Chair structure

• US 6,312,050 B1
• Filed: 12/09/2000
• Issued: 11/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Volvo Car Corporation (AB Volvo)
• Original Assignee: Volvo Car Corporation (AB Volvo)
• Inventors: Eklind, Björn
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Peter R.
• Application Number:
  US09/733,892
• Publication Number:
  US 20010038233A1
• Time in Patent Office: 332 Days
• Field of Search: 297/216.12, 297/216.13, 297/216.14, 297/216.15, 297/216.18, 297/216.2, 297/216.19
• US Class Current: 297/216.15
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/4221 due to impact coming from the front
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/42736 of the whole seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/42745 of the back-rest B60N2/433 takes precedence; higher part of the back-rest moving together with the headrest B60N2/888
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/888 with arrangements for protecting against abnormal g-forces, e.g. by displacement of the head-rest

Abstract

Chair structure (1) for a vehicle comprises a backrest (2), a seat (3) which has a front part (31) and a rear part (32), a support (4) which carries the squab (3), and means (10) to fasten the support to a vehicle floor. The chair structure (1) also includes a means (6) that makes the backrest (2) tilt forwardly relatively to the squab (3) in the event of an accident.

Claims

1. A seat structure configured to be mounted in a vehicle, said seat structure comprising:

a backrest;

a seat having a front part and a rear part;

a stand arranged to support the seat in a vehicle;

means for securing the stand in a vehicle; and

means for generating a forward pivoting of the backrest relative to the seat when a collision or the like occurs, said means for forwardly pivoting the backrest configured to cooperate mechanically with the stand via a connection means that comprises a wire connecting said stand to the backrest;

wherein when the seat supported by the stand is moved forwardly, the wire causes the backrest to pivot.

2. The seat structure as recited in claim 1, wherein the means for forwardly pivoting the backrest further comprises a mounting plate connected to the stand and on which the wire is intended to be wound up when a collision occurs.

3. The seat structure as recited in claim 1, wherein said wire is arranged to be rolled up on a mounting plate when the forward pivoting of the backrest relative to the seat is generated, thereby forwardly displacing the seat in the vehicle'"'"'s direction from its first initial position.

4. The seat structure as recited in claim 1, wherein said stand further comprises a first mechanism secured thereto and designed to allow the seat to be displaced, in a trajectory relative to the means for securing the stand, from a first initial position, which the seat has prior to a collision, to a second position when the seat is subjected to the force of a collision.

5. The seat structure as recited in claim 4, wherein the first mechanism further comprises an articulated arm construction configured so that when the seat is displaced forwards from its first initial position, the front part of the seat moves upwards and the rear part of the seat moves downwards.

6. The seat structure as recited in claim 5, wherein the articulated arm construction further comprises a front articulated arm mechanism and a rear articulated arm mechanism, the front articulated arm mechanism, which is secured to the front part of the seat, being longer than the rear articulated arm mechanism, which is secured to the rear part of the seat.

7. The seat structure as recited in claim 6, wherein the rear articulated arm mechanism is secured essentially at right angles to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle and the front articulated arm mechanism forms an angle with the longitudinal axis.

8. The seat structure as recited in claim 7, wherein the wire is secured to the rear articulated arm mechanism.

9. The seat structure as recited in claim 6, wherein the front articulated arm mechanism further comprises means for changing the length of the articulated arm pair.

10. The seat structure as recited in claim 6, wherein the front articulated arm mechanism is of telescopic design.

11. The seat structure as recited in claim 10, wherein the front articulated arm mechanism and the rear articulated arm mechanism each further comprise an articulated arm pair.

12. The seat structure as recited in claim 4, wherein the first mechanism further comprises an articulated arm construction configured so that when the seat is displaced rearwards from the first initial position, the front and rear parts of the seat move downwards.

13. The seat structure as recited in claim 1, wherein the backrest further comprises an upper frame part connected in an articulated manner to a lower frame part, the wire is secured to the upper frame part, the means for forward pivoting of the backrest relative to the seat being arranged also to generate a forward pivoting of the upper frame part relative to the lower frame part.

14. A seat structure configured to be mounted in a vehicle, said seat structure comprising:

a backrest;

a seat having a front part and a rear part;

a stand arranged to support the seat in a vehicle;

a securing mechanism adapted to secure the stand in a vehicle; and

a pivoting mechanism arranged to forwardly pivot the backrest relative to the seat in a collision, the pivoting mechanism being configured to cooperate mechanically with the stand via a connection therebetween that comprises a wire connecting the stand to the backrest;

wherein when the seat supported by the stand is moved forwardly, the wire causes the backrest to pivot.

15. The seat structure as recited in claim 14, wherein the pivoting mechanism comprises a mounting plate upon which the wire is wound when a collision occurs.

16. The seat structure as recited in claim 14, wherein said wire is arranged to be rolled upon a mounting plate when the seat is displaced forwards from an initial position.

17. The seat structure as recited in claim 14, wherein said stand further comprises:

a first mechanism configured to allow the seat to be displaced in a trajectory relative to the securing mechanism from an initial position assumed by the seat prior to a collision condition, to a second position assumed by the seat responsive to forces applied thereupon in a collision condition.

18. The seat structure as recited in claim 17, wherein the first mechanism further comprises:

an articulated arm configured so that when the seat is displaced forwards from the initial position, the front part of the seat is moved upwards and the rear part of the seat is moved downwards.

19. The seat structure as recited in claim 18, wherein the articulated arm further comprises:

a front articulated arm mechanism and a rear articulated arm mechanism, the front articulated arm mechanism, which is secured to the front part of the seat, being longer than the rear articulated arm mechanism which is secured to the rear part of the seat.

20. The seat structure as recited in claim 19, wherein the rear articulated arm mechanism is secured at substantially right angles to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle and the front articulated arm mechanism forms an angle with the longitudinal axis of the vehicle.

21. The seat structure as recited in claim 20, wherein the wire is secured to the rear articulated arm mechanism.

22. The seat structure as recited in claim 19, wherein the front articulated arm mechanism further comprises:

a pair of front articulated arms; and

an adjustment mechanism configured to change a length of the pair of front articulated arms.

23. The seat structure as recited in claim 22, wherein the adjustment mechanism is telescopically adapted for changing the length of the pair of front articulated arms.

24. The seat structure as recited in claim 23, wherein the front articulated arm mechanism and a rear articulated arm mechanism each further comprise an articulated arm pair.

25. The seat structure as recited in claim 17, wherein the first mechanism further comprises:

an articulated arm configured, so that when the seat is displaced rearwards from the first initial position, the front and rear parts of the seat move downwards.

26. The seat structure as recited in claim 14, wherein the backrest further comprises:

an upper frame part connected in an articulated manner to a lower frame part;

the wire secured to the upper frame part; and

the pivoting mechanism configured to pivot the backrest relative to the seat is arranged to generate a forward pivoting of the upper frame part relative to the lower frame part.