Vehicle seat and subwoofer enclosure seat support structure

A vehicle seat includes a subwoofer enclosure seat support structure and a seat cushion supported on the subwoofer enclosure seat support structure. The subwoofer enclosure seat support structure includes a shell including a base, a seat cushion support wall connected to the base, and an internal space defining a subwoofer enclosure volume. The seat cushion is supported on the seat cushion support wall. A subwoofer speaker is connected to the shell. The seat cushion support wall of the shell includes at least one concave submarine protection layout recess adapted to accommodate compression of the seat cushion when the seat cushion is compressed by a seat occupant supported thereon during a collision. The seat comprises one or more cushion mounting brackets connected to the base of the shell by bracket support channels connected to or defined as part of the shell adjacent a front of the base. Alternatively, the cushion mounting brackets are defined as part of the shell by a polymeric or other structure.

BACKGROUND

It is known to locate a subwoofer enclosure for a vehicle sound systems beneath one of the vehicle seats. In these prior systems, the subwoofer enclosure is separate from the load bearing support frame or other support structure of the vehicle seat. This leads to a suboptimal arrangement in which the volume of the subwoofer enclosure is not optimized or maximized with respect to the volume available under the vehicle seat and/or the space under only a single seat is used when additional empty space is available for use under an adjacent seat. Also, the subwoofer speaker, itself, is often not optimally located relative to the seat, the floor, and other surrounding structures of the vehicle. Also, prior systems do not allow the structure of the subwoofer enclosure to be used to increase the safety of the occupant of the seat under which the subwoofer enclosure is located.

SUMMARY

In accordance with one exemplary embodiment, a vehicle seat includes a subwoofer enclosure seat support structure and a seat cushion supported on the subwoofer enclosure seat support structure. The subwoofer enclosure seat support structure includes a shell comprising a base, a seat cushion support wall connected to the base, and an internal space defining a subwoofer enclosure volume. The seat cushion is supported on the seat cushion support wall of the shell. A subwoofer speaker is connected to the shell.

In accordance with a another exemplary embodiment, the shell further comprises a recess that opens through both a side wall and a floor, wherein at least part of the recess is defined by a subwoofer support wall to which the subwoofer speaker is connected.

In accordance with another exemplary embodiment, the seat cushion support wall of the shell includes at least one concave submarine protection layout recess adapted to accommodate compression of the seat cushion when the seat cushion is compressed by a seat occupant supported thereon.

In accordance with another exemplary embodiment, the seat comprises a cushion mounting bracket connected to the base of the shell, and the seat cushion is connected to the bracket. The bracket includes first and second legs that are respectively retained and received in first and second bracket support channels connected to the shell adjacent a front of the base.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1is a side view of a vehicle seat T including a subwoofer enclosure seat support structure S in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. The seat T comprises a seat cushion H supported on and connected to the subwoofer enclosure seat support structure S. The seat cushion H is defined from foam or another suitable material and includes an upper or outer surface HS on which one or more vehicle occupants are seated. Unlike prior subwoofer enclosures that are simply installed or placed under a vehicle seat that includes a support frame that is separate from the subwoofer enclosure, a vehicle seat T formed in accordance with the exemplary embodiment uses the subwoofer enclosure seat support structure S as the primary support structure for the seat cushion H. In the exemplary embodiment, the seat T is a fixed, third-row vehicle seat that is dimensioned to accommodate at least two side-by-side vehicle passengers.

Referring also toFIGS. 2,3, and4A-4D, the subwoofer enclosure seat support structure S comprises a shell10defined as a one-piece structure as a molded polymeric construction or as a one-piece fiberglass or other reinforced composite structure, or as a one-piece metal structure. Alternatively, the shell10comprises a two-piece or other multi-piece assembly constructed from multiple components that are assembled together to form the shell. The shell10comprises a base12that is supported on the floor or other vehicle structure F (FIG. 1). The base12includes a side wall14that extends uninterrupted and continuously around and defines the base12to have a front side12a, a rear side12b, and opposite left and right lateral sides12c,12d.

The shell10also includes a seat cushion support wall16connected to the base12and arranged transverse relative to the side wall14. The seat cushion support wall16includes an outer surface on which the seat cushion H is supported. The seat cushion support wall16is connected to the upper end14e1of the side wall14and extends between the front side12a, rear side12band left and right sides12c,12dof the base. The side wall14has greater height at the front side12aof the base12as compared to the rear side12bof the base. As such, the seat cushion support wall16slopes or is inclined from the front side12aof the base toward the rear side12bof the base.

The shell10further comprises a floor18that is arranged transverse to the side wall14and connected to the lower edge14e2of the side wall so as to be spaced from the seat cushion support wall16. The floor18is either defined with the shell10as part of its one-piece construction or is separately constructed and then affixed to the side wall14so as to become part of the shell10. A substantially hollow internal space V (FIG. 2) provides a subwoofer enclosure volume defined inside the shell10, between the side wall14, the seat cushion support wall16, and the floor18.

The base12of the shell10further comprises a subwoofer support wall20that is arranged transverse to the side wall14at a location spaced between said seat cushion support wall16and the lower edge14e2of the side wall14. A subwoofer mounting opening is defined in the subwoofer support wall and a subwoofer speaker SPK is mounted in the opening and fixedly secured to the shell10using fasteners or the like so that the speaker SPK separates the internal space V from the external environment surrounding the shell10.

The shell defines a subwoofer recess R that is partially defined by the subwoofer support wall20. The recess R opens in both the side wall14and the floor18at the front side12aof the base12, and the subwoofer support wall20is arranged so that it faces toward the lower edge14e2of the side wall14. The subwoofer support wall20is located such that the installed subwoofer speaker SPK is spaced from the floor18and the vehicle floor F. As noted, the recess R also opens through the side wall14at the front12aof the base12, which ensures that an open space is present between the subwoofer speaker SPK and the passenger compartment of the vehicle in which the subwoofer enclosure seat support structure S is installed. The arrangement of the subwoofer support wall20transverse to the side wall14and within and partially defining the recess R conceals the subwoofer speaker SPK and protects it from dirt, water, and physical damage.

The subwoofer enclosure seat support structure S further comprises at least one and preferably at least first and second cushion mounting brackets B (FIG. 2) connected to the base12of the shell10, or the one or more cushion mounting brackets B are defined as part of the shell10, e.g., as a polymeric construction. The seat cushion H is connected to each bracket B using suitable fasteners or other fastening elements. The brackets B are secured to the base12using fasteners or other fastening elements. In the exemplary embodiment, each bracket B is provided as a U-shaped stamped metal or like structure including first and second spaced-apart legs L1,L2. For each bracket B, the base12comprises first and second spaced-apart bracket support channels C that are connected to and/or defined as part of the side wall14at the front12aof the base. The first and second legs L1,L2of each bracket B are respectively received and retained in the first and second bracket support channels C. Fasteners or other fastening elements are used to secure the legs L1,L2in their respective channels C, and the same fasteners or different fasteners can also be used to anchor the channels C to the vehicle floor F to secure or at least locate the subwoofer enclosure seat support structure S in its operative position. As such, the base12comprises a plurality of bracket support channels C that project outwardly from the side wall14adjacent said front side12aof the base12, and each of the first and second cushion mounting brackets B comprises spaced-apart legs L1,L2that are respectively received and retained in the bracket support channels C. The first and second brackets B are located respectively on first and second opposite sides of the recess R in which the subwoofer speaker SPK is located.

As noted above, the subwoofer enclosure seat support structure S replaces the separate seat frame found in prior vehicle seating arrangements. As such, the subwoofer enclosure seat support structure S is particularly adapted to provide the required comfort and safety of a vehicle seat. In this regard, the shell10is constructed such that the seat cushion support wall16includes a respective concave submarine layout protection recess SR1,SR2defined therein and associated respectively with each primary seating position provided by the vehicle seat T. In the exemplary embodiment, the vehicle seat T provided two separate seating positions, so the seat cushion support wall16correspondingly includes and defines first and second spaced apart concave submarine layout protection recesses SR1,SR2laterally separated from each other and connected by a central section of the seat cushion support wall16. Each submarine layout protection recess SR1,SR2is structured and located to accommodate compression of the seat cushion H when the seat cushion is compressed by a seat occupant supported on the cushion during a collision or other sudden deceleration. In this manner, the seat occupant sinks into the seat cushion H and sinks into the respective submarine layout protection recess SR1,SR2which helps maintain the seat occupant in a favorable seating position during a collision or other emergency maneuver of the vehicle in which the seat T is installed.

The disclosure has been described with reference to the exemplary embodiments. Modifications and alterations will occur to others upon reading and understanding the preceding detailed description, and it is intended that the disclosure be construed as including all such modifications and alterations in so far as they come within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof.