Device for selectively controlling and reducing the backward displacement of a vehicle seat in the event of an accident

• US 9,579,997 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2012
• Issued: 02/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adient US, LLC (Adient plc)
• Original Assignee: Johnson Controls Metals And Mechanisms GmbH & Co. KG (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Eckhoff, Sascha, Kaestner, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): GABLER, PHILIP F
• Application Number:
  US14/365,343
• Publication Number:
  US 20140339863A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,552 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/4228 due to impact coming from the rear
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/4249 fixed structures, i.e. where neither the seat nor a part thereof are displaced during a crash
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/4256 the shape of the seat being specially adapted for a particular purpose or for particular vehicles

Abstract

A device for selectively monitoring and reducing a backward displacement of a vehicle seat in the event of an accident, having at least one stop element (4) which arranged on a pair (1) of seat rails and has a stop face (5) which is inclined with respect to a longitudinal axis of the pair (1) of seat rails, and having at least one stop body (6) which is arranged on the vehicle seat, having a contact face (8) which is arranged in a normal position at a distance from the stop face. In order to make available a device which efficiently reduces a backward displacement movement of a motor vehicle seat in a simple way in the event of an accident of the motor vehicle, there is provision that the stop element (4) and the stop body (6) are embodied and arranged with respect to one another in the mounted state in such a way that in a crash position which occurs in a tail-end impact with a motor vehicle having the vehicle seat, the stop face (5) of the stop element (4) and the contact face (8) of the stop body (6) enter into contact and as a result the backward displacement of the vehicle seat which is caused by the accident is reduced.

Claims

1. A device for selectively controlling and reducing backward displacement of a seat in a vehicle relative to a vehicle floor in the event of an accident, the device comprising;

a stop element arranged on a pair of seat rails, said stop element having a stop face which is inclined with respect to a longitudinal axis of said pair of seat rails; and

a stop body arranged on the vehicle seat and having a contact face, said contact face being arranged in a normal position at a distance from said stop face, said stop element and said stop body being arranged in a mounted state with respect to each other so that in a crash position which occurs during an impact on the vehicle, said stop face of said stop element and said contact face of said stop body enter into contact, as a result of the contact, backward displacement of the seat which is caused by the impact is at least reduced, said stop element having a deformation zone in a form of an opening which during transition from the normal position into the crash position causes a targeted deformation of said stop element, wherein said opening is in a region of the stop face, wherein a cross-sectional area of the opening orthogonal to an adjustment direction of the pair of seat rails is formed diamond-shaped.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein:

said stop body is integral with a component of a vehicle seat frame of the seat.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein:

said stop body is a beading of a seat link of the seat.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein:

said stop element has a further retaining element.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein:

said stop body in a region of said contact face defines a stop body opening;

said stop element has a pin projecting from said stop face, said stop body opening and said pin being arranged so that in the crash position, said pin projecting from the stop face comes into engagement with said stop body opening in a region of said contact face, said stop face being arranged at an angle relative to said pin, wherein said stop face extends from a first position located adjacent to said pin to a second position located at a spaced location from said pin, wherein said first position is located at a height that is greater than a height of said second position with respect to a longitudinal axis of said stop element.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein:

said stop body is integrally connected to a seat link of a vehicle frame of the vehicle seat.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein:

said opening of said stop element completely penetrates said stop element.

8. The device according to claim 5, wherein:

said opening of said stop element penetrates more than half a length of said stop element parallel to said adjustment direction of said pair of seat rails.

9. The device according to claim 5, wherein:

said opening of said stop element completely penetrates an entire length of said stop element parallel to said adjustment direction of said pair of seat rails.

10. The device according to claim 5, wherein:

said opening of said stop element is defined by at least a first side of said stop element and a second side of said stop element;

said first side is opposite said second side;

said first side is parallel to said second side.

11. The device according to claim 1, wherein:

said stop face is formed flat.

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein:

said stop face has a rough surface structure.

13. The device according to claim 1, wherein:

said stop face has a rough surface structure.

14. The device according claim 1, wherein:

said stop face is inclined with respect to a longitudinal axis of said pair of seat rails by 15°

to 55°

.

15. The device according claim 1, wherein:

said stop face is inclined with respect to a longitudinal axis of the pair of seat rails by 25°

to 45°

.

16. The device according to claim 1, wherein:

said contact face and said stop face are arranged parallel to each other in said normal position.

17. The device according claim 1, wherein:

said contact face is formed corresponding to a shape of said stop face.

18. A seat arrangement for a vehicle, the arrangement comprising:

a vehicle seat mounted on a floor of the vehicle;

a safety system in the vehicle, said safety system protecting an occupant of the seat within a safety range of positions of the seat when an impact force exceeding a predetermined amount is applied to the vehicle;

a support system supporting said vehicle seat in the vehicle, said support system including a stop element and a stop body, said stop element being arranged closer to the floor of the vehicle than said stop body, said stop body being arranged closer to said vehicle seat than said stop element, said stop element having a stop face, said stop body having a contact face, said stop face and said contact face being spaced from each other in a first state of the seat arrangement, said stop face and said contact face being arranged to contact each other in a second state of the seat arrangement, said second state occurring when the impact force is applied to the vehicle, said stop face and said contact face contacting each other in said second state to block movement of said vehicle seat out of said safety range when said impact force is applied to the vehicle, wherein said stop face and said contact face block backward displacement of said vehicle seat in said second state, said stop element having an area of less material relative to an adjacent area of said stop element, said area of less material defining a deformation zone which during transition from said first state into said second state causes a targeted deformation of said stop element, wherein a cross-sectional area of said area of less material orthogonal to an adjustment direction of the pair of seat rails is formed diamond-shaped.

19. A seat arrangement in accordance with claim 18, wherein:

said area of less material comprises a stop element opening;

a cross-sectional area of said stop element opening orthogonal to an adjustment direction of said pair of seat rails is diamond-shaped.

20. A seat arrangement in accordance with claim 19, wherein:

said contact face defines a stop body opening;

said stop element includes a pin projecting from said stop face;

said stop body opening and said pin are arranged to have said pin engage said stop body opening in said second state;

said stop element opening completely penetrates said stop element;

one side of said stop element and another side of said stop element define at least a portion of said stop element opening;

said one side is located opposite said another side;

said one side is parallel to said another side;

said stop face is arranged at an angle relative to said pin;

said stop face extends from a first position located adjacent to said pin to a second position located at a spaced location from said pin;

said first position is located at a height that is greater than a height of said second position with respect to a longitudinal axis of said stop element;

said stop element and said stop body are arranged to absorb energy from relative movement of the seat with respect to the floor when said stop face and said contact face contact each other;

said stop face comprises a planar stop surface;

said contact face comprises a planar contact surface;

said planar stop surface is in contact with said planar contact surface in said second state.