Occupant restraint actuated apparatus for dynamically stiffening a motor vehicle seat back

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10399468-B2
Application number	US-201615217614-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 22, 2016
Priority date	Jul 22, 2015
Publication date	Sep 3, 2019
Grant date	Sep 3, 2019

Abstract

An apparatus for dynamically stiffening a vehicle seat back may include a vehicle seat including a seat bottom mountable within a vehicle, a seat back extending upwardly away from the seat bottom, and a bight defined at a forward-facing interface between the seat bottom and the seat back, an occupant restraint harness coupled to the vehicle seat and engaging a top end of the seat back, and a seat back stiffening apparatus having a seat back stiffening member and an actuator coupled to the occupant restraint harness adjacent to or near the bight of the vehicle seat. The actuator may be responsive to a first force applied thereto by the occupant restraint harness in excess of a first threshold force to deploy the seat back stiffening member to couple to and between the seat bottom and the seat back to add stiffness to the seat back frame.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for dynamically stiffening a vehicle seat back, the apparatus comprising:
a vehicle seat including a seat bottom mountable within a vehicle, a seat back extending upwardly away from the seat bottom, and a bight defined at a forward-facing interface between the seat bottom and the seat back,
an occupant restraint harness coupled to the vehicle seat and engaging a top end of the seat back, the occupant restraint harness configured to restrain an occupant of the vehicle seat, and
a seat back stiffening apparatus having a seat back stiffening member and an actuator coupled to the occupant restraint harness adjacent to or near the bight of the vehicle seat, the actuator responsive to a first force applied thereto by the occupant restraint harness in excess of a first threshold force to deploy the seat back stiffening member to couple to and between the seat bottom and the seat back to add stiffness to the seat back frame.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the seat back comprises a seat back frame supporting the seat back, and the seat back stiffening member comprises an elongated bracket having a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the elongated bracket mounted to one of the seat back frame and the seat bottom at or near the first end thereof with the second end of the bracket normally positioned adjacent to the seat back frame,
and wherein the elongated bracket at or near the second end thereof defines the actuator and is coupled to the occupant restraint harness, the first force in excess of the first threshold force applied by the occupant restraint harness to the bracket at or near the second end thereof drawing the second end of the bracket forwardly away from the seat back frame,
and wherein a second force in excess of a second threshold force applied by the occupant restraint harness to the top end of the seat back deforms the seat back frame and forces the second end of the bracket into contact with the other of the seat back and the seat bottom.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising a travel stop member to stop outward movement of the second end of the elongated bracket away from the seat back frame, in response to the first force in excess of the first threshold force applied thereto by the occupant restraint harness, after the second end of the elongated bracket is spaced apart from the seat back frame.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the travel stop member comprises a control arm having a first end coupled to the elongated bracket at or near the second end thereof and a second end coupled to the seat back frame, the control arm extending from a first position with the second end of the elongated bracket positioned adjacent to the seat back frame to a second position with the second end of the bracket spaced apart from the seat back frame.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the control arm deforms between the first and second positions thereof in response to the first force in excess of the first threshold force applied by the occupant restraint harness to the elongated bracket at or near the second end thereof.

6. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the travel stop member comprises a notch defined in a forwardly-facing surface of the elongated bracket between the first and second ends thereof, the outward movement of the second end of the elongated bracket away from the seat back frame stopping as the notch closes in response to outward movement of the bracket.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the elongated bracket deforms to close as the second end of the elongated bracket moves outwardly away from the seat back frame in response to the first force in excess of the first threshold force applied by the occupant restraint harness to the elongated bracket at or near the second end thereof.

8. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the travel stop member comprises a shaft extending along or through the seat back frame, the shaft having a first end coupled to the elongated bracket at or near the second end thereof and a second end defining a head, the shaft extending from a first position with the second end of the elongated bracket positioned adjacent to the seat back frame and the head of the shaft spaced apart from the seat back frame to a second position with the second end of the bracket spaced apart from the seat back frame and the head of the shaft in contact with the seat back frame.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising a spring disposed between the head of the shaft and the seat back frame.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the seat back comprises a seat back frame supporting the seat back, and the seat back stiffening member comprises an elongated bracket having a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the elongated bracket mounted to one of the seat bottom and the seat back frame at or near the first end of the bracket with the second end of the bracket positioned adjacent to the seat back frame, the elongated bracket defining a linear guide slot therethrough at or near the second end thereof, the linear guide slot defining an enlarged opening transitioning to a reduced width portion,
and wherein the actuator comprises a headed shaft movably mounted to the other of the seat bottom and the seat back frame, the headed shaft having a shaft portion coupled to the occupant restraint harness and sized to pass through both the enlarged opening and the reduced width portion of the guide slot and a head portion sized to pass through the enlarged opening but not through the reduced width portion of the guide slot, the head portion of the headed shaft normally extending through the enlarged opening of the guide slot, the first force in excess of the first threshold force applied by the occupant restraint harness to the shaft portion of the headed shaft drawing the head portion into the reduced width portion of the guide slot to thereby couple the elongated bracket to and between the seat bottom and the seat back frame.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the seat back comprises a seat back frame supporting the seat back, and the seat back stiffening member comprises an elongated flexible member having a first end coupled to a rearwardly facing portion of the seat back frame and a second end opposite the first end defining the actuator coupled to the occupant restraint harness,
and wherein the seat back stiffening apparatus further comprises a bracket mounted to the seat bottom in contact with the flexible member between the first and second ends thereof, the elongated flexible member sized to be normally slack between the first and second ends thereof, the first force in excess of the first threshold force applied by the occupant restraint harness to the first end of the elongated flexible member drawing the elongated flexible member taught between the seat back frame and the bracket to thereby add stiffness to the seat back.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the seat back comprises a seat back frame supporting the seat back, and the seat back stiffening member comprises an elongated flexible member having a first end coupled to a rearwardly facing portion of the seat back frame and a second end opposite the first end coupled to the seat bottom,
and wherein the actuator comprises an elongated bracket having a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the occupant restraint harness coupled to the elongated bracket at or near the first end thereof and the second end of the elongated bracket in contact with the flexible member between the first and second ends thereof the elongated bracket pivotably mounted between the first and second ends thereof to the seat back frame

Assignees

• Indiana Mills & Mfg

Inventors

• Gale Steven
• Glover John G
• Dingman Guy R
• Bittner Douglas W
• White Jacob C

Classifications

• B60R2022/1806

  for buckles · CPC title

• B60R22/28

  incorporating energy-absorbing devices {(belt anchors provided with energy-absorbing means for protecting the occupants in case of physical contact therewith B60R21/055; belt retractors comprising energy-absorbing means B60R22/341, B60R22/4676)} · CPC title

• B60R22/26

  secured to the seat · CPC title

• B60R22/18

  Anchoring devices · CPC title

• B60N2/433

  Safety locks for back-rests, e.g. with locking bars activated by inertia · CPC title