Vehicle seat back with a head side impact air bag

• US 5,556,129 A
• Filed: 05/16/1995
• Issued: 09/17/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hoover Universal Incorporated (Adient plc)
• Original Assignee: Hoover Universal Incorporated (Adient plc)
• Inventors: Coman, Sorin, Demick, Robert L., Wu, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): FERRITER, KARIN L
• Application Number:
  US08/441,813
• Time in Patent Office: 490 Days
• Field of Search: 280/728.1, 280/730.1, 280/730.2, 297/483, 297/216.12, 297/216.1
• US Class Current: 280/730.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0006 Lateral collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0048 Head
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/207 in vehicle seats
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/217 Inflation fluid source retainers, e.g. reaction canisters; Connection of bags, covers, diffusers or inflation fluid sources therewith or together

Abstract

A seat back for a motor vehicle having a tower extending upwardly from the seat back upper end along one lateral side of the seat back. The tower contains an inflatable air bag which is deployable to provide head side impact protection for a seat occupant. By mounting the air bag within a raised tower, the air bag is deployed from a higher location in the seat back to reduce the possibility of interference between the air bag and a shoulder belt. Furthermore, by not mounting the air bag to the seat back head restraint, it is possible to provide a fully adjustable head restraint attached to the seat back and extending upwardly from the seat back upper end. A removable side bolster is also provided which covers the air bag canisters mounted to the seat back frame. Following deployment of an air bag, the bolster and air bag canister are removed and replaced with new components. This enables the seat assembly to be repaired without replacement of the entire seat assembly or seat back.

Claims

1. A vehicle seat assembly comprising:

a generally horizontal seat cushion having a rear end;

a seat back extending upwardly at said rear end of said seat cushion, said seat back having opposite lateral sides and an upper end;

a tower extending above said seat back upper end adjacent one lateral side of said seat back; and

an inflatable air bag stowed above said seat back upper end within said tower, said air bag being inflatable to a deployed position extending forward from said tower to provide an air bag above the upper end of said seat back along said one lateral side adjacent the head of a seat assembly occupant.

2. The seat assembly of claim 1 further comprising a head restraint mounted to said seat back and extending upward above said upper end of said seat back adjacent to said tower.

3. The seat assembly of claim 2 wherein said head restraint is separate from said tower and further comprising means for adjusting the vertical position of said head restraint relative to said seat back upper end whereby said head restraint is vertically adjustable without affecting the position of said air bag.

4. The seat assembly of claim 1 further comprising an inflator within said tower for generating a gas to inflate said air bag.

5. A vehicle seat assembly comprising:

a generally horizontal seat cushion having a rear end;

a seat back extending upwardly at said rear end of said seat cushion, said seat back having opposite lateral sides and an upper end;

a head restraint mounted to said seat back and positioned above said upper end of said seat back;

means for adjusting the vertical position of said head restraint relative to said seat back upper end;

a tower extending above said seat back upper end adjacent one lateral side of said seat back and alongside said head restraint;

an inflatable air bag mounted above said seat back upper end within said tower, said air bag being inflatable to a deployed position above the upper end of said seat back along said one lateral side adjacent the head of a seat assembly occupant; and

a shoulder belt for restraining a seat occupant, said shoulder belt projecting from said seat back at a location vertically below said air bag and extending downwardly therefrom.

6. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 5 wherein said shoulder belt projects from said tower beneath said air bag and above said seat back upper end.