Abstract:
In the case of a vehicle seat, in particular a shell-type seat, having a backrest ( 4 ) over which a safety belt (G) can be guided in order to secure a seat occupant (F, M), the safety belt (G) can be placed in contact with a belt catch hook ( 10 ) that is attached to the backrest ( 4 ) and that laterally guides and/or holds a safety belt (G) engaged therein and allows a safety belt (G) disengaged therefrom to freely move laterally.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    The present application is a continuation of International Application PCT/EP2007/000406, which was filed Jan. 18, 2007. The entire disclosure of International Application PCT/EP2007/000406, which was filed Jan. 18, 2007, is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to a vehicle seat, in particular a shell-type seat, having a backrest over which a safety belt can be guided in order to secure a seat occupant. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Unless a vehicle seat is designed as a seat with an integrated seat belt system, or unless it has openings in the backrest through which two shoulder belts can pass, a section of a three-point safety belt is guided from a deflection fitting mounted on the B-pillar or on the C-pillar, over the backrest, to the shoulder of the seat occupant and further onwards across the chest and pelvic region of that person to the belt buckle. While in the case of vehicle seats having backrest frames the safety belt normally does not come into contact with the backrest, in the case of shell-type seats with a high backrest such contact may occur. In particular in the case of highly contoured shell-type seats and small seat occupants, the guidance of the belt may be impaired by this contact with the backrest, for example by the safety belt slipping laterally off along the contour of the backrest. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF SOME ASPECTS OF THE DISCLOSURE 
       [0004]    The object of the present invention is to improve a vehicle seat of the type mentioned in the Technical Field section of this disclosure. 
         [0005]    In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a vehicle seat, in particular a shell-type seat, has a backrest over which a safety belt can be guided in order to secure a seat occupant, and a belt catch hook is attached to the backrest. The safety belt can be placed in contact with the belt catch hook. The belt catch hook laterally guides and/or holds (e.g., restricts lateral movement of) a safety belt engaged therein. The belt catch hook allows a safety belt disengaged therefrom to freely move laterally. 
         [0006]    By bringing the safety belt into contact with a belt catch hook attached to the backrest, the belt catch hook laterally guides and/or holds a safety belt that is engaged therein and allows a safety belt that is disengaged therefrom to freely move laterally, and the guiding of the safety belt can be adapted to the size of the seat occupant. Thus, in the case of a small seat occupant, the safety belt is preferably engaged in the belt catch hook, i.e. the guidance is determined by the belt catch hook, and in the case of a large seat occupant, the safety belt is disengaged, i.e. the guidance is determined by the shoulder of the seat occupant. The safety belt preferably engages and/or disengages automatically, depending on the size of the seat occupant. It is thus not necessary for the seat occupant to actively engage the belt in, or to disengage the belt from, the belt catch hook, and as a result the comfort level is increased and misuse is prevented. 
         [0007]    In a preferred embodiment (e.g., optionally), the belt catch hook has a fin with a concave inner side and a convex outer side, and both the concave inner side and the convex outer side can both operate as functional surfaces. The safety belt engaged in the belt catch hook is preferably laterally guided and held by the inner side of the fin, for which purpose the concave shape has a stabilizing effect. The disengaged safety belt can be guided by the backrest or by the outer side of the fin, for which purpose the convex shape prevents the safety belt from becoming caught up. 
         [0008]    The belt catch hook is preferably also provided with a base by means of which the belt catch hook is attached to the backrest and from which the fin preferably projects, wherein the belt catch hook is preferably formed in one piece, which simplifies its manufacture, for example, from a wear-resistant material. In addition, the base and the fin together can define a laterally open receptacle for the safety belt. The engaged safety belt is preferably laid over the upper side of the base, which thus supports the guiding function of the inner side of the fin. 
         [0009]    The invention is preferably usable for vehicle seats whose backrest has a shell as its load-bearing structure, in particular a highly contoured shell, to which the belt catch hook is—preferably directly—attached. However, the invention is not restricted to such vehicle seats. 
         [0010]    Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]    In the following, the invention is described in more detail on the basis of an exemplary embodiment shown in the drawings, in which: 
           [0012]      FIG. 1  is a perspective partial view of the exemplary embodiment seen at an angle from behind, without a safety belt, 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is a schematic partial view of the exemplary embodiment, seen from the front with a safety belt and a small seat occupant, 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is a schematic partial view of the exemplary embodiment, seen from the front with a safety belt and a large seat occupant, and 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  is a lateral view of the exemplary embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0016]    A vehicle seat  1  is provided as a front seat for a motor vehicle. The vehicle seat  1 , which is of shell-type construction, comprises a backrest  4  having a shell  6  as the load-bearing structure, padding and a cover  8 . The padding and the cover  8  that covers the padding are arranged on the front side of the backrest  4 , facing towards the seat occupant, with the cover  8  extending to each edge of the shell  6  where it is attached. The shell  6  is visible and uncovered at the rear side of the backrest  4 . As far as the invention is concerned, it is insignificant whether the vehicle seat  1  is of double-shell construction (i.e. the shell  6  merely forms the load-bearing structure of the backrest  4  and the seat part has another load-bearing structure) or whether the vehicle seat  1  is of single-shell construction (i.e. the shell  6  also forms the load-bearing structure of the seat part). 
         [0017]    In order to secure the seat occupant, a safety belt G is provided. In the exemplary embodiment, the safety belt G is a three-point safety belt that is deflected by the B-pillar among other things. A belt catch hook  10  is provided in the area of the shoulder of the seat occupant, on the backrest  4 , in order to guide the safety belt G. In the exemplary embodiment, the belt catch hook  10  is mounted at the edge of the shell  6 , on the side of the vehicle seat  1  that faces the B-pillar (door sill side). The belt catch hook  10  has a base  12  that is positioned on the edge of the shell  6  (and serves to attach the belt catch hook  10 ), as well as a single fin  14  that projects from the base  12 . The term “fin” should be understood to mean generally at least a three-sided material area, for example triangular or curviform, having at least one convex outer side and at least one concave inner side. In the exemplary embodiment, the fin  14  projects at an oblique angle from the base  12  and is curved towards the center of the vehicle seat. The concave inner side  14 ′ of the fin  14  merges with a radius into the upper side of the base  12 , i.e. the fin  14 , with its concave inner side  14 ′ and the base  12  with its upper side define a receptacle that is open laterally or, more precisely stated, with an upward vertical component (e.g., an opening of the receptacle is both laterally and upwardly open). The convex outer side  14 ″ of the fin  14  points towards the sill side. The entire belt catch hook  10  is manufactured preferably from an impact-resistant plastic such as PA6 GF30, so that it is protected from wear, but it may also be made from metal or a composite material. 
         [0018]    The belt catch hook  10  is especially advantageous in the case of a small seat occupant F, e.g. a 5-percentile woman. Then, the safety belt G, from the deflection fitting on the B-pillar, is placed across the base  12  (i.e. across the upper side thereof). The safety belt G engages automatically in the belt catch hook  10  or, more precisely stated, in the receptacle defined by the inner side  14 ′ of the fin  14  and by the base  12 . The safety belt G is thus laterally held and guided at the sill-side edge of the belt by the inner side  14 ′ of the fin  14 . The safety belt G is further guided over the area between the shoulder and the neck of the small seat occupant F to the belt buckle. This automatic engagement of the safety belt G in the belt catch hook  10  prevents the safety belt G from slipping laterally off the shell  6 , due to the extensive contouring of the shell  6 , and thus also off the shoulder of the small seat occupant F. When necessary, the safety belt G can be easily disengaged again from the belt catch hook  10 , for example if the backrest  4  should be free-pivoted in order to gain access to the rear compartment. 
         [0019]    In the case of a large seat occupant M, for example a 50-percentile man or a 95-percentile man, the shoulder is higher, so that the belt catch hook  10  does not need to laterally guide the safety belt G. The safety belt G disengages itself automatically—at the latest when it is put on—from the belt catch hook  10  and instead runs over the shoulder of the large seat occupant M. Typically in this case, the safety belt G runs above the belt catch hook  10  and does not come into contact at all with the belt catch hook  10  or the backrest  4 , so that the safety belt G cannot slip off the backrest  4  or, more precisely stated, off the shell  6 . If the safety belt G does, however, come into contact with the backrest  4 , the fin  14  can guide the safety belt G with its outer side  14 ″, or the safety belt G comes into contact with the edge of the backrest  4  in an area above the belt catch hook  10 . In both cases, the safety belt G is laterally freely movable, for example because of the convex shape of the outer side  14 ″ of the fin  14 , i.e. the safety belt G does not get caught up. 
         [0020]    It will be understood by those skilled in the art that while the present invention has been discussed above with reference to an exemplary embodiment, various additions, modifications and changes can be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.