# US 10,479,306 B2 · Restraint bar for vehicle seating assembly > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,479,306 B2 - Document ID: US10479306B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/794,652 - Filed: 2017-10-26 - Published: 2019-02-28 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2017-08-25 - Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Applicants: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Inventors: Marcos Silva Kondrad; Johnathan Andrew Line; Brian Robert Spahn; Srinivasan Sundararajan; Derek Board; James Chih Cheng; Kevin Wayne Preuss - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10479306B2 ## CPC - B60R 21/02: Occupant safety arrangements or fittings {, e.g. crash pads (seat belts with crash pads B60R22/14; removable children's seats having a front guard or barrier B60N2/2839)} - B60N 2/14: rotatable, e.g. to permit easy access (B60N2/10 {, B60N2/2869} take precedence) - B60N 2/427: Seats or parts thereof displaced during a crash - B60N 2/42727: {involving substantially rigid displacement} - B60N 2/62: Thigh-rests {(B60N2/914 takes precedence)} - B60R 21/2072: {in children's seats} - B60R 2021/0273: {automatically movable to an operative position, e.g. in case of collision or impending collision} - B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - B60N: SEATS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES; VEHICLE PASSENGER ACCOMMODATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract A vehicle seating assembly includes a seat pan operably coupled to a seatback. The vehicle seating assembly further includes a restraint bar coupled to the seatback and operable between a first position and a second position. The restraint bar is equipped with at least one deployable occupant restraint and the restraint bar is generally U-shaped. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicle seating assembly, comprising: a seatback having a central portion that is flanked on either side by side wings; a seat pan operably coupled to the seatback; and a restraint bar coupled to a front portion of the seatback such that the restraint bar extends vertically upward along a substantial portion of the side wings of the seatback, wherein the restraint bar is operable between a stowed position and a staged position, wherein the restraint bar is equipped with at least one deployable occupant restraint, and wherein the restraint bar is generally U-shaped. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1, wherein the restraint bar is further operable to a deployed position. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The vehicle seating assembly of claim 2, wherein the at least one deployable occupant restraint is deployed when the restraint bar is in the deployed position. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The vehicle seating assembly of claim 3, wherein the at least one deployable occupant restraint comprises a first occupant restraint and a second occupant restraint. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The vehicle seating assembly of claim 4, wherein the first occupant restraint and the second occupant restraint deploy from the restraint bar such that a deployment path of the first occupant restraint is non-parallel to a deployment path of the second occupant restraint. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The vehicle seating assembly of claim 4, wherein the seatback is equipped with a third occupant restraint. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1, wherein the seatback comprises an upper region, and wherein the restraint bar is contoured to a front portion and a top portion of the upper region such that the restraint bar extends about a perimeter of the seatback. ### Claim 8 A vehicle seating assembly, comprising: a seatback comprising an upper region; a seat pan operably coupled to the seatback; and a restraint bar coupled to the seatback and operable between a stowed position, a staged position, and a deployed position, wherein the staged position displaces the restraint bar from the stowed position by an angle of at least about 10 degrees, wherein the deployed position displaces the restraint bar from the stowed position by an angle of at least about 30 degrees, wherein the restraint bar is equipped with at least one deployable occupant restraint, and wherein the restraint bar is contoured to a front portion and a top portion of the upper region of the seatback such that the restraint bar extends about a perimeter of the seatback. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The vehicle seating assembly of claim 8, wherein the at least one deployable occupant restraint is deployed when the restraint bar is in the deployed position. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The vehicle seating assembly of claim 9, wherein the at least one deployable occupant restraint comprises a first occupant restraint and a second occupant restraint. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The vehicle seating assembly of claim 10, wherein the first occupant restraint and the second occupant restraint deploy from the restraint bar such that a deployment path of the first occupant restraint is non-parallel to a deployment path of the second occupant restraint. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The vehicle seating assembly of claim 11, wherein the seatback is equipped with a third occupant restraint. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The vehicle seating assembly of claim 8, wherein the seat base is configured to rotate the vehicle seating assembly about a vertical axis. ### Claim 14 A method of operating a vehicle seating assembly, comprising the steps of: detecting an occupant in the vehicle seating assembly with an occupancy sensor; actuating a restraint bar from a first position to a second position; detecting an impact event; actuating the restraint bar to a third position upon detection of the impact event; and deploying at least one occupant restraint. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of operating a vehicle seating assembly of claim 14, wherein the step of deploying at least one occupant restraint further comprises: deploying a first occupant restraint generally downward from the restraint bar toward a seat pan of the vehicle seating assembly while the restraint bar is in the third position. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of operating a vehicle seating assembly of claim 15, wherein the step of deploying at least one occupant restraint further comprises: deploying a second occupant restraint generally rearward from the restraint bar toward a seatback of the vehicle seating assembly while the restraint bar is in the third position. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of operating a vehicle seating assembly of claim 16, wherein the step of deploying at least one occupant restraint further comprises: deploying a third occupant restraint generally forward from the seatback of the vehicle seating assembly while the restraint bar is in the third position.