Vehicle seat assembly with integral child seat

Abstract: A seat assembly in which the seat back includes an integral child seat. The child seat is formed by a single panel rotatably mounted in the seat back and rotatable to a forward use position in which the top of the panel has a rear portion for seating of the buttocks of a child seat occupant thereon and a front portion forming a footrest for the child occupant. The child seat is deployed solely by rotating the panel from its stowed position within the seat back to the forwardly extending use position. The seat belt restraint system for the child seat includes a retractor mounted within the child seat panel. An optional rotating member can also be mounted in the front face of the panel forming a arm rest, cup holder or storage bin for use by adult occupants when the child seat is not deployed.

Description: The present invention relates to a vehicle seat assembly with an integral child seat and in particular to such a seat assembly with features that provide for easier assembly as well as easier operation of the child seat than many integral child seats on the market today. Integral child seat assemblies must necessarily include restraint systems for holding a child occupant therein. These restraint systems may or may not include a seat belt retractor. Those systems that do include a seat belt retractor typically mount the retractor directly to the vehicle floor pan resulting in an additional attachment point to the vehicle structure. This necessitates a modification to the vehicle structure to accommodate a seat back having the integral child seat option. US-A-5 161 855 discloses a seat assembly in accordance with the preamble of claim 1. According to the present invention there is provided a seat assembly for a motor vehicle, comprising: a lower seat cushion having a horizontal adult seating surface; a seat back extending upwardly at the rear of said cushion and having a front face forming an adult seat back surface, said seat back further having a recessed portion in which said front face is positioned rearward of said adult seat back surface to form a child seat back surface; a panel with first and second opposite faces and mounted for rotation about a lateral axis at the lower end of said seat back, said panel having a first position disposed in said recessed portion in which position said first face of said panel is generally flush with said adult seat back surface and forms a continuation thereof over said recessed portion, said panel being rotatable to a second, forwardly extending use position in which second position said child seat back surface is revealed and said second face of said panel forms a top surface upon which a child can be seated; and restraint means for restraining a child seat occupant seated upon said panel in its second position, said restraint means including a seat belt strap, a portion of which forms a shoulder belt for the child seat occupant; characterised in that the restraint means further includes a seat belt retractor mounted within said panel, a first end of said seat belt strap being wound upon said retractor. Mounting the retractor within the panel is an efficient packaging solution and avoids the need to mount the retractor directly to the vehicle structure. Consequently, the seat back can use the same attachment points to a motor vehicle as a seat back not including an integral child seat. As a result, no modification to the vehicle structure is necessary when the integral child seat option is selected. An embodiment of a seat assembly in accordance with the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the seat assembly of the present invention showing the child seat panel in its stowed position; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the seat assembly of the present invention showing the child seat panel in a forwardly rotated deployed position; Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the child seat panel of the present invention; Figure 4 is a perspective view of the seat back of the present invention with the child seat panel in the stowed position and with a secondary rotating member within the child seat panel rotated forward to a deployed position; and Figure 5 is a perspective view of the seat back rotated forward to a stowed position providing access to the storage space behind the seat assembly. The seat assembly of the present invention is shown in Figure 1 and designated generally at 10. Seat assembly 10 includes a lower seat cushion 12 and a seat back 14 extending upwardly at the rear of the seat cushion 12. The seat cushion 12 has a top surface 16 which forms a seat cushion surface for an adult occupant of the seat assembly 10. Likewise, the seat back 14 includes a forward face surface 18 which forms a seat back surface for adult occupants of the seat assembly 10. The adult seat back surface is also formed in part by the face surface 22 of the child seat panel 24. Child seat panel 24 is positioned in the center of the seat back 14 of the bench seat assembly 10 and is mounted for rotation about its lower end. Panel 24 is rotatable to the forwardly extending use position shown in Figure 2. In the forwardly extending use position of the child seat panel 24, the panel is resting upon the seat cushion 12 with the face surface 22 of the panel engaging the seat cushion surface 16. In the use position, the opposite face surface of the child seat panel, top face surface 26 is revealed which forms a child seat cushion surface. The face surface 26 is referred to as a "top" face surface of the panel because, when the panel is in the use position, the surface 26 is the top surface of the panel. Likewise, the face surface 22 is referred to as a front face surface because, when the panel is in the stowed position within the seat back 14, the face surface 22 is a front surface of the panel. A removable pad is placed on the panel top surface for comfort and ease of cleaning. When the panel 24 is rotated to the forward use position, a recess 30 is revealed in the seat back having a child seat back surface 32 that is recessed from the adult seat back surface 19. The adult seat back cushions to either side of the recess 30 function as side bolsters for the child seat. A removable seat back pad is placed in the recess for comfort and for ease of cleaning. The child seat panel 24 extends the entire length from the lower end 36 of the seat back to the upper end 38. Deployment of the child seat is accomplished solely by rotation of the panel 24 from its upright stowed position to the forwardly extended use position. A pull tab 40 is provided at the top end of the child seat panel for ease in grasping the panel 24. Once the panel has been rotated to the forward use position, the child seat is ready for use. The single movable panel results in an easy to use child seat. The child seat panel is held in its stowed position by friction between the panel and the surrounding seat back cushions. If additional latching is necessary strikers 42 can be provided at the upper corners of the panel for insertion into openings 44 in the child seat back surface. Latch mechanisms (not shown) in the seat back grasp the strikers to hold the child seat panel in the upright stowed position. When the child seat is deployed as shown in Figure 2, a restraint system for a child seat occupant is revealed. The restraint system includes a pair of shoulder belts 46 and 48 extending upwardly from the lower corners of the recess 30 to openings 50 in the child seat back surface 32. The shoulder belts 46 and 48 include sliding clasps 52 and 54 respectively which are each insertable into a seat belt buckle 56 mounted to the child seat panel 24 between the legs of a child occupant, forming a five point restraint for a child occupant. The child seat panel 24 is shown in greater detail in the exploded view in Figure 3. The panel includes a housing comprised of a base 60 which forms the panel top surface 26 and a contoured cover 62 which forms the upholstered front face surface 22. The base 26 has a support bar 64 at its lower end to which the seat belt buckle 56 is attached by a seat belt strap 66. The lateral ends of the support bar 64 form mounting bosses 68 for rotatably mounting the panel 24 to the seat back frame (not shown) at the pivot point 70. The shoulder belts 46 and 48, after entering into the seat back through the openings 50, extend downwardly through the seat back and then forwardly into the panel 24 at its lower end. A seat belt retractor 72 is disposed within the panel 24 having two retractor mechanisms therein. One end of each shoulder belt 46 and 48 is wound upon the retractor. The seat back 10, by including the retractor 72 as part of the seat back, forms a complete module that can be installed in a motor vehicle in the same manner as a seat back not incorporating an integral child seat. The only modification that may be necessary is reinforcement of the seat back attaching hardware which must now be capable of transferring the restraint system loads of the child seat assembly from the seat back to the motor vehicle structure. However, due to the size of a child seat occupant as compared to an adult, the fastener strength will not need to be the same as used for an adult seat belt anchor. An advantage of the modular concept of the seat back is that it eliminates the requirement for a separate seat belt anchor to attach the retractor to the vehicle. A disadvantage of the modular concept for the seat back is that the frame structure of the seat back must be a structural seat back, capable of accommodating the restraint loads from the child seat rather than having those loads transferred directly to the vehicle structure by an additional seat belt anchor. The modularity of the seat back results from the child seat restraint system being mounted to the seat back. The retractor 72 is mounted within the panel 24 due to packaging constraints. More space is available in the panel then in the seat back behind the panel for packaging the retractor. In Figure 4, an alternative embodiment of the seat back 14 as shown in which, the child seat panel 24 includes an additional feature, a rotating member 76. Member 76 is rotatably mounted within the panel 24 at its lower end in a similar manner to the way in which the panel 24 is rotatably mounted into the seat back 14. Rotating member 76 is shown in solid line in its stowed upright position and in phantom line in a forwardly rotated use position. The member 76 can serve as a arm rest for adult seat occupants on either side of the member 76. In addition, the member 76 can be configured with a pair of openings 78 for holding a beverage container and can also be configured with a bin 80 for storage of small items such as maps, sun glasses, etc. The front face 82 of the rotating member 76 forms a portion of the front face surface 22 of the child seat panel 24. With reference to Figure 5, a further advantage of mounting the seat belt system entirely within the seat back is shown. In Figure 5, the seat back 14 is rotatably mounted so that it can be rotated to a forward stowed position on top of the seat cushion. In this position, access is provided to the storage area 90 behind the seat assembly increasing the total volume of the vehicle 92 storage space. By mounting the child seat restraining belts within the seat back, there are no belts exposed along the back side of the seat back 14 extending into a retractor or seat belt anchor mounted to the vehicle floor pan 94. The result is a cleaner package for the seat back with no exposed belts to interfere with storage and removal of items behind the seat back or upon the seat back when rotated forward. This is in contrast to a seat assembly in which the child seat restraints are attached directly to the vehicle. In that case, the belts and the belt anchors will be visible and perhaps be an obstruction when the seat back is rotated forward. The seat assembly of the present invention, including an integral child seat, contains several features which improve the ease of assembly of the seat and ease of use of the child seat. By mounting the seat belt restraint to the seat back, preferably to the child seat panel, the seat back with the integral child seat can be installed in a vehicle in the same manner as a conventional seat back. The single rotating panel allows for simplicity in deploying the child seat. Only one operation is needed. Furthermore, the child seat panel can include an optional rotating member forming an arm rest, cup holder and/or storage bin for use when the child seat is not in use.

Claims: A seat assembly for a motor vehicle, comprising: a lower seat cushion (12) having a horizontal adult seating surface (16); a seat back (14) extending upwardly at the rear of said cushion (12) and having a front face (18) forming an adult seat back surface, said seat back further having a recessed portion (30) in which said front face is positioned rearward of said adult seat back surface to form a child seat back surface (32); a panel (24) with first and second opposite faces (22,26) and mounted for rotation about a lateral axis at the lower end of said seat back (14), said panel having a first position disposed in said recessed portion (30) in which position said first face (22) of said panel is generally flush with said adult seat back surface (18) and forms a continuation thereof over said recessed portion, said panel (24) being rotatable to a second, forwardly extending use position in which second position said child seat back surface (32) is revealed and said second face (26) of said panel forms a top surface upon which a child can be seated; and restraint means (46,48) for restraining a child seat occupant seated upon said panel (24) in its second position, said restraint means including a seat belt strap, a portion of which forms a shoulder belt (46,48) for the child seat occupant; characterised in that the restraint means further includes a seat belt retractor (72) mounted within said panel (24), a first end of said seat belt strap (46,48) being wound upon said retractor. The seat assembly of claim 1, wherein said restraint means includes a pair of straps (46,48) each having first ends wound upon said retractor (72), each said strap forming a shoulder strap for the child occupant seated upon said panel (24); and means (52,54,56) for releasably attaching said straps (46,48) to said panel between the legs of the child occupant to restrain the child occupant. The seat assembly of claim 2, wherein: said straps (46,48) extend from said retractor (72) upwardly behind said child seat back surface (32) toward the upper end of said seat back (14) after which said straps project forward through said child seat back surface and extend downwardly to opposite sides of said recessed portion (30) where second ends of said straps are anchored to said seat back; and wherein said attaching means (52,54,56) includes a pair of sliding clasps (52,54), one of said pair on each of said straps (46,48) and a buckle attached (56) to said panel (24) to be in use between the legs of the child occupant for reception of said clasps therein to form a five point restraint for the child occupant. The seat assembly of any one of the preceding claims, wherein said panel top surface has a rear portion upon which the buttocks of a child occupant rest in use and a front portion forming a foot rest for the child occupant with said recessed portion (30) of said seat back (14) extending upwardly a sufficient distance from said panel (24) when said panel is in said second position for the torso and head of the child occupant to rest within said recessed portion whereby said seat assembly can be used by an adult when said panel is in said first position and said seat assembly can be converted for use by a child solely by rotation of said panel about said axis to said second position revealing said panel second face (26) and said child seat back surface (32). The seat assembly of any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a rotating member (76) in said child seat panel (24) forming a portion of the first face (22) of said panel, said member having a stowed position within said panel and being rotatable to a forwardly extending use position when said panel is stowed in the recessed portion of the seat back. The seat assembly of claim 5, wherein said member (76), in its use position, serves as an arm rest for a seat occupant positioned adjacent said member. The seat assembly of claim 5 or 6, wherein said member (76), in its use position, has an upper surface with at least one recess (78) therein for holding a beverage container for a seat occupant positioned adjacent said member. The seat assembly of any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein said member (76) includes a storage compartment.

Inventors: BART KURT A, BART, KURT A.
Applicants: HOOVER UNIVERSAL, HOOVER UNIVERSAL INC.
Application year: 1993
Main classification: B60N2
IPC codes: B60N2