Vehicle seat assembly with backrest frame swivelbly coupled with a seat frame

• US 5,918,943 A
• Filed: 01/28/1997
• Issued: 07/06/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Daimler Chrysler Company LLC (Stellantis NV)
• Original Assignee: Mercedes-Benz AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Inventors: Hauser, Werner, Schrom, Ralf-Henning, Mitschelen, Rolf
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuomo, Peter M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): VU, STEPHEN A
• Application Number:
  US08/789,580
• Time in Patent Office: 889 Days
• Field of Search: 297/452.18, 297/483, 297/452.38, 297/440.2, 297/362.11, 297/463.1
• US Class Current: 297/452.18
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/68 Seat frames
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0006 Lateral collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/207 in vehicle seats
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/26 secured to the seat

Abstract

A vehicle seat is provided having a seat frame and a backrest frame made of a light metal diecast material which are swivellably connected with one another by means of seat fittings. For providing a vehicle seat which, in the manner of a building block system, can be upgraded by means of standardized supplementary parts from a simple seat for the lower price class to an integral seat of the upper price class with clear cost advantages with respect to its manufacturing, the backrest side members are constructed to be open toward the outside and have a surrounding edge profile on which fastening elements for the common fastening of the backrest-frame-side fitting parts of the seat fittings and of modules are arranged which carry operating parts, such as backrest adjusting devices, an armrest, a seat belt, a side bag, etc. In this case, the backrest-side fitting parts and the modules are accommodated in a form-locking manner in the edge profile.

Claims

1. A vehicle seat assembly comprising:

a seat frame;

a backrest frame made of a light metal diecast material and having two backrest side members extending parallel to one another, wherein each of the side members has an outer side profile positioned to face away from the other side member and an inner side positioned to face towards the other side member;

at least one upper cross member and one lower cross member connecting said backrest side members; and

seat fittings swivellably connecting the backrest frame and the seat frame to one another, each of said seat fittings having a backrest-side fitting part and a seat-side fitting part;

wherein each of the backrest side members has a channel shaped cross sectional profile formed by a surrounding edge profile portion which is integrated into and projects from the outer side profile of said backrest side member, fastening elements are arranged for commonly fastening a backrest-side fitting part of the seat fittings together with one of a reinforcement member and a module, which carries at least one operating part for a vehicle seat; and

wherein the backrest-side fitting part of the seat fittings and one of the reinforcement member and the module are accommodated on said edge profile portion.

2. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the backrest-side fitting part of said seat fitting forms a support for a module having a motor-operated backrest adjusting drive.

3. The vehicle seat according to claim 2, wherein the seat fitting is a preassembled component of the module.

4. The vehicle seat according to claim 3, wherein the module forms a closed member profile together with the backrest side member, after fastening onto the backrest side member.

5. The vehicle seat according to claim 4, wherein:

the module accommodates a belt retractor and a deflection fitting for a seat belt of a seat belt system; and

an end fitting for the seat belt is arranged on the seat-side fitting part of the seat fitting.

6. The vehicle seat according to claim 5, wherein a side bag is integrated in the module.

7. The vehicle seat according to claim 6, wherein a laterally projecting holder of a headrest is fixed to the module by a process selected from the group consisting of fastening and molding.

8. The vehicle seat according to claim 5, wherein a laterally projecting holder of a headrest is fixed to the module by a process selected from the group consisting of fastening and molding.

9. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the module forms a closed member profile together with the backrest side member, after fastening onto the backrest side member.

10. The vehicle seat according to claim 9, wherein:

the module accommodates a belt retractor and a deflection fitting for a seat belt of a seat belt system; and

an end fitting for the seat belt is arranged on a seat-side fitting part of the seat fitting.

11. The vehicle seat according to claim 10, wherein a side bag is integrated in the module.

12. The vehicle seat according to claim 9, wherein a side bag is integrated in the module.

13. The vehicle seat according to claim 12, wherein a laterally projecting holder of a headrest is fixed to the module by a process selected from the group consisting of fastening and molding.

14. The vehicle seat according to claim 9, wherein a laterally projecting holder of a headrest is fixed to the module by a process selected from the group consisting of fastening and molding.

15. The vehicle seat according to claim 2, wherein the module forms a closed member profile together with the backrest side member, after fastening onto the backrest side member.

16. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein said at least one operating part for a vehicle seat is selected from the group consisting of a backrest adjusting drive, a seat belt system, a side bag, and an armrest.

17. A vehicle seat assembly comprising:

a seat frame;

a backrest frame having at least a first backrest side member at a first lateral side thereof, said backrest side member having a channel shaped cross section formed by an edge profile projecting outwardly from a first profile surface of said backrest side member;

a first seat fitting having a first seat frame side fitting part and a first backrest frame side fitting part, and being adapted to connect the backrest frame and the seat frame together;

and at least one first fastening element arranged in a lower area of the first backrest side member, said first fastening element being configured for common fastening the first backrest frame side fitting part and at least one of a reinforcing part and an operating part module;

wherein said first backrest frame side fitting part of the first seat fitting and said at least one of the reinforcement part and an operating module are configured to be accommodated at the edge profile.

18. The vehicle seat assembly according to claim 17, wherein said first seat fitting is configured to pivotably connect the seat frame to backrest frame.

19. The vehicle seat assembly according to claim 17, further comprising:

a second backrest side member at a second opposite lateral side of said backrest frame, said second backrest side member having an edge profile projecting outwardly from a second profile surface;

a second seat fitting having a second seat frame side fitting part and a second backrest frame side fitting part and being adapted to connect the backrest frame and the seat frame together; and

at least one second fastening element arranged in a lower area of the second backrest side member, said second fastening element being configured for fastening the second backrest frame side fitting part to at least one of a reinforcing part and an operating part module;

wherein said second backrest frame side fitting part of the second seat fitting and said at least one of the reinforcement part and an operating module are configured to be accommodated at the edge profile.

20. The vehicle seat assembly according to claim 19, wherein said first and second seat fittings are configured to pivotably connect the seat frame to backrest frame.

21. The vehicle seat assembly according to claim 17, wherein an operating module is accommodated at the edge profile, said operating module including a backrest adjusting drive unit.

22. The vehicle seat assembly according to claim 17, wherein:

an operating module is accommodated at the edge profile, said operating module including a seat belt retractor and deflecting fitting for seatbelt of the seat belt system; and

an end fitting for the seatbelt is arranged on the first seat side fitting part of the seat fitting.

23. The vehicle seat assembly according to claim 17, wherein an operating module is accommodated at the edge profile, said operating module including a side airbag.