Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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FIRLD OF THE; INVENllON
The present invention relates to a seat for a vehicle7 compr~ing a sitSing psrt
and a back of which at lea~t ehe upper part is mo~able.
PRIOR ART
It is ~Isual to provide seats for motor vehicles with a back capable of being
turned down. For this reason the present applicant proposed in French Paterlt No 2,~20,395
dated 6th July l9aO a vehicle provided with seats comprising a back capable of being turned
down comprising a telescopic part. When it is turned down horizontally, this back has the
function of a door which comes to blank off the upper part of a passenger space. The space is
therefore protected from the weather, from view and from thef~s. In addition, the horizontal
surface thus congtituted may form part of a more extensive horizontal surface over the entire
upper part of the vehicle and may provide a loading surface.
Seats for vehicles are also known provided with an integrated belt, that is to
say compr~sing on the one hand a reel embedded in one part of the seat and on the other hand
the attachments and seturn buckle necessary for fitting the belt over the passenger.
In order to protect the passenger effectively without the action per se of the
belt being dangerous, standards exist at the internstional level, which regulate the zones for
implantation of the two lower attachments and of the return buckle. The severity of these
standards reduces considerabb the margin for manoeuvre of seat and passenger compsrtment
designers, dissuading the latter from proposing major innovatios regarding the position of the
saÇety belt.
The automobile seats known hitherto have therefore the particular
disadvantage of not having the two above-mentioned features in conjunction, namely movable
back and integrated belt. This disad~antage is particularly regrettable for vehicles of the
monocompartment type which often comprise one isolated seat at the centre of the passenger
compartment, set back a little from the front seatq and in front of the rear seats. The concern
for an optimum safety has logicnlly led to fitting of these seats with an inteBrated belt and to
movability of the back not being aUowed. The pessengers of the vehicle are thus prevented
from having st their disposal, by virtue of the turned down back, a horizontal sul face capable
for e~ample of serving as a table.
SUMM~Y OF THE INVENTION
The present invention therefore proposes to overcome these disadvantages by
providing a seat for a vehicle, comprising a sitting part and a back of which at least the upper
part is movable between a substantiaQy vertical position permitting a passenger to sit on the
seat and a substantially horizontal position in whioh the upper par~ of the back is tilted
forward.
According to the invention, the seat comprises a safety belt, the reel of which
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is a~ lea~L in par~ em~edded in the movable p~t of the back, ~ return buckle of the belt being
secured to the frame of the movable part of the b~ck, the two lower attachment point~ of the
belt being secured to the frame of the si;ting part, on either side of the seat.The invention thu3 pro~ndes in conjus~ction the advantages of comfor~
associated with an integrated belt and with a back capable of being turned do~m. Moreover,
this innovation is made while respecting the safety st ndards.
Aecording to an advantageous version of the invention, the movable part of the
back is articulated vith respect to the seat by means of a rotational spindle and the seat
comprises a device for blocking ~he movable part of the back, comprising on the one hand a
rigid component secured to the frame of the sittiag part, part of this component having the
shape of a portion of disk which has as its a.~s said rotation~l spindle and which has n notch~
and on the other hand a pawl articulated to the frame of the movable part of the back and
capable of being engaged in said notch so as to immobilise the movable part of the back in a
substantially vertical position.
In this manner, the safety of the passenger sitting on the seat is improved by
preventing the tilting forward of the movable part of the seat in the event of a head-on impact
or sharp braking.
A~ording to a preferred version of the invention, the seat i3 detachnble. The
seat is secured to the vehicle by mean3 of at least two detachable mounting 3ystems disposed
respectively at the front and rear part of the seat, the controls for opening the mounting
systems being connected by a 3trap permitting simultaneous opening of the mounting system~
by action of only one of the opening controls.
By these mean3 it LS made easier to handle and to store the seat, without
thereby reducing the safety of the pas3enger. In fact, the 3eat is fitted with two mounting
systems and therefore suitabb secured to the vehicle~ and these two mounting system3 can
be unlocked at the same time by the operation of only one of them.
According to another advantageous version of the invention, the lower part of
the back being ri~pdly secured to the sitting part, the mounting system pl~ced at the rear of
the seat is se~ured to the frame of the lower part of the back, in the vicinity of the movable
part of the ba~ Lll this manner, the ~ecur~ng of the seat to the passenger compartment is
thus improved, one of the seat mounting sy~tems being placed on the back of the latter. A
good distribution of the forces is thus obtained in the event of an accident and particularly in
the event of an impact on the vehicle from behind
A~:cording to another preferred version of the invention, the top of the back
comprises an arch rigidly secured to the frame of the back and rising to a height substantially
above the top of tbe head of the passenger sitting on the seat.
This arch further improves the safety of the passenger as it protects the latter
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in the case where the vehicle is completely turned over. In these circumshnces, the
passenger's head doe5 not therefore come v~olently to strike the ground.
Accordlng to ano~her advan~ageous version of the invention, ~id movable p~rt
of the back.is telescopic so as to be capable of extending the latter. Furthe;more, the sea~
comprises a device arranged 90 that the telescopic movable part of the baek i9 deployed
automatically when this movable part is tilted into substantially horizontal position. Moreover,
in this position, the movable part of the ~k comes to blank off the upper part oî a pas~enger
space. The blanking off of thi3 space i8 facilitated by the automatic deployment of the
telescopic part of the back of the seat as soon a9 the latter tilts into horizont~l position.
Other features and advantages of the invention will b~come more apparent in
the foUowmg description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, given by way of non-
limiting example.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWI~GS
In the accompanying drawings:
- Figure 1 gives a front view of the frame of the Reat according to the
invention, the system for securing the seat to the passenger compartment and the belt
attachment device;
- Figure 2 is a view from the right of the seat shown in Figure 1;
- Figure 3 is a view in perspective showing detail D of Figure 2;
- Figure 4 gives a front view of the upper part of the seat according to the
invention with the telescopic part and the deployment device of the latter; and
- Figure 6 gives a view from the right of the seat of Figure 4, the upper part
of the back being turned down into horizontal position.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED E~3ODIl~I:E:Nl`S
Figures 1 and 2 show the frame of the seat ~ccording to the invention. The
frame is symmetrical with respect to the transverse plane of symmetry of the seat and is
entire~ of metal, for example of steeL
The lower par~ of the frame supports the sitti~lg part of the seat and the lowerpart of the back. It comprises on each side a horizontal lower member 1 rigidly connected to
a double, substantiaDy vertical swan neck 2. The two left and right members 1 are connected
to one another at the front of the seat by a front cross-member 3 and at the back of the seat
by a rear cross-member 4. This cross-member 4 al3G~ connects to one another the two double
swan-neck~ 2, which are connected at the upper part by an ~al tube 5 forming the rotational
spindle of the movable upper part of the back of the seat.
The upper part of the frame comprises two double uprights ô situated in the
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extension of the double swan-necks 2, these two double uprights û being movable in rotation
about the a~ial tube ~. The double upri~hts 6 are connected at the upper part by a frame tube
7 of s~uare cross section. On the latter are secured two arch support~ 8 which extend as far
as the top of the ~eat. An arch 9 is secured 8t their end.
The whole of the upper frame, nameb the double uprights ff, the tube 7, the
supports 8 and the arch 9, is thereforc movable in rotation about the spindle 5 between a
subg~ntialb vertical position in which it con.~titutes the frams of the back of the seat
permitting a p~ssenger to sit on the seat ~nd a substantially horizontally position in which the
upper part of the back i9 turned down towards the front of the seat.
The safety belt device comprises first of all a reel 10 secured onto 8 reel
bracket 11, itself secured to the left double upright ff of ~he upper frame of the seat. Once the
frame of the seat has been covered with the components, particularly foar~, allowing the
passenger to sit in cornfort, the reel 10 i3 entirely embedded in She movable part of the back
of the seat. The device additionally comprises a ret~ buckle 40 ~ecured to the left end of
the firame tube 7. The belt and the belt buckle, of conventional model, have not been shown.
The belt buckle comes to be housed in the conventional attachment device 12.
The support of this device 12 is secured to the lower p~rt of the right double swRn-neck 2 of
the lower frame of the seat. The attachment device 12 rises as far as the level of the hip of
the passenger sitting on the seat, as i9 well known. The lower end of the belt is connected by
the attachment 13 to the lower part of the left double swan-neck.
With the aid of Figure 3, the device for blocking the movable part of the back,
shown at the level of detail D of Figure 2, will now be described.
The upper part 41 of the right double sv an-neck 2, placed in the vicinity of
the a~dal tube 6 has the shape of a portion of disk. Each element 42 and 43 of the double
swan-neck 2 has at the upper rear part a notch 14. Each double upright 6 i8 composed of two
elongate plates 16, shown in dot-dash IL~eY i~ Figure 9 for greater clarity, suitably connected
to one another by means of joins, not shown. A pin 18 passes through the two elongate plate~
16. This pin common to the two plates is situated ~ubstantially sbove tbe end of the double
swan-neck 2. A pawl 1~ is disposed aga~nst esch eloneate plate 16 and articulated in rotation
about the pin 18. The two pawls are situated opposite one another. Each pawl 16 comprises
a point 17 arranged so as to be capable of being engaged in the notch 14 of the element 42,
43 of the swan-neck 2 when the movable upper part of the back of the seat is in the vertical
position.
In this manner the pawls 16 block the rotation of the double upright 6 about
the axial tube 5, that is to say that they block the rotation of the upper part of the fr rne of
the seat about the a~l tube 5. Thus the movable part of the back of the seat can no longer
tilt forward.
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In order to permi~ the forward tilting o~ the upper part of the bac~ of the s~at,
the points 17 of the pa-vls 18 are disenga6ed from the notche~
Figure 5 ~hows the movable pnrt of the back of the seat turned down fo~ward
into a hori~ontal position, the poil~ts 17 being d~engaged ~rom the notches 14 of th0 double
swan-neck 2.
O' course, in another version of the invention, it is possible to provide the two
double uprights 6 of the upper frame with two pawl~ 16 in order to re~nforce the blockiflg of
the movable part of the back of the seat.
The seat is secured in detachable manner to the Qoor of the passenger
compartment of the vehicle. For this, two mounting systems 20 and 21 are used. The
mounting system 20 is situated at the front of the member~ 1 and the mounting system 21 i8
situated at the rear part of the double swan-necks 2, as shown in Figure~ 1 and 2.
~ he mounting sy3tem 20 con~ts Sn the first place of two vertical notches 44
directed downward, made in the lower part of the ends of the members 1. A locking pin 22
formed by a bar connects the two ends of the members 1 over the above-mentioned notch 44.
A tube 24 is mounted in rotation about the locking pin 22. It has at its ends two hook forming
lugs 25. When the seat is disposed in the passenger compartment so that the notches 44
engage on a locking rod 26 secured to the floor of the passenger compartment, the hook-
forming lugs 25 are adapted to be capable of being engaged under the rod 26 so as to block
the latter at the bottom of the Dotches 44. In this manner, the front part of the seat iB
secured to the passenger compartment of the vehicle.
Similarly, the rear loc~sing system comprises four vertical notches 46 directed
downward made at the rear part of the double swan-necks 2 and a rear locking pin 45 formed
by a bsr joining the two double swan-necks 2. On this locking pin is mounted in rotation a
loc~cing tube 27 comprising at its ends two hook-for~ng lugs 28.
The passenger compartment of the vehicle also comprises a rad 20 on which
can be engaged the notches 46 of the swaD-necks 2. The hook-forming lugs 28 are arranged
so as to be capable of bending back under the rod 29 so as to prevent the withdrawal of the
rod 29.
The notches 44 and 46 which are engaged on the loc!~ing rods 26 and 29 are
vertical and orientated downward. In this manner, the in~tallation of the seat i9 ef~ected by
a natural downward vertical movement of the seat.
Two respective handles 30, 31 make it possible to operate the locking tubes
24 and 27. These handle~ constitute the opening controls of the mounting systems 20 and 21.
The rotation of the handle 30 brin~ 8 about the rotation of the loek~g tube 24 and the rotation
of the hook forming lugs 25 thus freeing the front locking rod 26. The same i3 true for the
rear mounting system.
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A strap 32 conn~ts the two handles 30 and 31. The strap 32 i9 ~ecured to the
handle 3û, passea mder the locking t~lbe 241 ~hen over the front cross-member 3, under the
rear cross-member 4, over the rear locking rod 2~ and reache~ the handle 31 to which it is
sec~Lred. The strap is dispo3ed so as to be moderately taut between the two handles.
By this device, the action of the handle 30 causes the simultaneous movement
of the other handle 31.
Return springs, not shown, are suitably disposed to bring the front and rear
locking tubes and hook-forming lugs b~k into position after freeing or after secluing the seAt
on the floor of the passenger compartment.
The s~fety arch 9, pL~ced at the top of ihe upper part of the frame of the seat,that is to say at the top of the movable part of the back, extends to a height substantialy
above the top of the head of the passenger sitting on the seat. Ln this mnnner, in the case of
accidental turning over of the vehicle, when turnlng too sharply for example, the passenger is
not crushed against the ground by the vehicle situated above him. In fact, the arch 9 is rigicUy
attached to the frame of the seat and, through the two mount~ s~stems 20 and 21, rig~dly
attached to the chassis of the vehicle.
If the vehicle turn~ over, the impact of the shock and the weight of the vehicleare borne by the arch 9 and the frame of the 3eat. The passenger L therefore not crushed
under the weight of the vehicle.
In Figure 4, a shell 35 is secured at the rear pa~t of the frame of the movable
part of the back of the seat. This shell 36 forms the rear face of the seat. The shell 36 has
at the top part an extension 36 render~ng the latter telescopic. Part of the extension 36 is
movable by sliding inside the shell 95 by a conventional system of slides.
The arch 9 rema~ns immobile. The extension 36 comprises recesses and rib4
permitting it to slide without being impeded by the arch 9.
A pneumatic spring 37 is dispo~ed in the shell 95. The spring 37 is released
when its movable rod 38 is extended. rt i8 connected by its fixed end 47 to the a~dal tube 6.
The movable rod 38 of the spring 37 is connected to the inner surface of the extension 36.
A locking device, not shown, serves to block the pneumatic spring 37 in the
compressed position. The locking device is arranged 90 as to free the ~ction of the jack, that
is to say to extend the rod 38 when the movable part of the b~ of the seat is tilted forward
to the horizontaL In this manner, the extension 3B of the shell 35 extends automatically when
the movable part of the back of the seat i9 passed from the vertical position ~o the horizontal
position.
When the passenger compartment of the vehicle is intended to comprise
individual passenger spaces, such as the spaces described in the above-mentioned French
patent no 2,620,395 dated July 6th 1990 the shell 9~ extended by the extension 36 forms in
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horizontaJ position a door coming to blank o~f the upper part of the p~ssenger sp~ce. I'he
passenger space is ~hen inaccessible and shielded from view and from the weather.
This blanking-off can naturally be rendered le~ktight by providing the front
part of the shell 36 with a set of suitably arranged leaktight seals.
Of course, an appropriate lock~g system can be pro~fided is~ order to block the
upper part of the back of the seat in turned-down pos.tion over a passenger space and to
prevent it being raised to the vertical.
The frame of the seat which has just been described will of course be fitted
vrith various components (3heet metal, f~bric, foam, etc.) in order to constitute a comfortable
seat.
The seat wbich has just been described provides many advantages.
In the first pL~ce, it i~ detachable. The seat can therefore be removed in orderto free the passenger space, so that luggage can be disposed therein. The front 28 and rear
29 mounting rods can be disposed in duplicate in each passenger space so that the seat can be
placed in two positions, a first position in which the passenger faces toward the front of the
vehicle and a second position in which the passenger faces backward.
The fact that the seat is fitted with an integrated belt permits a saving of
compa~tment and increases the freedom of movement of the passenger. It also contributes to
facilitating the fitting of the seat and its extraction from the passenger space.
The fact that a passenger space can be closed at the upper part by means of
the movable upper part of the back of the seat turned down to the horizontal, rnakes it
possible to shield the interior of the space from indi~creet observation, from thefts and firom
the weather.
The telescopic part of the back of the seat makes it possible to have a
passenger space which is spacious at the upper part without the surface of the back of the seat
forming the door of this space being undulb e~tensive.
The seat according to the illvention pr~r~ides this comfort and these advantagesof utilization while preserving the safety of the passenger.
The integrated belt prevents the passenger from being thrown forward in the
event of abrupt braking or of head-on impact.
The device for blocking the movable upper part of the back of the seat permits,
in the event of braking, the transmission of the forces in their entirety from the back to the
lower par~t of the frame of the seat. In this manner the movable upper part of the back of the
seat remains fixed even in the event of a violent head-on impact.
The two systems for securing the frame of the seat to the floor of the
passenger space ensure a strong attachment of the seat to the passenger compartment of the
vehicle while permitting a simplified extraction of the seat when the latter has to be removed
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or turned, by virtue of the sirnultaneou3 opening of the two system3 by action of a single
opening control.
The srch placed st the upper part of the seat protect~ the passenger from the
weight of th~ vehicle in eYent of the l~tter tllrning oYer. In fact, ul thia cas8, the trar~sn~ission
of the forces and particularly of the weight of the Yehicle is effected via the pa~senger
comp~tment, the lower frame of the seat, the upper frame of the seat and lastly the arch.
Lastly, the lower attachment points and the upper return buckle of the safety
belt correspond to the positionirlp zones authorised by the international standards govern~ng
the arrangement of safe~y devices for vehicles.
Of course, it will be possible to propose numerous modifications and
improvement~ of the seat according to the invention. It will in particl3Lqr be possible to va~r
the structure or the shape of the frame of the seat.
