Actuatable back panel for a vehicle seat
AssigneeLear Corporation
InventorsMladen Humer, Nagarjun Yetukuri, Gerald Locke
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle seat having a seat back including an actuatable back panel. The back panel of the seat back may be moved between a normal, or flush position, and an actuated, or spaced position, relative to the seat back assembly. The back panel is provided with clips that may be used to connect the back panel to the vehicle seat assembly or suspension. The back panel is actuated in the event of a rear end collision to provide added clearance for operation of an active head restraint system. Seat accessories, such as an adjustable lumbar system or heating/cooling system may be secured to the back panel as a sub-assembly to facilitate manufacture.
Claims18
A seat back for a vehicle seat comprising:
- a seat back frame;
- a seat back cushion secured to the seat back frame and facing in a forward direction, the seat back cushion being supported by the seat back frame;
- an active head restraint supported by the seat back frame;
- a back panel secured in a normal position relative to the seat back frame and facing in a rearward direction;
- and
- at least one clip attaching the back panel to the seat, the clip securing the back panel flush to the seat back in the normal position and the clip securing the back panel in a spaced relationship relative to the seat back in an actuated position, wherein the back panel may be moved from the normal position to the actuated position by a force applied to the seat in a collision, wherein the clip has a full insertion stop that is engaged when the back panel moves from the normal position to the actuated position and an extended stop that is engaged when the back panel is in the actuated position.
A vehicle seat having a back rest for supporting the back of a seat occupant, the backrest comprising:
- a seat back support assembly;
- an active head restraint and an actuating linkage for moving the head restraint from a normal position to an actuated position, the active head restraint and the actuating linkage being attached to the seat back support assembly, wherein a flange is provided on the linkage;
- a cushion attached to the seat back support assembly;
- a suspension supporting the cushion relative to the seat back support assembly;
- a back panel that is movable between a flush position in which the back panel is secured flush to the seat back support assembly and a spaced position in which the back panel is retained in a spaced relationship relative to the seat back support panel;
- a plurality of clips extend between a back side of the back panel and the actuating linkage, wherein the clips have upper and lower edges that guide the movement of the back panel relative to a slot in the flange provided on the linkage as the back panel moves between the flush position and the spaced position, wherein movement of the linkage is transferred to the back panel to move the back panel from the flush position to the spaced position.
A vehicle seat having a back rest for supporting the back of a seat occupant, the backrest comprising:
- a seat back support assembly;
- an active head restraint and an actuating linkage for moving the head restraint from a normal position to an actuated position, the active head restraint and the actuating linkage being attached to the seat back support assembly;
- a cushion attached to the seat back support assembly;
- a suspension supporting the cushion relative to the seat back support assembly;
- a back panel that is movable between a flush position in which the back panel is secured flush to the seat back support assembly and a spaced position in which the back panel is retained in a spaced relationship relative to the seat back support panel;
- a plurality of clips extend between a back side of the back panel and the seat back support assembly, wherein the clips have a full insertion stop that is engaged when the back panel moves from the flush position to the spaced position guide portions that control the back panel movement between the flush position and the spaced position, and an extended stop that is engaged when the back panel is in the spaced position, wherein forces applied by an occupant in a collision move the back panel from the flush position to the spaced position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.