Vehicle seat assembly with impact energy management

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11318872-B2
Application number	US-202017087297-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 2, 2020
Priority date	Dec 19, 2019
Publication date	May 3, 2022
Grant date	May 3, 2022

Abstract

A vehicle seat assembly is provided with a seat back frame. A bracket is provided with a substrate welded to the seat back frame. Two pairs of sidewalls extend from the substrate and are tapered with an enlarged region at an upper distal end. A pair of support plates are each supported by one of the two pairs of sidewalls and spaced apart from the substrate to provide a mounting surface. A pair of spaced apart tubes are each welded to the bracket mounting surface of one of the pair of support plates. A pair of head restraint posts are each received in one of the pair of tubes. A head restraint is supported upon the pair of head restraint posts, so that upon a rear vehicle impact, the bracket deforms as the pair of head restraint posts are translated toward the seat back frame.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle seat assembly comprising:
a seat back frame adapted to be mounted to a vehicle interior;
a bracket mounted to the seat back frame;
at least one head restraint post mounted to the bracket and spaced apart from the seat back frame so that upon a rear vehicle impact, the bracket deforms as the at least one head restraint post is translated toward the seat back frame; and
at least one tube mounted to the bracket and sized to receive the at least one head restraint post;
wherein the bracket is welded to the seat back frame; and
wherein the at least one tube is welded to the bracket.

2. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 1 wherein the bracket further comprises:
a substrate;
a projection extending from the substrate; and
a mounting surface on the projection to mount the at least one head restraint post.

3. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 2 wherein the projection is tapered with an enlarged region at an upper distal end relative to a lower proximal end.

4. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 2 wherein the projection further comprises a pair of sidewalls extending from the substrate.

5. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 4 wherein the projection further comprises a support plate supported by the pair of sidewalls and spaced apart from the substrate to provide the mounting surface.

6. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 5 wherein the support plate is not parallel with the substrate.

7. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 6 wherein the support plate is oriented at an angle relative to the substrate.

8. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 7 wherein the angle inclines in an upright direction.

9. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 2 wherein the bracket is formed from a sheet of material.

10. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 9 wherein the bracket is formed from sheet steel.

11. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 1 further comprising a head restraint supported upon the head restraint post.

12. A vehicle seat assembly comprising:
a seat back frame adapted to be mounted to a vehicle interior;
a bracket mounted to the seat back frame;
at least one head restraint tube mounted to the bracket and spaced apart from the seat back frame so that upon a rear vehicle impact, the bracket deforms as the at least one head restraint tube is translated toward the seat back frame; and
at least one head restraint post received within the at least one head restraint tube;
wherein the bracket further comprises:
a substrate,
a projection extending from the substrate, and
a mounting surface on the projection to mount the at least one head restraint post; and

wherein the projection is tapered with an enlarged region at an upper distal end relative to a lower proximal end.

13. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 12 further comprising a head restraint supported upon the head restraint post.

14. A vehicle seat assembly comprising:
a seat back frame adapted to be mounted to a vehicle interior;
a bracket formed from a sheet of steel, and comprising:
a substrate welded to the seat back frame,
two pairs of sidewalls extending from the substrate and tapered with an enlarged region at an upper distal end relative to a lower proximal end, and
a pair of support plates, each supported by one of the two pairs of sidewalls and spaced apart from the substrate to provide a mounting surface oriented at an angle relative to the substrate facing an upright direction;

a pair of spaced apart tubes each welded to the bracket mounting surface of one of the pair of support plates;
a pair of head restraint posts, each received in one of the pair of tubes; and
a head restraint supported upon the pair of head restraint posts, so that upon a rear vehicle impact, the bracket deforms as the pair of head restraint posts are translated toward the seat back frame.

Assignees

• Lear Corp

Inventors

• Pistilli Gregory
• Gerbl Florian
• Busch Mathias
• Niederhaus Alexej
• Schuhbauer Michael
• Boda Arunkumar
• Schneider Tino
• Rajput Rajdeep

Classifications

• B60N2/682 Primary

  Joining means · CPC title

• B60N2/897

  with sleeves located in the back-rest for guiding the rods of the head-rest · CPC title

• B60N2/888 Primary

  with arrangements for protecting against abnormal g-forces, e.g. by displacement of the head-rest · CPC title

• B63B29/04

  Furniture peculiar to vessels (floatable furniture B63C9/30) · CPC title

• B63B2029/043

  Seats; Arrangements thereof on vessels · CPC title