Vehicle seat having an anti-submarining device and method

• US 8,393,681 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2007
• Issued: 03/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Johnson Controls GmbH (Adient plc)
• Original Assignee: Johnson Controls GmbH (Adient plc)
• Inventors: Gross, Bernd, Mund, Harald
• Primary Examiner(s): MCPARTLIN, SARAH BURNHAM
• Application Number:
  US12/306,129
• Publication Number:
  US 20100001560A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,087 Days
• Field of Search: 297/216.1, 297/284.11
• US Class Current: 297/284.11
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/42763 with anti-submarining systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

The invention relates to vehicle seat comprising a seat part and to a restraint device and a corresponding method of manufacture. The vehicle seat comprises an anti-submarining restraint device for preventing an occupant from slipping through on the vehicle seat when decelerated due to a crash, said restraint device being settable to a retracted inactive position and said restraint device being settable to an extended active position. The seat part, in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, has lateral seat parts on both sides of the seat, a padding defining a seat area and a padding support below said padding. The restraint device is arranged between the padding support and the padding and spaced apart from the lateral parts by means of a locking element provided for locking the restraint device in the active position.

Claims

1. A vehicle seat for preventing submarining of a passenger on the vehicle seat in the case of an accident-induced deceleration, comprising:

a seat section having two seat side sections extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, wherein the two seat side sections support a padding which defines a seat surface;

a padding support disposed between the two seat side sections which is provided beneath the padding; and

a restraint device that can be set in a retracted inactive position and in an extended active position, wherein the restraint device is positioned between an upper surface of the padding support and a lower surface of the padding and at a distance from the seat side sections, such that the restraint device is fastened exclusively to the padding support by at least one of pushing, sliding, clipping, or adhesively adhering the restraint device thereto, such that the restraint device is an add-on element which can be selectively integrated into the vehicle seat;

said restraint device equipped with a reversibly operating actuator, said actuator arranged between the padding support and the padding, or is supported between the padding support and the padding, and operation of the actuator is provided before the existence of an accident-induced deceleration of the vehicle seat;

said restraint device further equipped with a plate form positioning element which is movable by the actuator;

said positioning element adjustable by the actuator from a retracted position which corresponds to the inactive position of the restraint device into an extended position which corresponds to the active position of the restraint device;

said positioning element providing for a rotation around an essentially horizontally extending axis between the retracted position and the extended position of the positioning element;

said positioning element rotation around the essentially horizontally extending axis is provided as a rotation in the direction of travel of the vehicle seat wherein a rotation of at least one part of the positioning element around an essentially vertically extending axis is provided between the retracted position and the extended position of the positioning element, and said positioning element is a telescopically extendable positioning element.

2. The vehicle seat of claim 1 wherein the restraint device has a lower section and an upper section and the lower section has fastening elements for connecting the restraint device to the padding support.

3. The vehicle seat of claim 1 wherein the padding support has fastening elements for connecting the restraint device to the padding support.

4. The vehicle seat of claim 1 wherein the restraint device has a locking device that is movable by the movement of the positioning element, wherein the locking device has a slot and a bolt, and the bolt has an axial first section having a smaller diameter, and an axial second section having a larger diameter, and an axial movement of the bolt is provided for bringing about the locking.

5. A vehicle seat having a restraint device for preventing submarining of a passenger on the vehicle seat due to a deceleration of the vehicle comprising:

a seat section having two seat side sections spaced a predetermined distance apart;

a padding support disposed between the two side sections;

a padding defining a seat surface positioned adjacent a padding support surface of the padding support;

a restraint device arranged between the padding support surface of the padding support and the padding and between the two seat side sections, wherein the restraint device includes a generally planar shell having a free end and a fixed end that rotates about a first axis, a positioning element having a first stationary end that is fastened to the padding support and rotates about a second axis and a second end that is secured to the free end of the shell;

an actuator attached to the second end of the positioning element to rotate the first end of the positioning element about the second axis and rotate the free end of the shell about the first axis to move the padding between an inactive position and an active position, wherein the positioning element is movable by the actuator, and the positioning element can be adjusted by the actuator from a retracted position corresponding to the inactive position of the restraint device into an extended position corresponding to the active position of the restraint device; and

a locking device associated with the restraint device, wherein the locking device is movable by means of the movement of the positioning element, and the locking device has a slot and a bolt, and the bolt has an axial first section having a smaller diameter, and an axial second section having a larger diameter, and an axial movement of the bolt is provided for bringing about the locking.

6. The vehicle seat of claim 5 wherein a rotation around an essentially horizontally extending axis is provided between the retracted position and the extended position of the positioning element, the positioning element is a plate-form positioning element.

7. The vehicle seat of claim 5 wherein the padding support has fastening elements for connecting the restraint device to the padding support.