Motor vehicle seat with a back rest

• US 6,398,299 B1
• Filed: 10/02/2000
• Issued: 06/04/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Adient Luxembourg Holding S.A R.L. (Adient plc)
• Original Assignee: C R Hammerstein GmbH &AMP Company KG
• Inventors: Frohnhaus, Rainer, Becker, Burkhard, Angerer, Siegfried
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuomo, Peter M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WHITE, RODNEY BARNETT
• Application Number:
  US09/677,727
• Time in Patent Office: 610 Days
• Field of Search: 297/216.12, 297/216.13, 297/216.1
• US Class Current: 297/216.12
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/809 vertically slidable
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/888 with arrangements for protecting against abnormal g-forces, e.g. by displacement of the head-rest

Abstract

The vehicle seat has a seat pan and a seat back. The seat back is provided with a seat back carrier, a padding body arranged on the seat back carrier and a headrest fastened on the seat back carrier. An upper shoulder area of the padding body, which is adjacent to the headrest, is provided with a normal disposition to yield to the load of a passenger'"'"'s back. This disposition to yield increases considerably in case of an acceleration due to an accident.

Claims

1. A vehicle seat for an automotive vehicle, wherein said vehicle seat has a seat pan and a seat back, said seat back comprising:

a seat back carrier;

a padding body arranged on said seat back carrier; and

a headrest fastened on said seat back carrier;

wherein said padding body comprises an upper shoulder area adjacent to the headrest;

wherein said padding body has a disposition to yield to a load of a passenger'"'"'s back;

wherein said upper shoulder area is provided with means to modify said disposition to yield between a normal disposition to yield to the load of a passenger'"'"'s back when the vehicle is in a non-accident situation, and a considerably increased disposition to yield when the vehicle is accelerated due to an accident, whereby the thickness of the shoulder area is considerably smaller under the load of a passenger'"'"'s back during the increased disposition to yield than during the normal disposition to yield.

2. Vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the shoulder area is reduced by approximately 30 mm, compared to the thickness given when in a normal disposition to yield.

3. Vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the shoulder area is provided with a supporting part;

wherein the supporting part is connected to the seat back carrier and influences the disposition to yield of the shoulder area; and

wherein said supporting part, controlled by a first, normal condition, in which it determines the normal disposition to yield of the shoulder area, adopts, upon exceeding a threshold value, a second condition, in which it determines the considerably higher disposition to yield of the shoulder area.

4. Vehicle seat according to claim 3, wherein the supporting part is a supporting yoke that is arranged on, and in particular hinged to the seat back carrier.

5. Vehicle seat according to claim 3, wherein the supporting part is a supporting cushion that rests on the seat back carrier and that is inflated and closed in its first condition, whereas in its second condition it is open so that the air may flow out upon pressure exerted onto the supporting cushion.

6. Vehicle seat according to claim 3, wherein an elastic means is provided that pretensions the supporting part in the first, normal condition.

7. Vehicle seat according to claim 3, wherein a locking device with a movable locking part is provided, said locking part mechanically securing the supporting part in the first condition, but becoming inefficient when the acceleration exceeds the threshold value.

8. Vehicle seat according to claim 7, wherein the locking device is provided with a trigger unit, which is connected to the locking part and brings said locking part into a releasing position when the acceleration exceeds the threshold value.

9. Vehicle seat according to claim 7, wherein the locking device is connected to an electronic device for detecting an acceleration, to a device designed to control an air bag for example.

10. Vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the shoulder area is reduced by approximately 40 mm, compared to the thickness given when in a normal disposition to yield.