WO1998041426A1 - Improvements in or relating to a vehicle safety seat - Google Patents

Improvements in or relating to a vehicle safety seat Download PDF

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Publication number
WO1998041426A1
WO1998041426A1 PCT/SE1998/000477 SE9800477W WO9841426A1 WO 1998041426 A1 WO1998041426 A1 WO 1998041426A1 SE 9800477 W SE9800477 W SE 9800477W WO 9841426 A1 WO9841426 A1 WO 9841426A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
cell
squab
vehicle safety
safety seat
seat according
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/SE1998/000477
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Martin LINDSTRÖM
Original Assignee
Autoliv Development Ab
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Autoliv Development Ab filed Critical Autoliv Development Ab
Publication of WO1998041426A1 publication Critical patent/WO1998041426A1/en

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60N—SEATS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES; VEHICLE PASSENGER ACCOMMODATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B60N2/00—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles
    • B60N2/24—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles for particular purposes or particular vehicles
    • B60N2/42—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles for particular purposes or particular vehicles the seat constructed to protect the occupant from the effect of abnormal g-forces, e.g. crash or safety seats
    • B60N2/427—Seats or parts thereof displaced during a crash
    • B60N2/42772—Seats or parts thereof displaced during a crash characterised by the triggering system
    • B60N2/4279—Seats or parts thereof displaced during a crash characterised by the triggering system electric or electronic triggering
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60N—SEATS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES; VEHICLE PASSENGER ACCOMMODATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B60N2/00—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles
    • B60N2/24—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles for particular purposes or particular vehicles
    • B60N2/42—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles for particular purposes or particular vehicles the seat constructed to protect the occupant from the effect of abnormal g-forces, e.g. crash or safety seats
    • B60N2/4207—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles for particular purposes or particular vehicles the seat constructed to protect the occupant from the effect of abnormal g-forces, e.g. crash or safety seats characterised by the direction of the g-forces
    • B60N2/4214—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles for particular purposes or particular vehicles the seat constructed to protect the occupant from the effect of abnormal g-forces, e.g. crash or safety seats characterised by the direction of the g-forces longitudinal
    • B60N2/4221—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles for particular purposes or particular vehicles the seat constructed to protect the occupant from the effect of abnormal g-forces, e.g. crash or safety seats characterised by the direction of the g-forces longitudinal due to impact coming from the front
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60N—SEATS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES; VEHICLE PASSENGER ACCOMMODATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B60N2/00—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles
    • B60N2/24—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles for particular purposes or particular vehicles
    • B60N2/42—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles for particular purposes or particular vehicles the seat constructed to protect the occupant from the effect of abnormal g-forces, e.g. crash or safety seats
    • B60N2/427—Seats or parts thereof displaced during a crash
    • B60N2/42709—Seats or parts thereof displaced during a crash involving residual deformation or fracture of the structure
    • B60N2/42718—Seats or parts thereof displaced during a crash involving residual deformation or fracture of the structure with anti-submarining systems
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60N—SEATS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES; VEHICLE PASSENGER ACCOMMODATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B60N2/00—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles
    • B60N2/90—Details or parts not otherwise provided for
    • B60N2/914—Hydro-pneumatic adjustments of the shape
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B60R21/00—Arrangements or fittings on vehicles for protecting or preventing injuries to occupants or pedestrians in case of accidents or other traffic risks
    • B60R21/02—Occupant safety arrangements or fittings, e.g. crash pads
    • B60R21/16—Inflatable occupant restraints or confinements designed to inflate upon impact or impending impact, e.g. air bags
    • B60R21/20—Arrangements for storing inflatable members in their non-use or deflated condition; Arrangement or mounting of air bag modules or components
    • B60R21/207—Arrangements for storing inflatable members in their non-use or deflated condition; Arrangement or mounting of air bag modules or components in vehicle seats

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a vehicle safety seat.
  • a vehicle safety seat comprising a squab having at least one substantially airtight cell in the front portion of said squab, said cell being filled with resilient foam, and means to inflate the cell in response to an accident situation.
  • the means to inflate the or each cell includes gas generating means and means responsive to an accident situation to activate the gas generating means.
  • a single substantially airtight cell is provided.
  • the cells are of different sizes.
  • said cells are serially interconnected, said gas generating means being connected to one of said cells.
  • the thickness of the or each cell is between 20% and 100% of the thickness of the squab.
  • the gas generating means is adapted to inflate the or each cell to a pressure of between 30 and 50 kPa.
  • the or each cell extends transversely across the squab.
  • the or each cell is of cylindrical form.
  • the or each cell is located beneath part of the seat squab.
  • each cell forms the front section of the squab.
  • the or each cell is contained within the squab.
  • the out layer of the or each cell is airtight and is a woven or none-woven fabric or a flexible plastic material.
  • vent passages are provided in the squab in order to connect the or each cell to the exterior of the squab in order to allow movement of air into and out of the cell in normal use.
  • said one or more vent passages are of a diameter between 20 and 50mm.
  • said means responsive to an accident situation is a deceleration detector.
  • Figure l is a part-schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of a vehicle seat in accordance with the invention, in a first state;
  • Figure 2 is part-schematic cross-sectional view of the seat of Figure 1, in a second state;
  • Figure 3 is a part-schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of the seat of Figure 1 and an occupant, when the seat is in the first state;
  • Figure 4 is a part-schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of the seat and occupant, corresponding to Figure 3, in the second state;
  • Figure 5 is a part-schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of a vehicle seat comprising another embodiment of the invention.
  • Figure 6 is a part-schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of a vehicle seat comprising a further embodiment of the invention.
  • a vehicle safety seat 1 comprises a seat back 2 whose base is connected to the back portion of a seat squab 3.
  • the seat squab 3 is supported by a rigid supporting element 4 and has a front wall 5 and an upper surface 6.
  • the main part of the squab 3 is formed of a monolith of a resilient foamed plastics material .
  • the seat is provided with means, which will be described in greater detail below which in the event of an accident make the front part of the squab of the seat rigid to minimise the risk of the occupant moving downwardly and forwardly.
  • the said means are resilient and thus cannot be detected by the occupant of the seat.
  • a cylindrical cell 7 is provided, which is contained within the front portion of the seat squab 3.
  • the cell 7 is located adjacent the front wall 5 and beneath the upper surface 6 and extends transversely across the squab 3.
  • the cell 7 is filled with a resilient foamed plastics material with the openings in the foam being in communication with each other.
  • the cell 7 has a volume of between 2 and 8 litres.
  • the foam which fills the cell 7 has, under normal conditions, compression properties substantially identical to the foam forming the rest of the squab 3.
  • the cell 7 is surrounded by an airtight outer layer which may be a woven or non-woven fabric or may be a flexible plastic material.
  • a conduit 8 extends from the cell 7 to gas generating means 9 which are located beneath the seat squab 3 so that gas can flow from the gas generating means 9 to the cell 7.
  • Detecting means 10 that are responsive to an accident, such as a detector to detect deceleration in excess of a predetermined threshold, are provided which are located adjacent the gas generating means 9 and which control activation of the gas generating means 9.
  • a vent passage 11 having a diameter of between 5 and 20mm, is provided in the squab 3 and connects the cell 7 to the exterior of the squab 3 adjacent the rigid supporting element 4.
  • more than one vent passage could be provided.
  • the vehicle seat 1 In normal use, the vehicle seat 1 is in the position as shown in Figure 1.
  • an occupant 12 When an occupant 12 is sitting in the seat in normal use, restrained at the hips by a seat belt 13, the foam of the squab 3 and of the cell 7 is slightly compressed as is shown in Figure 3, where the uncompressed state of the squab 3 is shown in phantom.
  • the vent passage 11 allows air to be squeezed out of the cell 7 in order to allow it to be compressed and so be comfortable for the occupant 12. Because the foam has similar compression qualities to the rest of the squab 3 in normal use, the vehicle seat appears, to the occupant, to be no different from a typical vehicle seat.
  • the accident detecting means 10 generates a signal which activates the gas generating means 9.
  • Gas is forced through the gas supply conduit 8 and into the cell 7.
  • the influx of gas causes the cell 7 to be inflated to a pressure of between 30 and 50kPa and to become substantially rigid. Because the cell 7 is filled with foam which effectively maintains the cell 7 in a partly inflated state the exterior wall of the cell only moves through a relatively small distance, and with a relatively small acceleration, when the gas is supplied to the cell 7.
  • the risk of the cell 7 causing injury to an occupant of the seat as the cell 7 inflates is minimal.
  • the vehicle seat appears as in Figure 2, or, when an occupant is sitting on the seat, the seat appears as in Figure 4.
  • the front part of the upper surface 6 of the squab 3 is elevated relative to its initial position.
  • the rigid pressurised cell 7 presents a barrier to the posterior 14 of the occupant, should it move forward, thus preventing the occupant from slipping, or submarining, under the seat belt 13.
  • pressurising the cell 7 increases the size of the cell 7, in an alternative embodiment of the invention, the cell 7 could become substantially rigid when inflated but remain the same size.
  • FIG. 5 an alternative embodiment of the invention is shown, those features common to the previous embodiment being given the same reference number.
  • Three separate cells 15, 16, 17 are provided within the squab 3 and are interconnected.
  • the cells 15, 16, 17 are cylindrical, being filled with the same foam and having the same outer layer as the cell 7 of the previous embodiment.
  • Each cell is arranged with its long axis transversely across the front of the squab 3.
  • the first cell 15 is contained within the squab 3, near the edge between the base and the front wall 5 of the squab 3.
  • the gas flow conduit 8 extends from the gas generating means 9 to the lower surface of the cell 15.
  • the second cell 16 is contained within the squab 3 , behind the first cell 15 in horizontal alignment.
  • a short pipe 18 joins the first cell 15 to the second cell 16.
  • the third cell 17 is contained within the seat squab 3, behind the second cell 16 and in horizontal alignment with the first and second cells 15, 16.
  • a second short pipe 19 connects the second cell 16 to the third cell 17.
  • the vent passage 11 connects the lower portion of the third cell 17 to the exterior of the squab 3.
  • the three cells 15, 16, 17 may all be the same size, or may be of different sizes.
  • the vehicle seat 1 presents a comfortable seat for an occupant.
  • the three cells 15, 16, 17, become rigid, with the first cell 15 being slightly more rigid than the second cell 16, which in turn, is slightly more rigid than the third cell 17.
  • the three substantially rigid cells present a barrier to the posterior of an occupant of the seat, preventing submarining.
  • a cylindrical cell 20 forms the front section of the squab 3 and has its long axis located transversely across the squab 3.
  • the front portion 21 of the cell 20 forms a rounded front wall of the seat, and the back portion 22 of the cell 20 lies adjacent a concave front wall 23 of the monolithic foam element that constitutes the rest of the squab 3.
  • the squab 3 is mounted on a rigid supportin element 4.
  • the top of the front wall 23 is connected to a flat, rearwardly declining upper surface 6 of the rest of the squab 3.
  • the radii of curvature of the curved surface of the cell 20 in normal use and the concave front wall 23 are such that they engage matingly.
  • the gas flow conduit 8 connects the gas generating means 9 to the lower portion of the cell 20.
  • the vent passage 11 joins the cell 20 to the exterior of the squab 3.
  • the cell 20 is filled with foam and has an airtight outer layer as in the previous embodiments.
  • this further embodiment functions as a normal vehicle seat, the cell 20 being compressible by expulsion of air via the vent passage 11, in order to be comfortable for an occupant.
  • a signal is generated which activates the gas generating means 9.
  • Gas is forced through the gas flow conduit 8 in order to pressurise the cell 20.
  • the cell 20 then becomes inflated and substantially rigid and presents a barrier to prevent forward and downward movement of the posterior of an occupant of the seat. Thus the occupant is prevented from submarining underneath his seat belt.
  • the thickness of the cell may be between 20% and 100% of the thickness of the squab. It is also to be noted that, in embodiments where a plurality of cells are provided in a squab, many different configurations of the cells are possible. For example, there could be provided an array of connected cells in a "mattress" formation. It is to be appreciated that the gas supply conduit 8 may be located in any suitable position that connects the gas generating means 9 to the cell 7. Similarly, the vent passage 11 may be located in any suitable position that connects the cell 7 to the exterior of the squab 3.

Abstract

A vehicle safety seat comprising a squab. The squab has at least one substantially airtight cell, which is filled with resilient foam, in the front portion of the squab. Means to inflate the cell in response to an accident situation are provided.

Description

"Improvements In Or Relating To A Vehicle Safety Seat"
This invention relates to a vehicle safety seat.
When a vehicle decelerates rapidly, for example during an accident, the occupants of the vehicle continue to move in a forward direction relative to the vehicle, due to inertia. Typically to prevent forward movement of a vehicle occupant from his seat a safety belt is provided in order to restrain the occupant. In such a typical vehicle it is not unknown for the lower part of the torso of the occupant to slide forwardly underneath the safety belt during a rapid deceleration. This forward movement beneath the seat belt is known as "submarining" and is undesirable due to the injuries sustained by an occupant as he impacts with the interior of the vehicle during such movement.
It is already known to provide means to raise the front of the seat squab relative to the back of the seat squab during a rapid deceleration. In this way the posterior of an occupant is "caught", before or while moving forward, to prevent submarining. A mechanism to move the whole squab as shown in WO94/04390, is technically complicated and expensive to manufacture.
It is also known to provide an air-bag under a seat cushion of a child safety seat for a vehicle, as shown in DE 4418028. When the air-bag is inflated, it lifts up the front part of the cushion to prevent the occupant from submarining. The problem with an air-bag of this type is that the very rapid inflation of the air-bag can injure the occupant. The present invention seeks to provide an improved vehicle safety seat.
According to the present invention there is provided a vehicle safety seat comprising a squab having at least one substantially airtight cell in the front portion of said squab, said cell being filled with resilient foam, and means to inflate the cell in response to an accident situation.
Conveniently the means to inflate the or each cell includes gas generating means and means responsive to an accident situation to activate the gas generating means.
Preferably a single substantially airtight cell is provided.
Advantageously a plurality of substantially airtight cells is provided.
Conveniently the cells are of different sizes.
Preferably said cells are serially interconnected, said gas generating means being connected to one of said cells.
Advantageously the thickness of the or each cell is between 20% and 100% of the thickness of the squab.
Conveniently the gas generating means is adapted to inflate the or each cell to a pressure of between 30 and 50 kPa.
Advantageously the or each cell extends transversely across the squab. Preferably the or each cell is of cylindrical form.
Conveniently the or each cell is located beneath part of the seat squab.
Advantageously the or each cell forms the front section of the squab.
Preferably the or each cell is contained within the squab.
Conveniently the out layer of the or each cell is airtight and is a woven or none-woven fabric or a flexible plastic material.
Preferably one or more vent passages are provided in the squab in order to connect the or each cell to the exterior of the squab in order to allow movement of air into and out of the cell in normal use.
Advantageously said one or more vent passages are of a diameter between 20 and 50mm.
Conveniently said means responsive to an accident situation is a deceleration detector.
In order that the invention may be more readily understood, and so that further features thereof may be appreciated, the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure l is a part-schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of a vehicle seat in accordance with the invention, in a first state; Figure 2 is part-schematic cross-sectional view of the seat of Figure 1, in a second state;
Figure 3 is a part-schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of the seat of Figure 1 and an occupant, when the seat is in the first state;
Figure 4 is a part-schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of the seat and occupant, corresponding to Figure 3, in the second state;
Figure 5 is a part-schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of a vehicle seat comprising another embodiment of the invention; and
Figure 6 is a part-schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of a vehicle seat comprising a further embodiment of the invention.
Referring initially to Figure 1, a vehicle safety seat 1 comprises a seat back 2 whose base is connected to the back portion of a seat squab 3. The seat squab 3 is supported by a rigid supporting element 4 and has a front wall 5 and an upper surface 6. The main part of the squab 3 is formed of a monolith of a resilient foamed plastics material .
The seat is provided with means, which will be described in greater detail below which in the event of an accident make the front part of the squab of the seat rigid to minimise the risk of the occupant moving downwardly and forwardly. However, in normal use of the seat the said means are resilient and thus cannot be detected by the occupant of the seat. A cylindrical cell 7 is provided, which is contained within the front portion of the seat squab 3. The cell 7 is located adjacent the front wall 5 and beneath the upper surface 6 and extends transversely across the squab 3. The cell 7 is filled with a resilient foamed plastics material with the openings in the foam being in communication with each other. The cell 7 has a volume of between 2 and 8 litres. The foam which fills the cell 7 has, under normal conditions, compression properties substantially identical to the foam forming the rest of the squab 3. The cell 7 is surrounded by an airtight outer layer which may be a woven or non-woven fabric or may be a flexible plastic material.
A conduit 8 extends from the cell 7 to gas generating means 9 which are located beneath the seat squab 3 so that gas can flow from the gas generating means 9 to the cell 7.
Detecting means 10 that are responsive to an accident, such as a detector to detect deceleration in excess of a predetermined threshold, are provided which are located adjacent the gas generating means 9 and which control activation of the gas generating means 9.
A vent passage 11, having a diameter of between 5 and 20mm, is provided in the squab 3 and connects the cell 7 to the exterior of the squab 3 adjacent the rigid supporting element 4. In an alternative embodiment, more than one vent passage could be provided.
In normal use, the vehicle seat 1 is in the position as shown in Figure 1. When an occupant 12 is sitting in the seat in normal use, restrained at the hips by a seat belt 13, the foam of the squab 3 and of the cell 7 is slightly compressed as is shown in Figure 3, where the uncompressed state of the squab 3 is shown in phantom. The vent passage 11 allows air to be squeezed out of the cell 7 in order to allow it to be compressed and so be comfortable for the occupant 12. Because the foam has similar compression qualities to the rest of the squab 3 in normal use, the vehicle seat appears, to the occupant, to be no different from a typical vehicle seat.
Should the vehicle be involved in an accident, the accident detecting means 10 generates a signal which activates the gas generating means 9. Gas is forced through the gas supply conduit 8 and into the cell 7. The influx of gas causes the cell 7 to be inflated to a pressure of between 30 and 50kPa and to become substantially rigid. Because the cell 7 is filled with foam which effectively maintains the cell 7 in a partly inflated state the exterior wall of the cell only moves through a relatively small distance, and with a relatively small acceleration, when the gas is supplied to the cell 7. Thus the risk of the cell 7 causing injury to an occupant of the seat as the cell 7 inflates, is minimal.
Some of the gas leaves the cell 7 by the vent passage 11, but this does not significantly reduce the rigidity of the cell 7 during an accident. When the cell 7 is pressurised, the vehicle seat appears as in Figure 2, or, when an occupant is sitting on the seat, the seat appears as in Figure 4. The front part of the upper surface 6 of the squab 3 is elevated relative to its initial position. It is to be appreciated that the rigid pressurised cell 7 presents a barrier to the posterior 14 of the occupant, should it move forward, thus preventing the occupant from slipping, or submarining, under the seat belt 13. It is to be appreciated that, although pressurising the cell 7 increases the size of the cell 7, in an alternative embodiment of the invention, the cell 7 could become substantially rigid when inflated but remain the same size.
Referring now to Figure 5, an alternative embodiment of the invention is shown, those features common to the previous embodiment being given the same reference number. Three separate cells 15, 16, 17 are provided within the squab 3 and are interconnected. The cells 15, 16, 17 are cylindrical, being filled with the same foam and having the same outer layer as the cell 7 of the previous embodiment. Each cell is arranged with its long axis transversely across the front of the squab 3. The first cell 15 is contained within the squab 3, near the edge between the base and the front wall 5 of the squab 3. The gas flow conduit 8 extends from the gas generating means 9 to the lower surface of the cell 15. The second cell 16 is contained within the squab 3 , behind the first cell 15 in horizontal alignment. A short pipe 18 joins the first cell 15 to the second cell 16. The third cell 17 is contained within the seat squab 3, behind the second cell 16 and in horizontal alignment with the first and second cells 15, 16. A second short pipe 19 connects the second cell 16 to the third cell 17. The vent passage 11 connects the lower portion of the third cell 17 to the exterior of the squab 3. Thus there is a chain of connection from the gas generating means 9, through the gas supply conduit 8, to the first cell 15, then the second cell 16, then the third cell 17 and finally to the vent passage 11. The three cells 15, 16, 17 may all be the same size, or may be of different sizes. In this embodiment of the invention, in normal use, the vehicle seat 1 presents a comfortable seat for an occupant. When an occupant sits on the seat the three cells 15, 16, 17 are compressed, with air being expelled via the vent passage 11. When an accident is detected by the detecting means 10, a signal is generated which activates the gas generating means 9. Gas is forced through the gas supply conduit 8 to the first cell 15. The influx of gas causes the first cell 15 to become pressurised, inflated and substantially rigid. The gas then passes through the short pipe 18 connecting the first and second cells 15, 16, in order to pressurize and inflate the second cell 16, which subsequently becomes substantially rigid. The gas then passes through the pipe 19 connecting the second and third cells, 16, 17, in order to pressurise and inflate the third cell 17 so that it becomes substantially rigid. A small amount of gas then leaves the third cell 17 via the vent passage 11. Thus when an accident is detected the three cells 15, 16, 17, become rigid, with the first cell 15 being slightly more rigid than the second cell 16, which in turn, is slightly more rigid than the third cell 17. The three substantially rigid cells present a barrier to the posterior of an occupant of the seat, preventing submarining.
Referring now to Figure 6, a further embodiment of the invention is shown. Features which correspond to those features in the previous embodiments are given the same reference number. A cylindrical cell 20 forms the front section of the squab 3 and has its long axis located transversely across the squab 3. The front portion 21 of the cell 20 forms a rounded front wall of the seat, and the back portion 22 of the cell 20 lies adjacent a concave front wall 23 of the monolithic foam element that constitutes the rest of the squab 3. The squab 3 is mounted on a rigid supportin element 4. The top of the front wall 23 is connected to a flat, rearwardly declining upper surface 6 of the rest of the squab 3. The radii of curvature of the curved surface of the cell 20 in normal use and the concave front wall 23 are such that they engage matingly. The gas flow conduit 8 connects the gas generating means 9 to the lower portion of the cell 20. The vent passage 11 joins the cell 20 to the exterior of the squab 3. The cell 20 is filled with foam and has an airtight outer layer as in the previous embodiments.
In normal use, this further embodiment functions as a normal vehicle seat, the cell 20 being compressible by expulsion of air via the vent passage 11, in order to be comfortable for an occupant.
When an accident is detected by the detector 10, a signal is generated which activates the gas generating means 9. Gas is forced through the gas flow conduit 8 in order to pressurise the cell 20. The cell 20 then becomes inflated and substantially rigid and presents a barrier to prevent forward and downward movement of the posterior of an occupant of the seat. Thus the occupant is prevented from submarining underneath his seat belt.
It is to be noted that in other embodiments of this invention different shapes and sizes of cell may be provided. The thickness of the cell may be between 20% and 100% of the thickness of the squab. It is also to be noted that, in embodiments where a plurality of cells are provided in a squab, many different configurations of the cells are possible. For example, there could be provided an array of connected cells in a "mattress" formation. It is to be appreciated that the gas supply conduit 8 may be located in any suitable position that connects the gas generating means 9 to the cell 7. Similarly, the vent passage 11 may be located in any suitable position that connects the cell 7 to the exterior of the squab 3.

Claims

1. A vehicle safety seat comprising a squab having at least one substantially airtight cell in the front portion of said squab, said cell being filled with resilient foam, and means to inflate the cell in response to an accident situation.
2. A seat according to Claim 1 wherein the means to inflate the or each cell includes gas generating means and means responsive to an accident situation to activate the gas generating means.
3. A vehicle safety seat according to Claim 1 or 2 wherein a single substantially airtight cell is provided.
4. A vehicle safety seat according to Claims 1 or 2 wherein a plurality of substantially airtight cells is provided.
5. A vehicle safety seat according to Claim 4 wherein the cells are of different sizes.
6. A vehicle safety seat according to Claims 4 or 5 wherein said cells are serially interconnected, said gas generating means being connected to one of said cells.
7. A vehicle safety seat according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the thickness of the or each cell is between 20% and 100% of the thickness of the squab.
8. A vehicle safety seat according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the gas generating means is adapted to inflate the or each cell to a pressure of between 30 and 50 kPa.
9. A vehicle safety seat according to any one of the preceding Claims wherein the or each cell extends transversely across the squab.
10. A vehicle safety seat according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the or each cell is of cylindrical form.
11. A vehicle safety seat according to any one of the preceding Claims wherein the or each cell is located beneath part of the seat squab.
12. A vehicle safety seat according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the or each cell is contained within the squab.
13. A vehicle safety seat according to any one of Claims 1 to 10 wherein the or each cell forms the front section of the squab.
14. A vehicle safety seat according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the outer layer of the or each cell is airtight and is a woven or non-woven fabric or a flexible plastic material.
15. A vehicle safety seat according to any one of the preceding claims wherein one or more vent passages are provided in the squab in order to connect the or each cell to the exterior of the squab in order to allow movement of air into and out of the cell in normal use.
16. A vehicle safety seat according to Claim 15 wherein said one or more vent passages are of a diameter between 20 and 50mm.
17. A vehicle safety seat according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said means responsive to an accident situation is a deceleration detector.
PCT/SE1998/000477 1997-03-17 1998-03-17 Improvements in or relating to a vehicle safety seat WO1998041426A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9705453.0 1997-03-17
GB9705453A GB2323336B (en) 1997-03-17 1997-03-17 Improvements in or relating to a vehicle safety seat

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO1998041426A1 true WO1998041426A1 (en) 1998-09-24

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Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/SE1998/000477 WO1998041426A1 (en) 1997-03-17 1998-03-17 Improvements in or relating to a vehicle safety seat

Country Status (2)

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GB (1) GB2323336B (en)
WO (1) WO1998041426A1 (en)

Cited By (12)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2001045978A1 (en) * 1999-12-21 2001-06-28 Autoliv Development Ab A vehicle seat
US6715788B2 (en) 1999-12-28 2004-04-06 Takata Corporation Passenger protecting apparatus
WO2004030980A1 (en) * 2002-10-01 2004-04-15 Dalphimetal Ltd. Vehicle seat with a pelvis energy management device
US6739657B2 (en) 1999-12-27 2004-05-25 Trw Occupant Restraint Systems Gmbh & Co. Kg Vehicle seat
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US9889937B2 (en) 2012-03-19 2018-02-13 Amsafe, Inc. Structure mounted airbag assemblies and associated systems and methods
US9944245B2 (en) 2015-03-28 2018-04-17 Amsafe, Inc. Extending pass-through airbag occupant restraint systems, and associated systems and methods
US9925950B2 (en) 2015-04-11 2018-03-27 Amsafe, Inc. Active airbag vent system
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GB2323336A (en) 1998-09-23
GB2323336B (en) 2000-12-06
GB9705453D0 (en) 1997-05-07

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