming upon an accident-caused impact, E. a torsion member forming part of said inclination adjusting means for said headrest, said torsion member deforming upon an accident-caused impact, F. a carrier structure forming part of said headrest and including deformable support members and G. a buckling cover forming part of said headrest and being mounted on said last-named carrier structure, said combination constituting an energy-dissipating system displaceable to a limited extent under the inertia effect of an occupant'"'"''"'"'s body upon accident-caused impacts, said system resulting in a predetermined, impact-caused displacement of the occupant'"'"''"'"'s head and body by means of an overlapping, but timely staggered shift of said seat portion, engagement of the occupant'"'"''"'"'s head by said headrest, limited shift of the occupant'"'"''"'"'s back, tilting of the occupant'"'"''"'"'s body, limited nutation of the occupant'"'"''"'"'s head and limited displacement of the entire seat achieving a limited acceleration course for the duration of the impact.

2. An improvement as defined in claim 1, wherein said deformable connecting elements have a direction of deformation that extends rearwardly from said backrest frame.

3. An improvement as defined in claim 1, wherein said deformable connecting elements have a direction of deformation that extends rearwardly and upwardly from said backrest frame.

4. An improvement as defined in claim 1, including sliding rails forming part of said length adjusting means and gliding with said seat portion as a unit on said stationary means during length adjustments, said trapezoidal torsion bar assembly being affixed to said sliding rails and to said seat portion.

5. An improvement as defined in claim 4, said trapezoidal torsion bar assembly being formed as continuous tubular bars having deformable portions.

6. An improvement as defined in claim 4, said trapezoidal torsion bar assembly including a lever having transversely inserted torsionally deforming elements.

7. An improvement as defined in claim 6, including torsion limiting ring means inserted on at least one of said transversally inserted torsionally deforming elements.

8. An improvement as defined in claim 1, wherein said stationary means is formed of a pair of fixedly attached guide rails including means for receiving said deformable detent elements.

9. An improvement as defined in claim 8, wherein said last-named deformable detent elements are formed of compressible members plastically deforming beyond their flow limit.

10. An improvement as defined in claim 1, said carrier structure of said headrest including rib-like reinforcing laminae extending parallel to the tangent of the lower edge of said carrier structure, said carrier structure being convexly arcuate towards the occupant'"'"''"'"'s head and said buckling cover having at its lower portion a substantially swept-back shape.

11. An improvement as defined in claim 1, said height adjusting means associated with said headrest including at least one height adjusting post connected to said backrest and to said headrest, said height adjusting post being convexly arcuate towards the occupant'"'"''"'"'s head and being engaged by said detent means to immobilize said headrest in any selected height position.

12. An improvement as defined in claim 1, including at least one electric contact bridging at least one of the deformable components, said electric contact being ruptured by the deformation of the associated component.