Vehicle seat mounting bracket for energy attenuating member

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11718208-B2
Application number	US-202117471838-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 10, 2021
Priority date	Sep 10, 2021
Publication date	Aug 8, 2023
Grant date	Aug 8, 2023

Abstract

A vehicle assembly includes a vehicle body including a frame backing member, and a vehicle seat including a seat back having a seat back frame. An energy attenuating member is positioned in a space between the frame backing member and the seat back frame in a front-rear direction of the vehicle assembly. The energy attenuating member is connected to the frame backing member. A mounting bracket is connected to the energy attenuating member. A connection support portion releasably connects the mounting bracket to an upper portion of the seat back frame in a height direction of the vehicle assembly.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle assembly comprising:
a vehicle body including a frame backing member;
a vehicle seat including a seat back having a seat back frame;
an energy attenuating member positioned in a space between the frame backing member and the seat back frame in a front-rear direction of the vehicle assembly, one end portion of the energy attenuating member connected to the frame backing member;
a mounting bracket separate and distinct from the energy attenuating member and connected to an opposite end portion of the energy attenuating member; and
a connection support portion that is offset from the energy attenuating member in a width direction of the vehicle assembly and that releasably connects the mounting bracket to an upper portion of the seat back frame in a height direction of the vehicle assembly.

2. The vehicle assembly of claim 1 , wherein during a crash event the energy attenuating member is configured to collapse between the seat back frame and the frame backing member to absorb kinetic energy in the vehicle seat when the seat back is driven toward the frame backing member.

3. The vehicle assembly of claim 1 , wherein the connection support portion includes a latch mechanism having a first latch component provided on the mounting bracket and a second latch component for connection with the first latch component provided on the seat back frame.

4. The vehicle assembly of claim 3 , wherein the first latch component is a latch and the second latch component is a striker.

5. The vehicle assembly of claim 3 , wherein the mounting bracket includes a first mounting part and a second mounting part extended from the first mounting part, the first mounting part adapted for connection to the first latch component, the second mounting part adapted for connection to the energy attenuating member.

6. The vehicle assembly of claim 5 , where in the front-rear direction the first mounting part is offset relative to the second mounting part toward the frame backing member.

7. The vehicle assembly of claim 5 , wherein the energy attenuating member is a first energy attenuating member, and including a second energy attenuating member spaced from the energy attenuating member in the width direction of the vehicle assembly and connected to the frame backing member, and
the mounting bracket includes another second mounting part for connection to the second energy attenuating member.

8. The vehicle assembly of claim 7 , where in the front-rear direction the first mounting part is offset relative to each of the second mounting part and the another second mounting part toward the frame backing member, and is positioned between the second mounting part and the another second mounting part in the width direction.

9. The vehicle assembly claim 3 , wherein the energy attenuating member includes a first wall section and a separate second wall section secured to the first wall section, wherein in a side view of the energy attenuating member the second wall section is bent around the first wall section to have a U-shaped profile.

10. The vehicle assembly of claim 9 , wherein the second wall section is secured beneath the first wall section relative to the height direction of the vehicle assembly.

11. The vehicle assembly of claim 9 , wherein a central portion of the first wall section is formed with a kink or bend directed in a fold direction of the first wall section when the energy attenuating member collapses between the seat back frame and the frame backing member.

12. The vehicle assembly of claim 9 , wherein the first latch component is positioned beneath the first wall section in the height direction of the vehicle assembly.

13. A vehicle assembly comprising:
a vehicle body including a frame backing member;
a seat having a seat back with a seat back frame, an upper portion of the seat back frame aligned with the frame backing member relative to a height direction of the vehicle assembly;
an energy attenuating member positioned in a space between the frame backing member and the seat back frame and connected to the frame backing member, wherein during a crash event the energy attenuating member is configured to collapse between the seat back frame and the frame backing member to absorb kinetic energy in the vehicle seat when the seat back is driven toward the frame backing member;
a mounting bracket separate and distinct from the energy attenuating member, the mounting bracket including a first mounting part and a second mounting part extended from the first mounting part in a width direction of the vehicle assembly, the second mounting part connected to the energy attenuating member; and
a connection support portion releasably connects the first mounting part of the mounting bracket to the upper portion of the seat back frame.

14. The vehicle assembly of claim 13 , wherein the connection support portion includes a latch mechanism having a first latch component provided on the first mounting part of the mounting bracket and a second latch component for connection with the first latch component provided on the seat back frame.

15. The vehicle assembly of claim 14 , wherein the first latch component is one of a latch and a striker and the second latch component is the other of the latch and the striker.

16. The vehicle assembly of claim 13 , wherein the energy attenuating member is a first energy attenuating member, and including a second energy attenuating member spaced from the energy attenuating member in the width direction of the vehicle assembly and connected to the frame backing member, and
the mounting bracket includes another second mounting part for connection to the second energy attenuating member.

17. The vehicle assembly of claim 16 , where in the front-rear direction the first mounting part is offset relative to each of the second mounting part and the another second mounting part toward the frame backing member, and is positioned between the second mounting part and the another second mounting part in the width direction,
wherein the second mounting part and the another second mounting part define opposite end portions of the mounting bracket.

18. The vehicle assembly of claim 13 , wherein the energy attenuating member includes a first wall section and a second wall section separate from the first wall section and looped beneath the first wall section relative to the height direction of the vehicle assembly.

19. A vehicle assembly comprising:
a vehicle body including a frame backing member;
a vehicle seat including a seat back having a seat back frame;
a first energy attenuating member and a separate second energy attenuating member spaced from the first attenuating member in a width direction of the vehicle assembly, each of the first energy attenuating member and a second energy attenuating member positioned in a space between the frame backing member and the seat back frame in a front-rear direction of the vehicle assembly, the first energy attenuating member and a second energy attenuating member each connected to the frame backing member;
a mounting bracket connected to the first energy attenuating member and the second energy attenuating member; and
a connection support portion releasably connects the mounting bracket to an upper portion of the seat back frame in a height direction of the vehicle assembly,
wherein the connection support portion includes a latch mechanism having a first latch component provided on the mounting bracket between the first energy attenuating member and the second energy

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Suzuki Junichi
• Rosero Fernando M
• Daume Eric D
• Nishimura Yosuke

Classifications

• B60N2/42709 Primary

  involving residual deformation or fracture of the structure · CPC title

• B60N2/4228 Primary

  due to impact coming from the rear · CPC title

• B60N2/42736

  of the whole seat · CPC title

• B60N2/42745

  of the back-rest (B60N2/433 takes precedence; higher part of the back-rest moving together with the headrest B60N2/888) · CPC title