GB2122886A

GB2122886A - Vehicle seating arrangement for a child

Info

Publication number: GB2122886A
Application number: GB08218831A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kenneth Mcvey
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1982-06-30
Filing date: 1982-06-30
Publication date: 1984-01-25

Abstract

A seating arrangement for a vehicle, especially the side-by-side back seating of a motor vehicle, has a backrest for a seat for an adult. An auxiliary seat member 5 constituted by a part of the backrest is movable, e.g. by pivoting into a closed, e.g. raised, position in which it is housed within a recess 4a of the backrest to complete the backrest, and into an open, e.g. lowered, position of use in which it projects forwardly from the remainder of the backrest to form therewith a seat suitable for a child. The child occupant may be seated partially within the recess 4a, and thus supported against excessive lateral movement, and the seat member may have a well 7 for the same purpose. The seating arrangement is advantageously used in combination with one or more seat belts serving to retain an occupant in position. The seating arrangement may include a pair of said auxiliary seat members. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Vehicle seating arrangement for a child This invention relates to a vehicle seating arrangement for a child.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved seating arrangement in which an auxiliary seat member of suitable dimensions and strength of construction to support a child is movable out of a backrest suitable for an adult into a position in which, with the remainder of the backrest, it provides a seating structure suitable for a child.

According to the present invention a vehicle seating arrangement comprises a backrest for positioning in relation to a seat portion to constitute a vehicle seat for an adult, and an auxiliary seat member constituted by a part of the backrest which is movable, relative to the remainder of the backrest, into a closed condition in which it lies within a recess of the backrest to complete the backrest, and into an open position in which it projects from the remainder of the backrest to cooperate therewith in forming a seat suitable for a child. Advantageously, the auxiliary seat member occupies not less than 50% of the extent of width of the backrest which is to be used in constituting that seat for an adult.

Further according to the present invention a vehicle seating arrangement comprises a backrest for positioning in relation to a seat portion to constitute a vehicle seat for adults, and a pair of auxiliary seat members each constituted by a respective part of the backrest which is movable, relative to the remainder of the backrest, into a closed condition in which the respective parts lie within a respective recess of the backrest to complete the backrest, and into an open position in which the respective parts project from the remainder of the backrest to cooperate therewith in forming respective seats suitable for a child.

Advantageously, the auxiliary seat members each occupy not less than 25% of the total width of the backrest from side to side.

Preferably the recess is bounded by the remainder of the backrest at least at the sides of the recess, thereby to support the body of the child occupant of the auxiliary seat against excessive lateral movement.

In a convenient arrangement, the auxiliary seat member is movable about a pivot axis, e.g. a substantially horizontal axis when in use, relative to the remainder of the backrest.

For further support of the child occupant of the auxiliary seat against lateral movement, the auxiliary seat member may be formed with a well in which the occupant may sit.

The auxiliary seat member, when in open condition, may merely rest on the seat portion utilised with the backrest, but in a preferred form there are provided stop means for supporting the auxiliary seat member in open condition, e.g.

abutments, or flexible or foldable ties connecting the auxiliary seat member to the backrest.

The seating arrangement may advantageously be used in combination with a seat portion and seat belt means positioned so as and adapted to retain an occupant in the seat when suitable for an adult, and also in the seat when suitable for a child. Such seat belt means may be a shoulder strap, waist belt, or lap belt, or any combination thereof.

In order that the nature of the invention may be readily ascertained, some embodiments of vehicle seating arrangement in accordance therewith are hereinafter particularly described with reference to the figures of the accompanying drawings, wherein: Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a first embodiment of seating arrangement, seen in closed position suitable for adult use; Fig. 2 is a central vertical section, taken at the position indicated by the line Il-Il in Fig. 1, through the first embodiment, seen in open position suitable for use by a child; Fig. 3 is a front elevation of a second embodiment of seating arrangement, seen in closed position suitable for adult use;; Fig. 4 is a central vertical section, taken at the position indicated by the line IV--IV in Fig. 3, through the second embodiment, seen in open position suitable k use by a child; and Fig. 5 is a front elevation of a portion of a vehicle seat incorporating the invention, to show possible manners of use of conventional seat belt arrangements.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, there is shown a vehicle seat 1 comprising essentially a seat portion 2 and a back portion 3. The seat 1 is shown as a single, e.g. "bucket" seat, but the seat portion 2 and the back portion 3 could equally well be included in a structure providing accommodation for two or more persons side by side, e.g. a typical rear bench seat construction for a passenger vehicle. The nature of the internal structure, except so far as is illustrated, of the seat portion and back portion is immaterial, and they have been shown in solid section but would include normally springing, padding and coverings, and would be appropriately contoured for comfort of sitting and leaning back.

Within the back portion 3 there is formed a cavity 4 which is bounded laterally by parts 3a, 3b of the back portion, and upwardly by a part 3c of the back portion.

An auxiliary seat member 5 is pivoted, to the seat portion 2 or to the back portion 3, at 6 and is shaped and dimensioned so as, when in the closed raised position of Fig. 1, to fit snugly within the cavity 4 and thus provide a substantially uninterrupted back-support surface conforming to the remainder of the vehicle seating.

In the open lowered position shown in Fig. 2, the auxiliary seat member 5 rests upon the seat portion 2, or may be supported in the lowered position by stops (not shown) acting at the pivot point 6 or at a radial spacing from the pivot point, or again by ties such as flexible suspension straps or foldable or break-joint tie members (not shown) suspending it from the back portion.

In use, in the open condition, the auxiliary seat member 5 provides a support, for a child seated thereon, which is higher by, say, several inches than the remainder of the seat portion 2 and thus provides the child with a better view. The child can sit back in the seat with its trunk at least partially positioned within the cavity 4 so that the parts 3a, 3b of the back portion provide lateral support against the child being thrown sideways, e.g. by violent cornering. A flexible flap portion 6a is provided in the region of the hinge 6, attached at one of its ends to the auxiliary seat member 5, and at its other end to the back portion 3. The flap is thus pulled out to provide additional support to the child in the region of the hinge when the auxiliary seat member 5 is in the lowered position and folds into the cavity 4 when the member 5 is in the raised position.

Referring now to Figs. 3 and 4, there is shown a second embodiment in which the back portion 3 is modified so as to have side parts 3a, 3b, but in which the cavity 4a is continued to the top of the back portion and is open at the top edge of the back portion.

The auxiliary seat member 5 is modified in two ways, as compared with the construction of Figs.

1 and 2. The seat member 5 is provided with a well 7 which is open upwardly and forwardly, and is thus bounded by the structure of the seat member 5 at the sides, as at 5a, and at the rear as at Sb. The child can sit in the well and is thereby provided with still further support against undue lateral movement. The seat member 5 is continued rearwardly of the pivot 6 by an extension Sc which enables the child to sit further to the rear and thus further into the cavity 4a to lean comfortably against the rear wall of the cavity 4a. The seat portion 2 is appropriately cut away at 2a to receive the extension Sc when in closed condition. When the seat is in closed raised position, the frontal appearance is as seen in Fig. 3 and the seat can be used in the usual manner by an adult.The open upper end of the cavity 4a permits a taller child to use the seat 5 with the head projecting above the seat back.

Referring now to Fig. 5 there is shown a portion of a seat, for a vehicle, suitable for accommodating two or more adults side by side and with provision made for a child in the manner indicated above. The auxiliary seat member 5 may be positioned at one of two normal side-by-side seat locations, or in both of such locations, or in an intermediate position between two seat locations.

In Fig. 5 the seat structure is shown as being similar to that of the construction of Figs. 1 and 2, but it could alternatively utilise the construction of Figs. 3 and 4.

With the child seated on the auxiliary seat member 5 and within the cavity 4 (or 4a), any combination of shoulder seat belt 8, or waist seat belt 9 or lap belt 10 may be used to hold the child safely in position, and the same belt(s) may serve for an adult sitting in the same seat position when the auxiliary seat member 5 is in closed raised condition.

The auxiliary seat member can be made available, and replaced, by a simple pivoting movement, and no external accessories or separate parts are necessary. It is not necessary to remove any part to enable an adult to use the seat in the normal manner.

By way of example, the auxiliary seat 5 could occupy a width of the order of 50% or more of the total width of a seat space intended for an adult.

Where a single auxiliary seat is provided in a twoadult seating arrangement, it would occupy at least 25% of the total width of the seating arrangement, or where two such auxiliary seats are provided they would together occupy at least 50% of the total width of the seating arrangement.

Claims

1. A vehicle seating arrangement comprising a backrest for positioning in relation to a seat portion to constitute a vehicle seat for an adult, and an auxiliary seat member constituted by a part of the backrest which is movable, relative to the remainder of the backrest, into a closed condition in which it lies within a recess of the backrest to complete the backrest, and into an open position in which it projects from the remainder of the backrest to cooperate therewith in forming a seat suitable for a child.

2. A vehicle seating arrangement, as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the auxiliary seat member occupies not less than 50% of that width of the backrest to be used in constituting said seat for an adult.

3. A vehicle seating arrangement comprising a backrest for positioning in relation to a seat portion to constitute a vehicle seat for adults, and a pair of auxiliary seat members each constituted by a respective part of the backrest which is movable, relative to the remainder of the backrest, into a closed condition in which the respective parts lie within respective recesses of the backrest to complete the backrest, and into an open position in which the respective parts project from the remainder of the backrest to cooperate therewith in forming respective seats suitable for a child.

4. A vehicle seating arrangement, as claimed in Claim 3, wherein each of the auxiliary seat members occupies not less than 25% of the total width of the backrest from side to side.

5. A vehicle seating arrangement, as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the recess is bounded by the remainder of the backrest at least at the sides of the recess.

6. A vehicle seating arrangement, as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 5 wherein the auxiliary seat member is movable about a pivot axis relative to the remainder of the backrest.

7. A vehicle seating arrangement, as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 6, wherein the auxiliary seat member has a well in which an occupant may sit.

8. A vehicle seating arrangement, as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, including stop means for supporting the auxiliary seat member in open condition.

9. In combination in a vehicle a seating arrangement as claimed in any one of the preceding claims a seat portion, and seat belt means positioned so as, and adapted to, retain an occupant in the seat when suitable for an adult and also in the seat when suitable for a child.

10. A vehicle seating arrangement substantially as described herein with reference to Figs. 1 and 2, or Figs. 3 and 4, of the accompanying drawings.

11. The combination claimed in Claim 9 substantially as described herein with reference to Fig. 5 of the accompanying drawings.