Chairs and seats – Movable back – Tiltable
Patent
1997-06-19
1998-11-03
Nelson, Jr., Milton
Chairs and seats
Movable back
Tiltable
2974522, 297475, 297483, B60N 202, A47C 702, B60R 2100
Patent
active
058298312
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to motor vehicles and in particular to a rear seat assembly for a motor vehicle that includes a three point safety belt passenger restraint for a centre seated passenger.
It is well known to provide a single lap strap restraint for the centre rear passenger of a motor vehicle but such a restraint although preventing the passenger from being thrown forward off of the seat in the event of a frontal collision does not restrain the upper torso of the passenger. Therefore in a severe frontal collision a passenger restrained solely by a lap strap is likely to pivot forward which may cause contact between the upper torso or head of a passenger with another part of the vehicle.
It is further known from DE-U- 9402767 to provide a rear seat assembly including a safety belt system for the centre rear passenger of a motor vehicle comprising a seat backrest portion pivotally connected near to its lower edge to part of the structure of the motor vehicle to allow the backrest portion to be folded from a substantially upright position to a substantially horizontal position and a three-point safety belt system having an automatic seat belt reel assembly connected to a reinforcing frame structure forming part of the seat backrest portion.
It is an object of this invention to provide a rear seat assembly for a motor vehicle including an improved attachment means for a three point passenger restraint to restrain the upper torso of a centre seated rear seat passenger.
According to the invention there is provided a rear seat assembly as described above with reference to DE-U- 9402767 characterised in that said reel assembly is recessed into a rear face of said backrest portion and that the reel assembly and the fixing means used to connect the reel assembly to the reinforcing frame structure are both accessible from the rear face of said backrest portion.
The backrest portion may be is formed as two separate parts each of which is pivotable from a substantially upright position to a substantially horizontal position in which case said reel assembly may be recessed into a rear face of one of said separate parts of the backrest portion and is connected to a reinforcing frame structure forming part of that part of the seat backrest portion.
The reinforcing frame structure may include a peripheral tubular frame and a cross-brace member fixed between upper and lower portions of the peripheral frame.
The reinforcing frame structure may further include a top anchor structure of open box like construction fixed to said peripheral frame and said cross-brace member, the top anchor structure defining a recess into which said reel assembly is fitted and secured.
A belt guide means may be attached to an upper part of the tubular frame to guide the shoulder section of the first webbing strap from the reel assembly over the upper edge of the seat backrest portion.
Preferably, the pivot means of the back rest portion may be attached to part of the reinforcing frame structure of the backrest portion.
A seat latch mechanism may be fixed to one end of the seat backrest portion to lock it into a vertical position.
Preferably, an indicator means may be connected to the latch mechanism to show when the seat backrest portion is locked into a latched vertical position.
The indicator means may comprise a multicoloured knob attached to part of the latch mechanism by a rod.
FIG. 1 is a pictorial representation of a fully trimmed rear seat assembly according to the invention;
FIG. 2 is a side view of a right hand portion of a backrest according to the invention;
FIG. 3 is a pictorial representation of said right hand backrest in a pre-trimmed state;
FIG. 4 is a cross-section on the line 4--4 on FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is a side view of a seat latching mechanism and indicator means in a first position; and
FIG. 6 is a side view of a seat latching mechanism and indicator means in a second position.
With reference to the figures there is shown a rear seat assembly 10 including a safety belt system for the centre rear passenger of a motor vehicl
REFERENCES:
patent: 3761127 (1973-09-01), Giese et al.
patent: 4218074 (1980-08-01), Crawford
patent: 5022677 (1991-06-01), Barbiero
patent: 5253924 (1993-10-01), Glance
patent: 5286084 (1994-02-01), Bart
patent: 5289986 (1994-03-01), Hoshihara
patent: 5441332 (1995-08-01), Verellen
Jr. Milton Nelson
Rover Group Limited
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