US 5,314,206 AGranted

Sliding seat safety device in a vehicle

AssigneeAudi AG

InventorElmar Vollmer

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Abstract

A seat adjustment latch, selectable at two different force levels, is attached to a slide adjustable seat in a motor vehicle equipped with a seat belt assembly, an inflatable air bag, and a knee restraint. The seat adjustment latch is interlocked with the seat belt assembly of the seat such that when the seat belt is unfastened, the seat adjustment latch is set to release the vehicle seat in the event of a rapid deceleration or impact to the vehicle above a predetermined level of severity. When the seat belt is fastened, the seat latch is set in its firmest possible retention setting and operates such that the inertia and kinetic energy forces of the seat and the occupant seated thereon will not move the seat forward in response to a severe frontal collision. In a preferred embodiment, the seat adjustment latch includes a shearing element configured as a tubular bolt for retaining the slide adjustable vehicle seat to the seat rails. The tubular bolt is selectively reinforced at a shear region by a moveable insert piece, the movement of which is influenced mechanically by the fastened/unfastened condition of the seat belt. In an alternate embodiment, the movement of the insert piece is controlled electrically.

Claims8

Dependent claims

An improved passive safety system in a motor vehicle which includes an inflatable air bag, a knee restraint, at least one seat having a seat support for slide adjustable fore/aft movement of the seat and seat support along floor mounted seat rails in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, a seat adjustment latch for selectively retaining the seat and seat support to the seat rails at a plurality of seat adjustment positions, and a seat belt, said improved passive safety system comprising in operative combination:

a) means for detecting the fastened and unfastened condition of the seat belt;
b) means responsive to said seat belt condition detecting means for selective reinforcement of the seat adjustment latch so that:
i) when the seat belt is fastened, the seat adjustment latch is set at a first reinforced position to resist breakaway movement of the seat and seat support along the seat rails;
and
ii) when the seat belt is unfastened, the seat adjustment latch is set at a second unreinforced position to permit breakaway movement of the seat and seat support along the seat rails to carry a seated passenger forward for effective engagement with the knee restraint and air bag in the event of a sudden deceleration impact to the vehicle above a predetermined level of severity.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.