Tilting seat frame

Abstract

The invention relates to a seat frame comprising:-a seat back frame,-a seat base frame, and-means for assembling the seat back frame to the seat base frame, these means comprising two fastening systems on each side of the seat, at least a first fastening system (32) of these fastening systems comprises, on the one hand, a pin (322) passing through two openings (210, 310) provided in a wall (21, 31) of the seat back frame and / or the seat base frame, and on the other hand, two stops (321, 329) supported on both sides of said wall to prevent the pin from disengaging from the openings. According to the invention, each first fastening system is equipped with a pyrotechnic charge (325) designed to be activated to enable movement of the seat back frame relative to the seat base frame.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates generally to the field of seating.

[0002] The present invention more particularly relates to a seat frame comprising:

[0003] - Seat back frame,

[0004] - Seat base frame, and

[0005] - Means for assembling the seat back frame with the seat base frame, these means comprising two fastening systems, such as bolts, on each side of the seat frame.

[0006] The invention also relates to a seat comprising such a frame and to a vehicle equipped with such a seat. Background Art

[0007] Currently, driver seats installed in motor vehicles allow the driver to adjust his or her driving position. Passenger seats in these vehicles may also be equipped with this function.

[0008] These seats fall into two categories: manually operated and power operated.

[0009] Typically, known seats comprise a seat base frame and a seat back frame, which are hingedly connected to each other by means of two "gussets" located on either side of the seat. Each gusset is a metal piece that is fastened to the seat base frame by two bolts and has an opening at which the seat back is hinged so that it can be tilted forward or backward.

[0010] These frames are designed so that they do not deform excessively in the event of an accident. However, in the event of a collision, the chassis or seat frames of the vehicle may deform anyway, making it difficult to rescue the occupants from the vehicle.

[0011] In such cases, the current solution involves cutting the vehicle's pillars in order to remove the roof therefrom and facilitate access to the trapped person.

[0012] Unfortunately, this solution requires the use of powerful cutting tools, which emergency services must be equipped with. Even if emergency services have access to such tools, the operation can take a long time, which can have serious consequences for the trapped victims. Summary of the Invention

[0013] It is against this background that the present applicant sought novel solutions to make it easier to rescue trapped persons.

[0014] One idea is to tilt the seatbacks back horizontally so they can be moved out through the luggage compartment.

[0015] For this purpose, the above-mentioned tilting mobility of the seat back relative to the seat base can be used.

[0016] However, regardless of whether the seat is manually or electrically operated, the tilting mobility of the seat back may be prevented due to deformation of the seat frame or the chassis of the vehicle or due to power interruption.

[0017] This solution is therefore unsatisfactory. It is even less satisfactory because the seat back's tilt axis is typically located above the seating surface, so that fully reclining the seat back causes the seat back to form a step with the seat base, which may hinder the rescue of a trapped person.

[0018] The present invention therefore proposes to allow the use of means other than such hinges for reclining the seat back.

[0019] More particularly, the invention uses a seat frame as defined in the introduction, wherein the device for assembling the seat back frame to the seat base frame comprises, on each side of the seat frame, two fastening systems, in particular a first fastening system comprising, on the one hand, a pin passing through two openings provided in the wall of the seat back frame and / or the seat base frame, and, on the other hand, comprising two stops bearing on either side of said wall to prevent the pin from coming out of the opening.

[0020] The invention therefore proposes that each first fastening system is equipped with a pyrotechnic charge designed to be activated to explode and enable movement of at least a portion of the seat back frame relative to at least a portion of the seat bottom frame.

[0021] Thus, when the pyrotechnic charge is activated, it causes one of the pins or stops to deform or break, causing the first fastening system to cease performing its original function of fastening the seat back relative to the seat bottom.

[0022] Preferably, gussets are provided on both sides of the seat, which are fastened to the seat base frame (or respectively the seat back frame) and form hinges for the seat back frame (or respectively the seat base frame). The invention then proposes using means for fastening these gussets to the seat base frame (or respectively the seat back frame) in order to allow the seat back to tilt rearward in the event of an emergency.

[0023] Thus, the present invention enables some of the fastening points of the gusset plate to the seat base frame (or respectively the seat back frame) to be released to allow the seat back to tilt rearward. It will be appreciated that if each gusset plate is fastened to the rest of the seat base frame by two bolts, breaking at least one of these bolts enables the other bolt to act as a hinge to tilt the seat back.

[0024] It should be noted that preferably each first fastening means will be designed so that the seat back can be tilted without having to manually remove the broken bolt member. This is because if the pin must be completely removed once it breaks, a lot of space will be required on both sides of the seat, which may not necessarily be available, especially if the vehicle chassis has been deformed.

[0025] It should also be noted that all four bolts can be equipped with a pyrotechnic charge. Therefore, if the emergency services deem it preferable not to tilt the seat back backwards, but to remove the seat back from the vehicle entirely, this is still possible.

[0026] The following are further advantageous and non-limiting features of the seat frame according to the invention, considered individually or in any technically possible combination:

[0027] - the pyrotechnic charge is disposed within the pin and is designed to cause the pin to break;

[0028] - the pin has a weakened fusible zone;

[0029] - the pyrotechnic charge is designed to cause the pin to break in the fusible zone;

[0030] - the pin has an annular groove defining the fusible zone, and the pyrotechnic charge is located within the fusible zone;

[0031] - the fusible zone is centered in the supporting plane of the two walls;

[0032] - one of the stops forms a screw with the pin and another of the stops forms a bolt screwed onto said screw;

[0033] - the pyrotechnic charge is controlled via electrical wires whose ends at opposite ends of the pyrotechnic charge are fastened to a single electrical junction box;

[0034] - the further fastening system is designed to form a hinge so that the seat back frame can be tilted relative to the seat base frame once the seat back frame has been released to move relative to the seat base frame;

[0035] - Four fastening systems are equipped with pyrotechnic charges which, when activated, are designed to separate the seat back frame from the seat bottom frame.

[0036] The invention also relates to a seat comprising a frame as described above, the seat base frame and the seat back frame of the frame being covered with a decorative element.

[0037] The invention also relates to a motor vehicle equipped with such a seat.Of course, the various features, variants and embodiments of the invention can be combined with one another in various combinations, as long as they are not incompatible or mutually exclusive. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] The following description, made with reference to the accompanying drawings, given by way of non-limiting examples, will clearly illustrate what the invention is and how it may be implemented.

[0039] In the attached figure:

[0040] [ Figure 1 ] is a schematic perspective view of a motor vehicle seat according to the present invention;

[0041] [ Figure 2 ] is used for assembly Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a portion of an arrangement of a seat base frame and a seat back frame of a seat frame;

[0042] [ Figure 3 ] shows the fastening system before and after activation of its pyrotechnic charge along Figure 2 Two schematic cross-sectional views of plane AA in FIG.

[0043] [ Figure 4 ] yes Figure 1 Schematic side view of the seat frame after activation of the pyrotechnic charge. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] Motor vehicles (cars, buses, trucks, boats, airplanes, etc.) typically include chassis and body elements that define a passenger compartment.

[0045] Figure 1 Shown is a seat 1 intended to be installed in a passenger compartment of such a motor vehicle and to be fastened to the floor of this motor vehicle.

[0046] In the remainder of the description, the terms "front" and "rear" will be used with respect to a motor vehicle, the front portion of an element meaning the portion of this element located towards the hood of the vehicle and the rear portion meaning the portion of this element located on the opposite side.

[0047] The terms "lower" and "upper" will be used in the same manner, the lower portion of an element meaning the portion of this element located towards the floor of the vehicle and the upper portion meaning the portion of this element located towards the roof of the vehicle.

[0048] The adjective "longitudinal" shall refer to a direction or axis oriented from the front to the rear of the vehicle parallel to the direction of forward movement of the vehicle when the steering wheel is in a neutral position.

[0049] The adjective "lateral" shall refer to a direction or axis that is orthogonal to the longitudinal axis and that is oriented horizontally when the vehicle is traveling on a level road.

[0050] The adjectives "inner" and "outer" will be used relative to the seat 1, with the inner side being turned towards the geometric center of the seat and the outer side being turned towards the outside of the seat, for example.

[0051] like Figure 1 As shown, the seat 1 conventionally comprises a seat base 20A, a seat back 10A and a headrest 30A, each of which comprises a frame and a trim attached to the frame. It should be noted that the frame of the seat back and the frame of the headrest may be a single frame.

[0052] like Figure 4 As shown, the seat frame 2 is therefore composed of at least one seat bottom frame 20 and one seat back frame 10. Each of these frames is formed, for example, from metal parts fastened together.

[0053] In this case, the seat back frame 10 and the seat bottom frame 20 are each considered to comprise two metal side wings 11, 21 rigidly connected together by a metal connecting element (not visible). The two side wings 11, 21 of each frame lie in parallel vertical planes. Of course, in a variant, these frames can be different, for example in the form of plastic shells.

[0054] The seat base frame 20 may be rigidly fastened to the floor of the vehicle, but it is alternatively typically designed to be movably mounted to the floor in a translational sense. Figure 1 As shown, for this purpose it is mounted on two longitudinal slides 40A, each formed by a movable rail fastened to the seat base frame 20 and a fixed rail fastened to the floor and in which the movable rail slides.

[0055] The seat back frame 10 may be rigidly fastened to the seat base frame 20 so that the inclination of the seat back is not adjustable, but it is instead typically designed to be mounted so that the seat base frame can pivot about a transverse geometric axis, hereinafter referred to as the pivot axis A2 (see Figure 2 ))tilt.

[0056] Figure 2 The area providing the connection between the side wings 11, 21 of the two frames is shown in detail. It should be noted here that the connection is provided in the same way on both sides of the seat and therefore only the connection will be described below. Figure 2 and Figure 3 One of the connections shown in .

[0057] In this case, this connection is provided by assembly means 30 which firstly comprise a metal wall known as a gusset 31 which is in this case made by stamping a sheet metal part.

[0058] This gusset 31 is designed to connect one of the side wings 11 of the seat back frame 10 to one of the side wings 21 of the seat bottom frame 20 .

[0059] In the embodiment shown, the gusset 31 is fastened to the side wing 21 of the seat base frame 20 (and is therefore considered to be part of this seat base frame), and the seat back frame 10 is hinged thereto about the pivot axis A2 .

[0060] like Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, the gusset 31 is placed on the inside of the side wing 21 of the seat base frame 20 , but in a variant it could be placed on the outside.

[0061] This gusset 31 has an overall triangular shape with a rounded apex and comprises three openings located close to its apex, with two first openings being lower than the third opening.

[0062] The two first openings 310 are identical in this case.

[0063] like Figure 3 As shown for one of the two first openings, they are preferably circular. They are positioned opposite two matching openings 210 provided in the side wings 21 of the seat base frame 20. In this case, these openings 210, 310 have similar dimensions. Thus, each of the first openings 310 is superimposed on a matching opening 210 provided in the side wings 21 of the seat base frame 20.

[0064] The third opening ( Figure 2 ) is designed to allow the seat back 10A to tilt about the pivot axis A2. For this purpose, it houses, for example, a hinge pin 35 fastened to the seat back frame 10. Since this component is well known to those skilled in the art, it will not be described in detail herein.

[0065] In addition to this gusset 31, the device 30 for assembling the seat back frame 10 on the seat base frame 20 comprises two fastening systems 32, 33, each of which engages through one of two first openings 310 in the gusset and a corresponding opening 210 provided in the side wing 21 of the seat base frame 20, in order to rigidly fasten the gusset 31 to this side wing 21.

[0066] exist Figure 2 In this configuration shown, the two fastening systems 32 , 33 are in the configuration for use.

[0067] The two fastening systems 32, 33 are designed so that at least one of them can yield if necessary. In this case, it is assumed that only one of the two fastening systems 32, 33 is capable of yielding, the other fastening system forming a hinge that enables the gusset and the seat back to pivot rearwards, as shown in FIG. Figure 4 In a variant, both fastening systems 32 , 33 can be designed to yield.

[0068] In the embodiment illustrated in the drawings, the fastening system 32 designed to yield is the fastening system that engages through the front opening of the gusset 31, while the fastening system 33 designed to allow the seat back to tilt relative to the seat base is the rearmost fastening system.

[0069] The present invention relates more particularly to this front fastening system 32 .

[0070] This fastening system comprises a pin which passes through the two openings 211 , 311 and is equipped with two stops mounted on this pin on either side of the gusset 31 and the lateral wings 21 of the seat base frame 20 .

[0071] More specifically, if Figure 3 As shown, this fastening system 32 is a bolt comprising a safety screw 320 and a bolt 329 (forming one of the stops). Safety screw 320 comprises a head 321 (forming the other of the stops) and a threaded body 322 (forming the pin). In this case, it also has a free, unthreaded end extending from threaded body 322.

[0072] The head 321 of the safety screw 320 is hexagonal. Of course, it can have a different shape (e.g., an inner hexagonal key slot).

[0073] The safety screw 320 extends along a geometric axis (hereinafter referred to as a geometric safety axis A1 ) passing through the center of the opening.

[0074] In this case, it is oriented so that its head 321 is located on the outside of the seat 1 so as to be easily accessible. This head 321 then rests on the outside of the wing 21 of the seat base frame 20, while the nut 329 rests on the inside of the gusset 31.

[0075] This bolt makes it possible to hold the gusset 31 against the flank 21 of the seat base frame 20 .

[0076] The special feature of this safety screw 320 is that it is equipped with a pyrotechnic charge 325 .

[0077] This charge can be located outside the screw. However, it is noteworthy that, for safety and ease of use, the charge is preferably contained inside the safety screw 320, more specifically, in this case, inside the threaded body 322 of this screw.

[0078] Therefore, the bolt is designed to break when the charge is activated.

[0079] The bolt formed by the safety screw 320 and the nut 329 may be an ejector bolt, such that detonation of the pyrotechnic charge 325 causes both parts of the bolt to be ejected.

[0080] However, for safety reasons, the bolt will instead be a pull bolt so that no thrust is generated on the two parts of the bolt after the explosion of the pyrotechnic charge 325 .

[0081] Therefore, it is preferred that it break in such a manner that the two parts of the bolt do not have to be subsequently removed from the openings 210, 310 to allow the seat back to be tilted. In other words, if the charge breaks off the safety screw or the head of the bolt, the threaded body 322 of the screw will be held in place through the two openings and will have to be manually removed to allow the seat back to be tilted. For this reason, the pyrotechnic charge 325 is preferably contained within the threaded body 322.

[0082] In order to ensure that the bolt breaks against the flank 21 of the seat base frame 20 in the bearing plane of the gusset, the threaded body 322 has a fusible zone 323 between the head 321 and the threaded portion of the threaded body 322 .

[0083] In fact, the threaded body 322 has an annular groove of revolution about the safety axis A1 , which thus forms a narrowed section and thus a fusible zone.

[0084] This groove is hollow relative to the rest of the threaded body 322. It has a constant profile around the entire geometric safety axis A1, but it can also be other cases in variants. Typically, it can be formed by a plurality of radial holes all distributed around this axis.

[0085] In any case, the fusible zone 323 locally and substantially reduces the tensile strength of the safety screw 320 .

[0086] Thus, when the safety screw 320 is stressed by the explosion of the pyrotechnic charge 325 , the safety screw breaks in a plane passing through the bottom of the annular groove.

[0087] This annular groove is positioned along the safety screw 320 so that the bottom of the groove rests against the flank 21 of the seat base frame 20 in the bearing plane of the gusset once the nut has been tightened on the screw.

[0088] Furthermore, the pyrotechnic charge is accommodated in this bearing plane in the threaded body 322 of the safety screw.

[0089] Thus, after the pyrotechnic charge 325 has exploded, the gusset 31 can then be slid against the side wing 21 (without removing the bolted parts) to allow the seat back to tilt rearward to Figure 4 The location displayed.

[0090] like Figure 3 As shown, the pyrotechnic charge 325 is designed to be electrically activated. Therefore, it is connected to a sheathed wire 326.

[0091] In this case, the ends of the sheathed wires 326 of the pyrotechnic charges 325 provided on either side of the seat back are joined together and connected to a common junction box. This junction box is located, for example, under the seat cover (hidden), allowing emergency services to connect a portable battery to the seat, if necessary, to detonate the charge and break the safety screw 320.

[0092] like Figure 2 As shown, another fastening system 33 engaged through the rear opening of the gusset plate 321 is a bolt in this case.

[0093] The tightening torque of this bolt will preferably be such that when the gusset 31 is fastened to the seat base frame 20 by this bolt alone (on each side of the seat), the seat back can be manually forced to tilt rearward about the geometric axis of this bolt (hereinafter referred to as hinge axis A3). Thus, this bolt can act as a hinge.

[0094] It can be a regular M8 or M10 bolt (without the fusible zone).

[0095] Preferably, however, this bolt will be identical to the bolt in the fastening system 32 (with a fusible zone and a pyrotechnic charge). This not only reduces the number of different parts required to assemble the seat, but also enables the seat back to be completely separated from the seat base if desired by breaking the four fastening screws of the gusset.

[0096] In this case, the wires from the four bolts will be connected to the same electrical junction box accessible to emergency services. However, the wires 326 from the pyrotechnic charge 325 of the front fastening system 32 will not be electrically connected to the wires from the pyrotechnic charge of the rear fastening system 33, thereby allowing emergency services to choose to only allow the seat back to recline rearward, or to completely disassemble the seat back so that it can be removed from the passenger compartment.

[0097] The following describes a procedure that may be used if emergency services intend to release occupants from a vehicle via the luggage compartment in the event of an accident.

[0098] A first operation is to possibly remove from the vehicle the rear seats that would obstruct access to the seat 1 in which the trapped person is located.

[0099] The safety screws 320 located on both sides of the seat 1 can then be broken by applying a voltage to the terminals of the pyrotechnic charge 325. For this purpose, the emergency services can use an external power source.

[0100] Since the safety screw 320 breaks against the wing 21 of the seat base frame 20 in the bearing plane of the gusset 31 , the bolt member does not prevent an individual from forcing the seat back 10A to tilt about the hinge axis A3 without any tools.

[0101] The invention is in no way limited to the embodiments shown, but a person skilled in the art will be able to add thereto any variant in accordance with the invention.

[0102] Typically, the bolts that engage in the rear opening of the gusset (along the hinge axis) can be replaced by shoulder pins equipped with circlips, which form a perfect hinge.

[0103] Similarly, the bolt engaging the front opening of the gusset (which holds the pyrotechnic charge) can be replaced by a shoulder pin fitted with a circlip or pin. Alternatively, the safety screw can be designed without a fusible zone, and the circlip or pin can be designed to yield. However, this variant is not preferred because it would require the safety screw to be removed from the opening in order to recline the seatback.

[0104] In another variant, the shape of the opening provided in the gusset or in the side wings of the seat base frame may be different from that represented in the figures (typically octagonal).

[0105] In one embodiment, the gussets may be located outside the side wings of the frame of the seat base.Then, the orientation of the safety screw may optionally be reversed relative to the illustrated embodiment, with its head oriented towards the inside of the seat.

[0106] In another embodiment, the gusset may belong to the seat back frame instead of the seat base frame. In this embodiment, two fastening systems (32, 33) thus fasten the gusset to corresponding side wings of the seat back.

[0107] In another embodiment, the seat back frame can be fastened to the seat base frame without mobility. In this variant, two bolts arranged on each side of the seat are therefore fastened one in the frame directly to another in the frame.

[0108] In yet another embodiment, in addition to the two side wings secured by the crossbars, the seat bottom frame may also include a support secured to the movable rails and a plurality of linkages interposed between the side wings and the support. This linkage system would allow the seat bottom surface to be raised or lowered relative to the vehicle floor. In this embodiment, the seat back frame would then be coupled to the support itself, rather than to the side wings of the seat bottom frame.

Claims

1. A seat frame (2), comprising: - Seat back frame (10), - a seat base frame (20), and - means (30) for assembling the seat back frame (10) on the seat base frame (20), said means comprising two fastening systems (32, 33) on each side of the seat frame (2), at least a first fastening system (32) of said two fastening systems comprising, on the one hand, a pin (322) passing through two openings (210, 310) provided in two walls (21, 31) of the seat back frame (10) and / or the seat base frame (20), and, on the other hand, comprising two stops (321, 329) supported on either side of said two walls (21, 31) to prevent said pin (322) from coming out of said openings (210, 310), Characterized in that each first fastening system (32) is equipped with a pyrotechnic charge (325) designed to be activated to enable the seat back frame (20) to move relative to the seat bottom frame (10).

2. The seat frame (2) according to claim 1, wherein The pyrotechnic charge (325) is disposed within the pin (322) and is designed to cause the pin (322) to fracture.

3. The seat frame (2) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The pin (322) has a weakened fusible zone (323), and the pyrotechnic charge (325) is designed to cause the pin (322) to break at the fusible zone (323).

4. A seat frame (2) as claimed in claims 2 and 3, wherein: The pin (322) has an annular groove defining the fusible zone (323), and the pyrotechnic charge (325) is located within the fusible zone (323).

5. The seat frame (2) according to claim 3 or 4, wherein: The fusible zone (323) is centered in the supporting plane of the two walls (21, 31).

6. The seat frame (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: One of the stops ( 321 ) forms a screw ( 320 ) with the pin ( 322 ), and the other of the stops ( 329 ) forms a bolt screwed onto the screw ( 320 ).

7. The seat frame (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein: The pyrotechnic charge (325) is controlled via electrical wires (326) whose ends at opposite ends of the pyrotechnic charge (325) are secured to a single electrical junction box.

8. The seat frame (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein: The further fastening system (33) is designed to form a hinge so that the seat back frame (10) can be tilted relative to the seat bottom frame (20) once the seat back frame (20) has been released to move relative to the seat bottom frame (10).

9. The seat frame (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein: Four fastening systems (32, 33) are equipped with pyrotechnic charges (325) which, when activated, are designed to separate the seat back frame (20) from the seat bottom frame (10).

10. A seat (1) comprising a frame (2) according to one of claims 1 to 9, the seat base frame (20) and the seat back frame (10) of the frame being covered with a decorative element.

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