Seat belt mounting for integral child seat

• US 5,468,046 A
• Filed: 07/13/1994
• Issued: 11/21/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hoover Universal Incorporated (Adient plc)
• Original Assignee: Hoover Universal Incorporated (Adient plc)
• Inventors: Weber, James L., Sabo, Dianna L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dorner, Kenneth J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BARFIELD, ANTHONY DERRELL
• Application Number:
  US08/274,253
• Time in Patent Office: 496 Days
• Field of Search: 297/238, 297/484, 297/467, 297/14, 297/468, 297/216.11, 297/256
• US Class Current: 297/238
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/3084 Disappearing in a recess of the back-rest
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/105 for children adaptation of children's seats for seat belts B60N2/265, B60N2/2803

Abstract

An integral child seat in which the lap belt of the restraint system is attached to opposite sides of the rotating child seat support, forward of the rotational axis of the seat support. By attaching the belts to the seat support forward of the rotation axis, the lap belt will remain snugly fitting to the seat occupant'"'"'s lap and have a reduced tendency to ride over the iliac crest of the seat occupant'"'"'s pelvis during a vehicle collision.

Claims

1. A vehicle seat assembly having a seat back with an integral child seat, said child seat comprising:

a back support with upper and lower ends mounted to said seat back;

a seat support rotatably mounted to said seat back for rotation about a pivot axis adjacent to said lower end of said back support, said seat support being movable between an upright position stowed within said seat back and a forwardly extending, generally horizontal use position, said seat support having spaced apart left and right opposite sides;

a restraint system operatively connected between said back support and said seat support to restrain a passenger having legs positioned on the seat support and said back support, said restraint system including left and right belts each having a first end connected to said seat support at said left and right sides thereof, respectively, at locations spaced from said pivot axis so that said first ends of said belts rotate with said seat support, said belts extending upwardly from said seat support, overlying said back support and passing into said back support near the upper end thereof, a buckle mounted to said seat support midway between said left and right sides so as to be located between the legs of a passenger positioned on the seat support and left and right clasps slidably carried on said left and right belts, respectively, for insertion into said buckle;

said seat support including a seat pan having left and right sides and left and right belt anchors attached to said seat pan at said left and right sides thereof, respectively, for attaching said first ends of said left and right belts to said seat support; and

said seat further comprising means for pivotally mounting said anchors to said seat back whereby said seat support is mounted to said seat back.

2. The seat of claim 1 wherein each said anchor is generally planar with two spaced apart apertures for attaching each said anchor to said seat pan and with a belt attachment portion disposed between said two spaced apart apertures for attachment of one of said belts to each said anchor.

3. The seat of claim 2 wherein said belt attachment portion includes a closed slot through which said belt is routed to attach said belt to said anchor.

4. The seat of claim 2 wherein said belt attachment portion includes a slot through which one of said belts is routed to attach said belt to said plate, and an entrance passage extending from said slot to a lower edge of said anchor through which said belt is passed to position said belt in said slot.

5. The seat of claim 2 wherein said belt attachment portion is solid and about which said belt is wrapped to attach said belt to said anchor.

6. The seat of claim 2 wherein said means for pivotally mounting said anchors to said seat back is disposed rearward of said belt attachment portion of each said anchor.

7. A vehicle seat assembly having a seat back with an integral child seat, said child seat comprising:

a back support with upper and lower ends mounted to said seat back;

a seat support rotatably mounted to said seat back for rotation about a pivot axis adjacent to said lower end of said back support between a position stowed within said seat back and a forwardly extending, generally horizontal use position, said seat support including a seat pan having spaced apart left and right opposite sides and left and right belt anchors attached to said left and right sides, respectively, said anchors including mounting portions for pivotally mounting said anchors to said seat back whereby said seat support is mounted to said seat back; and

a restraint system operatively connected between said back support and said seat support to restrain a passenger positioned on said seat support and said back support, said restraint system including left and right belts each having a first end connected to said left and right belt anchors, respectively, at said left and right sides of said seat pan.

8. The seat of claim 7 wherein said anchors include a pair of spaced alignment apertures and said seat pan includes a pair of spaced alignment posts on each side for alignment of said belt anchors on said seat pan by placing said belt anchors on said seat pan with said alignment posts projecting through said spaced alignment apertures.

9. A child seat contained within a vehicle seat assembly, said child seat comprising:

a lower seat support having left and right sides and a rear end rotatably mounted to the vehicle seat assembly for rotation about a pivot axis adjacent said rear end between a stowed position and a use position, said lower seat support forming a seating surface upon which a child can be seated when in said use position;

left and right seat belt anchor brackets attached to said left and right sides of said lower seat support, respectively, said anchor brackets including rear mounting portions for pivotally mounting said anchors to said seat assembly whereby said lower seat support is mounted to said seat assembly and said anchors each including a belt attaching portion spaced forward of said rear mounting portion;

a back support mounted to the vehicle seat assembly forming a back surface upon which a child can be seated; and

a restraint system for restraining a child seated upon said lower seat support and said back support, said restraint system including a buckle attached to said lower seat support at a location disposed between the legs of a child seat occupant and forward of said pivot axis, left and fight belts operatively coupled to said belt attaching portions of said seat belt anchor brackets at said left and right sides respectively, and clasps on said belts insertable into said buckle forming lap belts that extend from said buckles to said left and right sides of said lower seat support, said belt attaching portions of said anchors being located forward of said pivot axis and transversely of said buckle whereby said belts extend substantially transversely from said buckle, over the legs of a child seat occupant, to said left and right sides of said lower seat support.