Safety device for the occupier of a car

• US 5,129,706 A
• Filed: 05/21/1991
• Issued: 07/14/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fiat Auto S.p.A.
• Original Assignee: ALFA Lancia SPA
• Inventors: Ghezzi, Lucio
• Primary Examiner(s): Cranmer, Laurie K.
• Application Number:
  US07/703,755
• Time in Patent Office: 420 Days
• Field of Search: 297/452, 297/487, 297/464, 297/458, 297/459, 297/216
• 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

Abstract

A safety device for retaining the lower portion of a body of an occupier of a seat of a car having a padded seat portion and a seat back portion which comprises a rigid belt having a generally "C"-shape and provided with connection members which can be fastened to the padded seat supporting structure. At least a central band portion of the belt is positioned in front of the padding of the padded seat portion, wherein the central band has at least one portion lowered relative to the upper edge of the padded seat portion.

Claims

1. A safety device for the occupier of a car for retaining the lower portion of the body of the occupier securely in a seat of the car, the car being equipped with a padded seat cushion portion and with a seat back, the padded seat cushion portion being provided with a support structure for the padding, and with a finishing cover, said support structure being linked to body work of the car by means of saddles, said safety device comprising:

a rigid belt member having connecting means which can be fastened to said supporting structure, said rigid belt having a central band portion position in close correspondence along the breadth and height of a wall of the padding of the padded seat cushion portion, and said central band having at least one portion along said wall lowered relative to an upper edge of said padded seat cushion portion along said wall, so that deformation of said wall in a direction transverse to said central band portion by an occupier of said car is substantially prevented.

2. A safety device for retaining the lower portion of the body of the occupier in the seat of a car, the seat having a base support structure, a padded seat portion and a padded back portion, both fastened to said base support structure, said base support structure having means for connection to the car, the device comprising a rigid belt fastened to said base support structure, said rigid belt being positioned adjacent at least a front wall portion of said base support structure and a front wall of said padded seat portion externally thereof and having a height projected along said front wall of said padded seat portion externally thereof to engage and hold said front wall of said padded seat portion in a substantially stable position over said base support structure when said padded seat portion is compressed at said front wall by the occupier owing to a sudden deceleration of the car, said rigid belt having a central portion in close correspondence with said front wall.

3. The safety device according to claim 2, wherein said central portion is substantially arc-shaped and has two lowered portions each positioned at side ends of front wall of said padded seat portion.

4. The safety device according to claim 2, wherein said rigid belt has a generally "C"-shape and also includes two side portions extending from opposite ends of said central portion wherein said side portions are positioned adjacent lower edges of side walls of said padded seat portion and each side portion comprises means for connection to said base support structure.

5. A safety device for retaining the lower portion of the body of the occupier in the seat of a car, the seat having a base support structure, a padded seat portion and a padded back portion, both fastened to said base support structure, said base support structure having means for connection to the car, the device comprising a rigid belt fastened to said base support structure, said rigid belt being positioned adjacent at least a front wall of said padded seat portion externally thereof and having a height projecting at said front wall along said padded seat portion externally thereof to engage and hold said front wall of said padded seat portion in a substantially stable position over said base support structure when said padded seat portion is compressed at said front wall by the occupier owing to a sudden deceleration of the car, said rigid belt having a central portion positioned at said front wall and having a profile including at least one portion lowered relative to an upper edge of said front wall of said padded seat portion to allow for ordinary occupier movement while seated in said car.