Motor vehicle seat bench with middle arm rest and head

Details Motor vehicle seat bench with middle arm rest and head Motor vehicle seat bench with middle arm rest and head

1999-05-10

2001-04-17

Nelson, Jr., Milton (Department: 3624)

Chairs and seats

Back carries stored supplemental body support

Armrest movable from recess in back

C297S115000, C297S188190, C297S217300

Reexamination Certificate

active

06217112

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a vehicle bench seat comprising a seat surface and back rest as well as a middle arm rest, which is capable of swivelling between a substantially horizontal position parallel to the seat surface and a substantially vertical position, in which it is disposed in a recess of the back rest, and has at its front end a head rest, which in the vertical position of the arm rest projects above the top edge of the back rest.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Vehicle bench seats, in particular the bench seat of a passenger car, are mostly intended for use by up to three passengers although the middle location often remains unoccupied. For the comfort of the passengers sitting in the outer locations, it is customary to provide a middle arm rest which may be aligned substantially parallel to the upholstered seat surface and in said position often rests on the latter. When the middle location is also occupied, the arm rest may be swivelled into a substantially vertical position, in which it is disposed in a recess of the back rest of the bench seat, resulting in a substantially flat back rest and also allowing a passenger to sit comfortably in the middle of the bench. The arm rest is therefore preferably upholstered on all sides.
To guarantee adequate safety also at the middle location in the event of an accident, a head rest at the top edge of the back rest is required. On the other hand, the head rest obstructs the rear field of vision of the driver and is preferably removable when the middle location is unoccupied. It was therefore proposed in publication EP 0 604 375 to form or attach the head rest onto the front end of the middle arm rest. In such a manner, in the vertical position of the arm rest the head rest projects above the top edge of the back rest and is therefore in a suitable position to protect the passenger. When the middle location is unoccupied, however, the head rest is folded down with the arm rest towards the seat surface and therefore does not obstruct the field of vision of the driver. To achieve an adaptation to the height of the occupant, it is known for the head rest to be extendable out of the arm rest or—in the case of an integral style of construction—displaceable up and down with the arm rest when in the vertical position.
It is moreover customary in many cases for a middle arm rest to be used as a storage compartment or provided with areas where articles may be placed or deposited. In particular, cup and drinks can holders, ashtrays or oddments trays are often fastened to the front end of the arm rest. When not in use, they may be inserted into the arm rest to eliminate risks of injury and avoid clutter. When the front-end region of the middle arm rest is used as a head rest, however, such prior art devices are not usable because the padding of the head rest almost totally takes up the volume of the arm rest required for accommodation.
SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
The primary object of the invention is to develop a vehicle bench seat having a middle arm rest and a head rest fastened to the middle arm rest, wherein useful compartments or surfaces are provided in the region of the head rest.
The object is achieved according to the invention in that the head rest has a recess at the side which forms the top side when the middle arm rest is horizontally aligned.
The central idea of the invention is to provide storage compartments and deposit surfaces only in the part of the head rest which forms the top side when the arm rest is horizontally aligned, i.e., the part which in the working position of the head rest faces towards the back of the vehicle. To achieve this result, the head rest has, at the top side of the arm rest, a recess which is preferably accessible from the top side or front end of the arm rest. There is therefore sufficient room left to accommodate the padding of the head rest. The recess may be used to store many different articles, e.g., a make-up bag, writing instruments, smoker's requisites or a headset. Preferably, the recess comprises holders, in which the appropriate articles may be secured so that they remain in position, particularly in the event of an accident. In the case of larger articles, such as a headset, the recess may consist exclusively of the holder. It is also conceivable to design the recess as a deposit surface which may be used for a wide variety of articles.
The advantage of the proposed invention lies in the provision in the vehicle interior of an additional, easily accessible storage or useful compartment. At the same time, both the equipment of the middle location with a head rest and the swivelling ability of the arm rest with the head rest attached thereto are retained.
In an advantageous development of the invention, the recess is closable, preferably by means of a roller blind or lid. In said manner, the contents of the recess are fixed in position and, particularly in the event of an accident, the risk of injury from flying articles or as a result of impact with hard inner surfaces of the recess is avoided. The visual appearance of the head rest is also enhanced in said manner. The outside of the roller blind or lid may be provided with a covering and, optionally, a thin layer of padding.
A lid is advantageously capable of swivelling about an axis at the edge of the recess, wherein the point at which the axis is provided is preferably the edge of the recess which is situated—in a travel direction—at the front when the arm rest is folded down. When the lid may be fixed in a substantially vertical alignment, e.g., by means of a stop, articles situated in the recess are consequently prevented from flying out in the event of a head-on collision of the vehicle. Thus, the lid in the present invention is a device for safeguarding the contents of the recess.
Because of the limited interior space of vehicles, there is often a lack of suitable surfaces for depositing cups or liquid-filled cans. In an advantageous refinement of the invention, it is therefore proposed to provide the recess with a holder, into which a cup or can may be placed. The diameter and depth of the holder are selected in accordance with the dimensions of cup and can in such a way that the latter are secured against horizontal displacement and overturning by virtue of being supported circumferentially or against at least one edge of the holder. In the simplest case, the holder therefore comprises a cylindrical indentation of the recess, which indentation has a diameter corresponding to the cup. Naturally, the recess may also comprise a plurality of holders, in particular one for each occupant of both adjacent seating locations.
Considerable design restrictions for the refinement of the holder arise from the fact that most of the head rest volume is taken up by the padding and so there is only a small amount of installation space available. In particular, it is generally not possible to introduce into the recess an indentation of sufficient depth to guarantee that cans and cups are held securely also in the moving state of the vehicle and under the vibrational conditions associated with said state. For said reason, a support is proposed, which may be swivelled out of the recess and has a retaining ring or a retaining clip fastened thereto. The fastening of retaining ring or retaining clip to the support is effected preferably likewise in a rotatable manner. A cup or can may be inserted into the retaining ring or retaining clip, which is fixable vertically above the recess. To this end, the ring or clip has an opening, the dimensions of which correspond to the diameters of cup and/or can. Thus, overturning is reliably prevented even when the vehicle is vibrating. The support, when swivelled inwards, is notable for a low spatial requirement, particularly with regard to the shallow overall height. To simplify the design further, it is conceivable for a lid of the recess to form the support. Retaining rings or retaining clips may exclusively form the holder for cups or cans, which are suspended or resili

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