The embodiments disclosed herein are directed to features for protecting components in a seat of a motor vehicle.
In modern motor vehicles, it has become common to make rear seats movable or removable within the interior of the motor vehicle to provide flexibility in seating arrangements or to provide additional cargo hauling capabilities. In order to facilitate making seats movable or removable, the seat belt and the emergency locking retractor (ELR) are mounted to the seat itself rather than to a traditional spot on the C-pillar behind the second row of seats in the motor vehicle. In order to facilitate this mounting location, there is a need to protect the seat belt and the ELR.
The features and advantages described in the specification are not all inclusive and, in particular, many additional features and advantages will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art in view of the drawings, specification, and claims. Moreover, it should be noted that the language used in the specification has been principally selected for readability and instructional purposes, and may not have been selected to delineate or circumscribe the inventive subject matter.
According to one aspect, a seat for a motor vehicle includes a seat base, a seat back extending upwardly from a rear portion of the seat base, a seat belt, a portion of the seat belt stored in the seat back, an emergency locking retractor in an outboard side of the seat back, the seat belt being threaded through the emergency locking retractor, and a cover covering the emergency locking retractor and the portion of the seat belt stored in the seat back.
According to another aspect, a cover for a seat in a motor vehicle is disclosed. The seat has a seat base, a seat back extending upwardly from a rear portion of the seat base, a seat belt, a portion of the seat belt stored in the seat back, and an emergency locking retractor in an outboard side of the seat back, the seat belt being threaded through the emergency locking retractor. The cover includes a first cover piece covering a first side of the emergency locking retractor and the portion of the seat belt stored in the seat back, and a second cover piece covering a second side of the emergency locking retractor and the portion of the seat belt stored in the seat back.
According to yet another aspect, an integrated seat belt system for a seat in a motor vehicle includes a seat belt, a portion of the seat belt stored in a seat back of the seat, an emergency locking retractor in an outboard side of the seat back, the seat belt being threaded through the emergency locking retractor, and a cover covering the emergency locking retractor and the portion of the seat belt stored in the seat back.
The figures depict various embodiments for purposes of illustration only. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following discussion that alternative embodiments of the structures and methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles of the embodiments described herein.
Located toward the rear 140 of the motor vehicle 100 may be located a third row 106 including at least one passenger seat 122. The third row 106 passenger seat 122 is typically not removable, but rather may be folded down and stowed in a rear trunk well 124 when cargo space is required in the motor vehicle 100. The seats belts 126 for the third row 106 passenger seat 122 are typically mounted on a rear pillar 128 of the motor vehicle 100, with the ELRs (not shown) for each seat belt 126 mounted within the rear pillar 128.
Located longitudinally between the front row 104 and the third row 106 is a second row 108 of passenger seats 130, 132, 134. The second row 108 may include two large seats 130, 134, and the smaller center seat 132. In the embodiment shown in
With regards to the two large seats 130, 134, in order to accommodate the lateral movement of the seats, the seat belts 136 may be integrated within the large seats 130, 134 themselves.
The seat back 204 may further include a frame cross member 222 upon which a seat belt system 400 is mounted. The seat belt system 400 includes a seat belt 402 that is stored within the seat back 204 in a wound up state and an emergency locking retractor (ELR) 404. The ELR 404 may be mounted to the frame cross member 222 by nuts and bolts, screws, welding, rivets, or any other suitable mounting method. As shown in
In motor vehicles 100 with fixed seats, the seat belt 402 and ELR 404 are located within a pillar 114, 128 of the motor vehicle 100, where they are protected from damage, debris, and the like. However, the removable nature of the second row 108 of seats requires that the seat belt 402 and ELR 404 be located in the seat back 204 of the seat 130. In the embodiment illustrated, the ELR 404 and the seat belt shaft 500 about which the seat belt 402 is wound are mounted to the frame cross member 222. In order to protect the ELR 404 and the seat belt 402, a cover 224 is positioned over the ELR 404 and the seat belt 402 within the seat 130.
In the embodiment illustrated in
The cover pieces 410, 412 are designed to be at least partially visible to the user of the motor vehicle 100, and as such, may be designed to be styled in any manner that meets the fit and trim level of the interior 102 of the motor vehicle 100. The cover pieces 410, 412 may be constructed and molded out of any suitable plastic used in automotive interior trim pieces, such as polypropylene. Additionally, additional fasteners may be applied to maintain a tight connection between the cover pieces 410, 412 and with the frame 200.
Referring to
As illustrated in
Reference in the specification to “one embodiment” or to “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiments is included in at least one embodiment. The appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” or “an embodiment” in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.
In addition, the language used in the specification has been principally selected for readability and instructional purposes, and may not have been selected to delineate or circumscribe the inventive subject matter. Accordingly, the disclosure of the embodiments is intended to be illustrative, but not limiting, of the scope of the embodiments, which is set forth in the claims.
While particular embodiments and applications have been illustrated and described herein, it is to be understood that the embodiments are not limited to the precise construction and components disclosed herein and that various modifications, changes, and variations may be made in the arrangement, operation, and details of the methods and apparatuses of the embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the embodiments as defined in the appended claims.
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