Seat supporting structure for fast moving vehicles

• US 3,885,810 A
• Filed: 01/10/1972
• Issued: 05/27/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: John J. Chika
• Original Assignee: John J. Chika
• Inventors: Chika, John J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Spar, Robert J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Paperner, Leslie J.
• Application Number:
  US05/216,344
• Time in Patent Office: 1,233 Days
• Field of Search: 296/63,65A 280/15B,15C,15SB 297/216 244/122R,122B 188/1C
• US Class Current: 280/748
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/06 slidable B60N2/12 , B60N2/2209 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/688 Particular seat belt attachment and guiding
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/13 Roll-over protection electrical circuits for triggering safety arrangements B60R21/01
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/18 Anchoring devices

Abstract

An auxiliary supporting structure for fast moving vehicles equipped with seats for its occupants, to be installed directly behind the said seats, and providing stronger means of attachment for various individual body restraining devices that may be used by the vehicle occupants but requiring attaching at three points: two at the usual seat-belt location and the top one behind and inboard from the user'"'"''"'"'s head; while also providing added support and rigidity to the whole seat structure together with other benefits explained in this application.

Claims

1. An auxiliary multi-function seat-supporting structure for seats of an enclosed transportation vehicle, positioned back of the seats and operatively attached to them, and secured to the immediately adjacent components of the floor structure of said vehicle and to the lower sides of the vehicle body immediately adjacent said seats and configured to provide:

means of additional support and transverse rigidity for said seats;

means to stabilize said seats in any preselected position during any severe deceleration of said vehicle;

means to prevent said seat from collapsing, upending and dislocating during a collision of said vehicle;

means for easy, convenient connecting and disconnecting of any individual-restraining devices used by said seat occupants back and inboard Of their shoulders.

2. An auxiliary seat supporting structure as claimed in claim 1, adapted for vehicles with adjustable seats, comprising two major assemblies:

a substantially upright assembly of rigid components configured in shape of a central-post, to be positioned directly behind said seat and operatively connected to it, so that the two adjust back and forth and up and down in unison, and comprising on its bottom means of slidable, adjustable and lockable engagement with a specially configured floor-plate assembly which is permanently secured to the floor structure of said vehicle.

3. An auxiliary seat supporting structure as claimed in claim 2, wherein said upright assembly, in its side view diagram assumes the form of a thin triangle;

its height governed by the height of the seat-back cushion of said seat, its forward-facing side following the back contour of said seat-back cushion;

its bottom side in cooperative sliding and lockable engagement with said floor-plate which also anchors the lower inboard attachment means for said individual-restraining devices, while their upper attaching means are anchored at the upper apex of said triangular assembly;

the two-element lower forward apexes comprising means which are coacting in locking of said assembly to its floor-plate in following manner;

under severe deceleration of said vehicle the restrained occupant'"'"''"'"'s upper torso exerts forward pull on the upper apex of said triangular assembly;

this is converted into downward push on the forward apexes and through them into said floor-plate and adjacent vehicle floor structure, while the whole assembly pivots forwardly about the stronger back apex which is also locked to said floor-plate by said deceleration.

4. An auxiliary seat supporting structure as claimed in claim 2, wherein said central-post is configured from tubular means welded together to form a modified tripod-like assembly with its pinacle blunted by a transverse bar positioned behind the upper seat-back cushion of said seat;

the lower portions of its two forwardly leaning and transversely diverging legs transversely positioned behind and slidably, operably secured to the rigid frame of the seat-cushion frame structure, and the third leg of said tripod extending from the transverse center of said top transverse bar substantially downwardly and rearwardly and comprising on its bottom specially configured rigid means for cooperative, slidably adjustable and lockable engagement with a longitudinally disposed rigid means secured to said floor-plate means, said engageable means so configured whereby said tripod means will, under normal conditions slide back and forth and up and down in unison with said seat structure and lock with it at any longitudinal and vertical position of its slidable adjustability at the will of its occupant.

5. An auxiliary seat supporting structure as claimed in claim 2, comprising inertia responsive and actuating means to automatically, instantly and positively lock said assembly to said floor-plate means during any sudden deceleration of said vehicle, thus preventing any longitudinal sliding movement of said seat for the duration of said deceleration.

6. An auxiliary seat supporting structure as claimed in claim 2, adapted for split seats and bucket-seats wherein said central-post is configured from tubular means welded together to form a modified tripod-like assembly with its pinacle blunted by a transverse bar positioned behind the upper seat-back cushion of said seat;

the two outboard legs of said tripod secured to the outboard ends of said transverse bar and leaning downwardly to follow the inclined back contour of said seat-back cushion, with at least one of them attached to one of said bucket seats and comprising on their bottoms specially configured rigid means for cooperative, slidably adjustable and lockable engagement with similarily configured, longitudinally disposed rigid means secured to the outboard portions of said floor-plate means;

the center leg welded to the traNsverse center of said top transverse bar on its top and extending downwardly and forwardly toward the front section of said floor-plate means and comprising on its lower end means of cooperatively slidable and lockable engagement with longitudinal rigid means secured to the transverse center of said floor-plate, said means so configured whereby normally said tripod means will slide back and forth with one of the seats but will positively lock in place with said floor-plate means during any severe deceleration of said vehicle.

7. An auxiliary seat supporting structure as claimed in claim 2, so configured whereby the force-factor that triggers, locks and holds said central-post to its floor-plate means under severe deceleration of said vehicle is directly proportional to the rate of deceleration factor of said vehicle and the total inertia load of said seat and its occupants.

8. An auxiliary seat supporting structure as claimed in claim 2, said central-post assembly so configured whereby the inertia load exerted upon it by said seat and its restrained occupants during any severe deceleration of said vehicle is transferred into the adjacent floor structure of said vehicle body.

9. An auxiliary seat supporting structure as claimed in claim 2, said central-post assembly so configured whereby the inertia load exerted upon it by said seat and its restrained occupants because of any sudden deceleration of said vehicle is transferred partially into the adjacent floor structure of said vehicle and partially into downward pressure on the rigid structure of the adjacent seat.

10. An auxiliary seat supporting structure as claimed in claim 2, comprising emergency locking means which are so configured and positioned that while they are normally disengaged during normal driving conditions of said vehicle, thus allowing free slidably adjustable positioning of said central-post over its floor-plate, they become instantly engaged whenever said vehicle is subjected to any sudden deceleration, thus locking said central-post to its floor-plate, preventing it from any unwanted movement over it whenever any severe pull is exerted against the pinacle of said central-post.

11. An auxiliary seat supporting structure as claimed in claim 10, wherein said emergency locking means comprise inertia triggered and activated piercing means configured at the bottom of the two forwardly leaning legs of said central-post coacting with the reinforced floor adjacent to said floor-plate.

12. An auxiliary seat-supporting structure as claimed in claim 11, wherein said piercing means comprise arresting plates limiting the extent of their penetration through said floor panel, and easily compressible and pierceable shielding means permitting their easy gliding over said floor surface under normal driving conditions, but allowing them piercing of specially modified floor panel means under severe pull against said pinacle of said central-post.

13. An auxiliary seat supporting structure as claimed in claim 11, wherein said piercing means are configured to be coacting against specifically designed replaceable strips of pierceable material installed into longitudinal channel means secured to said floor-plate means to provide very sensitive means of locking said central-post to said floor-plate means under any severe pull against said pinacle of said central-post assembly.

14. An auxiliary seat supporting structure as claimed in claim 4, adapted for use in vehicles with seats which are attached to the floor by means strong enough to prevent their dislocation from said floor during a collision of said vehicle, wherein the bottom ends of said forward legs of said central-post are configured to be secured directly to the rigid frame structure of said seat for cooperatively slidable engagement with it, thus allowing the kinetic energy of the occupied seat, under severe deceleration of said vehicle, to be partially transferred into said seat structure.

15. An auxiliary seat supporting structure as claimed in clAim 4, wherein said means of slidable positioning, locking and holding of said central-post to its floor-plate means during any sudden deceleration of said vehicle comprise a combination of modified shoe-type means secured to the bottom of said third leg of said tripod slidably coacting and locking with a modified T-rail means secured to said floor-plate means and inclined at the same angle of inclination as said seat adjustment means are configured to slidably function on.

16. An auxiliary seat supporting structure as claimed in claim 2, adapted for seats with tiltable seat-back cushions comprising means whereby the upper portion of said central-post may secure the upper portion of the seat-back cushion in plurality of angular positions in such manner whereby its tilting, positional adjustability and locking to said central-post and its floor-plate means are controllable by and in conjunction with the existing remote-control means commonly used for such vehicular seats.

17. An auxiliary seat supporting structure as claimed in claim 16, wherein said various means of disposition, adjustment and locking of said seat and its tiltable cushion to proper components of said central-post and its floor-plate means are remotely controlled by and in conjunction with electricaly powered, remotely controlled means presently used for operating such seats.

18. An auxiliary seat supporting structure claimed in claim 2, wherein said central-post comprise means to automatically adjust itself to any position that said adjacent seat is able to assume, to automatically, positively lock itself to its floor-base means whenever said vehicle is subjected to any severe deceleration, and to stay in that locked position for the duration of said deceleration.

19. An auxiliary seat supporting structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein said connecting means for use with different individual restraining devices are positioned substantially at the transverse center of said seat supporting structure and comprise means whereby a plurality of various types of said restraining devices may be easily attached and detached to and from said seat supporting structure by said seat occupants.

20. An auxiliary seat supporting structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein said top connecting means are configured for their easy adjustability in vertical, transverse and longitudinal directions to accomodate occupant'"'"''"'"'s seated torso height and to make the attachment and detachment of his personal restraining device to said seat supporting structure behind his head and inboard from his shoulder easy and convenient.

21. An auxiliary seat supporting structure as claimed in claim 2, wherein said central-post assembly comprises on its top adjustably positionable anchoring means configured for easy one-handed attachment and detachment of individual restraining devices as used by said seat occupants, and said bottom floor-plate means configured for anchoring of the inboard side of the lap-belt element of said individual restraining devises as used by said vehicle seat occupants.

22. An auxiliary seat supporting structure as claimed in claim 2, wherein said upright assembly is configured to be partially integrated into the structural and operational configuration of said seat, thus practically becoming one unit with it, with only some of its structure, some controls and the means for attaching said restraining devices being exposed.

23. An auxiliary seat supporting structure as claimed in claim 2, wherein those parts of said central-post which are subject to possible unwanted and harmful contact with the decelerating bodies of occupants of the seat directly back of said rigid post are covered with padding and other impact absorbing materials and finished to harmonize with the rest of said seat assembly.

24. An auxiliary seat supporting structure as claimed in claim 6, wherein said means of slidably adjustable and lockable engagement of said post with its floor-plate means comprise a combination of modified tubular Means of one diameter secured to the bottom of said central-post and adapted to slidably adjust and lock with modified tubular means of different diameter attached to said floor-plate means.

25. An auxiliary seat supporting structure as claimed in claim 2, wherein said central-post comprise four substantially verticaly disposed tubular members connected at their upper ends to a transverse member positioned back of said seat-back cushion and disposed as follows:

two outboard members attached at their upper ends to the outboard ends of said top transverse member, with their lower ends secured to the transverse edges of their base-plate means, and the other two attached to the transverse center of said transverse member on their upper ends, with one inclined forwardly for attachment to the front of said base-plate and the other one inclined rearwardly and attached on its lower end to the rear center of said base-plate.

26. An auxiliary seat supporting structure as claimed in claim 2, wherein said central-post structure is reinforced by incorporating additional rigid auxiliary members to its structural configuration, linking them at their lower ends to each other and bracing them in their mid-section, and when said assembly is intended to serve as a roof support for said vehicle, by making at least the central leg of said central-post assembly correspondingly more rigid.

27. An auxiliary seat supporting structure as claimed in claim 2, comprising means wherein said central-post is configured to be extendable upwardly by easily removable means whereby it will reach to the reinforced section of the roof panel of said vehicle, thus forming a rigid central support for said roof to resist its collapse should said vehicle be accidentaly overturned.

28. An auxiliary seat supporting structure as claimed in claim 2, wherein portions of said central-post assembly are configured to support an armrest, a console, a utility enclosure and container means intended for use and convenience of occupants of said seats.

29. An auxiliary seat supporting structure as claimed in claim 2, comprising means to allow said seats to be longitudinally and vertically adjustable in predetermined graduated degrees of their adjustment and lockable therein by remote control means, wherein said floor-plate assembly is configured in two slidably cooperative elements:

the floor-plate element configured to conform to the contour of said vehicle floor and disposed at the same degree of longitudinal inclination as the seat structure adjusts on, and secured permanently to said floor, and the central-post base-plate element secured to the bottom ends of said central-post structure and configured for operative, slidably adjustable and locking engagement with said floor-plate element in such manner whereby said central-post will adjust and lock in unison with said seat.

30. An auxiliary seat supporting structure as claimed in claim 29, wherein said means of adjustment and locking of said base-plate means to said floor-plate means comprise a combination of modified channel means secured to said base-plate means slidably and adjustably cooperating and locking with modified Z-bar means secured to said floor-plate means.

31. An auxiliary seat supporting structure as claimed in claim 30, wherein said Z-bar means are attached directly to the floor of said vehicle at the same degree of inclination as said seat structure adjusts on.

32. An auxiliary seat supporting structure as claimed in claim 30, wherein said channel means comprise on their interior surfaces specially configured gripping means to coact with specially configured exterior surfaces of said Z-bar for their instant contact and locking of said Z-bar to said channel means at any time said central-post starts to tilt from its normally upright position, thus preventing its movement in any direction.

33. An auxiliary seat supporting structure as claimed in claim 30, wherein said channel means comprise a housing enclosing a spring-loaded bolt-meAns engageable with a plurality of holes provided in said Z-bar means to accept said bolt, means connecting said spring-loaded bolt with the customary remote control means normally used for adjustment of said seat whereby said central-post is slidably adjustable and securable in unison with said seat.

34. An auxiliary seat supporting structure as claimed in claim 2, wherein said central-post is configured of rigid steel plates welded to form a capital T in its cross-sectional plan view, with the top surface of the T facing against the back contour of said seat-back cushion and its leg positioned parallel to the center-line of said vehicle, its bottom edges welded to its base-plate means and including means of attaching it to the rigid structure of said seat-cushion and at its upper portion comprising adjustable means for attachment of individual restraining means used by occupants of said seats.

35. An auxiliary seat supporting structure as claimed in claim 34, wherein said T-shaped central-post is secured at its bottom to a rectangular plate means forming a modified T configuration with it, the back portion ot the horizontally disposed plate configured for slidably adjustable positioning and locking in cooperation with a shoe-type means secured to the vehicle floor and its front portion extending substantially forwardly for slidably adjustable positioning and locking within a channel means secured to said floor, thus allowing free longitudinal movement of said post only between said channel and said shoe-type means.

36. An auxiliary seat supporting structure as claimed in claim 2, adapted for use with tiltable seat-back cushions of said vehicle seats comprising means secured to the upper portion of said post permitting angular positioning and locking of said seat-back cushion to it in any selected position of its angularity and controlled by remote control means coacting with the existing means of such seat-cushion angular adjustability.

37. An auxiliary seat supporting structure as claimed in claim 2, adapted for vehicles with individual bucket seats with their individual means of adjustment, wherein said central-post is configured in form of a tapered pillar shaped to conform to available space, molded of rigid material and its broader bottom section secured to a rigid base-plate means configured for operatively slidable and adjustable engagement and locking with a floor-plate means secured to said floor.

38. An auxiliary seat supporting structure as claimed in claim 37, wherein said engagement and locking means between said post and said floor-plate means are remotely controllable by means located at said base-plate means configured into a center console assembly and the midd section of said pillar comprising securing means for vertically and horizontally adjustable and removable center arm-rest means, with its upper section comprising means for angular adjustment and locking of said bucket seats, while the top of said post is configured to secure adjustable means of upper attachment for individual restraining devices as used by occupants of said bucket seats.

39. An auxiliary seat supporting structure as claimed in claim 2, modified for use with seats with split seat-back cushions, as in two-door sedans, wherein said central-post is configured of rigid stampings forming a tubular pillar with its forward portion thinned down sufficiently to fit between the two halves of said cushion and attached to the rigid frame of said seat, said pillar broadened at its base for securing of it to its base-plate means which are in cooperative engagement with the floor-plate secured to said floor.

40. An auxiliary seat supporting structure as claimed in claim 1, configured for vehicles with seats which are not longitudinally and vertically adjustable and have their seat-back cushions split and angularily tiltable, comprising a substantially upright assembly of rigid components configured in shape of a central-post to be positioned directly behind said seat and paRtially between the two halves of said seat-back cushion, its bottom secured to a specially configured floor-plate means secured to said floor, and its upper section comprising means for locking said cushions in preselected angle of tilt, while its top is configured for securing to it adjustable means of upper attachment for individual restraining devices used by the occupants of said seats.

41. An auxiliary seat supporting structure as claimed in claim 1, configured for vehicles with unadjustable bench-type seats comprising rigid components configured to produce a substantially transversely horizontal cross-beam assembly positioned directly back of the top of the seat-back cushion of said seat and secured thereto;

the outboard ends of the cross-beam secured to the nearest rigid components of said vehicle structure below its window line, to provide added transverse rigidity to said vehicle body and said seat structure and to provide means of securing plurality of adjustable attaching means for individual restraining devices used by said seat occupants.

42. An auxiliary seat supporting structure as claimed in claim 41, configured for use with adjustable bench-type seats, wherein said transverse cross-beam comprise on its outboard ends positioning and locking means operably engagable with rigid coacting means secured to rigid side structure of said vehicle at the same angle of inclination as said seat structure adjusts on, thus allowing for adjustable positioning and locking of said beam to said vehicle structure in unison with said seat, and comprising operative means for the assembly to be controlled remotely by and in conjunction with the remote control means normally used for adjusting the position of said seat by its occupant.

43. An auxiliary seat supporting structure as claimed in claim 41, wherein said transverse beam assembly is configured to be an integral part of the basic structure of said seat-back cushion, providing its main means of support, location, positioning and attachment to said vehicle structure, as well as means of adjustable securement for said upper means of attachment for individual restraining devices used by said seat occupants.

44. An auxiliary seat supporting structure as claimed in claim 41, comprising two rigid, substantially vertical reinforcing and bracing means:

one attached to said rigid transverse beam on its upper end and to a structural member of the floor on its lower end;

the other easily attachable on its lower end to said transverse beam and to the reinforced roof structure on its upper end, thus creating a rigid vertical brace between the floor and the roof of said vehicle.

45. An auxiliary seat supporting structure as claimed in claim 41, configured for use in multi-seat transport vehicles wherein one end of said cross-beam is secured to the rigid side structure of said vehicle, while the other end is secured to an upright post structure attached to the rigid floor means of said vehicle and configured to form the inboard end of said seat structure.

46. An auxiliary seat supporting structure as claimed in claim 1, said assembly so configured whereby the inertia load exerted upon it by said seat and its restrained occupants during any severe deceleration and collision of said vehicle is transferred into the vehicle floor and the rigid sections of the vehicle side located below its window line and immediately contiguous to said seat structure.