Vehicle seat

• US 8,403,395 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2008
• Issued: 03/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bentley Motors Limited (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: Bentley Motors Limited (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Macmanus, Steve, Stapleton, Nick, Downie, Andrew, Sharman, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Kiran B
• Application Number:
  US12/738,762
• Publication Number:
  US 20100259062A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,618 Days
• Field of Search: 296/68.1, 296/65.09, 180/268, 297/216.1, 297/216.12, 297/216.13, 280/733, 280/735, 280/801.1, 280/804, 280/808, 280/806
• US Class Current: 296/68.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/4249 fixed structures, i.e. where neither the seat nor a part thereof are displaced during a crash

Abstract

A seat tensioner (14) for a vehicle seat (1,2) includes a restraint member (15) and means (16) for tensioning the restraint member. The restraint member (15) is connected between the seat and a vehicle in which it is mounted and the means for tensioning is operative to tension the restraint member to urge the vehicle seat towards the vehicle. The restraint member (15) may be a cable and the means for tensioning (16) a gas activated piston and cylinder device. Means for disconnecting the restraint member from the seat may be provided to enable the seat to be moved following deployment of the tensioner.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising a vehicle seat (1) and a squab (2) connected to the seat to be relatively movable with respect thereto, a seat belt for the seat and a seat tensioner, and a squab release lever (30), the seat tensioner comprising a restraint member (15) coupled between the vehicle seat and the vehicle, a tensioner (16) operative to tension the restraint member to urge the vehicle seat towards the vehicle, and a latch (29) operable by the squab release lever for disconnecting the restraint member from the seat and/or vehicle when the tensioner is deployed, the latch being arranged such that operation of the squab release lever causes the latch to release the restraint member if the tensioner has been deployed.

2. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the restraint member is a flexible elongated member (15).

3. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1 wherein the tensioner comprises a piston and cylinder device (16).

4. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the restraint member (15) has opposed one and other ends with the one end attached to the seat.

5. A vehicle as claimed in claim 4, wherein the tensioner (16) is fixed to the vehicle and is constructed and arranged to control the other end of the restraint member.

6. A vehicle as claimed in claim 5, wherein the restraint member (15) has an inactive position in which the seat is unrestrained, and a deployed position in which the tensioner tensions the restraint member to thus urge the seat toward the vehicle.

7. A vehicle seat as claimed in claim 1 wherein the latch comprises a sacrificial pin (49) arranged to shear when the means for tensioning the restraint member is deployed.

8. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vehicle seat comprises a fixed slide (12) and a moveable slide (11), the fixed slide being anchored to the floor of the vehicle and the movable slide being moveable forwardly and backwardly on the fixed slide to provide for corresponding movement of the vehicle seat longitudinally of the vehicle.

9. A vehicle claimed in claim 1, wherein the seat belt comprises an integrally mounted seatbelt.

10. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1, comprising an electronic control means (21) to control activation of the tensioner in response to one or more sensors providing signals under vehicle impact conditions.

11. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the latch comprises a first latch member (37) moveable from a first position, in which the first latch member attaches the restraint member to the latch, and a second position, in which it releases the restraint member from the latch, and a sacrificial pin (49) arranged to shear when the tensioner is deployed, and wherein the latch is arranged such that when the sacrificial pin is intact, operation of the squab release lever does not move the first latch member from the first position to the second position and when the sacrificial pin is sheared, operation of the squab release lever causes the first latch member to move from the first position to the second position, thereby releasing the restraint member from the latch.

12. A vehicle as claimed in claim 11 wherein the latch comprises an end fitting (45) which is attached to one end of the restraint member and is moveable from a first position, in which the end fitting prevents the first latch member from moving from its first position to its second position on operation of the squab release lever, to a second position, in which the end fitting allows the first latch member to move from its first position to its second position on operation of the squab release lever, wherein when the seat tensioner has not been deployed the end fitting is retained in its first position by the sacrificial pin and on deployment of the seat tensioner the end fitting moves from its first position to its second position, thereby shearing the sacrificial pin.

13. A vehicle as claimed in claim 11, wherein the latch comprises a second latch member (38) arranged to move from a first position to a second position on operation of the squab release lever, wherein, when the second latch member is in the first position, it acts to retain the first latch member in the first position and when the second latch member is in the second position, it allows the first latch member to move from its first position to its second position.