U.S. patent application number 10/512363 was filed with the patent office on 2006-03-09 for vehicle rear seat device.
Invention is credited to Satsuki Yamanaka.
Application Number | 20060049682 10/512363 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 29267469 |
Filed Date | 2006-03-09 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060049682 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Yamanaka; Satsuki |
March 9, 2006 |
Vehicle rear seat device
Abstract
A vehicular rear seat unit (1) includes a bench seat (2)
including a seat cushion (7) with three seat sections (4, 5, 6)
arranged side by side, the seat cushion having a pair of frame
members (23, 30, 24, 31) provided at positions corresponding to
both side portions of the middle seat section (4); seat belt
anchors (A, B, C, D) for the seat sections (4, 5, 6), the seat belt
anchors (A, B, C, D) being attached to the respective frame members
(23, 30, 24, 31); and a seat slide device (3) including a pair of
movable rails (29) to which the respective frame members (23, 30,
24, 31) are individually fixed, and a pair of fixed rails (28)
which slidably support the respective movable rails (29), the fixed
rails (28) being individually fixed to a vehicle body floor.
Inventors: |
Yamanaka; Satsuki;
(Kanagawa, JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
FOLEY & LARDNER LLP
777 EAST WISCONSIN AVENUE
SUITE 3800
MILWAUKEE
WI
53202-5308
US
|
Family ID: |
29267469 |
Appl. No.: |
10/512363 |
Filed: |
April 23, 2003 |
PCT Filed: |
April 23, 2003 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/JP03/05177 |
371 Date: |
July 14, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
297/452.18 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60N 2/0707 20130101;
B60N 2/065 20130101; B60R 22/26 20130101; B60N 2/0875 20130101;
B60N 2205/35 20130101; B60N 2/0715 20130101; B60N 2/0705 20130101;
B60N 2/688 20130101; B60N 2/0825 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
297/452.18 |
International
Class: |
A47C 7/02 20060101
A47C007/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Apr 24, 2002 |
JP |
2002-122906 |
Claims
1. A vehicular seat unit, comprising: a bench seat comprising a
seat cushion with three seat sections arranged side by side, the
seat cushion having a pair of frame members provided at positions
corresponding to both side portions of a middle seat section; seat
belt anchors for the seat sections, the seat belt anchors being
attached to the respective frame members; and a seat slide device
comprising a pair of movable rails to which the respective frame
members are individually fixed; and a pair of fixed rails which
slidably support the respective movable rails, the fixed rails
being individually fixed to a vehicle body floor with leg members
interposed there between.
2. The vehicular seat unit according to claim 1, wherein: each of
the leg members is provided on both transversely outer edges
thereof with first catch brackets, each first catch bracket forming
a groove open downward; each of the frame members is provided on
both transversely outer edges thereof close to the seat belt
anchors with second catch brackets, each second catch bracket
having an engagement piece to be engaged with the first catch
bracket; and a rod bridging each of the frame members there
between, the rod for contact with the movable rails to prevent the
seat cushion from moving downward.
3. The vehicular seat unit according to claim 2, wherein: the first
catch bracket is provided on a top portion thereof with a plurality
of engagement holes arrayed along a length thereof; the second
catch bracket is provided on a tip end of the engagement piece
thereof with a plurality of engagement protrusions formed for
engaging with the engagement holes; and the first and second catch
brackets are configured such that the engagement protrusions are
engaged with the engagement holes to prevent the second catch
brackets from moving relative to the first catch brackets when an
upward load is exerted on the seat cushion.
4. The vehicular seat unit according to of claim 1, wherein the
frame members each comprises base members, a reclining devices
connected to a respective base member of the bench seat, and a
respective bracket members for attaching each base members to a
movable rails.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present Application claims the benefit of priority to
the following international Applications: PCT Patent Application
No. PCT/JP2003/005177 titled "Vehicular Rear Seat Unit" filed on
Apr. 23, 2003 which published under PCT Article 21(2) on Nov. 6,
2003 as WO 03/091061 A1 in the Japanese language and Japanese
Patent Application No. 2002-122906 filed on Apr. 24, 2002 (which
are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety).
FIELD
[0002] This invention relates to a vehicular rear seat unit in
which a bench seat for three passengers is mounted on a seat slide
device.
BACKGROUND
[0003] In a vehicular rear seat unit constructed by mounting a
bench seat for three passengers, that is, a bench seat including a
seat cushion having a middle seat section and right and left seat
sections provided on both right and left sides of the middle seat
section with the middle seat section sandwiched there between, on a
seat slide device having two rails, the respective rails of the
seat slide device are installed at positions corresponding to
substantially transversely central parts of the right and left seat
sections of the seat cushion, and a frame of the seat cushion is
fixed to these rails.
[0004] The above-described rear seat unit has some problems. For
example, the respective rails of the seat slide device are
individually installed in the substantially transversely central
parts of the one-side and the-other-side seat sections, and
accordingly, impair cushioning characteristics of these seat
sections, resulting in reduction of comfort of a vehicle.
[0005] Moreover, leg members fixing the respective rails of the
seat slide device are located in the vicinity of doors, and hinder
passengers from getting in and out of the vehicle, resulting in
reduction of ease in getting in and out of the vehicle.
[0006] Furthermore, when an impact load is applied to a vehicle
body due to a collision of the vehicle, and the like, a load of as
much as 800 kg per one seat belt anchor of a passenger's seat belt
is applied thereto, that is, a load of four to five tons in total
is applied to the bench seat for three passengers with five to six
seat belt anchors. In the above-described rear seat unit, points
where the respective seat belt anchors are attached to the frame of
the bench seat and points where the rails are fixed to the seat
slide device are apart from one another. Accordingly, it is
necessary to reinforce the bench seat for the impact load
endurance, resulting in a complicated frame structure and in a
weight increase of the rear seat unit.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The present invention is made in view of the above-described
problems. An object of the present invention is to provide a
vehicular rear seat unit including a seat belt attachment structure
capable of surely restraining passengers, which realizes a
simplified frame structure and weight reduction of a seat in
addition to an improvement in comfort of a vehicle and ease in
getting in and out of the vehicle.
[0008] In order to achieve the above-described object, an aspect of
the present invention includes: a bench seat including a seat
cushion with three seat sections arranged side by side, the seat
cushion having a pair of frame members provided at positions
corresponding to both side portions of the middle seat section;
seat belt anchors for the seat sections, the seat belt anchors
being attached to the respective frame members; and a seat slide
device including a pair of movable rails to which the respective
frame members are individually fixed, and a pair of fixed rails
which slidably support the respective movable rails, the fixed
rails being individually fixed to a vehicle body floor with leg
members provided there between.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0009] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a frame structure of a
vehicular rear seat unit according to an embodiment of the present
invention, in which a cushion portion covering the frame structure
is omitted.
[0010] FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing an arrangement of seat
belts of the vehicular rear seat unit of FIG. 1.
[0011] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of principal portions
of the vehicular rear seat unit of FIG. 1.
[0012] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing an engaged state of
catch brackets of the vehicular rear seat unit of FIG. 1.
[0013] FIG. 5 is a schematic view explaining loading directions
when an impact load is applied to the vehicular rear seat unit of
FIG. 1.
[0014] FIG. 6 is a partial, exploded view of principal portions of
another embodiment of the catch brackets.
[0015] FIG. 7A is a partial cross-sectional view showing the catch
bracket of FIG. 6 in a normal state.
[0016] FIG. 7B is a partial cross-sectional view showing the catch
bracket of FIG. 6 in an engaged state when the impact loads are
applied to the vehicular rear seat unit.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0017] Referring generally to FIGS. 1-7, as best shown in FIG. 1, a
rear seat unit 1 includes a bench seat 2, four seat belt anchors A,
B, C and D, and a seat slide device 3.
[0018] The bench seat 2 includes a seat cushion 6 having a middle
seat section 4, and a one-side (right-side) seat section 5 and
the-other-side (left-side) seat section 7, which are provided on
both right and left sides of the middle seat section 4 with the
middle seat section 4 sandwiched there between, and includes a seat
back 11 having a middle seat back section 8, and a one-side
(right-side) seat back section 9 and the-other-side (left-side)
seat back section 10, which are provided on both right and left
sides of the middle seat back section 8 with the middle seat back
section 8 sandwiched there between. A frame 17 of the seat back 11
is rotatably joined to a frame 16 of the seat cushion 7 with
reclining devices 12 provided there between at a transversely
central part of the bench seat 2 and with brackets 13 provided
there between at both transversely outer side portions of the bench
seat 2. Bar-like retaining or cross-frame members 14 and rod-like
retaining or cross-frame members 15 are provided on the frame 16 of
the seat cushion 7 and the frame 17 of the seat back 11,
respectively.
[0019] As shown in FIG. 2, the seat belt anchors A, B, C and D are
provided in two pairs on center frame members E and F of the seat
cushion 7, which are provided at positions corresponding to the
transversely outer side portions of the middle seat section 4.
Specifically, the seat belt anchor A for the one side (right side)
of the middle seat section 4 and the seat belt anchor B for the
one-side seat section 5 are provided on one side (right side) and
other side (left side) of the one center frame member E,
respectively. On one side (right side) and other side (left side)
of the other (left-side) center frame member F, the seat belt
anchor C for the other-side seat section 6 and the seat belt anchor
D for the other side (left side) of the middle seat section 4 are
provided, respectively.
[0020] Here, the seat belt anchors A, B and C are buckles with
which tongues (not shown) of a passenger b's seat belt 18, a
passenger a's seat belt 19 and a passenger c's seat belt 20 are
engaged, respectively. Moreover, the seat belt anchor D is an end
to which one end 18a of the seat belt 18 is fixed. The other end
18b of the seat belt 18 is taken up by a retractor 22 fixed to an
attachment 21 (refer to FIG. 1) of the-other-side seat back section
10 of the seat back 11. Ends 19a and 20a of the seatbelts 19 and
20, respectively, are individually fixed to both side sills (not
shown) of a vehicle body. The other ends 19b and 20b of the seat
belts 19 and 20, respectively, are individually taken up by
retractors (not shown) fixed to both rear pillars (not shown) of
the vehicle body.
[0021] Moreover, as shown in FIG. 3, the center frame members E and
F of the bench seat 2 (in FIG. 2) are constituted by two base
members 23 and 24, and box brackets 30 and 31 as bracket members
for attaching these base members to movable rails 29.
[0022] The base member 23 has a substantially L-shape with an
erected member 23a and a lower member 23b, and the base member 24
has a substantially L-shape with an erected member 24 and a lower
member 24b. Connecting brackets 25 and 26 are attached to the upper
ends of the erected members 23a and 24a to be connected to the seat
back 11, respectively, with reclining mechanisms (not shown)
provided there between. The two reclining devices 12 have the
erected members 23a and 24a, the reclining mechanisms, and the
connecting brackets 25 and 26 (refer to FIG. 3). With regard to the
erected members 23a and 24a, rear lower portions thereof are fixed
by welding to a rear part of the frame 16 of the seat cushion 7. A
front part of the frame 16 of the seat cushion 7 is fixed by
welding to the movable rails 29, with brackets 44 provided there
between (refer to FIG. 1).
[0023] As shown in FIG. 3, the box bracket 30 has an upper planer
portion 30a, and both sidewalls 30b and 30c extended downward from
left and right ends of the planer portion 30a, and has a
channel-shape cross section. In a similar way, the box bracket 31
has an upper planer portion 31a, and both sidewalls 31b and 31c
extended downward from left and right ends of the planer portion
31a, and has a channel-shape cross section.
[0024] The seat slide device 3 has two fixed rails 28 fixed to a
vehicle body floor (not shown) with left and right leg members 27
provided there between, and the movable rails 29 which are slidably
supported on the respective fixed rails 28 and have the base
members 23 and 24 fixed thereto, respectively.
[0025] The base members 23 and 24 are fixed to the seat slide
device 3 with the box brackets 30 and 31 interposed there between,
respectively. Specifically, the lower member 23b of the base member
23 and the lower member 24b of the base member 24 are fixed by
fixing screws 33b to the sidewall 30b of the box bracket 30 and the
sidewall 31b of the box bracket 31, respectively. Moreover, the
planer portion 30a of the box bracket 30 and the planer portion 31a
of the box bracket 31 are fixed to the movable rails 29 by fixing
screws 33a individually screwed to screw holes 32 provided in the
movable rails 29. On the planer portions 30a and 31a, screw-housing
concave portions which individually house heads of the fixing
screws 33a are formed.
[0026] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the seat belt anchor
A is fixed to the sidewall 30c of the box bracket 30, the seal belt
anchor B is fixed to the lower member 23b of the base member 23,
the seat belt anchor C is fixed to the lower member 24b of the base
member 24, and the seat belt anchor D is fixed to the sidewall 31c
of the box bracket 31. Note that, in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, reference
numerals 50 and 51 denote a lock lever and a lock release belt,
respectively.
[0027] In the rear seat unit 1 configured in such a way, the bench
seat 2 is fixed to the seat slide device 3 with the base members 23
and 24 interposed there between, which are provided at the
positions corresponding to the both transversely outer side
portions of the middle seat section 4 of the seat cushion 7.
Accordingly, such structure members involved in fixing the bench
seat 2 to the seat slide device 3 can be arranged away from central
parts of the respective seat sections 4, 5 and 6. Therefore, good
cushioning characteristics of the respective seat sections 4, 5 and
6 are maintained, and comfort of the vehicle is improved.
[0028] In addition, the seat slide device 3 can be installed close
to the transverse center of the seat cushion 7. Accordingly, the
leg members 27 can be arranged away from the vicinities of doors,
and thus do not hinder passengers from getting in and out of the
vehicle, whereby ease in getting in and out of the vehicle is
improved.
[0029] Moreover, the seat belt anchors A and B are fixed to the
base member 23, and the seat belt anchors C and D are fixed to the
base member 24. Furthermore, both of the base members 23 and 24 are
directly fixed to the movable rails 29 of the seat slide device 3.
Accordingly, impact loads applied to the respective seat belt
anchors A, B, C and D are directly transmitted to the vehicle body
through the respective base members 23 and 24 and the seat slide
device 3, which are highly rigid, without being transmitted through
the frame 16 of the seat cushion 7 of the bench seat 2. Thus, an
impact-resistant structure of the rear seat unit 1 is easily
constructed, thus enabling simplification of the frame structure
and weight reduction of the seat. Such transmission of the impact
loads to the vehicle body is accurately performed in combination
with high rigidities of the base members 23 and 24.
[0030] Moreover, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, on outer
and inner edges of the respective leg members 27 in the transverse
direction of the seat slide device 3, first catch brackets 34 and
35, each of which forms a groove open downward, are extended in
parallel to the movable rails 29. The brackets 35 are formed longer
than the brackets 34.
[0031] As shown in FIG. 4, from a lower edge of the lower member
23b of the base member 23, which has the channel-shape cross
section, a second catch bracket 36 is extended to be engaged with
the first catch bracket 35 of the one (right-side) leg member 27
from a transversely inner side of the seat slide device 3. The
second catch bracket 36 has an engagement piece 36a formed by
bending upward a transversely outer edge thereof. Moreover, in the
vicinity of the second catch bracket 36, a protrusion 23c is
provided for attachment of the seat belt anchor B to the base
member 23. To the outer sidewall 30c of the box bracket 30, a
second catch bracket 37 is fastened with a fixing bolt 38 together
with the seat belt anchor A. The second catch bracket 37 is engaged
with the first bracket 34 of the one leg member 27 from the
transversely outer side of the seat slide device 3. The second
catch bracket 37 has, in a lower end thereof, an engagement piece
37a formed by bending upward and toward the transversely inner
side.
[0032] In a similar way, as shown in FIG. 3, in a lower edge 24b of
the base member 24, which has the channel-shape cross section, a
second catch bracket 39 is provided to be engaged with the first
catch bracket 35 of the other (left-side) leg member 27 from the
transversely inner side of the seat slide device 3. The second
catch bracket 39 has, in a transversely outer edge thereof, an
engagement piece 39a formed by bending upward. Moreover, in the
vicinity of the second catch bracket 39, a protrusion (not shown)
for attachment of the seat belt anchor C to the base member 24 is
provided. To the outer sidewall 31c of the box bracket 31, a second
catch bracket 40 is fastened with a fixing bolt 41 together with
the seat belt anchor D. The second catch bracket 40 is engaged with
the first catch bracket 34 of the other leg member 27 from the
transversely outer side of the seat slide device 3. The second
catch bracket 40 has, in a lower end thereof, an engagement piece
40a formed by bending upward and toward the transversely inner
side.
[0033] Specifically, in this embodiment, the respective second
catch brackets 36, 37, 39 and 40 are provided close to the seat
belt anchors B, A, C and D, respectively.
[0034] As shown in FIG. 3, a reinforcing rod 42 made of a
rectangular cylindrical member is bridged between the left and
right base members 23 and 24. To central parts of a rear side face
of the reinforcing rod 42, two brackets 43 formed by bending into
an L-shape are fixed by welding. The reinforcing rod 42 is fixed to
tip ends of the base members 23 and 24 with the two brackets 43
provided there between. Specifically, the one (right-side) bracket
43 is put on a transversely outer side of the lower member 23b of
the base member 23, and is fixed to the sidewall 30b of the box
bracket 30 by the fixing screws 33b. The other (left-side) bracket
43 is put on a transversely outer side of the lower member 24b of
the base member 24, and is fixed to the sidewall 31b of the box
bracket 31 by the fixing screws 33b (refer to FIG. 1).
[0035] When an impact load is applied to the vehicle body from the
front of the vehicle, as shown in FIG. 5, a forward impact load G1
due to inertia of the passengers sitting on the bench seat 2 is
applied to the seat belts 18, 19 and 20, and reaction force G2 of
the load G1 is exerted on the seat slide device 3 fixing the bench
seat 2 to the vehicle body floor. At the same time, in order to
cancel a moment caused by a difference in level between points of
application of the load G1 and the reaction force G2, an upward
load F1 is exerted on a rear side (seat back 11 side) of the seat
cushion 7 of the bench seat 2 in a direction where the seat cushion
7 goes up, and a downward load F2 is exerted on a front side of the
seat cushion 7 in a direction where the seat cushion 7 goes
down.
[0036] For the upward load F1, the second catch brackets 36, 37, 39
and 40 are individually engaged with the first catch brackets 34
and 35, and thus the rear of the seat cushion 7 is prevented from
moving upward. For the downward load F2, the reinforcing rod 42
comes into contact with upper surfaces of the movable rails 29, and
thus the front of the seat cushion 7 is prevented from moving
downward. Thus, the passengers are surely restrained.
[0037] Furthermore, in another embodiment of the first and second
catch brackets, as shown in FIG. 6, a plurality of engagement holes
45 are arrayed on the tops of the first catch brackets 34 and 35 at
[an] equal intervals along the length thereof, and on upper edges
of the engagement pieces 39a and 40a of the second catch brackets
39 and 40, a plurality of engagement protrusions 46 are arrayed, at
the same interval as that of the engagement holes 45, along the
length thereof.
[0038] In a normal state, as shown in FIG. 7A, with regard to the
second catch brackets 39 and 40, tip ends of the engagement
protrusions 46 of the engagement pieces 39a and 40a thereof are
apart from the first catch brackets 35 and 34. Accordingly, the
second catch brackets 39 and 40 are movable relative to the first
catch brackets 34 and 35. When an impact load is applied to the
vehicle body and the upward load F1 (refer to FIG. 5) is exerted on
the rear of the seat cushion 7, as shown in FIG. 7B, the second
catch brackets 39 and 40 move upward, and the engagement
protrusions 46 are engaged with the engagement holes 45. Thus, the
second catch brackets 39 and 40 are prevented from moving relative
to the first catch brackets 34 and 35. In a similar way, the other
second catch brackets 36 and 37 are also prevented from moving
relative to the first catch brackets; 34 and 35. Thus, the
passengers are further surely restrained.
* * * * *