VEHICLE SEAT

• US 20150091281A1
• Filed: 09/30/2014
• Published: 04/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Subaru Corp.
• Original Assignee: Fuji Heavy Industries Limited (Subaru Corp.)
• Inventors: NAGASAWA, Isamu
• Granted Patent: US 9,573,554 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/730.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/4221 due to impact coming from the front
• 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 2/42709 involving residual deformation or fracture of the structure
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/7094 Upholstery springs
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23153 specially adapted for rear seat passengers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23161 specially adapted for protecting at least two passengers, e.g. preventing them from hitting each other
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23169 specially adapted for knee protection
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23382 Internal tether means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/207 in vehicle seats
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2338 Tethers

Abstract

A plurality of elastic support members extends across a seat back frame that forms a skeleton of a seat back of the vehicle seat. A seat pad is disposed on the front sides of the elastic support members. An airbag is disposed between the elastic support members and a back portion of a covering in a deflated state. After having deployed, the airbag has such a shape that a deployment amount, in a front-back direction, of the airbag near a side of the seat back is greater than that near a center of the seat back. In a collision or the like, the airbag deploys in the seat back in such a way that, after having deployed, the airbag elastically supports an upper body of an occupant and elastically receives an impact force applied to a back surface of the seat back.

Claims

1. A vehicle seat comprising:

a seat back; and

an airbag that deploys in the seat back,

wherein the airbag deploys in the seat back in such a way that, after having deployed, the airbag elastically supports an upper body of an occupant and elastically receives an impact force applied to a back surface of the seat back, and

wherein, after having deployed, the airbag has such a shape that a deployment amount, in a front-back direction, of the airbag near a side of the seat back is greater than that near a center of the seat back.

2. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein, after having deployed, the airbag has such a shape that a deployment amount, in the front-back direction, of the airbag near an outer side of a vehicle is greater than that near an inner side of the vehicle.

3. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein, after having deployed, the airbag has such a shape that a deployment amount, in the front-back direction, of the airbag near an inner side of a vehicle is greater than that near an outer side of the vehicle.

4. A vehicle seat comprising:

a seat back; and

an airbag that deploys in the seat back,

wherein, after having deployed, the airbag has such a shape that a deployment amount, in a front-back direction, of the airbag near an upper part of the seat back differs from that near a lower part of the seat back, and

wherein the airbag deploys in the seat back in such a way that, after having deployed, the airbag elastically supports an upper body of an occupant and elastically receives an impact force applied to a back surface of the seat back.

5. The vehicle seat according to claim 4, wherein, after having deployed, the airbag has such a shape that a deployment amount, in the front-back direction, of the airbag near an upper part of the seat back is greater than that near a lower part of the seat back.

6. The vehicle seat according to claim 4, wherein, after having deployed, the airbag has such a shape that a deployment amount, in the front-back direction, of the airbag near a lower part of the seat back is greater than that near an upper part of the seat back.

7. The vehicle seat according to claim 5, wherein, after the airbag has deployed, the back surface of the airbag has an undulating shape that allows the airbag to restrain and hold an impact applying member that applies an impact force to the back surface of the seat back.

8. A vehicle seat comprising:

a seat back; and

an airbag that deploys in the seat back,

wherein the airbag deploys in the seat back in such a way that, after having deployed, the airbag elastically supports an upper body of an occupant and elastically receives an impact force applied to a back surface of the seat back, and

wherein, after having deployed, the airbag has such a shape that a deployment amount, in a front-back direction, of the airbag near a front side of the seat back is greater than that near a back side of the seat back.

9. A vehicle seat comprising:

a seat back; and

an airbag that deploys in the seat back,

wherein the airbag deploys in the seat back in such a way that, after having deployed, the airbag elastically supports an upper body of an occupant and elastically receives an impact force applied to a back surface of the seat back, and

wherein, after having deployed, the airbag has such a shape that a deployment amount, in a front-back direction, of the airbag near a back side of the seat back is greater than that near a front side of the seat back.

10. A vehicle seat comprising:

a seat back;

a seat back frame disposed in the seat back;

an airbag that is disposed in the seat back and that deploys in the seat back; and

a reaction-force-receiving member that is disposed in the seat back and that controls a deployment direction of the airbag by receiving a reaction force generated when the airbag deploys,

wherein the airbag deploys in the seat back in such a way that, after having deployed, the airbag elastically supports an upper body of an occupant and elastically receives an impact force applied to a back surface of the seat back.

11. The vehicle seat according to claim 10, wherein the reaction-force-receiving member is an elastic support member that is disposed across the seat back frame.

12. The vehicle seat according to claim 11, wherein the airbag is disposed between the elastic support member and the back surface of the seat back.

13. The vehicle seat according to claim 11, wherein the airbag is disposed between the elastic support member and a seat pad that is disposed in front of the elastic support member.

14. The vehicle seat according to claim 13, wherein the airbag is disposed between a lumbar support and the seat pad, the lumbar support being suspended in the seat back frame.

15. The vehicle seat according to claim 10, wherein the reaction-force-receiving member is a floating member that is floatingly supported in the seat back frame via a tensile member fixed to the seat back frame.

16. The vehicle seat according to claim 15,

wherein the floating member is floatingly supported by a plurality of the tensile members that cross each other between frames of the seat back frame, the frames facing each other, and

wherein the airbag is supported by the floating member at a position between the floating member and crossing portions of the plurality of tensile members.

17. A vehicle seat comprising:

a seat back;

a seat back frame disposed in the seat back; and

an airbag that is disposed in the seat back and that deploys in the seat back; and

,

wherein an entirety of the seat back frame has a substantially frame-like shape extending along an outline of the seat back,

wherein the airbag is disposed in the seat back frame,

wherein an inflator is attached to a floating member that is flexibly supported at a plurality of positions within the seat back frame, and

wherein the inflator causes the airbag to deploy in the seat back in such a way that, after having deployed, the airbag elastically supports an upper body of an occupant and elastically receives an impact force applied to a back surface of the seat back.

18. The vehicle seat according to claim 17, wherein the floating body is flexibly supported by a plurality of tension springs extending radially between the seat back frame and the floating member.

19. The vehicle seat according to claim 17, wherein the floating member is a flat member extending in a direction that is substantially parallel to a direction in which the seat back extends.