Deformable seat pan for a tiltable vehicle seat
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A metallic seat pan comprising:
- a rear buttocks supporting portion; and
a front femoral supporting portion including a deformable anti-submarining beam extending laterally across the front femoral supporting portion from a first lateral side of the front femoral supporting portion to a second lateral side of the front femoral supporting portion opposite the first lateral side,the deformable anti-submarining beam being configured and arranged relative to the rear buttocks supporting portion to restrict movement of an occupant'"'"'s buttocks in a longitudinal direction from the rear buttocks supporting portion towards the front femoral supporting portion,the deformable anti-submarining beam having a prescribed rigidity that resists deformation, the prescribed rigidity being set to a prescribed deformation limit that reduces spinal compression of an occupant by deforming when the occupant'"'"'s buttocks applies a deformation force in the longitudinal direction that exceeds the prescribed deformation limit, the deformable anti-submarining beam including at least one cut-out that facilitates deformation, the at least one cut-out being centered between and spaced apart from the first and second lateral sides of the front femoral supporting portion.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A tiltable vehicle seat has a tiltable metallic seat pan that tilts upon rapid vehicle deceleration. The metallic seat pan is supported for movement between a normal seating position and a tilted or deployed position. The seat pan includes a deformable anti-submarining beam that extends laterally across the seat pan. The deformable anti-submarining beam is deformable in response to a prescribed deformation force exerted from the general direction of a buttocks supporting end thereof with the seat pan in the deployed position.
-
Citations
21 Claims
-
1. A metallic seat pan comprising:
-
a rear buttocks supporting portion; and a front femoral supporting portion including a deformable anti-submarining beam extending laterally across the front femoral supporting portion from a first lateral side of the front femoral supporting portion to a second lateral side of the front femoral supporting portion opposite the first lateral side, the deformable anti-submarining beam being configured and arranged relative to the rear buttocks supporting portion to restrict movement of an occupant'"'"'s buttocks in a longitudinal direction from the rear buttocks supporting portion towards the front femoral supporting portion, the deformable anti-submarining beam having a prescribed rigidity that resists deformation, the prescribed rigidity being set to a prescribed deformation limit that reduces spinal compression of an occupant by deforming when the occupant'"'"'s buttocks applies a deformation force in the longitudinal direction that exceeds the prescribed deformation limit, the deformable anti-submarining beam including at least one cut-out that facilitates deformation, the at least one cut-out being centered between and spaced apart from the first and second lateral sides of the front femoral supporting portion. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
-
-
10. A tiltable vehicle seat comprising:
-
a stationary seat mounting structure; an occupant seating structure attached to the stationary seat mounting structure, the occupant seating structure including a metallic seat pan having a rear buttocks supporting portion, and a front femoral supporting portion including a deformable anti-submarining beam extending laterally across the front femoral supporting portion from a first lateral side of the front femoral supporting portion to a second lateral side of the front femoral supporting portion opposite the first lateral side, the deformable anti-submarining beam being configured and arranged relative to the rear buttocks supporting portion to restrict movement of an occupant'"'"'s buttocks in a longitudinal direction from the rear buttocks supporting portion towards the front femoral supporting portion, the deformable anti-submarining beam having a prescribed rigidity that resists deformation, the prescribed rigidity being set to a prescribed deformation limit that reduces spinal compression of an occupant by deforming when the occupant'"'"'s buttocks applies a deformation force in the longitudinal direction that exceeds the prescribed deformation limit, the deformable anti-submarining beam including at least one cut-out that facilitates deformation, the at least one cut-out being centered between and spaced apart from the first and second lateral sides of the front femoral supporting portion; and a seat pan tilting mechanism configured and arranged to selectively tilt the front femoral supporting portion upwardly relative to the rear buttocks supporting portion. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
-
-
20. A metallic seat pan comprising:
-
a rear buttocks supporting portion; and a front femoral supporting portion formed with the rear buttocks supporting portion as a one-piece unitary structure from a single sheet of metallic material, at least one section of the front femoral supporting portion defining a deformable anti-submarining beam extending laterally across the front femoral supporting portion from a first lateral side of the front femoral supporting portion to a second lateral side of the front femoral supporting portion opposite the first lateral side, the deformable anti-submarining beam being configured and arranged relative to the rear buttocks supporting portion to restrict movement of an occupant'"'"'s buttocks in a longitudinal direction from the rear buttocks supporting portion towards the front femoral supporting portion, the deformable anti-submarining beam having a prescribed rigidity that resists deformation, the prescribed rigidity being set to a prescribed deformation limit that reduces spinal compression of an occupant by deforming when the occupant'"'"'s buttocks applies a deformation force in the longitudinal direction that exceeds the prescribed deformation limit, the deformable anti-submarining beam including at least one cut-out that facilitates deformation, the at least one cut-out being centered between and spaced apart from the first and second lateral sides of the front femoral supporting portion. - View Dependent Claims (21)
-
Specification