Vehicle seat assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10189382-B2
Application number	US-201615251629-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 30, 2016
Priority date	Aug 30, 2016
Publication date	Jan 29, 2019
Grant date	Jan 29, 2019

Abstract

A vehicle seat assembly having a seat portion, a tether wire and a tether cover assembly. The seat portion has a passenger receiving surface with at least a portion of the passenger receiving surface coinciding with a first plane. A resilient cushioning material of the seat portion defines a recessed area open to the passenger receiving surface. The tether wire for securing child seat is located within the recess. The tether cover assembly has a housing defining a door opening, a first door and a second door installed within the recessed area. The first and second doors are pivotal about respective first and second pivot axes for movement between respective closed positions concealing the tether wire, and open positions exposing the tether wire. In their respective closed positions the first and second doors coincide with or are parallel to the first plane.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle seat assembly, comprising:
a seat portion having a passenger receiving surface configured and shaped to contact a portion of a passenger seated there-against, at least a portion of the passenger receiving surface coinciding with a first plane, the seat portion having a resilient cushioning material disposed therein with a recessed area being defined within the resilient cushioning material and being open to the passenger receiving surface;
a tether wire for securing child seat located within the recessed area; and
a tether cover assembly having a housing defining a door opening, a first door and a second door, the first door being pivotal about a first pivot axis and the second door being pivotal about a second axis between respective closed positions concealing the tether wire and the door opening and open positions exposing the tether wire and the door opening, each of the first pivot axis and the second pivot axis each being defined by corresponding pivot shafts fixed to the housing adjacent to the door opening, the housing being installed within the recessed area such that with the doors in their respective closed positions the first and second doors are parallel to the first plane.

2. The vehicle seat assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the first pivot axis and the second pivot axis are parallel to one another and are horizontally oriented.

3. The vehicle seat assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the first door includes an overlapping lip that covers a free end of the second door with the first and second doors in their respective closed positions.

4. The vehicle seat assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the housing includes a trim lip that extends around the door opening such that with the first door and the second door in their respective closed positions the trim lip covers at least two peripheral edges of each the first door and the second door.

5. The vehicle seat assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the first door and the second door are each spring biased toward their respective closed positions.

6. The vehicle seat assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the housing attaches to the seat portion via mechanical fasteners.

7. The vehicle seat assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the housing attaches to the seat portion via resilient projections that engage frame portions of the seat assembly.

8. The vehicle seat assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the housing includes a rear wall opposite the door opening, the rear wall having a slot or opening extending therethrough, with the tether wire extending into the housing through the slot or opening.

9. The vehicle seat assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the housing further a first spring and a second spring, the first spring biasing the first door to the closed position and the second spring biasing the second door to the closed position.

10. The vehicle seat assembly according to claim 9 , wherein
the first spring has a first spring constant and the second spring has a second spring constant, the first spring constant being greater than the second spring constant such that the first door closes more quickly than the second door.

11. A vehicle seat assembly, comprising:
a seat portion having a passenger receiving surface configured and shaped to contact a portion of a passenger seated there-against, at least a portion of the passenger receiving surface coinciding with a first plane, the seat portion having a resilient cushioning material disposed therein with a recessed area being defined within the resilient cushioning material and being open to the passenger receiving surface, the recessed area and adjacent portions of the seat portion being located on a rearward side of the first plane and a passenger receiving area being located on a forward side of the first plane;
a tether wire for securing child seat located within the recessed area; and
a tether cover assembly having a housing defining a door opening, a first door and a second door, the first door being pivotal about a first pivot axis and the second door being pivotal about a second axis between respective closed positions concealing the tether wire and the door opening and open positions exposing the tether wire and the door opening, each of the first pivot axis and the second pivot axis each being defined by corresponding pivot shafts fixed to the housing adjacent to the door opening, the housing being installed within the recessed area such that movement of the first door and the second door between the closed position and the open position is confined to movement at the first side of the first plane with the door being prevented from crossing through the first plane to the second side of the first plane and to the passenger receiving area.

12. The vehicle seat assembly according to claim 11 , wherein
the first pivot axis and the second pivot axis are parallel to one another and are horizontally oriented.

13. The vehicle seat assembly according to claim 11 , wherein
the first door includes an overlapping lip that covers a free end of the second door with the first and second doors in their respective closed positions.

14. The vehicle seat assembly according to claim 11 , wherein
the housing includes a trim lip that extends around the door opening such that with the first door and the second door in their respective closed positions the trim lip covers at least two peripheral edges of each the first door and the second door.

15. The vehicle seat assembly according to claim 11 , wherein
the first door and the second door are each spring biased toward their respective closed positions.

16. The vehicle seat assembly according to claim 11 , wherein
the housing attaches to the seat portion via mechanical fasteners.

17. The vehicle seat assembly according to claim 11 , wherein
the housing attaches to the seat portion via resilient projections that engage frame portions of the seat assembly.

18. The vehicle seat assembly according to claim 11 , wherein
the housing includes a rear wall opposite the door opening, the rear wall having a slot or opening defined therein, with the tether wire extending into the housing through the slot or opening.

19. The vehicle seat assembly according to claim 11 , wherein
the housing further a first spring and a second spring, the first spring biasing the first door to the closed position and the second spring biasing the second door to the closed position.

20. The vehicle seat assembly according to claim 19 , wherein
the first spring has a first spring constant and the second spring has a second spring constant, the first spring constant being greater than the second spring constant such that the first door close more quickly than the second door.

Assignees

• Nissan North America Inc

Inventors

• Sammons Justin

Classifications

• B60N2/90

  Details or parts not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• B60N2/2893 Primary

  coupled to the seat sub-frame · CPC title

• B60N2/2887

  Fixation to a transversal anchorage bar, e.g. isofix · CPC title