Vehicle seat with installed safety system

Abstract

The present invention relates to a vehicle seat comprising a backrest structure, a seat cushion structure with an anti-submersion hump and an airbag with two components located on the sides of said seat on either side of a person who will be seated in the seat, according to the invention: each component of the airbag comprises an airbag cushion and at least one strap (8, 9) sewn to said cushion, said components being capable of deploying towards the front of the seat in the event of a vehicle collision, so that said components completely envelop the person, said seat (1) comprises a seat belt (50) fully integrated in said seat, a front casing (55) is placed on one side of the upper area of ​​the backrest structure and defines a housing configured to accommodate a motor-driven retractor suitable for controlling said seat belt (50), said at least one strap (8, 9) being housed between the front casing (55) and a shell (31, 39) covering said casing (55).

Description

Summary of the Invention

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle seat with an integrated safety system.

[0002] For simplicity of the text, it is always assumed that the airbag is deployed only in the event of an accidental collision of the vehicle with an external obstacle, which may be, for example, another vehicle, and therefore it is not specified every time that the deployment of the airbag occurs only after the collision of the vehicle.

[0003] In order to properly understand the arrangement of the various parts contained in a seat according to the invention, the present description assumes that the seat is placed in a vehicle with reference to an orthogonal reference system XYZ associated with that vehicle, where X is the longitudinal axis from front to rear of the vehicle oriented towards the rear, Y is the transverse axis oriented towards the right of the vehicle, and Z is the vertical axis oriented in an upward direction.

[0004] Currently, front airbags located in the dashboard immediately in front of the passenger seat are very restrictive as they take up a lot of space within the dashboard.

[0005] One solution to this placement problem is to completely relocate the airbag directly onto the passenger seat. However, such a relocation requires that the new airbag placed in the seat: - have protective characteristics at least equivalent to those of older passenger airbags placed in the dashboard; - be precisely and meticulously installed within the passenger seat to allow smooth deployment of the new airbag in the desired configuration without elements already present within the seat impeding or interfering with the deployment of the new airbag; is in need of

[0006] Some existing seats already have simple airbags placed on either side of the seat in addition to those located in the dashboard, so their performance complements that of the airbags located in the dashboard. However, these airbags require a predetermined positioning of the seat relative to the dashboard, which is a constraint for autonomous vehicles where the occupant seat is designed to move or pivot significantly.

[0007] For example, in the context of autonomous vehicles, in order for these seats to be fully autonomous in terms of safety, a seat belt system is fully integrated therein. However, fully integrating seat belts and a fully functional, sophisticated airbag system within such seats is complicated because the seat belt must not undesirably interfere with the airbag system, as this could interrupt or even hinder the deployment of the airbag in the event of an accidental collision of the vehicle against an external obstacle.

[0008] The seat according to the invention comprises an airbag that functions well in the event of a collision of the vehicle against an external obstacle and that can effectively protect the person sitting in the seat, and a seatbelt system that is effective only for this person, the airbag and the seatbelt system being fully integrated within the seat without interfering with each other to the extent that their functions are mutually weakened.

[0009] The subject of the present invention is a vehicle seat comprising a backrest structure, a seat pan structure with an anti-submersion hump, and an airbag having two components placed on the sides of said seat on either side of the person sitting in the seat.

[0010] According to the present invention, - each airbag component comprises an airbag cushion and at least one strap sewn to said airbag cushion, said components being capable of deploying toward the front of the seat in the event of a vehicle collision, such that said components completely surround an individual; - the at least one strap of each component has an upper fixing point for fixing to an upper region of the backrest structure and a bottom fixing point for fixing to an anti-submergence hump of the seat pan structure, the at least one strap of each component extending along one side of the backrest structure and along one side of the seat pan structure; - the backrest structure comprises a seat cushion and a rigid shell surrounding the seat cushion and open at the front, whereby the at least one strap of each component passes between the seat cushion and the rigid shell on one side of the backrest structure, the seat comprises a seat belt provided with a retractor fully integrated in the seat, the retractor being fixed to the backrest structure and placed inside a receiving portion defined by a front casing located in the upper region of the backrest structure, the rigid shell at least partially covering the front casing, thereby forming a space between them to allow the at least one strap of one of the two components to pass in the upper region of the backrest structure, the shell defining the receiving portion at the rear.

[0011] An airbag mounted in a seat according to the present invention comprises two components disposed on either side of an individual seated in the seat, each of the two components adapted to deploy forward to completely surround the individual in the event of a vehicle collision. A particular feature of the airbag is that each of the components comprises an airbag cushion and at least one strap sewn to the airbag cushion, the at least one strap comprising: - fixing the airbag components in the seat by means of upper fixing points in the upper area of ​​the backrest and by means of bottom fixing points in the anti-submergence hump of the seat; - guiding the deployment of an airbag cushion on a seat to ensure that this airbag cushion provides good protection for the person sitting in said seat; This makes it possible.

[0012] The rigid shell surrounding portion of the backrest allows the at least one strap of each component of the airbag to be held against the seat cushion and also allows the airbag to deploy forward of the backrest during the inflation phase so that the two components of the airbag can completely surround the individual sitting in the seat.

[0013] Another particular feature of the seat according to the invention is that it comprises a seat belt fully integrated therein, which comprises a retractor configured to retract the seat belt in the event of a collision of the vehicle against an external obstacle.

[0014] The backrest shell extends to and at least partially covers the seat belt casing that encloses the retractor. The shell is placed around the casing, thereby forming, together with the casing, a space for the at least one strap of one of the two components of the airbag. The at least one strap is therefore placed around the casing that receives the retractor. In this way, when the vehicle is involved in an accident, the at least one strap can deploy forward of the seat simultaneously with the airbag cushion in the inflation stage without being interrupted by the presence of the retractor. Similarly, by being placed above the casing that receives the seat belt retractor, the at least one strap does not interfere with the seat belt performing its function of retaining the seat.

[0015] In summary, the principle of the seat according to the invention is that it: - a fully integrated airbag that is adapted to completely surround the occupant of said seat in the event of an accident and therefore functions particularly well; -Also with a fully integrated seat belt system The key is to have the following.

[0016] These two safety elements are mounted in the seat in such a way that they do not interfere with each other and do not disrupt the function of the other element.

[0017] According to one possible feature of the invention, the shell comprises a rear wall adapted to rest against the rear surface of the seat cushion, two lateral edges adapted to rest against the two lateral edges of the seat cushion, thereby enclosing the at least one strap of each component, and an upper edge adapted to rest on a front casing enclosing a seat belt retractor, creating a passage for the at least one strap of one of the two components in the upper region of the backrest structure. This shell covers the at least one strap of each airbag component at the sides of the backrest and in its upper zone despite the presence of the front casing that accommodates the seat belt retractor, ensuring that the strap deploys forward when the airbag cushion is in the inflation phase. Another function of the shell is to completely cover the at least one strap of each airbag component to improve the appearance of the seat.

[0018] According to one possible feature of the invention, the front casing of the seat belt comprises a groove configured to pass said at least one strap of one of the two components, and the shell comprises a flat segment covering said groove in which said at least one strap is placed, said groove making it possible to hold said at least one strap on the front casing and thereby limiting the path along which said at least one strap can slide.

[0019] According to one possible feature of the invention, the width of the groove is slightly larger than that of the at least one strap so that the at least one strap is placed in the groove with minimal play. In this way, the groove ensures a good retention function, holding the at least one strap of one of the airbag components while also allowing the strap to shift within it. Thus, the strap does not get caught in the groove and is more likely to deploy if the vehicle is involved in an accident. Minimal play means a play of a few millimeters, but could reach 1 cm.

[0020] According to one possible feature of the invention, the backrest comprises a main surface adapted for the back of an occupant to rest on and two lateral uprights surrounding the main surface and adapted for laterally supporting the back of the occupant, the front casing being located in the upper region of one of the two lateral uprights, the front casing being off-center on the seat and therefore not prone to leaning on the person sitting in the seat, the person not feeling inconvenienced by the presence of the front casing and therefore being able to easily handle the part of the seat belt exiting the casing.

[0021] According to one possible feature of the present invention, the lateral uprights on which the front casing is located are pre-shortened so that the overall length of the uprights and the front casing is equal to the overall length of the other upright. In this way, the casing does not create protrusions that could be annoying to a seat occupant and negatively affect the aesthetics of the vehicle. Therefore, a seat equipped with this casing has visual symmetry and does not appear to have an electric retractor.

[0022] According to one possible feature of the invention, the front casing has a front face with an opening for allowing a portion of the seat belt to exit forward from said front casing.

[0023] According to one possible feature of the invention, the opening is in the form of a cross with a slot, the length of which is greater than the width of the portion of the seat belt that will emerge from the front casing, allowing said portion to exit the slot. The slot is a modest, unobtrusive opening, leaving only a small amount of play for the portion of the seat belt to pass through it. In this way, the front casing is less likely to become clogged with dirt from outside the seat. The cross has a vertical secondary slot that leads into the slot, allowing the seat belt to be inserted into the casing when the seat is installed.

[0024] According to one possible feature of the invention, the front casing is closed so that the electric retractor for the seat belt is not visible from outside the seat. The expression "closed casing" means that it does not have any openings other than those formed by the cloth.

[0025] Another subject of the invention is a vehicle comprising at least one seat according to the invention.

[0026] The vehicle seat according to the present invention has the advantage of having an enveloping airbag configured to ensure the safety of the occupant sitting in the seat in a self-sufficient and sufficiently effective manner without extensive redesign. In particular, the seat performs particularly well in terms of safety by simply functionally mounting the airbag on the seat using a limited number of parts with a simple design. As a result, the seat according to the present invention can make it possible to reuse existing parts without the need for extensive modifications to the seat. Furthermore, the seat according to the present invention has the advantage of fully integrating the seat belt, the specific mounting of which prevents the belt from interfering with the components of the airbag. In other words, the airbag and the seat belt do not interfere with each other or have any adverse effect on each other. The seat according to the present invention is particularly, but not exclusively, suitable for autonomous vehicles, since it incorporates all safety elements for protecting the occupant sitting in the seat.

[0027] A detailed description of preferred embodiments of the seat according to the present invention will now be continued with reference to the following figures: [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0028] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a seat according to the present invention; [Figure 2] 1 is a perspective view of an airbag for a seat according to the present invention in a deployed configuration on a seat; [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the structure of the seat of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] 1 is a partial perspective view of a seat pan structure for a seat according to the present invention; [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of an inner casing and an outer casing of the seat pan structure for a seat according to the present invention. [Figure 6] 5 is a partial perspective view of the seat pan structure of FIG. 4 at a different angle. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of a seat pan structure for a seat according to the present invention showing angle-changing wires for the straps of the airbag. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a side view of a seat pan design for a seat according to the present invention, including a backrest tilt control handle. [Figure 9] 1 is an exploded perspective view of a backrest for a seat according to the present invention; FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the assembled backrest of FIG. 9. [Figure 11] 1 is a perspective view of a lateral region of a backrest for a seat according to the invention; [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a side view of a seat according to the present invention showing the placement of airbag straps along one side of the seat. [Figure 13] 1 is a side view of the upper region of a backrest for a seat according to the invention; [Figure 14] 11 is a simplified cross-sectional view of the upper region of FIG. 10 along a first cross section. [Figure 15]11 is a simplified cross-sectional view of the upper region of FIG. 10 along a second cross section. [Figure 16] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the front of a seat according to the present invention showing the casing that receives the electric retractor. [Figure 17] FIG. 14 is a front view of the seat of FIG. 13. [Figure 18] 1 is a front view of a backrest for a seat according to the present invention; FIG. [Figure 19] 1 is a perspective, transparent view of the upper region of a backrest for a seat according to the invention, showing an electric retractor for the seat belt; [Figure 20] 1 is a front view of the upper region of a backrest for a seat according to the invention, showing the front face of a casing adapted to receive an electric retractor for a seat belt; FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0029] With reference to Figure 1, the seat 1 according to the invention is preferably a passenger seat conventionally comprising a seat pan 2 provided with a structure and a backrest 3 also provided with a structure.

[0030] Referring to FIG. 2 , a first particular feature of such a seat 1 is that it integrates an airbag 4 configured to replace the occupant airbag normally received in the dashboard of a vehicle immediately forward of the occupant seat. Generally, the airbag 4 comprises two separate components 5, 6, each having an airbag cushion 7 and two straps 8, 9 sewn to the airbag cushion 7. The two components 5, 6 of the airbag 4 are stored within the seat 1, within respective sides 10, 11 thereof, so as to be positioned on either side of an individual seated in the seat 1. In other words, the two components 5, 6 are positioned on either side of an individual seated in the seat 1 and aligned along a transverse axis Y of the vehicle to which the seat 1 is mounted. Because the two components 5, 6 are substantially identical, only one of the components 5, 6 will be described in the remainder of this description.

[0031] 3, when the components 5, 6 of the airbag 4 are stored in the seat 1, the two straps 8, 9 are overlapped and have an upper fixing point for fixing to a central upper region 12 of the structure of the backrest 3 and a bottom fixing point for fixing to a central region 13 of an anti-submergence hump 14 of the seat pan 2. The airbag cushion 7 is inserted into one side of the backrest 3 so as not to be visible from outside the seat 1. The two overlapping straps 8, 9 extend between their upper and bottom fixing points, passing along the side of the backrest 3 and the side of the seat pan 2 without ever being visible from outside the seat 1.

[0032] Referring to FIG. 2 , in the event of an accidental collision of the vehicle with an external obstacle, which may be, for example, another vehicle, the two components 5 and 6 of the airbag 4 simultaneously deploy forward as indicated by the two arrows 15 and 16, thereby completely enveloping the individual seated in the seat 1. Specifically, during this deployment, the two inflated airbag cushions 7 of the two components 5 and 6 join together to form a continuous protective band around the individual. The deployment of each component 5 and 6 of the airbag 4 is triggered by the inflation of the airbag cushion 7 and is guided by two straps 8 and 9 sewn to the airbag cushion 7 and secured to both the backrest 6 structure and the seat pan 2 structure. When the components 5 and 6 of the airbag 4 deploy, the upper and lower fixing points of the two straps 8 and 9 remain unchanged, continuing to hold the two straps 8 and 9 in place. Once the individual is completely surrounded by the two airbag cushions 7 of the two components 5 and 6 of the airbag 4, they are completely protected in all spatial directions.

[0033] In order for the two components 5, 6 of the airbag 4 to perfectly fulfill their protective role, it is important that they are well integrated into the seat 1 so that they can deploy smoothly and effectively in the desired direction without interfering with other elements of the seat. In particular, the integration of the two components 5, 6 of the airbag 4 into the seat 1 must not, for example, interfere with the operation of the seat belts or elements of the seat 1 must not be able to adversely affect the deployment of the components 5, 6.

[0034] The seat 1 according to the invention comprises a seat pan 2 specially configured to integrate two components 5, 6 of an airbag 4. The structure of the seat pan 2 is generally defined by two longitudinal parallel edges extending along a longitudinal axis X of the vehicle and by two transverse parallel edges extending along a transverse axis Y of said vehicle.

[0035] 4 and 5, each longitudinal edge of the seat pan 2 structure is embodied by an inner casing 17 and an outer casing 18. The inner casing 17 and the outer casing 18 are portions with small thicknesses that can be inscribed within a substantially vertical longitudinal plane XZ of the vehicle. Along the vehicle's transverse axis Y, the two outer casings 18 correspond to the two outermost portions of the seat pan 2, and each inner casing 17 is inserted between the outer casing 18 and a central region of the seat pan 2 where an individual is configured to sit. The outer casings 18 extend along the vehicle's longitudinal axis X and have a recessed region 19. The inner casing 17 has a length that is smaller than that of the outer casing 18, and this length is a dimension along the vehicle's longitudinal axis X. The inner casing 17 has a curvature and is configured to contact the wall of the outer casing 18 that defines the recessed region 19.

[0036] 4 and 6, when the inner casing 17 is pressed against the inner surface of the outer casing 18, it forms, together with the outer casing 18, a passage through which the two overlapping straps 8, 9 of the corresponding components 5, 6 of the airbag 4 pass. The inner casing 17 has an opening 20 configured to receive a specific housing 21 for accommodating a seat belt buckle or a fastening means for the seat belt. In this way, the two overlapping straps 8, 9 of the airbag 4 pass between the inner casing 17 and the outer casing 18, so they are outside the seat belt buckle and therefore do not interfere with the seat belt. Likewise, the seat belt does not hinder the deployment of the two overlapping straps 8, 9 of the airbag 4 in the event of a collision of the vehicle against an external obstacle.

[0037] 1, 4, 5 and 8, the outer casing 18 has an end segment 22 extending perpendicular to the main body 23 of said casing, said end segment 22 continuing into the backrest 3 and configured to conceal the two overlapping straps 8, 9 of the airbag 4 between said backrest 3 and the seat pan 2 of the seat 1.

[0038] As shown in Figures 3 and 6, between the backrest 3 and the seat pan 2, the two overlapping straps 8, 9 of the airbag 4 have a fold 24 that is substantially 90°, i.e., 90° + / - 10°. This 90° pre-fold is necessary to properly prevent the appearance of folds that could prove dangerous during deployment of the two overlapping straps 8, 9 of the airbag 4. In particular, the deployment state of the two overlapping straps 8, 9 of the airbag 4 in the seat 1 is such that the 90° pre-fold disappears and transitions to smooth, uniform airbag straps 8, 9, which therefore have no bends whatsoever, as shown in Figure 2.

[0039] Referring to FIG. 3, the backrest 3 of the seat 1 according to the invention can be adjusted in inclination, just like the backrests of most existing vehicle seats. The backrest is mounted rotatably around a rotation axis 25 located in the lower region of the structure of the backrest 3, which extends along the transverse axis Y of the vehicle. Due to passages along the sides of the backrest 3 and the sides of the seat pan 2, the two overlapping straps 8, 9 of the components 5, 6 of the airbag 4 run through this rotation axis 25. In other words, if the rotation axis 25 were artificially continued on each side, the two overlapping straps 8, 9 of the airbag 4 would pass through the artificial continuation of the rotation axis 25. In this way, by running through the rotation axis 25 of the backrest 3, the two overlapping straps 8, 9 of the airbag 4 do not prevent the backrest 3 from rotating around the axis 25 to adjust its inclination. However, the two overlapping straps 8, 9 of the airbag 4 cover the mechanism for rotating and positioning the backrest 3, which is conventionally located within the continuation of the rotation axis 25 of the backrest 3, making it difficult to handle this mechanism.

[0040] 3, 4 and 8, to address this obstacle, a control element 26 for this mechanism 27 has been created and is located in the front zone of one of the two outer casings 18 of the seat pan 2 of the seat 1. This control element consists of a handle 26 that extends, by default, along the horizontal longitudinal axis X of the vehicle, said handle 26 being connected by a wire 28 to a mechanism 27 for rotating and positioning the backrest 3. This wire 28 is hidden by the outer casing 18, and manual rotation of the control handle 26 exerts a tension on the wire 28, which acts directly on the mechanism 27 in order to make it possible to adjust the inclination of the backrest 3.

[0041] Similarly, the two overlapping straps 8, 9 of the airbag 4 cover the mechanism for raising the seat pan 2, preventing any height adjustment of said seat pan 2.

[0042] 1, 3, and 4, this problem of access to the mechanism for raising the seat pan 2 is addressed by adding an electric motor to the mechanism and associating with the electric motor a control button 29. The control button is a push button 29 fixed within the outer casing 18 that supports the control handle 26, said push button 29 being located rearward of said handle 26.

[0043] 7, a rigid angle-changing wire 30 is fixed to the structure of the seat pan 2 inside the inner casing 17, thereby improving the positioning of the two overlapping straps 8, 9 of the airbag 4 in the passage located between the inner casing 17 and the outer casing 18. In particular, the two overlapping straps 8, 9 of the airbag 4 run around and press against this rigid wire 30, thereby forming a bend, and the rigid wire 30 straightens the two overlapping straps 8, 9 of the airbag 4 so that they can be optimally inserted into the passage created between the inner casing 17 and the outer casing 18. In other words, the rigid wire 30 ensures that the two overlapping straps 8, 9 of the airbag 4 remain straight in the passage located between the inner casing 17 and the outer casing 18.

[0044] 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13, an airbag cushion 7 and a section of overlapping straps 8, 9 sewn to said airbag cushion 7 are placed in the backrest 3 of the seat 1. The lining of the backrest 3 is modified to allow the two overlapping straps 8, 9 and the airbag cushion 7 to be quickly released in the desired direction, i.e., forward of the seat 1, to encircle the occupant and avoid contact with the center pillar area of ​​the vehicle's body shell. To achieve this result, a rigid rear shell 31 is pressed against a seat cushion 32 comprising the foam padding of the backrest 3 and fabric surrounding said foam. This seat cushion 32 has a main wall 33 continued forward by two parallel lateral edges 34, 35. The shell 31 has a main wall 36 continued forward by two parallel lateral edges 37, 38 and an upper edge 39. These two lateral edges 34, 35 are substantially perpendicular to the main wall 36, and the upper edge 39 is contiguous with and inclined relative to said main wall 36. The shell 31 is pressed against the seat cushion 32 of the backrest 3, so that its main wall 36 is pressed against the main surface 33 of the seat cushion 32 behind it, - its two lateral edges 37, 38 clamp the two lateral edges 34, 35 of the seat cushion 32, thereby capturing the two superimposed straps 8, 9 of each of the components 5, 6 of the airbag 4. Figure 12 may be misleading in this regard, since, despite the presence of the two lateral edges 37, 38 of the shell 31, the two superimposed straps 8, 9 of one of the components 5, 6 of the airbag 4 are still visible. To alleviate this ambiguity, it is assumed that Figure 12 shows said straps 8, 9 as seen through the lateral uprights 37, 38 of the shell 31. The two superimposed straps 8, 9 of each of the components 5, 6 of the airbag cushion 7 and of the airbag 4 are housed between the lateral edges 34, 35 of the seat cushion 32 and the lateral edges 37, 38 of the shell 31. The overlapping straps 8, 9 are sewn to the outer sides of the airbag cushion 7 and are therefore the first to be ejected from the backrest 3 in the event of a collision of the vehicle against an external obstacle, even though they are connected to the airbag cushion 7.

[0045] Due to the particular configuration of the shell 31 and the functional arrangement of the airbag cushion 7 and the two superimposed straps 8, 9 between the lateral edges 34, 35 of the seat cushion 32 and the lateral edges 37, 38 of said shell 31, said airbag cushion 7 and said two superimposed straps 8, 9 deploy forward of the backrest 3, as embodied by the arrow 40 in Figures 10 and 11. Such an arrangement of these various elements prevents any transverse deployment of the airbag cushion 7 and the two associated superimposed straps 8, 9, i.e. deployment along the transverse axis Y of the vehicle.

[0046] 13 to 20, a second particular feature of the seat 1 according to the invention, in addition to the fact that it fully integrates the two components 5, 6 of a well-functioning airbag 4, is that it also fully integrates the seat belt 50. In particular, the seat belt of the passenger seat or the driver seat is usually provided with a fixing point for fixing to the central pillar on one of the body shell sides. To produce the vehicle seat 1 according to the invention, this fixing point has been transferred to an off-center upper region 51 of the structure of the backrest 3.

[0047] 16, 17 and 18, the backrest 3 of the seat 1 according to the invention comprises a main front surface 52 which is part of the main wall 33 of the seat cushion 32 on which the back of an occupant sitting on said seat 1 rests, and two lateral uprights 34, 35 of said seat cushion 32 surround said main surface 52 and are slightly inclined relative to it. It should be noted that these two lateral uprights 34, 35 refer to the two lateral edges 34, 35 of the seat cushion 32 introduced above. In this way, these two lateral uprights 34, 35 are configured to support the back of the occupant laterally. During the manufacture of this seat, one of the two lateral uprights 34, 35 is shortened so that a hollow front casing 55 can be integrated at one end of this lateral upright 34, 35, so that the overall length of the shortened lateral upright 34, 35 and the hollow front casing 55 is equal to the overall length of the other lateral upright 34, 35.

[0048] 16, 17 and 18, the hollow front casing 55 is therefore located in the upper region 51 of the structure of the backrest 3 and is offset with respect to the main front surface 52. For aesthetic reasons, the hollow front casing 55 forms an ideal continuation of the shortened lateral uprights 34, 35 at the ends to which it is fixed, so that the overall geometry of the assembly formed by said shortened lateral uprights 34, 35 and said casing 55 is identical to the shape of the other lateral uprights 34, 35. As a result, the backrest 3 of the seat 1 has perfect symmetry with respect to these two lateral uprights 34, 35. Preferably, the front casing 55 has a rounded shape without protruding edge corners in order not to injure the vehicle occupant or adversely affect the aesthetics of the seat 1.

[0049] 19, the hollow front casing 55 defines a receiving portion configured to house an electric retractor 56 for the seat belt 50, thus realizing a relocation of the fixing point for said seat belt 50 which is on the center pillar in some more conventional vehicles. This retractor 56 is fixed to the structure of the backrest 3.

[0050] 16, 17, 18, and 20, the front casing 55 has a front surface 57 provided with a cross-shaped opening including a slot 58 and a vertical secondary slot, said slot 58 being configured to receive a portion 59 of the seat belt 50 wound around an electric retractor 56 located within the front casing 55. The slot 58 is substantially rectangular and preferably extends horizontally. The vertical secondary slot leads into the horizontal slot 58, allowing the seat belt 50 to be inserted into the front casing 55. The portion 59 of the seat belt 50 has a width less than the length of the slot 58 and can therefore emerge from said slot 58 with limited play, thereby stabilizing the position of the portion 59 emerging from the hollow casing 55 and therefore making the seat belts 50, 59 easier to handle. The presence of the slot 58 allows the seat belt portion 59 to descend along the lateral uprights 34, 35 of the backrest 3 without in any way interfering with the passage of the overlapping straps 8, 9 of the components 5, 6 of the airbag 4 between one of said lateral uprights 34, 35 of the seat cushion 32 and the lateral edges 37, 38 of the shell 31.

[0051] 13, 14, and 15, the upper edge 39 of the shell 31 is placed above and in contact with the upper wall 60 of a hollow casing 55 that houses an electric retractor 56 for the seat belt 50. This upper edge 39, together with the hollow front casing 55, defines a receiving area in which the retractor 56 is located. The upper wall 60 has a groove 61 configured to receive the two overlapping straps 8, 9 of one of the two components 5, 6 of the airbag 4. The width of this groove 61 is slightly greater than the width of the two overlapping straps 8, 9, thereby allowing these straps to be accommodated within the groove 61 without creating significant play. The upper edge 39 of the shell 31 is sufficiently narrow to almost completely cover the groove 61, thus concealing the presence of the two overlapping straps 8, 9 within the groove. The upper edge 39 of the shell 31 covers the groove 61 as tightly as possible, thereby enabling the two overlapping straps 8, 9 housed in the groove 61 to exit the groove 61 and be thrown forward of the backrest 3 in the event of an accidental collision of the vehicle against an external obstacle. In particular, in the event of such a collision, the airbag cushion 7 of each component 5, 6 of the airbag 4 inflates as it exits the backrest 3, pulling the two overlapping straps 8, 9 sewn to the airbag cushion 7 along with it. The two initially overlapping straps 8, 9 unfold in front of the backrest 3 and separate from each other under the influence of the inflation of the airbag cushion 7. In summary, the shell 31 attached to the backrest 3 allows the straps 8, 9 sewn to the airbag cushion 7 to exit forward from the two sides of the backrest 3 and within the upper region 51 of the backrest 3.

[0052] The vehicle seat 1 according to the invention therefore has two particular characteristics: The vehicle seat comprises an airbag 4 in the form of two components 5, 6, each having at least two straps 8, 9 and an airbag cushion 7 to which said straps 8, 9 are sewn. In this way, in the event of a collision of the vehicle against an external obstacle, the two components 5, 6 of the airbag deploy forward, guided by the straps 8, 9, so that the two airbag cushions 7, when deployed, form a continuous band that completely surrounds the person sitting in the seat 1. Due to the presence of this continuous expansion, this person is protected with maximum safety. It should be noted that the airbag 4 is fully integrated into the seat 1. The vehicle seat fully integrates a seat belt 50 with an electric retractor 56 housed in a casing 55 placed off-center in the upper region 51 of the backrest 3 .

[0053] The seat 1 is designed in such a way that the seat belt 50 does not interfere with the potential deployment of the two components 5, 6 of the airbag 4 in the event of a collision of the vehicle against an external obstacle, and that the straps 8, 9 of the airbag 4 do not interfere with the use and operation of the seat belt 50. Such a seat, by virtue of the presence of the two components 5, 6 of the airbag and the seat belt 50, makes it possible to integrate a completely autonomous protection system, ensuring maximum protection for the person sitting in said seat, regardless of the position and orientation of this seat 1 in the vehicle.

Claims

Claim 1 A vehicle seat (1), comprising a structure of a backrest (3), a structure of a seat pan (2) having a submersion prevention hump (14), and an airbag (4) having two components (5, 6) placed on side portions (10, 11) of the seat (1) on both sides of a person sitting on the seat. In the vehicle seat (1), each component (5, 6) of the airbag (4) comprises an airbag cushion (7) and at least one strap (8, 9) sewn to the airbag cushion (7), and the component (5, 6) can be deployed forward of the seat at the time of a collision of the vehicle, whereby the component (5, 6) is configured to completely surround the person, the at least one strap (8, 9) of each component (5, 6) has an upper fixing point for fixing to an upper region (12) of the structure of the backrest (3) and a bottom fixing point for fixing to the submersion prevention humps (13, 14) of the structure of the seat pan (2), and the at least one strap (8, 9) of each component (5, 6) extends along one side portion of the structure of the backrest (3) and along one side portion of the structure of the seat pan (2). The structure of the backrest (3) comprises a seat cushion (32) and a rigid shell (31) surrounding the seat cushion (32) and open at the front, whereby at least one strap (8, 9) of each component (5, 6) passes between the seat cushion (32) and the rigid shell (31) on one side of the structure of the backrest (3). The seat comprises a seat belt (50) that is fully integrated inside the seat and is provided with a retractor (56). The retractor is fixed to the structure of the backrest (3) and is placed inside a receiving portion defined by a front casing (55) located within an upper region (51) of the structure of the backrest (3). The rigid shell (31, 39) at least partially covers the front casing (55), thereby forming a space (61) therebetween and allowing at least one strap (8, 9) of one of the two components (5, 6) to pass through the upper region (51) of the structure of the backrest (3). The shell (31, 39) defines the receiving portion towards the rear. A vehicle seat (1), characterized in that. Claim 2 The vehicle seat according to claim 1, characterized in that the shell (31) comprises a rear wall (36) configured to be placed against the rear surface of the seat cushion (32), two lateral edges (37, 38) configured to be placed against two lateral edges (34, 35) of the seat cushion (32), thereby surrounding at least one strap (8, 9) of each component (5, 6), and an upper edge (39) configured to be placed on the front casing (55) enclosing the retractor (56) for the seat belt (50), creating a passage (61) for at least one strap (8, 9) of one of the two components (5, 6) within the upper region (51) of the structure of the backrest (3). Claim 3 The casing (55, 60) of the seat belt (50) comprises a groove (61) configured such that at least one of the two straps (8, 9) of one of the two components (5, 6) passes therethrough, and the shell (31) comprises a flat segment (39) covering the groove (61) in which the at least one strap (8, 9) is placed. The vehicle seat according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that.

4. The width of the groove (61) is slightly larger than the width of the at least one strap (8, 9) such that the at least one strap (8, 9) is placed in the groove (61) with a minimal amount of play. The seat according to claim 3, characterized in that.

5. The backrest (3) comprises a main surface (52) configured such that the occupant's back rests thereon, and two lateral upright portions (34, 35) surrounding the main surface (52) and configured to hold the occupant's back laterally. The seat according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the front casing (55) is located within an upper region of one of the two lateral upright portions (34, 35).

6. The lateral upright portion (34, 35) on which the front casing (55) is located is pre-shortened such that the total lengths of the upright portion (34, 35) and the front casing (55) are equal to the total length of the other upright portion (34, 35). The vehicle seat according to claim 5, characterized in that.

7. The front casing (55) has a front face (57), and the front face (57) has an opening (58) to enable a part (59) of the seat belt (50) to come out forward from the front casing (55). The vehicle seat according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that.

8. The opening has a cross shape with a slot (58), and the length of the slot is larger than the width of the portion (59) of the seat belt coming out of the front casing (55), enabling the portion (59) to come out of the slot (58). The vehicle seat according to claim 7, characterized in that.

9. The vehicle seat according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the front casing (55) is closed so that the electric retractor (56) for the seat belt (50) is not visible from the outside of the seat (1).

10. A vehicle comprising at least one seat according to claim 1 or 2.

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