Vehicle seat

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11840189-B2
Application number	US-202217748375-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 19, 2022
Priority date	Aug 7, 2017
Publication date	Dec 12, 2023
Grant date	Dec 12, 2023

Abstract

To reduce an amount of rear protrusion of a vehicle seat equipped with an airbag module configured to deploy rearward, in a vehicle seat provided with a seat cushion and a seat back, the seat back includes: a seat back frame including a pair of left and right side frames extending in a vertical direction and an upper frame connecting upper ends of the side frames to each other; an airbag module supported by an upper half of the seat back frame via a bracket; and a skin member covering the seat back frame, the bracket, and the airbag module from a rear side thereof, wherein a part of the skin member corresponding to the airbag module is provided with a frangible portion configured to open upon inflation of an airbag.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle seat provided with a seat cushion and a seat back,
wherein the seat back comprises:
a seat back frame including a pair of left and right side frames extending in a vertical direction and an upper frame connecting upper ends of the side frames to each other;
an airbag module supported to an upper half of the seat back frame via a bracket; and
a skin member covering the seat back frame, the bracket, and the airbag module from a rear side thereof,
wherein a part of the skin member corresponding to the airbag module is provided with a frangible portion configured to open upon inflation of an airbag, and
wherein a blower for blowing air is provided on a front face of the bracket,
wherein the airbag module includes the airbag, an inflator disposed below the airbag and configured to inflate the airbag, and a retainer that houses the airbag and the inflator and opens rearward, the retainer includes a guide wall that opposes the inflator at a position above the airbag and faces downward, and the airbag is guided by the guide wall to inflate rearward, and
wherein at least a part of the frangible portion overlaps with the bracket in rear view and the airbag module is provided on a rear face of the bracket.

2. The vehicle seat according to claim 1 , wherein the airbag module is located at a position below the upper frame and overlapping with the side frames in side view.

3. The vehicle seat according to claim 1 , wherein the bracket is located more rearward than a headrest pillar.

4. The vehicle seat according to claim 3 , wherein the bracket consists of a plate member defining a recess for housing the airbag module, and a bottom wall of the recess has a flat plate-like shape inclined rearward in a downward direction with respect to an axial direction of the headrest pillar.

5. The vehicle seat according to claim 4 , wherein the bracket is joined to the upper frame at an upper edge thereof and is joined to the respective side frames at left and right edges thereof.

6. The vehicle seat according to claim 5 , wherein a lower edge of the bracket is provided with a rim wall that protrudes forward, and the bracket is joined to the side frames at a part of the bracket between the rim wall and a lower end of the recess with respect to a vertical direction.

7. The vehicle seat according to claim 5 , wherein an upper edge of the bracket is provided with a pair of upper tongues protruding in a laterally spaced relationship, and upper ends of the upper tongues are joined to the upper frame.

8. The vehicle seat according to claim 4 , wherein the bottom wall of the recess is formed with a through-hole and the airbag module is fastened to the bottom wall of the recess by a fastener passed through the through-hole.

9. The vehicle seat according to claim 4 , wherein a lower side wall of the recess is formed with a through-hole and the airbag module is fastened to the lower side wall of the recess via a fastener passed through the through-hole.

10. The vehicle seat according to claim 1 , wherein the bracket is located above a pressure receiving member configured to support a back of an occupant.

11. The vehicle seat according to claim 1 , wherein the frangible portion is located substantially behind the guide wall.

12. The vehicle seat according to claim 1 , wherein the frangible portion extends laterally, and
at least one of a first stay cloth having a base end joined to the bracket at a position above the airbag module in side view and a free end joined to a vicinity of a part of the skin member above the frangible portion and a second stay cloth having a base end joined to the bracket at a position below the airbag module in side view and a free end joined to a vicinity of a part of the skin member below the frangible portion is provided.

13. The vehicle seat according to claim 12 , wherein a pad member provided at a rear of the airbag module is located between the airbag module and the skin member, and
the pad member is provided with a first slit extending from a rear of a deployment port of the airbag module to a front of the frangible portion.

14. The vehicle seat according to claim 13 , wherein the pad member is provided with a second slit extending from a rear of a joint between the bracket and the base end of the first stay cloth to the front of the frangible portion such that the first stay cloth is passed therethrough.

15. The vehicle seat according to claim 14 , wherein the second stay cloth extends along a lower edge and a rear edge of the pad member to reach a vicinity of the part below the frangible portion.

16. The vehicle seat according to claim 12 , wherein the bracket is in a plate-like shape having a main surface facing rearward and includes a rim wall protruding forward at a lower edge thereof, and
a hooking member hooked by the rim wall is joined to the base end of the second stay cloth.

17. The vehicle seat according to claim 16 , wherein the bracket includes an engagement portion above the airbag module, and
an engaged member engaged by the engagement portion is joined to the base end of the first stay cloth.

18. A vehicle seat provided with a seat cushion and a seat back,
wherein the seat back comprises:
a seat back frame including a pair of left and right side frames extending in a vertical direction and an upper frame connecting upper ends of the side frames to each other;
an airbag module supported to an upper half of the seat back frame via a bracket; and
a skin member covering the seat back frame, the bracket, and the airbag module from a rear side thereof,
wherein a part of the skin member corresponding to the airbag module is provided with a frangible portion configured to open upon inflation of an airbag, and
wherein the frangible portion extends laterally, and
at least one of a first stay cloth having a base end joined to the bracket at a position above the airbag module in side view and a free end joined to a vicinity of a part of the skin member above the frangible portion and a second stay cloth having a base end joined to the bracket at a position below the airbag module in side view and a free end joined to a vicinity of a part of the skin member below the frangible portion is provided.

Assignees

• Ts Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Usami Hideki

Classifications

• B60R21/207 Primary

  in vehicle seats · CPC title

• B60N2/68

  Seat frames · CPC title

• B60R21/217

  Inflation fluid source retainers, e.g. reaction canisters; Connection of bags, covers, diffusers or inflation fluid sources therewith or together · CPC title

• B60R21/2165 Primary

  characterised by a tear line for defining a deployment opening · CPC title

• B60R2021/0032

  Position of passenger · CPC title