Abstract:
A seat back panel for a fold flat seat assembly comprises a panel attached to a seat back for elevating stored objects within a vehicle above a seat back when the seat back is in a folded flat position. An opening within the panel receives objects and retains them between the seat back and the seat panel. The panel includes hooks for holding hanging items within the vehicle. The hooks are only operable when the seat back is in the folded flat position for preventing interference with an airbag disabling system utilizing weight sensors.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to vehicle seating assemblies, and more particularly, to a seat back panel for a fold flat seat assembly.  
       DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART  
       [0002]     Seat assemblies for automotive vehicles typically include a seat cushion with a seat back pivotally coupled thereto. In a fold flat seat assembly, the seat back pivots from a generally upright seating position to a forwardly folded flat position adjacent the seat cushion. The seat back includes a front face for contacting the seat cushion when the seat assembly is in the folded flat position, and a rear face providing a substantially flat load surface for supporting items carried within the vehicle when the seat assembly is in the folded flat position.  
         [0003]     Items resting on the load surface can damage the rear of the seat back if is not protected. Typically, a large panel covers at least a substantial portion of the rear face of the seat back to prevent such damage. The panel is often bulky and expensive. Additionally, if the fold flat seat assembly is a front passenger seat assembly, the panel on the rear face of the passenger seat back is often visually unappealing, especially since the driver&#39;s seat does not usually contain a similar panel. Therefore, it is desirable to provide a seat back protecting panel with reduced bulk, thereby reducing cost and the amount of material, while also increasing visual compatibility between the passenger seat and the driver&#39;s seat when the panel is used on the rear face of a front passenger seat.  
         [0004]     It is also known in the art to provide storage on the rear of a seat back for various small items, such as a compartment for storing an umbrella or a hook for holding items such as a purse or a handled plastic grocery bag. However, the weight from the items may interfere with a vehicle&#39;s airbag disabling system. A typical modern vehicle includes front airbags to protect front seat passengers in the event of a collision. Typically, a first airbag is mounted within the steering wheel to protect a driver, and a second airbag is mounted within the instrument panel in front of a passenger seat to protect a passenger. Many vehicles include disabling systems to disable the passenger airbag it a weight sensor detects a weight below a predetermined threshold, thus indicating the absence of a passenger in the seat. If the weight of the items stored in seat back storage areas exceeds this predetermined threshold, the airbag disabling system will conclude that there is a passenger, and thus not disable the airbag. In a fold flat seat assembly, the disabling system can be configured to disable the passenger airbag if the seat is in the folded flat position, which would also tend to indicate the absence of a passenger in the seat. Therefore, it is also desirable to provide seat back storage areas which store heavy items, such as a purse or grocery bags, only when the seat is in the folded flat position, thereby preventing interference with the airbag disabling system.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a seat assembly for use in an automotive vehicle comprising a generally horizontal seat cushion and a seat back pivotally coupled to the seat cushion for movement between an upright seating position and a folded flat position overlying the seat cushion. The seat back includes a front face facing the seat cushion and an opposite rear face. A seat back panel is fixedly secured to the rear face of the seat back and has a support surface for supporting a load above the seat back in the folded flat position. At least one hook is secured to the seat back panel and arrange to project downwardly from the seat back in the upright position to prevent usage and project upwardly from the seat back in the folded flat position for use in supporting articles on the seat back panel. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0006]     Advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:  
         [0007]      FIG. 1A  is a perspective view of a seat assembly incorporating a first embodiment of a seat back panel of the present invention including an elevating panel and utility hooks;  
         [0008]      FIG. 1B  is a side view of the seat assembly in  FIG. 1A ;  
         [0009]      FIG. 2A  is a perspective view of a seat assembly incorporating second and third embodiments of the seat back panel of the present invention including additional item storage areas; and  
         [0010]      FIG. 2B  is a side view of the seat assembly in  FIG. 2A . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0011]     Referring to the figures,  FIGS. 1A and 1B  illustrate a fold flat seat assembly  8  for use with the present invention. The seat assembly  8  comprises a generally horizontal seat cushion  10 , adapted to be fixedly secured to the floor of an automotive vehicle, and a seat back  12 . The seat cushion  10  and seat back  12  are typically formed of a rigid support frame supporting a resilient foam pad encased in a soft trim cover. The seat back  12  is pivotally coupled to the seat cushion  10  by a recliner mechanism  9  for pivotal movement between a generally upright seating position, shown at U, and a forwardly folded flat position, shown at F, overlying the seat cushion  10 . The seat back  12  includes a front face  13  for supporting an occupant when seated in the seat assembly  8  and contacting the seat cushion  10  when the seat assembly  8  is in the folded flat position F, and a rear face  15  providing a substantially flat load surface for supporting items carried within the vehicle when the seat assembly  8  is in the folded flat position F. A seat back panel  2  of a first embodiment of the present invention comprises a relatively narrow strip of molded plastic, preferably attached at the bottom edge of the rear face  15  of the seat back  12  as shown in the figures. However, the panel  2  may attach at any height on the rear face  15  of the seat back  12  and still accomplish the present invention. The panel  2  projects from the seat back  12  to elevate a supported load  14 , shown in  FIGS. 1B and 2B , above the rear face  15  of the seat back  12 . That is, the panel  2  projects outwardly from the rear face  15  of the seat back  12  and provides a support surface  5  for the load  14  when the seat back  14  is in the folded flat position to space the load  14  from the remaining portion of the rear face  15  and protect the seat back  12  and trim cover from damage by the load  14 .  
         [0012]     The panel  2  preferably includes a pair of utility hooks  16  for storing hanging items, such as a purse, grocery bag  24 , of the like, as shown in  FIG. 1A . While the preferred embodiment includes two hooks  16 , any number of hooks  16  may be formed within the panel  2 . Because of the unique design of the hooks  16 , they may only be used when the seat assembly  8  is in the folded flat position F, as shown in the Figures. Specifically, each hook  16  preferably includes a slanted portion  18  and a retaining portion  20 . By referencing the seat back  12  in the folded flat position of  FIG. 1A , the slanted portion  18  projects rearwardly and upwardly from the panel  2 . The retaining portion  20  is presented projecting generally vertically from the slanted portion  18  and perpendicular to the seat back  12 . A space is formed between the retaining portion  20  and the panel  2 . When the seat back  12  is in the folded flat position F, a handle  22  of the bag  24  can rest upon the slanted portion  18 , or between the slanted portion  18  and the panel  2  as shown. The retaining portion  20  extends substantially upward to prevent the handle  22  from slipping off the hook  16 . However, when the seat back  12  is in the upright seating position U, wherein the seat back  12  is substantially upright such that a passenger&#39;s back may rest thereagainst, the slanted portion  18  preferably slants substantially downwardly towards the floor of the vehicle, causing the handle  22  to slide down the slanted portion  18  and rest on the retaining portion  20 . With the seat back  12  in the upright seating position U, the retaining portion  20 , being substantially parallel to or slightly ramped toward the vehicle floor, is unable to retain the handle  22 , causing the bag  24  to slip off of the hook  16 . Therefore, the hooks  16  may only be utilized when the seat back  12  is in the folded flat position. If the vehicle is equipped with an airbag system assembled in front of the seat assembly, it is desirable to disable the airbag system when the seat back  12  is in the folded flat position and when the seat assembly  8  is either unoccupied by a passenger or if the passenger is below a predetermined threshold weight, such as a small child. The configuration of the hooks  16  prevents stowage of items on the seat back  12  in the upright seating position which may exceed this predetermined threshold weight and falsely enable the airbag system.  
         [0013]      FIG. 2A  illustrates second and third embodiments of the seat back panel  4 ,  6 , respectively, of the present invention. In the second embodiment, the panel  4  comprises a pair of elevating support panels  26 . Preferably, clips  28  attach each panel  26  to the rear face  15  of the seat back  12  and support the panels  26  parallel to and spaced from the rear face  15  of the seat back  12 . An item may be stowed between the seat back  12  and the panels  26 . By way of example,  FIG. 2A  shows a typical vehicle window ice scraper  30  having a handle  32  extending from a brush end  34  to a squeegee end  36 . The scraper  30  may be stowed between the panel  26  and the seat back  12  with the brush end  34  extending beyond the seat back  12  when the seat assembly  8  is in the folded flat position F. Thus, any water or dirt on the brush end  34  drips onto floor mats behind the seat assembly  8  and not onto the seat back  12  itself, thereby preventing damage to the seat back  12  and trim cover. Hooks  16  may be included on the panel  4  for holding hanging items as described above.  
         [0014]     In the third embodiment, the panel  6  comprises a connection piece  38  extending perpendicularly from the rear face  15  of the seat back  12  for connecting the panel  6  thereto, and a support surface piece  40  projecting from the connection piece  38  such that it is substantially parallel to and spaced from the rear face  15  of seat back  12  for elevating a supported load  14  above the rear face  15  thereof. A substantially U-shaped cavity  41  is formed by the seat back  12 , the connection piece  38  and the support surface piece  40  for securely stowing an object such as an umbrella  42 , as shown in  FIG. 2A . Hooks  16  may be included on the connection piece  38  for holding hanging items as described above. Additionally, an opening  44  may be formed in the connection piece  38 , in the support surface piece  40 , or in both, as shown in  FIG. 2A , for securing longer items such as an ice scraper, as described above, if there is no item in the cavity blocking the openings  44 .  
         [0015]     The invention has been described in an illustrative manner, and it is to be understood that the terminology used is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than of limitation. Many modifications of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced in a substantially equivalent way other than as specifically described.