A seat assembly for a vehicle

Abstract

A seat assembly 100 for a vehicle, and a method of assembling a seat. The seat assembly includes a seat cushion assembly 110 comprising a seat cushion 112 with and upper surface 112a, a structural sup

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to a seat assembly for a vehicle. Aspects of the invention relate to a seat assembly for a vehicle, to a vehicle, and to a method of assembling a seat assembly for a vehicle. BACKGROUND It is known to provide vehicle seat assembly installed within a vehicle, which includes a vehicle seat that operates in conjunction with a seatbelt to comfortably secure occupants within the vehicle. An end of the seat belt is typically coupled to a body of the vehicle, e.g. a body in white. In particular, it is known for the end of the seat belt for front seats of the vehicle to be coupled to a vehicle B-pillar, which is often approximately aligned with a backrest of the front vehicle seats. The end of the seat belt is typically coupled to the vehicle body at or close to the floor of the vehicle. The seatbelt is typically routed between the end of the seatbelt coupled to the B-pillar, and a seatbelt retractor which is mounted higher on the vehicle. It is an aim of the present invention to address one or more of the disadvantages associated with the prior art. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Aspects and embodiments of the invention provide a seat assembly, a vehicle, and a method of assembling a seat assembly for a vehicle as claimed in the appended claims. According to an aspect of the present invention there is provided a seat assembly for a vehicle, the seat assembly comprising: a seat cushion assembly and a side trim panel coupled to the seat cushion assembly and configured to at least partially cover a lateral side surface of the seat cushion assembly, wherein the seat cushion assembly comprises a seatbelt routing channel formed in the lateral side surface of the seat cushion assembly, wherein an open side of the seatbelt routing channel is at least partially covered by the side trim panel, wherein the side trim panel is resiliently deformable away from the seat cushion assembly to create a space between a rear end of the side trim panel and the lateral side surface of the seat cushion assembly, the space extending between the rear end of the side trim panel and the seatbelt routing channel. According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a seat assembly for a vehicle, the seat assembly comprising: a seat cushion assembly comprising a seat cushion, having an upper surface, and a seat structural support; and a side trim panel coupled to the seat cushion assembly and configured to at least partially cover a lateral side surface of the seat cushion assembly, wherein the seat cushion assembly comprises a seatbelt routing channel formed in the lateral side surface of the seat cushion assembly, wherein an open side of the seatbelt routing channel is at least partially covered by the side trim panel, wherein the side trim panel is resiliently deformable away from the seat cushion assembly to create a space between a rear end of the side trim panel and the lateral side surface of the seat cushion assembly, the space extending between the rear end of the side trim panel and the seatbelt routing channel. Providing a seatbelt routing channel in a lateral side surface of a seat cushion assembly and arranging a side trim panel to at least partially cover the seatbelt routing channel enables packaging of the seatbelt between a seatbelt fixing point and an upper surface of the seat cushion assembly to be improved. More particularly, these features enable a lateral space for packaging the seat assembly and seatbelt to be reduced, which in turn enables a width of the seat assembly, in a lateral direction of the vehicle, to be increased, thereby improving the ergonomic performance of the seat assembly. At the same time, routing the seatbelt through the seatbelt routing channel can enable the seatbelt to be directed towards and / or across the upper surface of the seat assembly in order to improve the comfort of a user wearing the seatbelt. The seatbelt routing channel may extend from the upper surface of the seat cushion, at a first end of the seatbelt routing channel, towards a bottom surface of the seat cushion assembly, at a second end of the seal belt routing channel. The seatbelt routing channel can thereby enable the seatbelt to be routed within the seatbelt routing channel from the seatbelt fixing point to the upper surface of the seat cushion, so that the lateral dimension of the seatbelt packaging can be minimised over the fully height of the seat cushion assembly. A depth of the seatbelt routing channel may increase along at least a portion of the length of the seatbelt routing channel between the second end and the first end. The seatbelt routing channel may thereby be shaped to guide the seatbelt across the upper surface of the seat cushion in order to improve user comfort when wearing the seatbelt. The seat assembly may further comprise a rear side trim panel configured to at least partially cover the lateral side surface of the seat cushion assembly. The rear side trim panel may be configured to couple to the seat structural support and to the rear end of the side trim panel to restrict deformations of the side trim panel away from the seat cushion assembly, e.g. in order to prevent the space being created from the rear end of the side trim panel to the seatbelt routing channel. The rear side trim panel may thereby prevent further resilient deformations of the side trim panel after the seatbelt has been installed, e.g. to prevent or restrict the seatbelt from moving out of the seatbelt routing channel. The seat assembly may further comprise a seatbelt fixing point for an end of the seatbelt to couple to. The seatbelt fixing point may be arranged at a opposite end of the seatbelt routing channel from the upper surface of the seat cushion. The seatbelt routing channel thereby enables the seatbelt to be routed within the seatbelt routing channel from the seatbelt fixing point to the upper surface of the seat cushion assembly, so that the lateral dimension of the seatbelt packaging can be minimised over the full height of the seatbelt that is aligned with the seat cushion assembly. The seatbelt fixing point may be fixedly coupled to the seat structural support. Providing the seatbelt fixing point coupled to the seat structural support (rather than a body in white of the vehicle) may enable a lateral dimension of the seatbelt and / or seat assembly packaging to be further reduced and improve seatbelt routing. The seat assembly may further comprise a backrest. The backrest may comprise a front surface arranged to support a back of the user, and a lower surface. The backrest may be spaced apart from the seat cushion assembly such that a gap is formed between an upper surface of the seat cushion and the lower surface of the backrest. The seat assembly may further comprise at least one cover panel arranged to extend between the upper surface of the seat cushion and the lower surface of the backrest to thereby cover at least a portion of the gap. The cover panel may thereby prevent objects being undesirably inserted into the gap between the backrest and seat cushion assembly, e.g. form the lateral side of the seat assembly. At least a portion of the channel bottom of the seatbelt routing channel may be formed by the at least one cover panel. The cover panel may thereby provide a resilient, wear resistant surface over which the seatbelt can run within the seatbelt routing channel. The cover panel may further guide the seatbelt across the upper surface of the seat cushion in order to improve user comfort when wearing the seatbelt. At least a portion of a side wall, e.g. a rear side wall, of the seatbelt routing channel is at least partially formed by the at least one cover panel. The cover panel may thereby provide a resilient, wear resistant side wall surface over which the seatbelt can run within the seatbelt routing channel. The cover panel may further guide the seatbelt across the front surface of the backrest in order to improve user comfort when wearing the seatbelt. A lower portion of the seatbelt routing channel may angled, so as to guide the seatbelt towards and / or across an upper surface of the seat cushion. The seatbelt routing channel may thereby be shaped to guide the seatbelt across the upper surface of the seat cushion in order to improve user comfort when wearing the seatbelt. The seatbelt assembly may further comprise the seatbelt. A vehicle may comprise the above-mentioned seat assembly. According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of assembling a seat assembly for a vehicle. The method comprises: providing a seat cushion assembly comprising a seat cushion having an upper surface and a seat structural support, wherein the seat cushion assembly comprises a seatbelt routing channel formed in a lateral side surface of the seat cushion; coupling a side trim panel to the seat assembly to at least partially cover a lateral side surface of the seat cushion assembly, wherein the side trim panel is coupled to the seat assembly to at least partially cover an open side of the seatbelt routing channel; resiliently deforming the side trim panel away from the seat cushion assembly to create a space between a rear end of the side trim panel and the lateral side surface of the seat cushion assembly from the rear end of the side trim panel to the seatbelt routing channel; and installing a seatbelt between the rear end of the side trim panel and the seat cushion assembly into the seatbelt routing channel whilst the side trim panel is deformed. The seat assembly including the side trim panel may thereby be assembled prior to the seat assembly being installed into the vehicle and / or prior to the seatbelt being routed relative to the seat assembly, e.g. to be coupled to a seatbelt fixing point. The method may further comprise coupling a rear side trim panel to the seat structural support and the side trim panel to restrict deformations of the side trim panel away from the seat cushion assembly. The rear side trim panel may be coupled to the seat structural support after the seatbelt is installed into the seatbelt routing channel. The rear side trim panel may thereby prevent further resilient deformations of the side trim panel after the seatbelt has been installed, e.g. to prevent or restrict the seatbelt from moving out of the seatbelt routing channel. Within the scope of this application it is expressly intended that the various aspects, embodiments, examples and alternatives set out in the preceding paragraphs, in the claims and / or in the following description and drawings, and in particular the individual features thereof, may be taken independently or in any combination. That is, all embodiments and / or features of any embodiment can be combined in anyway and / or combination, unless such features are incompatible. The applicant reserves the right to change any originally filed claim or file any new claim accordingly, including the right to amend any originally filed claim to depend from and / or incorporate any feature of any other claim although not originally claimed in that manner. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS One or more embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a vehicle according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a rear view of a seat assembly according to the present invention in a vehicle; Figure 3 is a side view of the seat assembly of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of a seat cushion assembly for the seat assembly; Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the seat cushion assembly; Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the seat cushion assembly; Figure 7 is a perspective view of the seat assembly of Figure 2; Figures 8a and 8b, collectively referred to as Figure 8, are side views of the seat assembly with a seatbelt of the seat assembly in a partially installed and fully installed configuration respectively; and Figure 9 is a flow chart illustrating a method of assembling a seat assembly according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION A seat assembly 100 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is described herein with reference to the accompanying Figures 2 to 8. As shown in Figure 1, the seat assembly 100 may be installed in a vehicle 10. Figure 1 shows a vehicle 10 having a vehicle body 11 and two seat assemblies 100. While two seat assemblies 100 are shown in Figure 1, it will be understood that the vehicle 10 may have more seat assemblies 100, such as four seat assemblies 100. Further, the seat assemblies 100 are front seat assemblies of the vehicle 10 and the vehicle 10 may further comprise rear seat assemblies having a different construction or having the same construction as the front seat assemblies 100. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the seat assembly 100 comprises a seat cushion assembly 110 and may further comprise a backrest 120 and / or a headrest 130. The backrest may comprise a front surface 122 arranged to support a back of a user seated on the seat assembly 100. The headrest 130 may be arranged to support the head of a user. The backrest 120 and the headrest 130 may be fixed together or may be separable and may be adjustably movable relative to each other. In Figure 3, it can be seen that the seat cushion assembly 110 may extend forwardly from the backrest 120 and that the backrest 120 may be coupled to the seat cushion assembly 110 via a pivot joint 140, which may allow the backrest 120 to pivot relative to the seat cushion assembly 110. It will also be understood that the pivot joint 140 may not be a strict pivot joint and that the backrest 120 may be moveable relative to the seat cushion assembly 110 by translation and rotation, such as rotation about a virtual pivot point. The seat cushion assembly 110 may be arranged to support upper legs and / or a lower body portion of a user seated on the seat assembly 100. In particular, the seat cushion assembly comprises a seat cushion 112 having an upper surface 112a. The upper surface 112a may be for supporting the upper legs and / or lower body portion of the user and may be substantially horizontal and arranged to provide a normal reaction force to oppose the weight of the user. The seat cushion assembly 110 further comprises a seat structural support 114 configured to support the seat cushion 112 within the seat assembly. The seat cushion 112 may be coupled to the seat structural support 114. As described in greater detail below, the seat structural support 114 may comprise a seat frame 114a and a seat pan 114b coupled to the seat frame 114a (shown in Figure 4). As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the seat assembly 100 may be connected to the vehicle body 11 via seat rails 12, which may be fixed to a floor pan 14 of the vehicle body 11, which may also be referred to as the vehicle floor. In particular, the seat assembly 100 may be coupled to the seat rails 12 by the seat structural support 114, e.g. the seat frame 114a. The seat assembly 100 may thereby be mounted within the vehicle such that a longitudinal direction Xs of the seat assembly 100 is substantially aligned with a longitudinal direction X of the vehicle 10 (depicted in Figure 1), defined according to the normal direction of motion of the vehicle, and / or a lateral direction Ys of the seat assembly 100 is substantially aligned with the lateral direction Y of the vehicle 10 perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X. The seat rails 12 may allow the seat assemblies 100 to slide forwardly and rearwardly relative to the vehicle body 11. The seat assemblies 100 may also be pivotable relative to the vehicle body 11 and may be movable vertically relative to the vehicle body in order to allow a user to select a comfortable seat position. With reference now to Figure 4, which shows a cross-sectional of the seat assembly in a plane perpendicular to the lateral direction and aligned with the first couplings 322 (described below), in addition to Figures 2 and 3, the seat cushion 112 may comprise cushioning material 112b for improving the comfort of a user seated on the seat assembly 100. The cushioning material 112b may be an elastic deformable material, such as a foam, or polymer. The seat cushion 112 may further comprise a trim material 112c arranged to cover the cushioning material. The trim material 112c may be a hard wearing material and may be a material that is impermeable to fluids to increase the longevity of the seat cushion assembly 110. The trim material 112c may be adhered or otherwise bonded to the cushioning material 112b, or may be separate therefrom, and may simply be laid over the cushioning material 112b. The cushioning material 112b may be supported on the seat pan 114b. The seat pan 114b may be a substantially rigid component that is shaped so as to provide a resilient shape to the seat cushion 112 to support the upper legs and / or lower body ofthe user. As mentioned above, the seat pan 114b may be coupled, e.g. fixedly coupled to the seat frame 114a and to the seat rails 12 and floor pan 14 via the seat frame 114a, so that the portions ofthe seat cushion assembly 110 contacted by user are held in place within the vehicle. As illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, the seat cushion assembly 110 has a lateral side surface 110a. As illustrated in Figure 4, the lateral side surface 110a may be at least partially formed by the seat structural support 114, e.g. by the seat frame 114a and / or the seat pan 114b. In some arrangements, the lateral side surface 110a of the seat may be at least partially formed by the seat cushion 112, e.g. by the cushioning material 112b and / or the trim material 112c. In general, the term lateral side surface may refer to the combination of surfaces ofthe components ofthe seat cushion assembly 110 forming a lateral extent ofthe seat cushion assembly 110. The lateral side surface 110a may be substantially vertical or may be angled relative to a vertical direction (perpendicular to the lateral and longitudinal directions). Further, the lateral side surface may comprise gaps and / or steps, e.g. in the lateral direction Ys, e.g. between the different components of the seat cushion assembly forming the lateral side surface. In the arrangement depicted in the Figures, the lateral side surface 110a is a laterally outside surface ofthe seat cushion assembly relative to a centre point ofthe vehicle in which the seat assembly is installed. However, in other arrangements, the lateral side surface 110a may be a laterally inside surface ofthe seat cushion assembly. The seat assembly 100 further comprises a side trim panel 300, which may be referred to as a valance. The side trim panel 300 is coupled to the seat cushion assembly 110 and is configured to at least partially cover the lateral side surface 110a ofthe seat cushion assembly. For example, the side trim panel 300 may be configured to cover portions ofthe seat structural support 114 and / or the seat cushion 112 at the lateral side surface 110a ofthe seat cushion assembly, in order to provide a consistent appearance over the portion ofthe lateral side surface of the seat cushion covered by the side trim panel 300 and / or to prevent access to the interior ofthe seat cushion assembly, e.g. between the seat cushion and the seat structure support. As illustrated, the side trim panel 300 may comprise a substantially planar, panel portion 310 configured to extend over the part ofthe lateral side surface 110a ofthe seat cushion assembly, and a coupling portion 320 configured to couple the panel portion to the seat cushion assembly, e.g. to the seat structural support 114, such as to the seat pan 114b. The side trim panel, e.g. the panel portion 310, may have a front end 300a, which may be substantially aligned with or close to a front extent ofthe seat cushion assembly 110, and a rear end 300b. As illustrated, the rear end 300b ofthe side trim panel may not extend up to the rear extent ofthe seat cushion assembly. However, the side trim panel may extend beyond, e.g. rearward, ofthe front surface 122 of the backrest, such that the rear end 300b of the side trim panel is on an opposite side (in the longitudinal direction Ys of the seat assembly) of the front surface 122 of the backrest from the front end 300a of the side trim panel, when the side trim panel is coupled to the seat cushion assembly. The coupling portion 320 may comprise one or more first couplings 322. The first couplings 322 may comprise interference fit or interlocking couplings configured to couple to complementary interference couplings provided on the seat structural support, e.g. the seat pan 114b, via an interference fit and / or by interlocking with the complementary interference couplings. In such arrangements, the first couplings 322 may be integrally formed on the coupling portion 320. Alternatively, the first couplings 322 may comprise apertures for fasteners, e.g. threaded fasteners or interference fit / interlocking fasteners to pass through in order to couple the coupling portion 320 to the seat structural support. The first couplings may thereby be configured to at least partially maintain the position of the side trim panel in the lateral, longitudinal and / or vertical directions of the seat assembly, e.g. by preventing or restricting movement of the side trim panel in the lateral, longitudinal and / or vertical directions at the first couplings 322. The first couplings 322 may be spaced apart from the rear end 300b of the side trim panel in the longitudinal direction. For example, the first coupling 322 may be provided in a substantially central position on the side trim panel, in order to couple the side trim panel to the seat cushion assembly at a substantially central location on the side trim panel in the longitudinal direction. As illustrated in Figure 3, the coupling portion 320 may additionally or alternatively comprise one or more second couplings 324. The second couplings may comprise substantially plate shaped portions, which may be generally arranged in a plane perpendicular to the lateral direction. The second coupling 324 may be configured to be received within a complementary second coupling opening / slot 114c formed in the seat structural support, e.g. in the seat pan 114b. The second couplings 324 may be insertable into the complementary second coupling opening in a longitudinal direction Xs of the seat assembly. Accoridngly or otherwise, engagement between the second couplings and the complementary second coupling opening may at least partially maintain the position of the side trim panel in the lateral direction and / or vertical directions of the seat assembly, e.g. by preventing or restricting movement of the side trim panel in the lateral and / or vertical directions at the second coupling 324. The second couplings 324 may be provided on the side trim panel, e.g. on the panel portion, forwards of the first coupling 322, in order to maintain the position of the side trim panel in the lateral direction and / or vertical directions of the seat assembly forwards of the first couplings 322. In the arrangement depicted, the panel portion 310 and the coupling portion 320 are separate components coupled together, e.g. using one or more coupling features configured to form an interference fit or interlock between the panel portion 310 and the coupling portion 320, or separate fasteners, e.g. threaded fasteners, interference fit fasteners or interlocking fasteners. However, in other arrangements, the panel portion 310 and the coupling portion 320 may be integrally formed. With reference now to Figure 5, which illustrates a cross-section of the seat assembly in a plane perpendicular to the lateral direction and forwards of the first and second couplings 322, 324, the side trim panel 300, e.g. the panel portion 310, may further comprise a hook coupling 312 formed on an inside surface 310a of the side trim panel and projecting from the inside surface towards the lateral side surface of the seat cushion assembly. The hook coupling may comprise a shank portion 312a, which projects from the inside surface of the side trim panel, and a hook portion 312b formed at a distal end of the shank portion and extending away from the shank portion 312a at an angle to the direction in which the shank portion extends from the inside surface. For example, the shank portion 312a may extend in a substantially lateral direction and the hook portion 312b may extend in a direction perpendicular to the lateral direction, such as the vertical direction. The seat cushion assembly 110 may comprise a hook receiving recess 114d configured to receive at least part of the hook coupling 312, in order to couple the side trim panel 300 to the seat cushion assembly 110 at the hook coupling. In particular, the hook receiving recess 114d may be configured to receive at least part of the hook portion 312b. The hook receiving recess 114d may be formed on the seat structural support 114 and, in the arrangement depicted, the hook receiving recess is formed on the seat pan 114b. In other arrangements, the hook receiving recess may be formed on the seat frame 114a. The hook portion 312b may comprise a locating surface 312c configured to engage a complementary locating surface 114e in the hook receiving recess. In particular, the locating surface 312c may be formed on a surface of the hook portion facing the inside surface of the side trim panel. The locating surface may be arranged to be perpendicular to the lateral direction of the seat assembly, when the side trim panel is coupled to the seat cushion assembly. The complementary locating surface 114e may comprise at least a portion of an interior surface of the hook receiving recess 114d. The complementary locating surface 114e may similarly be perpendicular to the lateral direction Ys of the seat assembly and may face away from the inside surface 310a of the side trim panel. Engagement between the locating surface 312c and complementary locating surface 114e may thereby act to maintain a position of the side trim panel 300 relative to the seat cushion assembly 110 in the lateral direction Ys relative to the seat assembly when the side trim panel is coupled to the seat cushion assembly. In particular, engagement between the locating surface and complementary locating surface may prevent or restrict movement of the side trim panel away from the lateral side surface 110a of the seat cushion assembly in the lateral direction Ys. The hook coupling 312 may be formed on the side trim panel forwards of the first couplings 322, and optionally the second couplings 324. In some arrangements, the side trim panel 300 may comprise a plurality of the hook couplings 312 and the seat cushion assembly may comprise a plurality, e.g. a corresponding number, of hook receiving recesses 114d spaced along the side trim panel 300 and the seat cushion assembly in the longitudinal direction Xs. One, more than one or each of the hook couplings 312 may be formed on the side trim panel forwards of the first couplings 322, and optionally the second couplings 324. The hook couplings 312 may thereby be configured to couple the side trim panel to the seat cushion assembly forwards of the first and second couplings. In the arrangement depicted, the hook couplings 312 are formed on the panel portion 310 of the side trim panel. However, in other arrangements, the hook couplings may be formed on the coupling portion 320. Returning to Figure 3, the seat assembly 100 may further comprise a rear side trim panel 330.The rear side trim panel 300 may be coupled to the seat cushion assembly 110 and may be configured to at least partially cover the lateral side surface 110a of the seat cushion assembly. The rear side trim panel 330 may be configured to cover portions of the seat structural support 114 and / or the seat cushion 112 at the lateral side surface 110a of the seat cushion assembly. In particular, the rear side trim panel 300 may be configured to cover portions of the lateral side surface of the seat cushion assembly between the rear end 300b of the side trim panel and the rear extent of the seat cushion assembly 110. In some arrangements, the rear side trim panel 330 may be configured to extend at least partially around a rear corner of the seat cushion assembly to at least partially cover a rear surface of the seat cushion assembly. The rear side trim panel 330 may therefore assist in providing a consistent appearance over the lateral side surface of the seat cushion, and optionally over a portion of the rear surface of the seat cushion, and / or preventing access to the interior of the seat cushion assembly, e.g. between the seat cushion and the seat structure support. The rear side trim panel 330 may be coupled to the seat cushion assembly 110, e.g. to the seat structural support 114. For example, the rear side trim panel 330 may be coupled to the seat frame 114a and / or the seat pan114b, in order to fixedly couple the rear side trim panel to the seat cushion assembly. The rear side trim panel may be coupled to the seat cushion assembly using one or more interference fit couplings or interlocking couplings configured to hook or latch to complementary couplings formed on the seat cushion assembly. Additionally or alternatively, the rear side trim panel 330 may be coupled to the seat cushion using one or more separate fasteners, such as threaded or interlocking fasteners. In addition to coupling to the seat cushion assembly, the rear side trim panel 330, e.g. front end of the rear side trim panel, may be configured to couple to the side trim panel 300. In particular, the rear side trim panel 330 may be configured to couple to the rear end 300b of the side trim panel, in order maintain the position of the rear end of the side trim panel relative to the seat cushion assembly 110. In the arrangements depicted, the side trim panel 300 and rear side trim panel 330 comprise complementary interference fit or interlocking fasteners configured to engage one another in order to couple the rear side trim panel to the side trim panel at the rear end 300b of the side trim panel. The seat assembly 100 may further comprise a seatbelt 200 comprising a belt portion 210 and a coupling portion 220 provided at one end of the belt portion 210 for coupling the seatbelt to the vehicle at or adjacent to the vehicle floor pan 14. The belt portion 210 may also be coupled to a seatbelt retractor at an opposite end of the belt portion from the coupling portion 220. The seatbelt retractor may be mounted to the vehicle body 11, e.g. the body in white, at a position above the position at which the coupling portion 220 is coupled to the vehicle. Although not illustrated, a seatbelt tongue may be movably, e.g. slidably, coupled to the belt portion 210 such that the seatbelt tongue is able to move along the belt portion between the coupling portion and the seatbelt retractor. The seat assembly 100 may comprise a seatbelt fixing point 114f for the coupling portion 220 of the seatbelt 200 to couple to, in order to couple the seatbelt to the vehicle via the seat assembly. In particular, the seat assembly, e.g. the seat frame 114a, may comprise a flange having an opening formed therein and the coupling portion 220 of the seatbelt may be coupled to the seat assembly, e.g. the seat structural support, using a fastener passing through the opening. In order to enable a maximum width of the seat assembly, e.g. in the lateral direction Ys, to be reduced, the seatbelt 200, e.g. the belt portion 210, may be routed from the seatbelt fixing point 114fto the seatbelt retractor through a seatbelt routing channel 400 formed in the lateral side surface 110a of the seat cushion assembly. As described in greater detail herein, the seatbelt routing channel 400 may be formed between, e.g. laterally between, the side trim panel 300 and the seat cushion assembly 110. In other words, the seatbelt routing channel is at least partially covered by the side trim panel. With reference to Figures 6 and 7, in addition to Figure 3, the seatbelt routing channel 400 may comprise a channel bottom 402, which may be substantially perpendicular to the lateral direction Ys of the seat assembly. The seatbelt routing channel may further comprise first and, optionally, second side walls 404, 406, which may be parallel with the lateral direction of the seat assembly. For example, the first and second side walls may be perpendicular to a direction with a component in the longitudinal direction Xs of the seat assembly. The seatbelt routing channel may extend, e.g. in a longitudinal direction of the seatbelt routing channel, from a first end 400a, which may be at the upper surface 112a of the seat cushion assembly, towards a bottom surface of the seat cushion assembly 110, which may be towards the vehicle floor plan 14 and the seatbelt fixing point 114f. For example, the second end 400b, of the seatbelt routing channel may be at the seatbelt fixing point 114f, e.g. level with the seatbelt fixing point 114f in a direction perpendicular to the lateral and longitudinal directions of the seat assembly, e.g. the vertical direction. In other arrangements in which the seatbelt fixing point 114f is beneath the level of the seat cushion assembly 110, the second end of the seatbelt routing channel may be at the bottom surface of the seat cushion assembly. The seatbelt routing channel 400 may be at least partially formed by the seat cushion assembly 110. In particular, the seatbelt routing channel may be formed by a portion of the seat cushion assembly, e.g. a length of the seat cushion assembly in the longitudinal direction, at which a lateral width of the seat cushion and / or the seat structural support is reduced, so that a space is formed between the lateral side surface 110a of the seat cushion assembly and the side trim panel 300. The seatbelt routing channel may thereby be formed by the space between (laterally between) the lateral side surface of the seat cushion assembly and the side trim panel. In this way, at least part of the channel bottom 402 may be formed by the lateral side surface 110a of the seat cushion assembly, e.g. the seat cushion 112 and / or the seat structural support 114, e.g. the seat pan and / or seat frame. Similarly, as shown in Figure 7, the first side wall 404 of the seatbelt routing channel may be formed by the seat cushion assembly, such as a surface of the seat cushion 112 extending parallel with the lateral direction of the seat assembly between the portion of the lateral side surface of the seat cushion assembly at which the width of the seat cushion assembly is reduced, and an adjacent portion of the seat cushion assembly having a greater lateral width. Further, as shown in Figure 3, the second side wall 406 of the seatbelt routing channel may be at least partially formed by the rear side trim panel 330. Additionally or alternatively, the seatbelt routing channel may be open over at least a portion of the second side wall 406. Returning to Figures 2 and 3, the backrest 120 may be spaced apart from the seat cushion assembly 110, e.g. in the direction perpendicular to the lateral and longitudinal directions, such that a gap 126 is formed between the upper surface 112a of the seat cushion assembly 110 and a lower surface 124 of the backrest 120, e.g. in the vertical direction Zs of the seat assembly. A minimum dimension of the gap, i.e. a minimum distance between the upper surfacel 12a of the seat cushion assembly 110 and the lower surface 124 of the backrest 120 may be 40mm. As best shown in Figures 3 and 6, the seat assembly 100 may further comprise at least one cover panel 160 arranged to extend between the seat cushion assembly 110 and the backrest 120 to thereby cover or fill at least a portion of the gap 126. At least a portion of the at least one cover panel 160 may be arranged between the lateral side surface 110a of the seat cushion assembly 110 and the side trim panel 300. The at least one cover panel 160 may be coupled to the seat structural support, such as to the seat frame or the seat pan. In particular, the at least one cover panel 160 may be coupled to the seat structural support using one or more interference couplings, or interlocking couplings configured to hook or latch onto corresponding interlocking couplings formed on the seat structural support. As shown in Figure 6, which illustrates a cross-section of the seat assembly in a plane perpendicular to the lateral direction and aligned with the seatbelt routing channel 400, the at least one cover panel 160 may comprise a first cover panel 162 and a second cover panel 164. The first and second cover panels may be coupled together to form or at least partially define an internal volume 166 of the at least one cover panel 160 therebetween. The internal volume may extend between the seat cushion assembly 110 and the backrest 120. A backrest attachment structure for coupling the backrest to the seat cushion assembly, e.g. comprising the pivot joint 140, may be at least partially received within the internal volume 166 formed by the first cover panel 50 and the second cover panel 52. The first cover panel 162 may be coupled to the seat cushion assembly 110, e.g. to the seat structural support, and the second cover panel 164 may be coupled to the first cover panel 162. The first cover panel 162 may be arranged on a first lateral side of the internal volume 166 and the second cover panel 164 may be arranged on a second lateral side of the internal volume opposite said first lateral side. As shown in Figure 6, the at least a portion 402a of the channel bottom of the seatbelt routing channel 400 may be formed by the at least one cover panel 160. Additionally or alternatively, as depicted in Figure 7, at least a portion of the first and / or second side walls 404, 406 of the seatbelt routing channel may be formed by the at least one cover panel 160. As further illustrated in Figure 6, a lower portion 410 of the seatbelt routing channel, such as part of the channel bottom 402 and portions of the first and / or second side walls 404, 406 adjacent the part of the channel bottom may be angled so as to guide the seatbelt 200 towards and or across the upper surface 112a of the seat cushion assembly. In particular, the part of the channel bottom 402 may be angled such that a depth of the seatbelt routing channel 400 increases along at least a portion of the length of the seatbelt routing channel between the second end 400b and the first end 400a. As described above, a seatbelt tongue may be coupled to the belt portion 210 and, in use of the seatbelt, a user may pull the seatbelt tongue across the seat cushion assembly in order to fasten the seatbelt tongue to a seatbelt buckle provided on an opposite lateral side of the seat cushion assembly. By angling the part of the channel bottom to increase the depth of the seatbelt routing channel towards the first end of the seatbelt routing channel, the belt portion may extend across the seat cushion assembly closer to the upper surface 112a of the seat cushion assembly, without the belt portion 210 being in contact with the channel bottom 402. In this way, comfort of the user wearing the seatbelt may be increased. With reference to Figures 8a and 8b, which illustrate the seat assembly 100 during installation of the seatbelt 200 and after the installation of the seatbelt respectively, the seatbelt 200 may be installed into the seat assembly after the side trim panel 300 has been coupled to the seat cushion assembly 110. However, as mentioned above, the side trim panel 300 may at least partially cover the seatbelt routing channel 400. In order to enable the seatbelt 200 to be installed into the seat assembly 100, such that the belt portion 210 is at least partially received within the seatbelt routing channel 400, the side trim panel 300, e.g. the panel portion 310, is configured to be resiliently deformable away from the seat cushion assembly 110, e.g. in the lateral direction Ys, so that a space can be created between the rear end 300b of the side trim panel and the lateral side surface of the seat cushion assembly. The side trim panel 300 is deformable so that the space extends, e.g. in the longitudinal direction Xs of the seat assembly, between the rear end 300b of the side trim panel and the seatbelt routing channel 400. In this way, the seatbelt 200, e.g. the belt portion 210, can be passed between the side trim panel 300 and the seat cushion assembly to the seatbelt routing channel 400. As illustrated in Figure 8b, once the seatbelt 200 has been installed into the seatbelt routing channel 400, the rear side trim panel 330 may be installed. In particular, the rear side trim panel 330 may be coupled to the seat assembly, e.g. to the seat cushion assembly, such as to the seat structural support. As described above, the rear side trim panel may also couple to the rear end 300b of the side trim panel 300 and may prevent the side trim panel, e.g. the rear end of the side trim panel from moving away from the lateral side surface of the seat cushion assembly. The rear side trim panel 330 may thereby prevent the side trim panel 300 from be resiliently deformed away from the seat cushion assembly 110 to open the space, after the rear side trim panel is installed. The rear side trim panel 330 may be coupled to the seat cushion assembly before or after the seatbelt 200 is coupled to the seatbelt fixing point 114f. With reference to Figure 9, a method 900 of assembling a seat assembly for a vehicle, such as the seat assembly 100 will now be described. The method 900 comprises a first step 902, in which a seat cushion assembly, such as the seat cushion assembly 110, is provided. As described above, the seat cushion assembly comprises a seat cushion 112 having an upper surface 112a, and a seat structural support 114. Further as described above, the seat cushion assembly comprises a seatbelt routing channel 400 formed in a lateral side surface 110a of the seat cushion assembly. The method 900 comprises a second step 904, in which a side trim panel, such as the side trim panel 300, is coupled to the seat cushion assembly to at least partially cover the lateral side surface of the seat cushion assembly. When the side trim panel is coupled to the seat assembly, the side trim panel at least partially covers an open side of the seatbelt routing channel, e.g. opposite a channel bottom of the seatbelt routing channel. The method 900 further comprises a third step 906, in which the side trim panel 300 is resiliently deformed away from the seat cushion assembly 110, e.g. away from the lateral side surface 110a of the seat cushion assembly, to create a space between a rear end 300b of the side trim panel and the lateral side surface 110a of the seat cushion assembly from the rear end of the side trim panel to the seatbelt routing channel. The method 900 further comprises a fourth step 908, in which a seatbelt, such as the seatbelt 200 is installed between the rear end 300b of the side trim panel and the seat cushion assembly into the seatbelt routing channel 400 whilst the side trim panel is deformed. The method 900 may further comprise a fifth step 910, in which a rear side trim panel, such as the rear side trim panel 330, is coupled to the seat cushion assembly, e.g. the seat structural support, and the side trim panel, in order to restrict deformations of the side trim panel away from the seat cushion assembly. The rear side trim panel may be coupled to the seat structural support, e.g. in the fifth step 910, after the seatbelt has been installed into the seatbelt routing channel. The seatbelt 200 may be coupled to the seat assembly before or after the fifth step 910. As described above, the seatbelt may be coupled to the seat assembly by coupling the coupling portion 220 of the seatbelt to the seatbelt fixing point 114f, e.g. using a fastener, such as a threaded faster. In other arrangements, the seatbelt may be coupled to the vehicle body 11, e.g. to the body in white. It will be appreciated that various changes and modifications can be made to the present invention without departing from the scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A seat assembly for a vehicle, the seat assembly comprising:a seat cushion assembly comprising a seat cushion, having an upper surface, and a seat structural support; anda side trim panel coupled to the seat cushion assembly and configured to at least partially cover a lateral side surface of the seat cushion assembly, wherein the seat cushion assembly comprises a seatbelt routing channel formed in the lateral side surface of the seat cushion assembly, wherein an open side of the seatbelt routing channel is at least partially covered by the side trim panel, wherein the side trim panel is resiliently deformable away from the seat cushion assembly to create a space between a rear end of the side trim panel and the lateral side surface of the seat cushion assembly, the space extending between the rear end of the side trim panel and the seatbelt routing channel.

2. The seat assembly of claim 1, wherein the seatbelt routing channel extends from the upper surface of the seat cushion, at a first end of the seatbelt routing channel, towards a bottom surface of the seat cushion assembly, at a second end of the seal belt routing channel.

3. The seat assembly of claim 2, wherein a depth of the seatbelt routing channel increases along at least a portion of the length of the seatbelt routing channel between the second end and the first end.

4. The seat assembly of any of the preceding claims, wherein the seat assembly further comprises a rear side trim panel configured to at least partially cover the lateral side surface of the seat cushion assembly, wherein the rear side trim panel is configured to couple to the seat structural support and to the rear end of the side trim panel to restrict deformations of the side trim panel away from the seat cushion assembly.

5. The seat assembly of any of the preceding claims, wherein the seat assembly further comprises a seatbelt fixing point for an end of the seatbelt to couple to, wherein the seatbelt fixing point is arranged at a opposite end of the seatbelt routing channel from the upper surface of the seat cushion.

6. The seat assembly of claim 5, wherein the seatbelt fixing point is fixedly coupled to the seat structural support.

7. The seat assembly of any of the preceding claims, wherein the seat assembly further comprises:a backrest comprising:a front surface arranged to support a back of the user, anda lower surface, wherein the backrest is spaced apart from the seat cushion assembly such that a gap is formed between an upper surface of the seat cushion and the lower surface of the backrest; and at least one cover panel arranged to extend between the upper surface of the seat cushion and the lower surface of the backrest to thereby cover at least a portion of the gap.

8. The seat assembly of claim 7, wherein at least a portion of the channel bottom of the seatbelt routing channel is formed by the at least one cover panel.

9. The seat assembly of claim 7 or 8, wherein at least a portion of a side wall of the seatbelt routing channel is at least partially formed by the at least one cover panel.

10. The seat assembly of any of the preceding claims, wherein a lower portion of the seatbelt routing channel is angled so as to guide the seatbelt towards an upper surface of the seat cushion.

11. The seat assembly of any of the preceding claims further comprising the seatbelt.

12. A vehicle comprising the seat assembly of any of the preceding claims.

13. A method of assembling a seat assembly for a vehicle, wherein the method comprises:providing a seat cushion assembly comprising a seat cushion having an upper surface and a seat structural support, wherein the seat cushion assembly comprises a seatbelt routing channel formed in a lateral side surface of the seat cushion;coupling a side trim panel to the seat assembly to at least partially cover a lateral side surface of the seat cushion assembly, wherein the side trim panel is coupled to the seat assembly to at least partially cover an open side of the seatbelt routing channel;resiliently deforming the side trim panel away from the seat cushion assembly to create a space between a rear end of the side trim panel and the lateral side surface of the seat cushion assembly from the rear end of the side trim panel to the seatbelt routing channel; andinstalling a seatbelt between the rear end of the side trim panel and the seat cushion assembly into the seatbelt routing channel whilst the side trim panel is deformed.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises coupling a rear side trim panel to the seat structural support and the side trim panel to restrict deformations of the side trim panel away from the seat cushion assembly, wherein the rear side trim panel is coupled to the seat structural support after the seatbelt is installed into the seatbelt routing channel.

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