Safety seat

• US 6,179,379 B1
• Filed: 10/22/1999
• Issued: 01/30/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Autoliv AB (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Autoliv AB (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Andersson, Sture
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuomo, Peter M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WHITE, RODNEY BARNETT
• Application Number:
  US09/254,397
• Time in Patent Office: 466 Days
• Field of Search: 297/216.13, 297/216.12, 297/216.14, 297/216.1
• US Class Current: 297/216.13
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/427 Seats or parts thereof displaced during a crash
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/862 with means for maintaining a desired position when the seat-back is adjusted, e.g. parallelogram mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/888 with arrangements for protecting against abnormal g-forces, e.g. by displacement of the head-rest

Abstract

A safety seat for use in a motor vehicle has a squab (101) and a back (104) and a head-rest (105). There is a pivotal connection between the back (104) and the squab (101). The head-rest (105) is mounted on a series of levers (112). If the vehicle is involved in a rear impact, the back (104) of the seat may move rearwardly. Simultaneously, because of the levers (112) the head-rest (105) will move forwardly relative to the back of the seat. Thus, the head-rest will come into contact with the head of the occupant of the seat, thus minimizing the risk of “whiplash” injuries.

Claims

1. A safety seat for use in a motor vehicle, the safety seat comprising:

a squab;

back associated with the squab and a head-rest associated with the back;

a pivotal connection between the back and the squab, the pivotal connection being such that the back will move pivotally rearwardly relative to the squab when subjected to a substantial force; and

means associated with the head-rest for moving the head-rest with a movement that has an upward component and a forward component relative to the back of the seat during at least part of the rearward movement of the back of the seat.

2. A seat according to claim 1, wherein the said rearward movement occurs in two stages, the movement of the head-rest being associated with the first stage only of said two-stage movement.

3. A seat according to claim 1, further including a recliner mechanism operable to selectively adjust the inclination of the back of the seat, wherein the position of the head-rest relative to the back of the seat does not alter on actuation of the recliner mechanism.

4. A safety seat according to claim 3 wherein the means associated with the head-rest includes a linkage comprising a component which remains fixed relative to the squab of the seat when the back of the seat effects said pivotal rearward movement when subjected to said substantial force and wherein the component is associated with the recliner mechanism and is adapted to move together with the back of the seat when the recliner mechanism is actuated.

5. A seat according to claim 1, wherein the means associated with the head-rest includes a linkage comprising a component which remains fixed relative to the squab of the seat when the back of the seat effects said pivotal rearward movement when subjected to said substantial force.

6. A safety seat for use in a motor vehicle, the safety seat comprising:

a squab;

a back associated with the squab;

a head-rest associated with the back;

support means pivotally connected to the back for pivotal movement of the back relative to the support means between first and second limits, the support means being pivotally connected to the squab to permit movement of the support means and the back, relative to the squab;

energy-absorbing means for absorbing energy when the support means pivots relative to the squab of the seat; and

a linkage between the head-rest and the support means for causing the head-rest to pivot forwardly, relative to the back of the seat, when the back of the seat executes a pivoting motion relative to the support means and for retaining the head-rest in a substantially fixed position relative to the back seat when the support means and the back together pivot relative to the squab.

7. A seat according to claim 6, wherein the support means comprises at least one support plate provided on one side of the seat, the support plate being pivotally connected to the squab of the seat and the support plate being pivotally connected to an element associated with the back of the seat, the support plate carrying stop means adapted to engage said element to limit pivotal movement of the element relative to the support plate both forwardly and rearwardly.

8. A seat according to claim 6 further including spring means are provided connected between the support means and the back of the seat to resist rearward pivotal movement of the back of the seat relative to the support plate.

9. A seat according to claim 6, wherein the energy-absorbing means comprises a yieldable element located between the support means and a stop.

10. A seat according to claim 6, wherein when a force is applied to the seat back, the seat back executes a first movement, moving pivotally relative to the support means, against a relatively low resisting force, and executes a second subsequent movement, with the support means moving pivotally relative to the squab against a relatively high resisting force.

11. A seat according to claim 6, further comprising at least one support arm carrying the head-rest;

a pivot connection pivotally mounting the support arm to the back of the seat, the support arm having projecting means projecting from the pivotal connection; and

a link arm extending between the support means and the projecting means.

12. A seat according to claim 6, further comprising means which resist any tendency of the back of the seat to pivot forwardly from a rearward position with a pivoting movement relative to the support means.

13. A seat according to claim 12, wherein resisting means comprises a hydraulic damper.