Back support mechanism for vehicle seat
AssigneeLear Corporation
InventorVikas Patwardhan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A back support mechanism for a vehicle seat is provided with a track mounted to a seat back of the vehicle seat. A carriage is mounted to the track for linear translation along the track between a first position and an actuated position. A support member is connected to the carriage for supporting a back portion of an occupant of the vehicle seat. A biasing member cooperates with the carriage to urge the carriage to the first position. If the occupant back portion imparts a load to the support member exceeding a predetermined force, the support member and the carriage translate along the track over a range of translation. The range of translation is sized to accommodate a corresponding translation of a head of the occupant to a head restraint of the vehicle seat.
Claims20
A back support mechanism for a vehicle seat comprising:
- at least one longitudinal track adapted to be mounted within a seat back of a vehicle seat;
- at least one carriage mounted to the at least one track for linear translation along the at least one track between a first position and an actuated position;
- a support member connected to the carriage for supporting a back portion of an occupant;
- and
- at least one biasing member cooperating with the at least one carriage to urge the carriage to the first position;
- wherein if the occupant's back portion imparts a load to the support member during an impact condition that exceeds a predetermined force, the support member and the at least one carriage translate along the at least one track over a range of translation that is sized to accommodate a corresponding translation of a head of the occupant to a head restraint of the vehicle seat.
A vehicle seat comprising:
- a seat back having a seat frame;
- at least one longitudinal track mounted to the seat frame,
- at least one carriage mounted to the at least one track for linear translation along the at least one track between a first position and an actuated position;
- a support member connected to the carriage for supporting a back portion of an occupant;
- at least one biasing member cooperating with to the at least one carriage to urge the carriage to the first position;
- and
- a head restraint mounted on an upper portion of the seat frame;
- wherein if the occupant's back portion imparts a load to the support member during an impact condition that exceeds a predetermined force, the support member and the at least one carriage translate along the at least one track over a range of translation that is sized to accommodate a corresponding translation of a head of the occupant to the head restraint.
A vehicle seat comprising:
- a seat back having a seat frame;
- at least one longitudinal track mounted on the seat frame;
- at least one carriage mounted to the at least one track for linear translation along the at least one track between a first position and an actuated position;
- a support member connected to the carriage for supporting a back portion of an occupant;
- at least one biasing member cooperating with to the at least one carriage to urge the carriage to the first position;
- a head restraint provided on the seat frame;
- and
- an active head restraint system operatively connected to the head restraint and the back support mechanism translating the head restraint a specified distance relative to the seat back;
- wherein if the occupant back portion imparts a load to the support member that exceeds a predetermined force during an impact condition, the support member and the at least one carriage translate along the at least one track over a range of translation, the range of translation of the at least one carriage being generally equal to a corresponding translation of the head of the occupant to the head restraint after the active head restraint system has translated the head restraint the specified distance relative to the seat back.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.