VEHICLE SEAT FILE COMPONENT
The seat back element with a reinforcement plate secures the connection between the latch wire and lock, maintaining the locked position during rear impacts by enhancing rigidity and resistance to deformation, addressing the issue of seat back unlocking.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- FR · FR
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- FAURECIA SIEGES D AUTOMOBILE SA
- Filing Date
- 2024-11-19
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-22
AI Technical Summary
Existing vehicle seat back elements, particularly for bench seats, fail to maintain a secure connection between the latch wire and lock during rear impacts, leading to potential unlocking and forward tilting of the seat back.
A seat back element with a base plate and reinforcement plate is designed to border the opening for the latch wire, using spot welding for attachment, ensuring the lock and strike wire remain engaged during impacts by providing additional rigidity and resistance to deformation.
The reinforcement plate maintains the locked position of the seat back during rear impacts, preventing unlocking and forward tilting, while being concealed under a carpet covering.
Smart Images
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Abstract
Description
Title of the invention: VEHICLE SEAT BACKING COMPONENT technical field
[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of vehicles, particularly automobiles, and specifically to seat backs, particularly bench seats, of motor vehicles. It relates in particular to a seat back element, particularly a bench seat element, particularly a rear seat element, of a vehicle, comprising a base plate and a lock configured to cooperate with a latch wire attached to a leg, particularly a rear leg, of a vehicle in order to secure the seat back element to the leg, particularly a rear leg, of the vehicle. Previous technique
[0002] It is known to lock a vehicle seat back element to a vehicle rear foot, using the cooperation between a latch wire, fixed on the vehicle foot, and a lock, present on the seat back element, for example as disclosed by FR 2848929 or FR3056161.
[0003] Such an arrangement makes it possible to secure the position of the seat back element and to prevent the back from folding down against the seat, for example, when a passenger is sitting on the seat, particularly in the event of a collision.
[0004] There is nevertheless a need for a seat back element, particularly for a bench seat, that secures the connection between the latch wire and the lock so that, in the event of an impact, especially a rear impact, this connection remains in place and the back element stays in position. Summary
[0005] This disclosure improves the situation.
[0006] A seat back element, particularly for a rear bench seat, of a vehicle is proposed, comprising: a. a base plate having a front face and a rear face, b. a lock located on the front face of the bottom plate and configured to cooperate, in a locked position, with a latch wire fixed to a foot, particularly rear, of the vehicle on the side of the rear face of the floor plate.
[0007] The base plate has an opening configured to allow the passage of the striker wire for cooperation with said lock, the opening being delimited by an upper edge. The seat back element, particularly for a bench seat, has a reinforcement plate fixed against the base plate so as to border said opening at least at the level of its upper edge.
[0008] The backrest element thus produced makes it possible to resist in particular in the event of a rear impact and to ensure that the fixing between the lock and the strike wire remains in the locked position.
[0009] In addition, the presence of the reinforcement plate is not visible from the outside, being generally, like the bottom plate, covered with a coating such as carpet.
[0010] The features described in the following paragraphs may optionally be implemented independently of each other or in combination with each other:
[0011] The reinforcement plate is advantageously fixed to the rear face of the base plate.
[0012] The reinforcing plate is preferably fixed to the base plate by spot welding. In this case, the number of weld points is, for example, between 3 and 5. Such a fixing is quick to implement and can be adapted, in particular the number of weld points, according to the applied force.
[0013] The opening in the base plate is preferably delimited by two lateral edges. In this case, the reinforcing plate may have a U-shape with a U-shaped inner edge. The reinforcing plate is, for example, fixed to the base plate so that said U-shaped inner edge of the reinforcing plate borders the opening at the level of the upper edge and at least a portion of its two lateral edges from said upper edge.
[0014] The reinforcing plate preferably has a thickness between 0.5 mm and 2 mm, in particular between 1.5 mm and 2 mm. The reinforcing plate is preferably flat, except possibly for the presence of weld points.
[0015] The base plate advantageously has a thickness less than that of the reinforcing plate. The base plate can have a thickness of 0.5 mm plus or minus 20%.
[0016] The base plate is preferably made of metal, in particular steel. Similarly, the reinforcing piece is preferably made of metal, in particular steel. The base plate comprises, for example, a first steel and the reinforcing piece comprises, for example, a second steel, in particular different from the first steel, having a coefficient of elongation lower than that of the first steel, for example lower by at least 20%.
[0017] According to another aspect, in combination with all or part of the above, a vehicle seat is proposed, in particular a bench seat, in particular a rear bench seat, comprising a seat back element as defined above.
[0018] According to another aspect, in combination with all or part of the above, a vehicle comprising is proposed: a. a foot, especially the rear foot, b. a latch wire fixed to the foot, particularly the rear one, and c. a seat, in particular a bench seat, especially a rear seat, comprising a seat back element as defined above, the latch wire being configured to cooperate with the lock in the locked position.
[0019] The latch wire may have a horizontal U shape, the two ends of the U arms being fixed to the foot, in particular rear, the central part of the U of the latch wire being configured to engage with the lock in the locking position so as to allow a degree of relative translational freedom between the lock and said central part of the U of the latch wire. Brief description of the drawings
[0020] Other features, details and advantages will become apparent upon reading the detailed description below, and upon analysis of the accompanying drawings, on which:
[0021] [Fig-1] is a schematic and perspective rear-facing view of an example of seat back element, in this example of a bench seat.
[0022] [Fig.2] schematically and partially shows an example of a vehicle comprising such a seat back element, in the locked position.
[0023] [Fig.3] shows in isolation, schematically and in perspective an example of a plate reinforcement of the backrest element in figures 1 and 2.
[0024] [Fig.4] shows schematically, partially and in perspective, an example of seat element, in this example of a bench seat, in the locked position.
[0025] [Fig.5] schematically shows, in side view, an example of a vehicle.
[0026] [Fig.6] schematically shows, in side view, the vehicle of [Fig.5] during a rear impact. Description of the implementation methods
[0027] In the various figures, the same reference numerals designate identical or similar elements. For the sake of brevity, only the elements that are useful for understanding the embodiment described are shown in the figures and are described in detail below.
[0028] In the following description, when reference is made to absolute position qualifiers, such as the terms "front", "rear", "top", "bottom", "left", "right", etc., or relative position qualifiers, such as the terms "above", "below", "superior", "lower", etc., or to orientation qualifiers, such as "horizontal", "vertical", etc., reference is made, unless otherwise specified, to the orientation of the figures or of a seat back element, in particular of a bench seat, vehicle or a vehicle bench seat in its normal position of use.
[0029] Reference is now made to [Fig. 1]. This figure shows a seat back element 1, in this example a bench seat, of a vehicle, in this example a rear bench seat back element of a vehicle. It remains within the scope of this disclosure if the back element is a seat back element that is not a bench seat.
[0030] This bench seat backrest element 1 comprises a base plate 2 having a front face 3, not visible in this figure, and a rear face 4, visible in this figure. In [Fig. 1], there are two bench seat backrest elements 1, one on the right and the other on the left in the figure. Hereafter, only the left-hand bench seat backrest element 1 will be described, but the same description applies to the right-hand bench seat backrest element 1.
[0031] The base plate 2 forms part of the seat backrest. The base plate 2 may be covered on its rear face 4 with a covering such as carpet. The base plate 2 may be covered on its front face 3 with padding, optionally surmounted by a backrest cover and a backrest structure, particularly a metallic one, the structure being positioned between the base plate and the padding. In the illustrated example, the covering, padding, backrest cover, and backrest structure are not shown, as they are known in themselves. The base plate 2 plays both a qualitative and a structural role, for example, by helping to retain luggage in the trunk in the event of an impact.
[0032] The base plate 2 has a thickness of approximately 0.5 mm, plus or minus 20%. The thinness of the base plate 2 allows it to remain lightweight. It generally extends, except for the visible raised features, in a single plane. The base plate 2 comprises a metal, specifically a first steel with relatively high elongation, which allows for deformability during its manufacture. This deformability is used to create the numerous raised features and openings on the base plate, which serve, in particular, to secure the structure, the cap and / or the padding, or the covering or other parts.
[0033] The bench seat back element 1 further includes a lock 5 disposed on the side of the front face 3 of the bottom plate 2. In this example, the lock 5 is fixed to the bottom plate 2, on the side of the front face 3 and remains on the side of the front face 3. The lock 5 is configured to cooperate, in a locked position, with a strike wire, not shown in this figure but described subsequently, fixed to a foot, in this rear example, of the vehicle on the side of the rear face 4 of the bottom plate 2.
[0034] Indeed, the vehicle 100 includes, as seen in [Fig. 2], a foot 101, in this example a rear foot. This is a vehicle upright attached to the vehicle body. The vehicle 100 also includes a latch wire 102 fixed to the foot 101. The vehicle 100 further includes a rear bench seat comprising the backrest element 1 of bench. As can be seen in [Fig.2] and also in [Fig.4], the strike wire 102 is configured to cooperate with the lock 5 in the locked position.
[0035] In the illustrated example, as seen in Figures 2 and 4, the latch wire 102 has a horizontal U-shape comprising two arms 103 and a central part 104. The two ends of the arms 103 of the U, substantially parallel to each other, are fixed to the foot 101, while the central part 104 of the U of the latch wire 102 is configured to engage with the latch 5 in the locked position, illustrated in [Fig. 2] and [Fig. 4], so as to allow a degree of relative translational freedom between the latch 5 and the central part 104 of the U of the latch wire 102. This allows, as illustrated by the arrows in [Fig. 4], the latch wire 102 to move up and down by a few millimeters, for example a maximum of 3 mm, in the locked position, relative to the latch 5, for example in the event of vehicle movement. This allows for alternative manufacturing and assembly tolerances.
[0036] The base plate 2 has a visible opening 6 configured to allow the passage of the strike wire for cooperation with the lock 5. The opening 6 is delimited by an upper edge 7. The bench seat back element 1 has a reinforcing plate 10 fixed against the base plate 2 so as to border the opening 6 at least at the level of its upper edge 7.
[0037] This means that an edge of the reinforcement plate 10 is superimposed on the upper edge 7 of the opening 6.
[0038] In [Fig. 4], it can be seen that, in this example, the central portion 104 of the strike wire 102 is not located in the plane defined by the arms 103 of the strike wire 102. Indeed, in this example, the central portion 104 forks forward to enter the opening 6 and engage with the bolt 5 in the locked position. Other shapes of the strike wire 102 are possible without departing from the scope of this disclosure. In particular, the bolt 5 can advance into the opening 6, in which case the central portion 104 of the strike wire 102 can extend in the plane defined by the arms 103, for example.
[0039] In the illustrated example, as seen in Figures 1, 2, and 4, the reinforcing plate 10 is attached to the base plate 2, in this example to the rear face 4 of the base plate 2. The attachment in this example is a spot weld. The number of spot welds 11 is five in this example, as seen in particular in [Fig. 3], while in other examples the number is preferably between 3 and 5. As seen in [Fig. 3], the spot welds 11 are present on the reinforcing plate 10 and are at least partially melted when the reinforcing plate 10 is attached to the base plate 2.
[0040] In the illustrated example, the opening 6 is delimited by two lateral edges 8. The reinforcing plate 10 in the illustrated example has a U-shape with a U-shaped inner edge 12, as can be seen in particular in Figures 3 and 4. The reinforcing plate 10 is fixed to the base plate 2 so that the U-shaped inner edge 12 of the reinforcing plate 10 borders the opening 6 at the level of the upper edge 7 and at the level of at least a portion of its two lateral edges 8 from the upper edge 7. The number of weld points 11 is determined according to the force applied in particular to the inner edge 12 of the reinforcing plate 10.
[0041] In the illustrated example, the opening 6 is generally rectangular in shape, delimited by the upper edge 7, the two lateral edges 8, and a lower edge 9. In this example, the reinforcing plate 10 does not border the lower edge 9, but it could border it without departing from the scope of this disclosure. In such a case, the reinforcing plate 10 could have another shape, in particular an O shape with an internal opening whose shape is identical or at least similar to the shape of the opening 6, so as to be able to overlap. In another example, the reinforcing plate could simply be a rectangle, or other shape, one edge of which would overlap the upper edge 7 of the opening 6. Other shapes of reinforcing plate 10 are also possible, provided that at least one edge of the reinforcing plate borders the upper edge 7 of the opening 6.
[0042] In the illustrated example, the opening 6 and the inner edge 12 of the reinforcement plate 10 have rounded corners, but they could be right-angled, straight, without going out of the scope of this disclosure.
[0043] In the illustrated example, as seen in particular in [Fig.4], one of the lateral edges 8 has straight parts parallel to the other of the lateral edges 8, in particular a central straight part, and also, at least one, in this example two concave parts 17 towards the opening 6, in particular surrounding said central straight part and extending to the upper edge 7 and lower edge 9. In this case, the inner edge 12 only overlaps a part of said lateral edge 8 which has these convex parts.
[0044] The dimensions and shape of the opening 6 are defined so as to ensure the passage of the strike wire 6 through the opening 6, including functional tolerances.
[0045] In the illustrated example, the reinforcing plate 10 has a U-shaped outer edge 13 extending parallel, in parts, to the inner edge 12, as can be seen in particular in [Fig. 3]. The reinforcing plate 10 is flat and has a substantially constant thickness over its entire surface, except at the weld points 11. In this example, the reinforcing plate 10 has an opening 14 in its upper part 15, this opening 14 allowing the reinforcing plate 10 to be placed and positioned relative to the base plate 2 during the Assembly and fixing method for the reinforcement plate 10. Note that the width of the upper part 15 of the reinforcement plate 10 corresponding to the central part of the U, which is for example between 25 mm and 30 mm, is greater than the width of the lateral parts 16 of the reinforcement plate 10 corresponding to the arms of the U. Other width ratios are possible, depending in particular on the positioning and number of weld points.
[0046] In the illustrated example, the reinforcing plate 10 has a thickness of between 0.5 mm and 2 mm, preferably between 1.5 mm and 2 mm. It is thicker than the base plate 2. The reinforcing piece 10 is metallic and comprises a second steel having a coefficient of elongation lower than that of the first steel of the base plate 2. Thus, the reinforcing piece 10, by virtue of its thickness and its constituent material, is more rigid and therefore better able to resist deformation in the event of contact with the strike wire.
[0047] On a vehicle 100 illustrated in [Fig. 5], the vehicle 100 undergoing a rear-end collision along the horizontal arrow as illustrated in [Fig. 6], the vehicle 100 will react by deforming upwards, as illustrated in [Fig. 6] by the two parallel arrows. Then, the foot 101, particularly the rear foot, will rise such that the strike wire 102 will be displaced relative to the lock 5 by a distance greater than the usual translational degree of freedom, as described above.
[0048] The latch wire 102, during this unusual movement, will in particular come into contact with the upper edge 7 of the opening 6.
[0049] In the absence of a reinforcement plate 10, the strike wire 102 deforms the thin bottom plate 2, not being stopped by it, so that the forces of the strike wire 102 on the lock 5 are very significant to the point of breaking the lock and unlocking the seat back element so that the seat back is no longer held and tilts forward.
[0050] In the case where the seat back element 1 includes the reinforcement plate 10, as in the present disclosure, the latch wire 102, during the unusual movement caused by a rear impact, will come into contact with the upper edge 7 of the opening 6 as well as with an edge, in particular the inner edge 12, of the reinforcement plate 10. The overlap of these two edges 7 and 12 will stop the movement of the latch wire 102, so that the forces generated against the latch 5 will be limited and the latch will not give way. Thus, in the event of a rear impact on the vehicle 100, the locking position will be maintained and the seat back, particularly the rear seat back, will not tip forward.
Claims
Demands
1. Seat back element (1), in particular a bench seat, in particular a rear bench seat, of a vehicle (100), comprising: a. a base plate (2) having a front face (3) and a rear face (4), b. a lock (5) disposed on the side of the front face (3) of the base plate (2) and configured to cooperate, in a locked position, with a strike wire (102) fixed to a foot (101), in particular a rear foot, of the vehicle on the side of the rear face (4) of the base plate (2), in which the base plate (2) has an opening (6) configured to allow passage of the strike wire (102) for cooperation with said lock (5), the opening (6) being delimited by an upper edge (7), in which the bench seat back element (1) has a reinforcement plate (10) fixed against the base plate (2) so as to border said opening (6) at least at the level of its upper edge (7).
2. Backing element (1) according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcement plate (10) is fixed to the rear face (4) of the base plate (2).
3. Backing element (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the reinforcing plate (10) is fixed to the base plate (2) by spot welding.
4. File element (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein the number of weld points (11) is between 3 and 5.
5. A case element (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the opening (6) is delimited by two lateral edges (8), and wherein the reinforcing plate (10) has a U-shape having a U-shaped inner edge (12), the reinforcing plate (10) being fixed to the base plate (2) so that said U-shaped inner edge (12) of the reinforcing plate (10) borders the opening (6) at the level of the upper edge (7) and at least a portion of its two lateral edges (8) from said upper edge (7).
6. A file element (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the reinforcing plate (10) has a thickness between 0.5 mm and 2 mm, in particular between 1.5 mm and 2 mm.
7. File element (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the base plate (2) has a thickness less than that of the reinforcing plate (10).
8. A file element (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the base plate (2) comprises a first steel and the reinforcing piece (10) comprises a second steel having a coefficient of elongation lower than that of the first steel.
9. Vehicle (100) comprising: a. a foot (101), in particular rear, b. a latch wire (102) fixed to the foot (101), in particular rear, c. a seat, in particular a bench, in particular rear, comprising a backrest element (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, the latch wire (102) being configured to cooperate with the lock (5) in the locked position.
10. Vehicle (100) according to the preceding claim, wherein the latch wire (102) has a horizontal U shape, the two ends of the arms (103) of the U being fixed to the foot, the central part (104) of the U of the latch wire (102) being configured to be in contact with the latch (5) in the locked position so as to permit a degree of relative translational freedom between the latch (5) and said central part (104) of the U of the latch wire (102).