Seat for car

• US 6,921,133 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2002
• Issued: 07/26/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Daihatsu Motor Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Daihatsu Motor Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Ushijima, Tetsurou, Taoka, Yoshifumi
• Primary Examiner(s): WHITE, RODNEY BARNETT
• Application Number:
  US10/468,566
• Publication Number:
  US 20040075313A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,252 Days
• Field of Search: 297/216.1, 297/216.15, 297/216.16, 297/216.19, 297/284.11, 297/216.11, 297/250.1, 297/256.13, 297/216.26
• US Class Current: 297/216.16
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2803 Adaptations for seat belts
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2887 Fixation to a transversal anchorage bar, e.g. isofix
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/289 coupled to the vehicle frame
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/4221 due to impact coming from the front
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/42763 with anti-submarining systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/42781 mechanical triggering

Abstract

A catch member (14) extending in the width direction of a seat cushion (1) is arranged inside a front portion of the seat cushion (1) and is supported so as to be vertically movable. There are also provided a torsion spring (16) for urging the catch member (14) to move upward and a pendulum member (18) for operating with an inertial force upon an abrupt deceleration to inhibit vertical movement of the catch part. When a passenger sits on the seat cushion (1), the catch member (14) moves downward to preclude deterioration in seating comfort. When the passenger'"'"'s rear end (22) starts to move forward upon an abrupt deceleration, the catch member (14) is locked and the rear end (22) is caught by the catch member (14). This makes it possible to suppressed the forward movement of the passenger with reliability, and allow lightweight and low-cost configuration with simple configuration.

Claims

1. A car seat comprising:

a catch part arranged inside a front portion of a seat cushion so as to be vertically movable, said portion lying in front of a rear end of a seated passenger said catch part extending in a width direction of said seat cushion;

means for urging said catch part to move upward; and

lock means operating with an inertial force upon an abrupt deceleration to inhibit vertical movement of said catch part.

2. The car seat according to claim 1, wherein said catch part is supported by a strength member inside said seat cushion via a spindle so as to be vertically swingable, and said urging means is arranged around said spindle.

3. The car seat according to claim 1, wherein said lock means comprises a pendulum member having a mesh engaging part for said catch part, said pendulum member being mounted on a strength member so as to be swingable back and forth, said catch part being pivotally supported by said strength member.

4. The car seat according to claim 3, comprising urging means for urging said pendulum member opposite to a direction for engagement with said catch part.

5. The car seat according to claim 1, wherein said lock means comprises a lock member having a mesh engaging part for said catch part, said lock member being mounted on a strength member so as to be slidable obliquely upward, said catch part being supported by said strength member.

6. The car seat according to claim 1, wherein said seat cushion has a structure in which a spring receiver part and said catch part are arranged under a cushion pad, and a plurality of spring receiver parts and said catch part are arranged front to back at appropriate intervals in parallel, with said catch part in a front row.

7. The car seat according to claim 6, wherein said spring receiver part comprises an S spring.

8. The car seat according to claim 1, wherein said lock means comprises a ratchet mechanism for inhibiting downward movement of said catch part and allowing upward movement thereof.

9. The car seat according to claim 1, comprising auxiliary means for moving said catch part upward based on inertial movement of a passenger resulting upon an abrupt deceleration.

10. The car seat according to claim 9, wherein said auxiliary means has a push-up engaging part on the front side and a receiver plate part on the rear side, said push-up engaging part coming into engagement with a bottom end of said catch part to make said catch part capable of being pushed up, said receiver plate portion lying below a rear end of the passenger, and said auxiliary means is supported vertically swingably, having a support tab extended down from a center portion thereof in the front-to-back direction.

11. The car seat according to claim 9, wherein said auxiliary means comprises a lifting bracket for making said catch part liftable and a wire cable for coupling said bracket and an operation arm lying below a pivotal support portion on a bottom end of an inner belt stay of a seat belt.

12. The car seat according to claim 1, wherein said catch part comprises a catch member extending in the width direction of said seat cushion and a pair of swing arms rotatably supported by a spindle, both ends of said catch member being fixed to either ends of said swing arms, and said swing arms each comprise two members coupled so as to be rotatable between said spindle and said catch member when under a predetermined load.

13. The car seat according to claim 1, wherein said catch part is swingably supported by a spindle, a holding member is supported at a position below said spindle so as to be swingable back and forth, said catch part, said urging means, and said lock means being mounted on said holding member, and means for urging said holding member backward are provided.

16. The car seat according to any one of claims 1, 14, and 15, wherein an anchor for fixing a child seat is arranged to lie near a position between a rear end of said seat cushion and a bottom end of a seat back and is fixed to a frame, and a to-be-locked portion arranged on a rear bottom end of said child seat is locked to said anchor.

17. The car seat according to claim 1, comprising lock operation means for switching said lock means between a locked state and an unlocked state.

14. A car seat comprising a catch member arranged in a seat cushion so as to prevent a rear end of a passenger from slipping forward upon an abrupt deceleration, said catch member extending in a width direction of said seat cushion, wherein said catch member has at least two bend inducing portions except at its center in the width direction.

15. A car seat comprising a catch member arranged in a seat cushion so as to prevent a rear end of a passenger from slipping forward upon an abrupt deceleration, said catch member extending in a width direction of said seat cushion and being lifted up in front upon an abrupt deceleration, said catch member having a section modulus, said section modulus being larger in a direction of an input load than in a direction orthogonal thereto, said section modulus increasing the rigidity of said catch member.