Vehicle seat with side air bag assembly

• US 5,826,938 A
• Filed: 10/09/1996
• Issued: 10/27/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Araco Kabushiki Kaisha, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Araco Kabushiki Kaisha, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Yanase, Hitoshi, Oyabu, Masanori, Ohno, Mitsuyoshi, Hasegawa, Yasunori, Kato, Hisaaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuomo, Peter M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Allred, David E.
• Application Number:
  US08/728,492
• Time in Patent Office: 748 Days
• Field of Search: 280/730.2, 280/728.3, 297/216.13, 297/216.12
• US Class Current: 297/216.13
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2002/5808 comprising opening zones for airbags
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0006 Lateral collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/207 in vehicle seats
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2171 specially adapted for elongated cylindrical or bottle-like inflators with a symmetry axis perpendicular to the main direction of bag deployment, e.g. extruded reaction canisters B60R21/2176 takes precedence

Abstract

A vehicle seat is equipped with a side air bag assembly, the air bag of which is assembled within a side cavity formed in one side of a back rest of the vehicle seat in a folded condition. A rear attachment board is mounted on a support frame of the back rest, and has a back portion formed to cover the rear face of the back rest and a side portion formed to cover the air bag in the side cavity. The side portion of the rear attachment board is formed as a door portion to be opened outwardly when applied with a thrusting force caused by inflation of the air bag.

Claims

1. A vehicle seat equipped with a side air bag assembly, the side air bag assembly comprising:

an air bag assembled in a folded condition within a side cavity formed in one side face of a back rest of the vehicle seat, said back rest having a front face, at least one said side face and a rear face, said side cavity extending in a vertical direction; and

a rear attachment board mounted on a support frame of said back rest and having a back portion forming the rear face of said back rest and a side portion covering said side cavity and the air bag in said side cavity, wherein

the side portion of said rear attachment board is formed as a door operatively connected to open outwardly in a lateral direction when receiving a thrusting force caused by inflation of said air bag and

the back portion of said rear attachment board is mounted on said support frame so as to be fixedly spaced from a rear face of a cushion of said back rest, said cushion being attached to said support frame forming at least front face of said back rest.

2. A vehicle seat as claimed in claim 1, wherein said rear attachment board is formed with a hinge portion at a corner between said back portion and said side portion thereof.

3. A vehicle seat as claimed in claim 2, wherein said rear attachment board is composed of a base plate covered with an outer skin material, and wherein the base plate of said attachment board is formed at its internal surface with a vertical groove at the corner between said back portion and said side portion to provide said hinge portion.

4. A vehicle seat as claimed in claim 2, wherein said rear attachment board is composed of a base plate covered with an outer skin material, and wherein the base plate of said attachment board is formed at its internal surface with a plurality of vertical grooves at the corner between said back portion and side portion to provide said hinge portion.

5. A vehicle seat as claimed in claim 2, wherein said rear attachment board is composed of a base plate covered with an outer skin material, and wherein the base plate of said attachment board is formed with a vertical slit at the corner between said back portion and side portion to provide said hinge portion.

6. A vehicle seat as claimed in claim 1, wherein the side portion of said rear attachment board is formed with a pair of vertically spaced lateral slits at a place opposed to an opening of the side cavity in said back rest, a hinge portion is formed at a corner of the back portion and side portion of said rear attachment board located between said lateral slits, and the side portion of said rear attachment board located between said lateral slits is formed as said door to be opened outwardly when receiving a thrusting force caused by inflation of said air bag.

7. A vehicle seat as claimed in claim 3, wherein said rear attachment board is composed of a base plate covered with an outer skin material, and wherein said lateral slits are covered with the outer skin material of said base plate.

8. A vehicle seat as claimed in claim 3, wherein said rear attachment board is composed of a base plate covered with an outer skin material, and wherein a backing plate is adhered to an internal surface of said base plate respectively at said lateral slits while the outer skin material is inwardly folded respectively at said lateral slits and adhered to the backing plate to form a lateral groove, said outer skin material and said backing plate being cut off at the center of the lateral groove to be separated when applied with a thrusting force caused by inflation of said air bag.

9. A vehicle seat, comprising:

a seat cushion;

a back rest having a front face, at least one side face and a rear face, said back rest having defined therein a side cavity formed in said one side face and extending along said side face in a vertical direction, and said back rest further including a support frame and a cushion attached to said support frame forming at least the front face of said back rest;

an air bag operatively positioned in a folded condition in said side cavity; and

a rear attachment board mounted to said support frame of said back rest so as to be fixedly spaced from a rear face of said cushion, said rear attachment board including a back portion forming the rear face of said back rest and a side portion covering said side cavity and said folded air bag therein, wherein

said side portion of said rear attachment board is in the form of a door operatively connected to open outwardly in a lateral direction when inflation of said air bag out of said side cavity generates an outward thrusting force against said door.

10. A vehicle seat according to claim 9, wherein said rear attachment board further includes a hinge device connecting said door to said rear portion.

11. A vehicle seat according to claim 9, wherein said rear attachment board further includes a hinge device connecting said door to said rear portion, and said side portion has defined thereon two lateral slits vertically spaced apart from each other such that said two lateral slits and said hinge device define said door, said two lateral slits being formed whereby inflation of said air bag will break off said lateral slits and open said door via said hinge device.