Patent Publication Number: US-2021162895-A1

Title: Guide element comprising fastening to a seat cushion, seat cushion, vehicle seat and vehicle having a guide element of this type

Description:
The invention relates to a guide element, in particular an ISOFIX guide element, a seat cushion having such a guide element, and a vehicle seat having such a seat cushion and a vehicle having such a vehicle seat. 
     Such guide elements are used in vehicles in particular when fastening child seats on a vehicle seat. In this case, the guide elements are used to guide catch elements provided on a child seat in the direction of fastening brackets (ISOFIX retaining brackets), which are connected to the vehicle body of the vehicle, so that the catch elements can be locked on the fastening brackets and the child seat is securely retained. Such a fastening system for child seats is also known under the name ISOFIX. 
     During the manufacturing of vehicle seats, the guide elements are typically first installed when the relevant seat cushion has already been mounted in a vehicle seat. Seat cushions and guide elements are accordingly supplied separately from one another and mounted in successive work steps. The installation of the guide elements in the vehicle seat which is already assembled or mounted in the vehicle body is an additional step in the mounting sequence, which is time-consuming. 
     The underlying object of the invention is considered that of specifying a guide element which enables improved mounting. 
     This object is achieved by a guide element having the features of claim  1 , by a seat cushion having the features of claim  4 , a vehicle seat having the features of claim  7 , and a motor vehicle having the features of claim  8 . Advantageous designs having expedient refinements are specified in the dependent claims. 
     A guide element is thus proposed, in particular an ISOFIX guide element or ISOFIX funnel, having a base section, a rear side section, and two side sections connected to the base, having an insertion opening, which is delimited by respective inner sides of the base section and the two side sections, and having a bracket opening formed between the base section and the rear side section, which has notches formed in the side sections in such a way that a bracket-like fixing element can be accommodated in the notches, and that the fixing element is accessible through the insertion opening. It is provided here that at least one fastening element protruding from the base section is provided on an outer side of the base section, wherein the fastening element has at least one oblong-hole-type fastening opening, which is connectable to a tab of a seat cushion or a seat cover of a vehicle seat. 
     A tab, in particular a material tab or a tab made of a plastic fabric or the like, can be guided or threaded through the fastening opening of the fastening element, so that the guide element can be connected to the seat cushion before the mounting of the seat cushion. The seat cushion having guide elements attached thereon can accordingly be mounted in one work step, without the guide elements having to be installed later. 
     The fastening opening can be embodied to be essentially rectangular, wherein a length of the fastening opening is approximately four times the width of the fastening opening. For example, the length of the opening can be approximately 35-50 mm, wherein the width is approximately 9 to 12 mm. In this way, a tab dimensioned adequately for good handling can be inserted easily into the fastening opening, so that the guide element can be connected to the seat cushion. 
     The notches can have a respective end section, which is dimensioned in such a way that the guide element is fixable in a formfitting and/or friction-locked way on the fixing element accommodated in the notches, in particular is fixable like a clip. In this way, during the mounting of the seat cushion having the guide elements fastened thereon by means of the tab, the guide elements can be easily connected to the bracket-like fixing elements, in particular the guide elements can easily be pressed onto the fixing elements and thus locked in the end section. 
     The underlying object of the invention is also achieved by a seat cushion for a seat of a vehicle, having a foam body, a support structure arranged on the foam body, and having a cover enclosing the foam body. It is provided in this case that at least one tab connected to the support structure and/or the cover is arranged on a rear region of the seat cushion, and that an above-described guide element is connected to the tab. 
     In this case, a free end of the tab can be wrapped in a loop around a wire of the wire mesh and then connected to the remaining tab, for example, using an eye, a hook-and-loop closure, an adhesive, or the like. Alternatively or additionally, the tab can be fastened on the cover of the cushion, for example, sewn or adhesively bonded thereon. 
     The seat cushion can have two tabs, which are arranged at a distance to one another along the rear region of the seat cushion, which essentially corresponds to a distance of two bracket-like fixing elements connected to a vehicle body, in particular the distance of 270 to 290 mm between two ISOFIX retaining brackets. Two guide elements can accordingly be attached to the seat cushion in order to simplify the mounting of the vehicle seat. 
     The tab can have a length which is dimensioned so that a free end which is guided through the fastening opening of the guide element is arranged below the base section of the guide element in the mounted state of the guide element on the seat cushion. 
     The invention furthermore also relates to a vehicle seat having an above-described seat cushion, which has at least one above-described guide element. Finally, the invention also relates to a vehicle having such a vehicle seat. In this case, the vehicle seat can be a front seat or a rear seat of a vehicle, in particular a front passenger seat or a left or rear or middle seat of a rear seat bench. 
    
    
     
       Further advantages, features, and details of the invention result from the claims, the following description of preferred embodiments, and on the basis of the drawings. In the figures: 
         FIG. 1  shows a schematic and simplified illustration of a vehicle seat having two guide elements; 
         FIG. 2  shows a schematic and simplified lateral view of a guide element and a tab of a seat cushion connected thereto; 
         FIG. 3  shows a schematic and simplified perspective illustration of the guide element of  FIG. 2  from the front; 
         FIG. 4  shows a simplified and schematic sectional illustration of a guide element accommodated in the seat cushion having schematically indicated arrangement of a tab connected to the wire mesh of the seat cushion; and 
         FIG. 5  shows a schematic and simplified perspective view of the rear side of a seat cushion having partially shown wire mesh, partially shown fixing elements, and two guide elements. 
     
    
    
     A vehicle seat  10  is shown schematically and simplified in  FIG. 1 . The vehicle seat  10  comprises a seat cushion  12 . Furthermore, the vehicle seat  10  has a backrest  14  and a headrest  16  attached thereon. Two guide elements  18  are arranged in the seat cushion  12  in the region of the transition between the seat cushion  12  and the backrest  14 . The guide elements  18  are used to enable the access to fixing elements arranged behind them, in order to be able to fasten a child seat on the vehicle seat  10 . In  FIG. 1 , the guide elements  18  are shown having a cover element  20 , which is located in its closed position, so that the fixing elements located behind it are not visible. 
     The vehicle seat shown in  FIG. 1  is, solely by way of example, a rear left seat of a vehicle. The guide elements  18  can just as well be arranged on a front seat, in particular a front passenger seat of a vehicle, or on a right or middle seat of a rear seat bench, however. 
     The guide element  18  is shown in  FIG. 2  in a schematic lateral outline illustration. It comprises a base section  22 , a rear side section  24 , and two side sections  26 . With respect to a mounted state shown in  FIG. 1 , in which an insertion opening  28  of the guide element  18  is aligned forward, in  FIG. 2  the view is toward the right side section  26 , which is shown transparent, however. The insertion opening  28  is delimited by the respective inner sides of the base section  22  and the two side sections  26 . 
     The guide element  18  has a bracket opening  30  formed between the base section  22  and the rear side section  24 . The bracket opening  30  has notches  30  formed in the side sections  26 . In this case, the notches  32  are formed so that a bracket-type fixing element  34  can be accommodated therein, so that the fixing element  34  is accessible through the insertion opening  28 . The fixing element  34  is typically an ISOFIX retaining bracket connected to a vehicle body of a vehicle. 
     The notches  32  have a respective end section  36 , which is dimensioned in such a way that the guide element  18  is fixable in a formfitting and/or friction-locked manner on the fixing element  34  accommodated in the notches  32 , in particular is fixable like a clip. For this purpose, a cross-sectional constriction  38  is provided in the notches  32  at the end section  36 . 
     A fastening element  42  is attached on an outer side  40  of the base section  22 . The fastening element  42  can also be formed in one piece with the base section  22  of the guide element  18 . The fastening element  42  has a fastening opening  44 . A tab  46  can be guided through the fastening opening  44 . A tab  46  can be guided through the fastening opening  18 . In this way, the guide element  18  can be connected to the tab  46 . In this case, a front free end  48  of the tab  46  is inserted or threaded through the fastening opening  44  of the fastening element  42 . In a mounted state of the guide element  18  on the seat cushion  12  ( FIG. 1 ), the free end  48  of the tab  46  is arranged below the base section  22  of the guide element and is not visible from the outside (from the vehicle interior). 
       FIG. 3  shows the guide element  18  of  FIG. 2  in a perspective front view. A bead  54  connected to the base section  22  and the side sections  26  is apparent, wherein the bead conceals the base section  22  and the side sections  26  in this illustration, which is illustrated by the partially dashed reference lines for the reference signs  22 ,  26 . As already mentioned, the insertion opening  28  is delimited by an inner side  50  of the base section  22  and by the respective inner sides  52  of the side sections  26 . As in  FIG. 2 , the cover element  20  is shown in a partially open position. Accordingly, the view into the insertion opening  28  is also only partially uncovered. 
     Furthermore, the fastening element  42  is shown in  FIG. 3 , which adjoins the lower side  48  of the base section  22 . The fastening opening  44  provided in the fastening element  42  is only partially visible. It is covered by the bead  54 . The bead  54  typically rests on a cover of the seat cushion  12  in the mounted state of the guide element  18 . 
       FIG. 4  shows a perspective illustration in partial section of the guide element  18  in its mounted state on the seat cushion  12 . The guide element  18  is connected by means of the tab  46  to the seat cushion  12 . In this case, the front free end  48  of the tab  46  is guided through the fastening opening  44  of the fastening element  42 . A rear free end  56  of the tab  46  is connected to a support structure  58  of the seat cushion  12 . The support structure  58  is embodied here by way of example as a wire mesh or wire frame  58 . Instead of a wire mesh  58 , alternatively or additionally, a support structure made of a plastic, for example, in the form of a plastic frame, can also be used. In particular, the rear free end  56  of the tab is guided in a loop around a wire  57  of the wire mesh  58 . Alternatively or additionally, the tab  46  or its rear free end  56  can also be connected, for example, sewn or adhesively bonded, to a cover of the seat cushion. A further option is that the tab will be or is fastened by means of a metal or plastic eye on the wire frame  58 . The seat cushion  12  can then be provided with the guide element  18  fastened by means of the tab as a unit during the mounting of the vehicle seat in a vehicle. The time-consuming, subsequent insertion and fastening of the guide element  18  when the seat cushion  12  is already mounted is accordingly dispensed with. 
     The fixing element  34  or the ISOFIX retaining bracket is also shown in  FIG. 4 . The fixing element comprises in particular two leg sections  60  and a coupling section  62  connecting the leg sections  60 . The coupling section  62  extends transversely, in particular orthogonally, to the leg sections  60 . The coupling section  62  extends through the guide element  18 , in particular through its interior. The guide element  18 , as already described above with reference to  FIG. 2 , is fastened in a formfitting manner on the coupling section  62  of the retaining bracket  34 . 
     The fastening opening  44  is formed essentially rectangular, which is apparent in particular from the rear perspective view of  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 3 . In this case, the fastening opening  44  can have a length LB which is approximately four times the width BB of the fastening opening  44 . For example, the length LB of the opening can be approximately 35-50 mm, wherein the width LB or height is approximately 9 to 12 mm. In this way, a tab  46  adequately dimensioned for good handling can be inserted easily into the fastening opening  44 , so that the guide element  18  can be connected to the seat cushion  12 . 
       FIG. 5  shows the rear perspective view of two guide elements  18  of the seat cushion  12 . The guide elements  18  are suspended on the two fixing elements or retaining brackets  34 . In this illustration, furthermore wires  57  of the wire mesh or wire frame  58  are apparent. The support structure formed here by way of example as the wire mesh  58  is used to stabilize a foam element (not shown in greater detail) of the seat cushion  12 . Furthermore, such a support structure can also be used to connect the seat cushion  12  to the vehicle body of the vehicle. In the left guide element  18 , the tab  46  is shown in simplified form, which connects the guide element  18  to the wire  57  of the wire mesh  58  and thus to the seat cushion  12 .