U.S. patent application number 10/848486 was filed with the patent office on 2004-12-02 for vehicle seat back provided with a television monitor, and a vehicle seat including such a seat back.
Invention is credited to Fourrey, Francois, Petitjean, Gilles.
Application Number | 20040239155 10/848486 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 33427468 |
Filed Date | 2004-12-02 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040239155 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Fourrey, Francois ; et
al. |
December 2, 2004 |
Vehicle seat back provided with a television monitor, and a vehicle
seat including such a seat back
Abstract
A vehicle seat back provided with a television monitor mounted
to pivot about an axis that is fixed relative to the seat back
through an angular range of not less than 180.degree. between
firstly a folded-away position in which the monitor is received in
the setback, the viewing screen of the monitor being disposed
facing the rear face of the seat back, and secondly an in-use
position in which the viewing screen is designed to face a user
disposed facing the rear face of the seat back.
Inventors: |
Fourrey, Francois;
(Corquilleroy, FR) ; Petitjean, Gilles; (Boulogne
Billancourt, FR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MCCRACKEN & FRANK LLP
200 W. ADAMS STREET
SUITE 2150
CHICAGO
IL
60606
US
|
Family ID: |
33427468 |
Appl. No.: |
10/848486 |
Filed: |
May 18, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
297/163 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60N 3/004 20130101;
B60R 2011/0015 20130101; B60R 2011/0276 20130101; B60N 2/206
20130101; B60N 2/90 20180201; B60R 2011/0082 20130101; B60R 11/0258
20130101; B60R 11/0235 20130101; B60N 2/64 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
297/163 |
International
Class: |
A47B 039/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
May 27, 2003 |
FR |
03 06404 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A vehicle seat back having a front face and a rear face provided
with a setback for receiving a television monitor having a viewing
screen, said rear face further being provided with a table mounted
to pivot between a closed position and a deployed position, wherein
the television monitor is mounted to pivot about an axis that is
fixed relative to the seat back through an angular range of not
less than 180.degree. between firstly a folded-away position in
which said monitor is received in the setback, the viewing screen
being disposed facing the rear face of said seat back, and secondly
an in-use position in which the viewing screen is designed to face
a user disposed facing said rear face of the seat back.
2. A seat back according to claim 1, in which the angular range
through which the table pivots between the closed position and the
deployed position is not less than 180.degree..
3. A seat back according to claim 2, provided with angular indexing
means adapted to enable the table to be held in predetermined
angular positions relative to the closed position.
4. A seat back according to claim 3, in which the predetermined
angular positions of the table relative to the closed position are
substantially equal to 15.degree., 90.degree., 135.degree., and
180.degree..
5. A seat back according to claim 1, in which the television
monitor is pivotally mounted directly on a module mounted in fixed
manner in the setback provided in the rear face of the seat back,
the module being provided with a recess serving to receive the
television monitor when it is in the folded-away position.
6. A seat back according to claim 5, in which the module is also
equipped with a camera adapted to film a zone facing the rear face
of the seat back, the camera being disposed so that the field of
vision of the camera is not obstructed by the television monitor
when said monitor is in the folded-away position and is not
obstructed by the monitor when it is in the in-use position.
7. A seat back according to claim 5, in which the module is
provided with lighting means for lighting a zone facing the rear
face of the seat back.
8. A seat back according to claim 5, in which the table is
pivotally mounted on a bottom portion of the module.
9. A seat back according to claim 1, in which said seat back
extends between a bottom end and a top end, and, when in the in-use
position, the television monitor extends beyond the top end of the
seat back.
10. A motor vehicle seat comprising a seat proper pivotally
receiving a seat back according to claim 1.
Description
[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle seat back
provided with a television monitor, and to a vehicle seat including
such a seat back.
[0002] More particularly, the invention relates to a vehicle seat
back having a front face and a rear face provided with a setback
for receiving a television monitor having a viewing screen, said
rear face further being provided with a table mounted to pivot
between a closed position and a deployed position.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Such a seat back provided with a television monitor is
described in Document JP 11-151986. That seat back is provided with
a complex mechanism for moving the television monitor between a
folded-away position and an in-use position in which the viewing
screen is disposed facing an occupant sitting behind said seat back
on a second row of seats of a vehicle. When the occupant wishes to
view the screen of the television monitor, said occupant firstly
brings the table into the deployed position, and then extracts the
television monitor from the setback in the seat back by means of a
displacement mechanism which comprises rails mounted to pivot
relative to the seat back and on which the television monitor is
also mounted to pivot. That displacement mechanism thus requires
the television monitor to be pivoted about two different axes in
order to be brought into its in-use position, which complicates
extracting it from the setback provided in the seat back.
Furthermore, since that displacement mechanism is relatively
voluminous, it is essential to overdimension the setback so that it
can receive both the displacement mechanism and the television
monitor when said monitor is in the folded-away position.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] A particular object of the invention is to mitigate those
drawbacks by proposing a vehicle seat back that enables the
television monitor to be moved simply and effectively into the
in-use position.
[0005] To this end, according to the invention, in a vehicle seat
back of the type in question, the television monitor is mounted to
pivot about an axis that is fixed relative to the seat back through
an angular range of not less than 180.degree. between firstly a
folded-away position in which said monitor is received in the
setback, the viewing screen being disposed facing the rear face of
said seat back, and secondly an in-use position in which the
viewing screen is designed to face a user disposed facing said rear
face of the seat back.
[0006] In preferred embodiments of the invention, it is optionally
possible to use one or more of the following provisions:
[0007] the angular range through which the table pivots between the
closed position and the deployed position is not less than
180.degree.;
[0008] the seat back is provided with angular indexing means
adapted to enable the table to be held in predetermined angular
positions relative to the closed position;
[0009] the predetermined angular positions of the table relative to
the closed position are substantially equal to 15.degree.,
90.degree., 135.degree., and 180.degree.;
[0010] the television monitor is pivotally mounted directly on a
module mounted in fixed manner in the setback provided in the rear
face of the seat back, the module being provided with a recess
serving to receive the television monitor when it is in the
folded-away position;
[0011] the module is also equipped with a camera adapted to film a
zone facing the rear face of the seat back, the camera being
disposed so that the field of vision is not obstructed by the
television monitor when said monitor is in the folded-away position
and is not obstructed by the monitor when it is in the in-use
position;
[0012] the module is provided with lighting means for lighting a
zone facing the rear face of the seat back;
[0013] the table is pivotally mounted on a bottom portion of the
module; and
[0014] said seat back extends between a bottom end and a top end,
and, when in the in-use position, the television monitor extends
beyond the top end of the seat back.
[0015] In addition, the invention also provides a motor vehicle
seat comprising a seat proper pivotally receiving a seat back as
defined above.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will
appear on reading the following description of an embodiment
thereof, given by way of non-limiting example, and with reference
to the accompanying drawings.
[0017] In the drawings:
[0018] FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation view partially in
section showing a vehicle seat equipped with a seat back of the
invention;
[0019] FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the vehicle seat shown
in FIG. 1, when the table is in the closed position;
[0020] FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of the vehicle seat when
the table is in the deployed position, and when the television
monitor is in the folded-away position;
[0021] FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view of the vehicle seat when
the table is in the deployed position and the television monitor is
in the in-use position; and
[0022] FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic side view of the vehicle seat when
the seat back is in folded-forwards position, the television
monitor being in the in-use position and the table being in the
deployed position.
MORE DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0023] In the various figures, like references designate elements
that are identical or similar.
[0024] FIG. 1 shows a front seat 1 of a motor vehicle, which seat
comprises a seat proper 2 extending between a front end 21 and a
rear end 22, and a seat back 3 mounted to pivot on the rear end 22
of the seat proper 2. The seat back 3 extends substantially
vertically between a bottom end 31 and a top end 32.
[0025] The seat back 3 also has a front face 33 which co-operates
with the seat proper 2 to define a space for receiving the occupant
of the front seat, and a rear face 34 having a top portion which
receives a television monitor 4 and a pivotally mounted table
5.
[0026] In the example shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the top portion of the
rear face 34 has a setback 35 defined by an end wall 35a, a bottom
edge 35b and two side edges 35c which extend to the top end 32 of
the seat back 3. The setback 35 is adapted to receive a module 36
on which the television monitor 4 and the table 5 are pivotally
mounted directly. The module 36, which, for example, can be made of
a plastics material, has outside shapes that are complementary to
the shapes of the setback 35 formed in the top portion of the rear
face 34 of the seat back 3. The module 36 is fixed in the setback
35, e.g. by means of fixing members (not shown) which can be
constituted by catch members serving, for example, to be clipped
into notches provided in the end wall 35a of the setback 35 of the
seat back 3.
[0027] The table 5 is pivotally mounted directly on the bottom
portion of the module 36. The table 5 can, in particular, be
mounted to pivot between a closed position, as shown in FIG. 2, and
in which it covers the module 36 entirely, and a deployed position
making it possible for a user to have access to the television
monitor 4. In its deployed position, the table 5 can form an angle
of about 90.degree. relative to the module 36, as shown in FIGS. 1,
3, and 4. However, the table 5 can also be pivoted beyond this
position to form an angle of 135.degree. relative to the module 36
so as to serve as a support for reading or writing for the user of
the rear bench seat, or else an angle of 180.degree. so that said
table is disposed substantially parallel to the rear face 34 of the
seat back 3. In addition, the table 5 can also be pivoted through
an angle of about 15.degree. relative to its closed position so as
to enable its free end to form a coat hook on which to hang
clothes. Advantageously, the table 5 can also be pivotally mounted
on the module 36 with angular indexing means enabling in particular
said table 5 to take up predetermined angular positions, e.g. at
15.degree., 90.degree., 135.degree., or 180.degree. relative to its
closed position.
[0028] The television monitor 4 is pivotally mounted on the top
potion of the module 36 to pivot between a folded-away position as
shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, and an in-use position shown in FIGS. 4.
The television monitor has an uninterrupted face 4a that forms the
rear face of the monitor and a viewing face 4b which includes a
viewing screen 41.
[0029] More precisely, the television monitor 4 is pivotally
mounted on the module 36 by means of two support arms 6, each of
which extends between a first end fixed to the television monitor
and a second end mounted to pivot about an axis X (FIG. 1) which is
horizontal and fixed relative to the module 36 and thus relative to
back 3 of the seat. The second ends of the arms 6 are received
directly and snugly in notches 36a provided directly in the top
portion of the module 36 so as to hold the television monitor in a
position chosen by the user. Thus, the television monitor can pivot
firstly between a folded-away position in which the television
monitor is housed in a recess 36b provided directly in the module
36, the viewing screen 41 then being disposed facing the recess 36b
and thus facing the rear face 34 of the back 3, and secondly an
in-use position in which the television monitor pivots through an
angular range of not less than 180.degree. so that said viewing
screen 41 is disposed facing away from the rear face 34 of the seat
back 3, the occupant sitting behind the seat 1 thus being able to
view the viewing screen 41. In said in-use position, the television
monitor 4 advantageously extends beyond the top end 32 of the seat
back 3, thereby offering the user comfortable viewing. The recess
36b can also be provided with a well 36c for removably receiving a
remote control box for remotely controlling the television monitor
4.
[0030] The television monitor 4 can also be connected to an
electronic device 7 making it possible to display information such
as a still or motion video image, text, or menus, or the like on
said viewing screen 41. In particular, the electronic device can
comprise a reader for reading a digital disk for storing video
and/or audio information, which reader is disposed directly, for
example, under the seat proper 2 of the seat 1.
[0031] In which case, respective wires can connect the electronic
device 7 to the television monitor 4, which wires then pass via the
support arms 6 that connect the television monitor 4 to the seat
back 3. The top end 32 of the seat back 3 can also be provided with
a head rest disposed optionally so as to limit the extent to which
the television monitor 4 can pivot into its in-use position in
which it forms at least an angle of 180.degree. relative to the
module 36. In addition, the module 36 can also be equipped with a
camera 8, e.g. disposed between the two support arms 6 which
support the television monitor 4, which camera 8 is adapted to film
the occupant in the zone disposed facing the rear face 34 of the
seat back 3. Advantageously, said camera 8 is in no way obstructed
by the television monitor 4 when said monitor is in its folded-away
position as shown in FIG. 3 or when the monitor is in its in-use
position as shown in FIG. 4. The camera 8 can, in particular, be
connected to a viewing screen disposed on the dashboard of the
motor vehicle so that, for example, the driver can see what the
user of the viewing screen 41 is doing.
[0032] The camera 8 can also be connected to the television monitor
so that the viewing screen 41 acts as a mirror for the user, with
all the appropriate adjustments such as magnification or brightness
adjustments.
[0033] In addition, the module 36 can also be provided with
lighting means 9, in particular when the table 5 is used as a work
support and in particular a support for reading or writing.
[0034] In addition, as can be seen in FIG. 4, when the television
monitor 4 is in the in-use position, the operator can fold the
table 5 away into its closed position so that is substantially
flush with the rear face 34 of the seat back 3, thereby offering
optimum comfort for the user of said television monitor 4.
[0035] In addition, as shown in FIG. 5, it is also possible to fold
the seat back 2 forwards so that its front face 33 is disposed
substantially parallel to and against the top face of the seat
proper 2, it then being possible for an operator to deploy the
table 4 so that it forms an angle of at least 180.degree. relative
to the module 36, the operator then merely having to extract the
television monitor 4 from its recess 36b by pivoting it through an
angle substantially equal to 90.degree. in order for it to be
possible to view the viewing screen 41 of the television monitor
4.
[0036] In a variant embodiment (not shown in FIGS. 1 to 4), the
television monitor 4 can also be pivotally mounted directly on the
rear face 34 of the seat back 3 which, for this purpose, is
provided with a setback 35 of shape substantially complementary to
the shape of the television monitor. Similarly, if the module 36 is
omitted, the table 5 can be pivotally mounted directly on said rear
face 34 of the seat back 3.
* * * * *