Automotive seat cushion support

• US 5,005,900 A
• Filed: 06/12/1989
• Issued: 04/09/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Motor Company
• Inventors: Ciampa, Jerry D., Kummer, Lawrence J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Jose V.
• Application Number:
  US07/364,765
• Time in Patent Office: 666 Days
• Field of Search: 296/68.1, 297/216, 297/458, 297/459, 297/452, 297/DIG. 1
• US Class Current: 297/216.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/4221 due to impact coming from the front
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/4249 fixed structures, i.e. where neither the seat nor a part thereof are displaced during a crash
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/4263 with anti-submarining systems

Abstract

An automotive vehicle seat is provided with a support frame positioned beneath the seating position of a vehicle occupant which includes an inclined restraining portion for resisting the tendency of a seated occupant to be displaced forwardly and downwardly upon imposition of deceleration forces when the vehicle is moving in a forward direction.

Claims

1. In an automotive vehicle body having a floor and a seat mounted on the floor having at least one seating position for supporting vehicle occupants, the seat including a seat back extending substantially perpendicularly upwardly from the floor and the seat cushion having rear surfaces abutting lower front surfaces of the seat back and extending substantially parallel to the floor, an improved support for the seat cushion comprising:

a support frame fixedly secured to the floor below the rear of the seat cushion and including a restraining portion projection obliquely upwardly and forwardly from the floor to a position rearwardly proximate the front of the seat cushion, comprising a generally U-shaped member having a substantially horizontal mounting portion including one end adapted to be fixedly secured to the floor proximate the rear of the seat cushion and wherein the restraining portion projects from the other end of the mounting portion.

2. A support as defined in claim 1, wherein the support frame is formed as a tubular member having a pair of flattened ends for engagement with the floor.

3. A support as defined in claim 1, wherein the support frame is positioned below the seating position.

4. In an automotive vehicle body having a floor and a seat mounted on the floor having at least one seating position for supporting vehicle occupants, the seat including a seat back extending substantially perpendicularly upwardly from the floor and the seat cushion having rear surfaces abutting lower front surfaces of the seat back and extending substantially parallel to the floor, an improved support for the seat cushion comprising:

a support frame fixedly secured to the floor below the seat cushion, and including a restraining portion projecting obliquely upwardly and forwardly from the floor to a position rearwardly proximate the front of the seat cushion said support frame comprising a generally U-shaped member having a mounting portion including one end adapted to be fixedly secured to the floor proximate the rear of the seat cushion and wherein the restraining portion projects from the other end of the mounting portion; and

means for releasably securing the seat cushion to the support frame.

5. A support as defined in claim 4, wherein the support frame is formed as a tubular member having a pair of flattened ends for engagement with the floor.

6. A support as defined in claim 4, wherein the support frame is positioned below the seating position.

7. A support as defined in claim 4, wherein the means for releasably securing comprises a hook carried with the seat cushion proximate the front edge thereof engageable with the support frame and operative to permit longitudinal rearward movement of the seat cushion and to resist forward movement of the seat cushion in a direction parallel to the floor.

8. A support as defined in claim 4, wherein the seat cushion comprises a wire frame and the means for releasably securing comprises a hook carried with the wire frame proximate the front edge of the seat cushion engageable with the support frame and operative to permit longitudinal rearward movement of the seat cushion and to resist forward movement of the seat cushion in a direction parallel to the floor.

9. A support as defined in claim 8, wherein the hook is formed integrally with a portion of the wire frame.

10. A seat adapted to be mounted on the floor of an automotive vehicle body in forward facing relationship for supporting a vehicle occupant and comprising:

a seat back extending substantially perpendicularly upwardly from the floor;

a seat cushion having rear surfaces abutting lower front surfaces of the seat back and extending substantially parallel to the floor;

a support frame fixedly secured to the floor below the seat cushion proximate said rear surfaces and including a restraining portion projecting obliquely upwardly and forwardly from the floor to a position rearwardly proximate the front of the seat cushion for resisting forward and downward movement of the occupant in response to deceleration of the vehicle during forward motion, said support frame comprising a generally U-shaped member having a substantially horizontal mounting portion including one end adapted to be fixedly secured to the floor of the vehicle proximate the rear of the seat cushion and wherein the restraining portion projects from the other end of the mounting portion.

11. A seat as defined in claim 10, wherein the support frame is formed as a tubular member having a pair of flattened ends for engagement with the floor.

12. A seat as defined in claim 10, wherein the support frame is positioned below the seating position of the occupant.

13. A seat as defined in claim 10, and further comprising a seat belt assembly including a retractor fixedly secured to the vehicle body adjacent the seat cushion and a lap belt and a shoulder belt for restraining the vehicle occupant and wherein the support frame restraining portion is positioned substantially in parallel with the path of the lap belt in its restraining relationship with the occupant.

14. A seat as defined in claim 10, and further comprising a seat belt assembly including a retractor fixedly secured to the vehicle body adjacent the seat cushion by a fastener the fastener being further operative to fixedly secure the support frame to the vehicle floor.