Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
~ ~ \` 20~3~
FIELD OF THE INV~TION -~
The present inve:ntion relates to a seat for a
vehlcle provided with a safety belt wlth fixation points
embarked on the armature of the seat.
BACKGROUND OF THE IN~ENTION
In the present vehicles, each seat is provided
with a safety belt which is of the type known under the
name of "three polnt type" safety belt, meaning that the
:~ :
: fixatlon of the strap formlng the belt ls made, by one ~`
of its ends, on an automatic winder rigidly connected to
~ the vehicle body and formlng the first fixation polnt,
;~ ~ while the second end of the belt is fixed by means of a
lock placed either on the right side or on the left side
of the seat, according to whether lt ls a left side seat
~,
or a right side seat 80 to form the second fixation
point ; the intermediste or third fixatlon point, that
18 the point situated between the automatlc winder and
: the lock, is normally also fixed to the vehicle body, 90
that the strap~forming the belt is wound on the ; ~ ~
20 automatlc wlnder and extends through a kseper situsted ~:
on the car body on a point thereof substsntlally at
height of the passenger shoulder and ls flx~ed by lt
other end as hereabove indlcated on the~lower portlon of .;~`
~; the vehlcle, thst ls on the car body as such, or on the
; 25 frame of the seating portlon of tbe seat.
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However, these known safety belts have a
i~ disadvantage of requlring a lengthy lnstallatlon, and
;~ are therefore costly to mount and of a large volume (see
ln particular DE-A-3 429 426 and DE-A-3 613 830).
; :
Attempts have been made to remedy these
~, disadvantages by providing a so-called "three embar~ed
~.~
~: polnts" safety belt, meanlng that the three flxatlon
points of the safety belt are flxed on the frame of the
~:~ seating portion and of the seat back of the seat, but
lO one is then confronted with a ma~or disadvantage when,
as,it 1s now the case, the lnclinatlon of the seat back
can be set at wlll by the passenger. Actually, in this
, :~ case, the artlculation mechanlsm situated between the
seating portion and the seat back are su~ected to very
lS large efforts which can go as far as breaking these
~ mechanisms if an accident occurs.
: Indeed, the run of the strap passlng over the
f ~ shoulder and breast of the passenger in order to Jolnt
, ~ the ventral run of the strap applies, malnly whèn there
20 is sn uccident, very hlgh efforts on the seat back which
: c~n exceed the maxl~um admiss1ble effort value for the:
, articulatlon mechanlsmo.
~ In addltio~n to th1s ma~or disadvantage, i;t has~
`~ appeared that the presently~known winders with automatic
~: - 25 blockage were also not able to support ~uch:effortu aDd:
that therefore, at~the ~oment of an lmpact, the`oufety
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20330'~9
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r~ ~ belt does not fulflll absolutely lts protectlon role,
which aggravates the passenger corporal hazards.
OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE TNVENTION
Therefore, an ob~ect of the present inventlon is
to provide a vehicle seat lncludlng the seat lncllnation
settlng mechanisms with a mounting of safety belt wlth
three points fixed to tbe seat armature (seating portion
of the seat and seat back of the seat) but by using most
often an automatic winder and employlng means protectlng
10 the user ln all cases wlthout a risk of a~too rapld
destruction of the articulation mechanisms and of the
automatic wlnder. ;
According to the lnvention, the vehicle seat
provided wlth a safety belt with flxation polnts
15 embarked on the seat armature is characterized in that
:
one o the ends of the ~trap forming the ~afety belt ls
rlgidly connected to the rear lower portlon of t-he ~ ;
armature of the seat seating portlon by a blockage
` mechanism, then a shoulder keeper sltuated fronwardly~ -~
20 with re8pect to the upper portion of the~front face of
the~seat back provldes for~a sliding and guldlng of n
run of the safety belt passlng above the pa6senger
shoulder, an other end of the run of the ~a~ety belt
being flxed to an iron fitting fl~ed with one of the
25 81de flange6 of the senti~ng~portion armnture~and~fornlng
the second flxation point, then a keeper, cooperatlng
~ ; 3
æo33~ls
with a lock formlng the thlrd lower fixation point of
the safety belt, being rigidly connected to the side
~: flange opposite the second fixation point on the
~: armature of the seating portlon of the seat while the
two side flanges receiving the fixed and mobile portion~
of the seat back inclination settin~ mechanism with
respect to the seating portlon of the seat are placed ln
: a posltlon such that a pivoting point of the~e
mechanlsms 18 ln a position whlch is in front of a
:~ 10 normal plvotlng point of these mechanisms by a distance
sufflclent for substantially cancelling the efforts of
~ the safety belt on these articulatlon mechanlsms.
:~ Varlous other feature of the lnventlon wlll
.~:
i; become apparent from the followlng detalled description.
: ~: :
:~ 15 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
, :
Embodlments of the obJect of the inventlon are
. ~ shown, by way of non limiting examples, ln the
~; accompanylng drawings, wherein :
~: Flg. 1 is~a perspectlve view of a seat provlded :~
:20 with a`&aety belt of a "three embarked pQlnts"~type on
the seat armature, with the safety belt ln lts:rest
;~ ~ pos1tion ;
i8.~ 2 18 ~a vlew corresponding to Fig. .1, with
the safety belt in a worhlng position ;~ ~ :
~ 25 ~ig. 3 18 a rear~pèrsp~ctive vlew of~the seat~
;~ wlthout 1ts garni~hlng~:~show1ne the ~rmature and the~
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lron flttlngs lntended for fixation of the safety belt
wlth three embarked polnts ;
Flg. 4 is a front view correspondlng to Flg. 3 ;
Figs. 5 and 5a are enlarged views showlng a :~
portion of the members of the safety belt according to
the invention ;
Fig. 6 i8 an enlarged elevation view showlng a
detail of the safety belt passing on top of the seat
back ;
Fig. 7 is a front perspective view showing the
seat armature provided with the safety belt ; :
~ Fig. 8 i8 an enlarged view of a detail shown in
: slde elevatlon, illustratiDg an alternatlve embodiment
of a portion of the safety belt ;
Fig. 9 ls a side elevatlon view of a detall of `;`
another embodlment of the safety belt ; ~;
Fig. 10 is a side elevation vlew of the
mechanlsm of Fig. 9 in the blockage positlon ;~ `~
Flg. 11 is a slde elevation view of a:third
embodlment of a portlon~of the safety belt ;:~
:~ Fig.~12 is~a~slde élevation vlew correspoDding
to Flg. }I showlDg the mechanlsm ln another posltlon ; ~`~
~ : Fig. 13 shows a~side elevation vlew of
; ~ modification of one of th~e members of the Beat uslng a ~ :
: 25 safety belt with three embe~rked polnts
: :~
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Fig. 14 ls a side elevatlon view correspondlng
to Flg. 13 of the mechanlsm of thls figure in an other
,.1,
posltlon ;
~ Flg. 15 is a slde elevation view of a variant of
1~ ~ 5 Fig. 13 ;
Flg. 16 shows the devlce of Fig. 15 in a slde
elevation vlew ln another positlon.
DISCLOSURE OF P~EFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to drawings, Fig. 1 shows a
, :~
lO vehlcle seat, more particularly for an automobile, but
whlch can also be used in other vehlcles, notably ln
i,~ ~ aircrafts.
i~ ~ The seating portlon 1 of the seat lncludes, on
,, ~ its armature 2, rearwardly, side flanges 3 the upper
' 15 portion 3a of which i9 provided for receivin~ the fixed
element of the rotation mechanism enablin~ the seat back
4 of the seat in conslderation to be moved ~o as to put
the seat back 4 ln a desired positlon for uslng the
seat~ The controI of thls rotatlon device can be elther ``
20 manual~, or motorized as it is the case ln the maJorlty ;~
of~odern vehicles.
,Of course, the armature 2 of the seatlng portion
of the ~eat 18 also mounted on devices enabling the
longlt~udinal displacement of the seat, and also the
25 variable inclination of the 6eating portion by uslng a
ralslng device, known per~se.
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The seat can also comprlse in some cases, in the
upper portion of the seat back, a head-rest whlch i9 not
shown in the present case.
Likewise, the upholstery of the 3eat, meanlng
~ 5 that of the seating portion as well as of the seat back,
;~ can be made at wlll so a~ to provide as much comfort as
po~sible for the passenger.
Flg. 3 shows a rear perspective view of the
armature 2 of the seating portlon 1 whlch i8 made of a
~; 10 tube convenlently shaped~, and the end8 2a, 2b of whlch
tubRs are fixed by any convenient means on identical ~-
~ :: supports 5: made each of a base 6 and two parallel
;~ flange 7, 8. The latter are nor~ally covered when the ;~
seat ls finished by the covering flanges 3. The bases 6 ~:~
and the flanges 7, 8 are made of a steel sheet 80 as to
make rlgid the lower rear portlon of the armature of the
seating portion. Moreover, this rear portion of the
` armature of the seating portlon is reinforced by a~;tube
: : 9 the ends 9a, 9b of which are flxed by any convenient
means ~n~the bases 6.~
It~should a1~so;~be notlced that the outer:flange
8 of each support 5:includes an upper e2tenslon 10 on
~: : which sre fixed the~::fixed flange of the seat back
"`~ ortlculatlon mechan1s-~and the mobile f1snge~;o thl~
: 25 artlculation device, the~latter belng rlgldly connected
:: to the armsture 12 of;~the seat back 4. :~
: ~ : : ~::
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The armature 12 of the seat back 4 ls made o~
.. ~ two frames 13, 14 of a trapezoidal shape whlch is
tapering upwardly, and are connected at their top by a
: channel-shaped frame 15 making rigid the upper portion
of the armature 12 of the seat back 4.
;~: ~ Moreover, the base of the frames 13 and 14 as
.,, well as the rear portlon of the upper extenslons 10 are
1' : ~:
~;~ ;~ provided with gussets 16, 17 for settlng in position a
hollow traneverse bar (a tube) 18, the purpose of which
will be explained hereafter.
, Flnally, there is provided on the front portion
~` ~ of the right support 5 ln the present case, a yoke 20
,~ ~ intended for supporting the lock of the safety belt.
Lastly, the upper channel-shaped frame 15 of the
lS armature 12 of the seat back 4 18 provlded with an iron
fitting fixed to the upper left-hand side portion of the
frame (see ~ig. 3) snd through which extends the upper
;~ run of the safety belt. (In this case, lt is a left-hand .
side eeat, the lron fittlng~21 belng~on the rlght~for a -
rlght~sld~e;seat). The keeper 21 is sltuated ln~front of
the fron;t face o~f~th~e aeat back 4 (see Flg.~6,~llne ~-Z~
AB shown in Flg. 2, the safety belt 30 i~ held ~
at it~ lower free;end~30a by. a keeper~31~which~is
;rigldly connected by a bolt or rivet 32 to the~support 5
corrying the flangea 7~and 8.
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In some cases, the flange 8 is made of two
plates 8, 8a (see Fig. 5) rlgldly connected together so
as to enable a setting ln position, for the other end
30b of the safety belt 30, of a fixatlon point 34 made :~
5 by the superimposition of transverse bars retained :
between the supports 5, these fixation plates being .
connected by a bolt and nut arrangement 35, but which
could also be connected together by any other suitable
means. :
: lO As shown in Fig. 5, the lower end 30b of the
bel't 30 passes along a transverse tube 118 connecting
` ~ the flange 8 together, then around the tube 18 flxed on ~ :
the gussets 16, then returns around a tube 218
:
connecting the flanges 8 tr:ansversely together, and
finally, extending behind the seat back 4 of the seat,
811de9 through the upper lron fitting 21 formlng a ::
keeper, the other end 30a of this belt belng fixed on the ~-
keeper 31 as hereabove explained ~Flg. 7). :
~ It should be~noted that, if we assume tha;t the ;~
.~ 20~ tractlon effort applled on the strap 130a ls equal to 1,
` ~ ~due~to the success1ve passage on the;:po1nts 21~8~, 18~and
118, the force exerjted accordlng to F3 is equal to 2.
Therefore, the force F3~has a tendency to rotate the
seat back armature~ 12 rearwardly accordin~ to arrow F4.
: 25 The effect of the resu1tant force F3 i8 to cancel or~ :~
g
~ : :,:
~ : :
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2 ~ 3 3
~e ~3
mlnlmize the rotation torque along F5 exerted on the
~: artlculation point.
~ The run, forming the safety belt 30, comprises a
D"'7 keeper 38 which is mounted freely on it and ends into a
cruciform catch 37 lntended for penetrating, as it is
. ~ u~ual, inside a lock 39 for the fixation of the safety
~: ~ belt, s1nce the lock 39 i8 rigidly connected to the yoke
x ~ 20 (see Flgs. 1, 2 and 7).
~, ~
;~ By referrlng to Figs. 2 and 7, it i8 clear that
lO~the safety belt 30 ls subdivided lnto three successlve
:~ runs, i.e, a rear run 130a, a front breast run 130b and
a ventraI run 130c due to the lower flxation lron
`: ~ flttlng 34 of the upper keeper on the back 21 of the
; catch 37 cooperating wlth the lock 39 and finally to the .~
15 fixatlon point witb keeper 31. . .
In some cases, the rear flxation polnt 34 i8 , ~'.,.
~; replaced (see Flg. Sa) by an automatlc wlnder 43, known :,.
~: per se, and on which 18 normally wound the ma~or portlon
of~the safety belt 30:vheD the safety belt i9 not ~ .
~ 20 ~operatlng.
`~ The hereabove~construction~lea:ds~1mmed1ately to : ~,~
, two remarks.
; Due to the:;fact that the artieulation mechanisms
which allow the angular displacement of the ~eat back~4
25~ of the seat are dlsplaced frontwardly of the~:seatiD~
: ~ portio~ (point lOj;si~nce they are fixed on the upper: .:`
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extensions of the supports 5 substantlally in their
medlan zone, there is therefore obtalned a decentering
of the seat back armature 12 and of the seat back 4 wlth
respect to the seatlng portion 1 (see Flg. 4 where the
line x-x represents the abscissa line and y-y the
ordlnate llne), the point B belng the normal
articulation point and the polnt A being the real
plvotment polnt of the rotation mechanism which is
situated at about 50mm from the point B ln the present ~; ;
case. Moreover, the keeper 21 being placed in the upper
portion of the seat back 4 but on its front face, the ;~
effort of the strap maklng the safety belt 30 i8 '
therefore transferred above the passenger shoulder and
in front wlth respect to the seat back 4, the result
being that the torque exerted on the articulation
mechanism i9 very small.
Actually (see Fig. 5), the components of the
rear runs 130d and 130c on the tubes 118, 18, 218 are
such that an antagonist force i5 created and provides a
torque which reduces considerably the torque exerted on
the seat back articulation mechanisms.
For summarizlng, the position in front of the ;~
æeat back articulation mechanisms 12, the position of the
keeper 21 rlgidly conneeted to the channel-shaped fIange
15 in fro~lt and above the passenger sboulder ~ointed to
.
the lower rigid fixatlon of tbe run 130a eitber o~n
1 1
203~
flxed polnt or on an automatic wlnder, avoid any
damaglng torque on the articulations, which enables
making a safety belt with three embarked polnts.
In Flg. 8, the lower run 130a of the belt shows
S another embodlment of the lower flxed point of the strap
having practically the same feature as hereabove as ~ ~ :
shown in Fig. 5. Actually, the throughgoing tubes 118
: and 218~are rlgidly conneeted to the armature of the .`
seating portion of the seat, and only the return tube 18
0 i8 flxed at the bottom of the seat back, thereby :
limiting the efforts applled to the seat bae~ of the :.
seat .
In some cases (Fig. .9), lt is posslble to fix ln .,`.` .
addltion to the throughgolng tube 18 mounted on the seat .:.;- i:
15 back armature, throughgolng tubes 318, 418 mounted on ~`... ~.. ~
the armature o~ the seat1ng portion, and the
: throughgoing tube 18 ln then s1ldably mounted ln wlndows i
: 80 formed on elther side of the seat back 4 in the ;..... ` ~
gussets 16, 17. A res11ient element 81 tends to brlng ... ;ij.:.:
2~ the throughgoing tube 18 back to:the position which~ls .. :. .~.. -`"
most remote from the throughgoing tubes 318,~418. As ~ -:~::.'
shown in Flg. 9, the throughgo~ing tube 18 ls s1tuated ln ~.. .~::.:
a slanting.plane parallel to the plane deflned:by the
~: throughgo1Dg:tubes 318, 418,::and~the tube 18 can effect .
a move~ent (dlrection~of the arrow Fl, Pig. 10), in a
plane perpendlcular to the two hereabove de~ined~planes.
~ . ~
2~33~
In the event of an impact (see Fig 10), the
tube 18 slldes in the windows 80 of the gussets 16, 17
i~ dlrectlon of the arrow Fl (Flg 10) and then comes to
bear against the throughgoing tubes 318, 418 by firmly
blocklng the lower run 130a of the safety belt, thereby
causing an antagonistic torque cancellin~, any efforts
; applied on the articulation mechanism 10 mounted on the
seat back armature 12
In Fig 11, there i9 provlded in addltion to the
10 throughgoing tubes 318, 418 a throughgoing abutment 518
sliding in windows 180 formed in the gusset 16, 17 The
abutment 518 cooperates with a cylinder 100 ounted in
~; windows 101 also for-ed in the gussets 16, 17
The cylinder 100, which has a tendency to be
drawn inside (arrow F2) by a resilient element 81,
carrles a cable 102 wound around it and retalned under
tension by a second resilient element 81a, thls cable ~`~
~102 belng fixed at its lower end on the seat back
armature 12
20~ ~ ~In~the~event of~an impact (Tlg 12),~the
res11ient element 81 1s~defor-ed, the abut-ent 518 ~
drives thus the cylinder lO and blocks strongly the ~ ~ ;
cable 102, and this all~the more that the throughgoing
tubes~318, 418 are perlpherically serrated so as to
provide a~good bold of~the~cable 102 There agaln, the
result 18 the sa-e as that previously explalned ;
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` %033~
Finally, in Flg. 13, the lower run 130a of the
safety be-lt whlch comes for example from an automatlc
winder or is provided with any one of the blockage
devices described in the preceding figures, passes along ~ .
a segment in the shape of a shoe 120 artlcùlated at 121
to the armature of the seating portion of the seat.
Ihe front upper portlon:122 of the segment 120
iB serrated in order to cooperate wlth a toothed sector
123 fixed on the axis of articulatlon of each seat back
10 articulation mechanism 12. .--m
, There is also provided a resilient element 8lb
::: :
having a tendency to brlng rearwardly the sector 120 in
the directlon of arrow F3 (Flg. 13), but which is
deformed in the event of an lmpact and, at that moment, ::
the serration 122 extends lnto the teeth of the toothed
sector 123 (Fig. 14~, thereby blocklng completely the .
axls of articulation of the aeat back articulation `. -.
mechanism 12, so that the latter do not support any
: torque havlng a tendency to deform them. .:
~ ~ In Fig. 15, the toothed~segment 122 ln the~ shape
of a:shoe 1s drlven by~a lever ~230 controlled by a~pad ; ;~-
: ~ , 231 on the outer surface of whlch wlll extend the run
~: ~ 130a of the safety belt so:that, as explained for the
previous ca~es, when there~is an impact, the toothing
122 of the segmeDt 120 w11~1~extend lnside the~toothlng ~
of the toothed sector 123 ~see Flg. 16) 80 as to latch ~ :
~ 14
-" 2033~9
the seat back artlculatlon mechanisms 12 and thereby
avoid any destructive torque of the latter. This action `
causes a rubbing effect which lncreases the anchoring of
the lower run 130A of the safety belt (Flg. 15).
5 Finally, a lever 230 (Flg. 16) lncreases the force which ~-;
block~ the shoe 120 on the toothed sector 123, the
purpose of which on the run 130a of the belt 130 being ~-
~ the same as in Fig. 15.
- In all the embodiments of Figs. 8 to 16, the
lQ articulation point A of the mechanisms settin8 the
lncllination of the seat back in consideratlon occupies
the same position as that deflned for Figs. 4 and 5.
Moreover, it is also possible to make safety
belts of the parachute type with four embarked points
15 but, in that case, the ventral run is made of two
elements which are each connected to the rear lateral
,
armature of the ~eatlng portion of the seat and the
closing lock being ln the middle of the ventral belt ;
this lock can also receive two catches fixed to the~ :
20 lower portion of the shoulder runs, as known. The
mounting of each shoulder run is conform to what has
been prevlously descrlbed for the rear run 13~0a.
Finally, it should be noticed that these -~
embarked safety belts are provided with the known
:, :
~ 25 devlces for ad~ustlng the~length of each run in
~:
2~33~9
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consideration so as to set them as a functlon of the
corpulence of the passenger.
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