Lightweight vehicle seat
A vehicle seat with expanded thermoplastic frames and unidirectional fiber reinforcement addresses weight, recyclability, and safety concerns, enabling temperature regulation and comfort.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- FR2022003742
- Authority / Receiving Office
- FR · FR
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2022-04-22
- Publication Date
- 2025-11-14
- Estimated Expiration
- 2042-04-22
AI Technical Summary
Current vehicle seats are heavy due to metal parts, difficult to recycle, pose electrocution risks from short circuits, and hinder the design of heated or cooled seats.
The seat structure is made of expanded thermoplastic material with unidirectional fiber-reinforced thermoplastic frames, allowing for lightweight, recyclable, and electrically non-conductive components that can integrate temperature regulation via air ducts.
The solution provides a lightweight, recyclable, and safe seat with integrated temperature control, overcoming weight and safety issues while maintaining mechanical strength and comfort.
Smart Images
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Abstract
Description
Title of the invention: Lightweight vehicle seat
[0001] The present invention relates to a lightweight structure vehicle seat.
[0002] In order to better understand the positioning of the different parts involved in a vehicle according to the invention, the description is made by referring to a direct orthonormal frame XYZ linked to a vehicle in which a seat according to the invention would be mounted, in which X is a front-rear longitudinal axis of the vehicle oriented towards the rear, Y is a transverse axis oriented towards the right of the vehicle and Z is a vertical axis directed upwards.
[0003] Currently, the structure of vehicle seats has several disadvantages: -it involves metal parts making it heavy and difficult to recycle, -it makes it difficult to design heated and cooled seats, because of the PU, -it makes after-sales interventions expensive, -it can prove dangerous if a short circuit were to occur, because the metal parts that compose it could conduct the electricity thus produced, with significant risks of electrocution, especially for a person who would be sitting on said seat.
[0004] A seat according to the invention makes it possible to overcome the main disadvantages noted in seats of the prior art.
[0005] The invention relates to a vehicle seat comprising a backrest structure and a seat structure.
[0006] According to the invention, the backrest structure and the seat structure each comprise a frame made of an expanded thermoplastic material, each of said frames being traversed by a plurality of unidirectional bands, each comprising fibers integrated into a thermoplastic matrix. In this way, a seat according to the invention exhibits good mechanical strength while remaining lightweight, since all the metal reinforcements usually found on the seats of current vehicles have been largely eliminated and replaced by thermoplastic reinforcements. Advantageously, the frame of the backrest structure is closed and has four parallel segments arranged in pairs. Preferably, the frame of the backrest structure is rectangular in shape.Preferably, the seat frame is open and has three segments, two of which are parallel, with the third connecting these two parallel segments at a right angle to the third. The frames can be solid or hollow. Unidirectional strips connect the segments of each frame, leaving gaps between them to define a discrete (non-continuous) wall. The unidirectional strips are lightweight and also have good mechanical strength. When the seat is fully assembled, The unidirectional bands can be covered with a foam or fabric material. According to another embodiment, these unidirectional bands are not covered with any upholstery material and constitute the parts of the seat that will be in direct contact with the body of a person sitting on the seat. The various materials used in a seat according to the invention are lightweight and easily recyclable. It is possible that a seat according to the invention may retain some metal parts, for example, to ensure its attachment in a vehicle and / or to allow the backrest structure to pivot on the seat structure. The integration of these metal parts can be achieved by plastic overmolding of the metal attachment interfaces.
[0007] According to one possible feature of the invention, the seat frame and the backrest frame are made of a porous thermoplastic material. The fact that the material is porous makes it possible to further lighten a seat according to the invention, while still ensuring good mechanical strength.
[0008] According to one possible feature of the invention, the frame of the seat structure and the frame of the backrest structure are made of expanded polypropylene. The production of such a material is easy and well controlled.
[0009] According to a possible feature of the invention, the fibers of the unidirectional strips are to be chosen from carbon fibers and glass fibers.
[0010] According to one possible feature of the invention, the unidirectional strips define bars that are parallel within the same frame. The backrest structure is thus well-structured and exhibits homogeneous and evenly distributed mechanical strength. The distance separating two consecutive unidirectional strips is preferably constant.
[0011] According to one possible feature of the invention, the backrest structure is adjustable in inclination on the seat structure about an axis of rotation, the bars of the seat structure and the bars of the backrest structure all being parallel to said axis of rotation. If the seat were placed in a vehicle, the bars of the backrest structure and the seat structure would all extend along a transverse axis Y of said vehicle.
[0012] According to one possible feature of the invention, a polyurethane layer covers the bars of the seat frame and the backrest frame. This polyurethane layer takes the form of a foam that is advantageously overmolded onto the bars of each frame, and increases the comfort for a person sitting on the seat.
[0013] According to one possible feature of the invention, a fabric covers the bars of the seat structure frame and the backrest structure frame. Such a fabric may, for example, be a textile fabric or a leather fabric.
[0014] According to one possible feature of the invention, the bars are flush with the frame of the backrest structure and the frame of the seat structure, so that the body of a person sitting on said seat comes into direct contact with said bars. In this configuration, a person sitting on the seat would be in direct contact with the bars of the frame of the seat structure and the bars of the frame of the backrest structure.
[0015] According to one possible feature of the invention, the seat frame and / or the backrest frame have air ducts intended to be connected to a vehicle's temperature control system in order to modulate the seat temperature. In this way, a seat according to the invention, despite its expanded thermoplastic structure, can have its temperature regulated thanks to the presence of these ducts, which are directly connected to a temperature control system. This temperature control system could, for example, be of the HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning) type.
[0016] A seat according to the invention has the advantage of being lightweight thanks to the use of recyclable materials, while maintaining good mechanical strength and certain functionalities that can be found on existing seats, such as temperature regulation.
[0017] A detailed description of a preferred embodiment of a seat according to the invention is given below with reference to the following figures:
[0018] [Fig. 1] represents a perspective view of a state-of-the-art seat,
[0019] [Fig.2] represents a perspective view of a seat according to the invention,
[0020] [Fig.3] represents a perspective view of a seat of the [Fig.2]
[0021] [Fig.4] represents a simplified cross-sectional view of a seat or backrest of a first embodiment of a seat according to the invention,
[0022] [Fig. 5] represents a simplified cross-sectional view of a seat or backrest of a second embodiment of a seat the invention,
[0023] [Fig.6] represents a simplified cross-sectional view of a seat or backrest of a third embodiment of a seat the invention,
[0024] [Fig.7] represents a simplified cross-sectional view of a seat or backrest of a fourth embodiment of a seat the invention,
[0025] [Fig.8] represents a perspective view of a seat according to the invention, schematically showing air circulation ducts.
[0026] Referring to [Fig. 1], a prior art seat 1 has a backrest structure 2 and a seat structure 3, both made of metal. The backrest structure 2 is schematically presented as a closed frame comprising two short, parallel, horizontal segments 4, 5, and two long segments 6, 7 whose inclination reflects the inclination of the backrest. The two short segments 4, 5 are composed of a lower short segment 4 and an upper short segment 5, the upper short segment 5 being placed above the lower short segment 4. A headrest 8 emerges above the upper short segment 5 and is height-adjustable above said upper short segment 5.
[0027] The seat structure 3 is schematically represented as an open frame having two parallel longitudinal segments 9, 10, and a transverse segment 11 joining said two longitudinal segments 9, 10 at a perpendicular angle to them. More precisely, the transverse segment 11 connects two front ends of the two longitudinal segments 9, 10, thus giving said frame a U-shaped profile. A cylindrical bar 12 connects two rear ends of the two longitudinal segments 9, 10. The frame forming the backrest structure 2 is pivotally mounted on the seat structure 3 about an axis of rotation 13 parallel to the cylindrical bar 12 and located above it. In this way, the backrest structure 2 is adjustable in inclination on the seat structure 3.The seat structure 3 is mounted in translation on two sliding rails 14, 15 placed on a vehicle floor, by means of four feet 16 which may be either brackets or stretchers. Of these four feet 16, two feet 16 are fixed to a longitudinal segment 9 of the seat structure 3 and two other feet 16 are fixed to the other longitudinal segment 10 of said seat structure 3. The feet 16 are inserted between the seat structure 3 and the rails 14, 15 by being fixed to said seat structure 3, and allow the seat 1 to slide along said rails 14, 15 in order to adjust its position in the vehicle, generally along a longitudinal axis X of said vehicle.
[0028] It is observed that the seat structure 3 and the backrest structure 2 of existing seats 1 are mostly made of metal, and present a number of disadvantages including: -They significantly increase the weight of the seat, -they are difficult to recycle, -in the event of an accidental short circuit in the seat, they can conduct electric current and contribute to injuring a person sitting in said seat, -they make it difficult to design heated or cooled seats.
[0029] With reference to figures 2 and 3, in order to overcome all the aforementioned disadvantages, a seat 100 according to the invention has a backrest structure 102 and a seat structure 103 made of an expanded thermoplastic material, said two structures 102, 103 being traversed by a plurality of unidirectional strips 120 each comprising fibers integrated into a thermoplastic material matrix.
[0030] The structure of folder 102 is schematically represented in the form of a frame The closed section comprises two parallel and horizontal short segments 104 and 105, and two long segments 106 and 107 whose inclination reflects the inclination of the backrest. The two short segments 104 and 105 are composed of a lower short segment 104 and an upper short segment 105, with the upper short segment 105 positioned above the lower short segment 104. Advantageously, a headrest emerges above the upper short segment 105.
[0031] The seat structure 103 is schematically represented as an open frame having two parallel longitudinal segments 109, 110, and a transverse segment 111 joining said two longitudinal segments 109, 110 at a perpendicular angle to them. More precisely, the transverse segment 111 connects two front ends of the two longitudinal segments 109, 110, thus giving said frame a U-shaped profile. A cylindrical bar 112 connects two rear ends of the two longitudinal segments 109, 110. The frame forming the backrest structure 102 is pivotally mounted on the seat structure 103 about an axis of rotation 113 parallel to the cylindrical bar 112 and located above it. When the seat 100 is mounted in a vehicle in a conventional position, the cylindrical bar 112 and the axis of rotation 113 extend along a transverse axis Y of the vehicle.In this way, the backrest structure 102 is adjustable in inclination on the seat structure 103.
[0032] Preferably, the frame forming the backrest structure 102 and the frame forming the seat structure 103 are made of a porous thermoplastic material, preferably expanded polypropylene. Each of these frames 102, 103 is traversed by several unidirectional strips 120, each comprising fibers embedded in a thermoplastic matrix. Preferably, the fibers are glass fibers or carbon fibers. These unidirectional strips 120, more commonly known as "UD tapes," pass through the frames parallel to each other. Thus, parallel unidirectional strips 120 connect the two long segments 106, 107 of the backrest structure 102, being perpendicular to said two long segments 106, 107 (or parallel to the two short segments 104, 105).Similarly, parallel unidirectional bands 120 connect the two longitudinal segments 109, 110 of the seat structure 103, being perpendicular to said two longitudinal segments 109, 110 (or parallel to the transverse segment 111). Consequently, the unidirectional bands 120 included in the frame materializing the backrest structure 102 and the unidirectional bands 120 included in the frame materializing the seat structure 103 are parallel. When the seat is mounted in a vehicle, the unidirectional bands 120 extend along a transverse axis Y of the vehicle. The seat structure 103 is mounted in translation on two sliding rails 114, 115 placed on a vehicle floor, by means of four feet 116, two of which are fixed to a longitudinal segment 109. the seating structure 103 and of which two other feet 116 are fixed to the other longitudinal segment 110 of said seating structure 103. The feet 116 are inserted between the seating structure 103 and the rails 114, 115 by being fixed to said seating structure 103, and allow the seat 100 to slide along said rails 114, 115 to adjust its position in the vehicle, generally along a longitudinal axis X of said vehicle.
[0033] Referring to [Fig.4], according to a first preferred embodiment of a seat 100 according to the invention, a covering in the form of a polyurethane foam 121 is overmolded onto the unidirectional strips 120 and onto the frames materializing the seat structure 103 and the backrest structure 102. In this way, this foam 121 will create a cushion on the frames 102, 103 and on the unidirectional strips 120, and will make the contact between the body of a person sitting on the seat 100 and said seat 100 more pleasant..
[0034] Referring to [Fig. 5], according to a second preferred embodiment of a seat 100 according to the invention, the unidirectional strips 120 are placed at one end of the width of each of the two frames 102, 103, so as to be flush with the frame 102, 103 or to protrude slightly from it. For this configuration, no covering is provided, and a person will then sit directly on said unidirectional strips 120.
[0035] Referring to [Fig. 6], according to a third preferred embodiment of a seat 100 according to the invention, the unidirectional strips 120 are placed at one end of the width of each of the two frames 102, 103, so as to be flush with the frame 102, 103 or to protrude slightly from it. A covering in the form of a textile 122 is then placed over the unidirectional strips 120 and attached to them by any means. In this way, this textile 122, which can, for example, be made of fabric or leather, will create an added thickness that will make the contact between the body of a person sitting on the seat 100 and the seat 100 more comfortable.
[0036] Referring to [Fig. 7], according to a fourth preferred embodiment of a seat according to the invention, a covering in the form of a polyurethane foam 121 is overmolded onto the frames 102, 103, such that the unidirectional strips 120 are embedded in said foam. In the first embodiment, the polyurethane foam 121 is overmolded onto the unidirectional strips 120, whereas in the fourth preferred embodiment, said unidirectional strips 120 are embedded in said foam 121.
[0037] With reference to [Fig. 4], air circulation ducts 123 can be formed in the frames materializing the backrest structure 102 and the seat structure 103 in order to allow temperature regulation of the seat 100. These ducts are intended to be in fluid communication with a vehicle temperature control system, which may, for example, be of the HVAC type. These ducts 123 can be made by being closed and completely buried in said frames 102, 103, in other words without being visible from outside the seat 100. According to another embodiment of a seat 100 according to the invention, these conduits 123 can be open within the frames 102, 103 materializing the backrest structure and the seat structure, and can be covered with a covering which can for example be a textile 122 or a polyurethane foam.
Claims
Demands
1. Vehicle seat (1, 100) comprising a backrest structure (2, 102) and a seat structure (3, 103), characterized in that the backrest structure (102) and the seat structure (103) each comprise a frame made of an expanded thermoplastic material, and in that each of said frames is traversed by a plurality of unidirectional strips (120) each comprising fibers integrated into a matrix of thermoplastic material.
2. Vehicle seat according to claim 1, characterized in that the frame of the seat structure (103) and the frame of the backrest structure (102) are made of a porous thermoplastic material.
3. Vehicle seat according to claim 2, characterized in that the frame of the seat structure (103) and the frame of the backrest structure (102) are made of expanded polypropylene.
4. Vehicle seat according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the fibers of the unidirectional strips (120) are to be selected from carbon fibers and glass fibers.
5. Vehicle seat according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the unidirectional strips (120) define bars, and in that said bars are parallel within the same frame.
6. Seat according to claim 5, characterized in that the backrest structure (102) is adjustable in inclination on the seat structure (103) around an axis of rotation (113), and in that the bars (120) of the seat structure (103) and the bars (120) of the backrest structure (102) are all parallel to said axis of rotation (113).
7. Vehicle seat according to any one of claims 5 or 6, characterized in that a polyurethane layer (121) covers the bars (120) of the frame of the seat structure (103) and of the frame of the backrest structure (102).
8. Vehicle seat according to any one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that a fabric (122) covers the bars (120) of the frame of the seat structure (103) and of the frame of the backrest structure (102).
9. A vehicle seat according to any one of claims 5 or 6, characterized in that the bars (120) are flush with the frame of the backrest structure (102) and the frame of the seat structure (103), so that the body of a person who would be sitting on said seat (100) comes directly into contact with said bars (120).
10. Vehicle seat according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the frame of the seat structure (103) and / or the frame of the backrest structure (102) has air ducts (123) intended to be connected to a vehicle temperature control system in order to modulate the temperature of the seat (100).