Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Bodies – Seats with body modifications
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-28
2001-10-02
Dayoan, D. Glenn (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Bodies
Seats with body modifications
C297S216130
Reexamination Certificate
active
06296291
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to vehicle seat constructions, and particularly to a reinforced vehicle seat back structure.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In some automotive vehicles the rear seat includes a seat back structure that can be swingably adjusted between an upright position and a prone position. When the seat back is in the upright position the rear seat can be used for human seating purposes, in the usual fashion. When the seat back is in the prone position, the trunk (or cargo) space is in open communication with the rear seating area so that longer cargo items, e.g. skis, toboggans, etc. can be accommodated in the elongated storage space behind the vehicle front seat.
In such vehicles the seat back for the vehicle rear seat is constructed as a relatively light structure so that it can be moved easily between the normal upright position and the prone position. As a result, the seat back panel is susceptible to being damaged or fractured by cargo impaction forces when the seat back is in the upright position. The possibility of seat back panel damage occurs primarily when the vehicle comes to an abrupt stop in the forward direction, e.g. during panic braking or during a front end collision. Heavy cargo items in the trunk can be displaced forwardly so as to forcibly impact the rear seat back panel, thereby possibly fracturing the panel so as to potentially injure a person sitting on the rear seat.
The present invention relates to a low cost, light weight mechanism for reinforcing the panel of a vehicle seat back structure, particularly a panel that is otherwise relatively light and hence subject to buckling or fracture when impacted by moving cargo in the space behind the seat back.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
The invention contemplates a panel reinforcement mechanism that includes a high tensile strength strip or web anchored to edge areas of the panel so as to extend back and forth along the panel front surface. Should cargo behind the panel impart a shock force to the panel the web will stretch incrementally along its entire length, thereby absorbing the impact force and limiting any appreciable buckling or fragmentation of the panel.
The web (or strip) panel reinforcement mechanism is advantageous in that it adds relatively little to the overall weight of the panel. Also, the reinforcement mechanism is relatively inexpensive. The invention incorporates an advantageous reinforcing feature into an otherwise conventional seat back panel, without appreciably increasing the weight or cost of the panel.
Specific features of the invention will be apparent from the attached drawings and description of an illustrative embodiment of the invention.
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Calcaterra Mark P.
DaimlerChrysler Corporation
Dayoan D. Glenn
Gutman Hilary
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