VEHICLE SEAT ARRANGEMENTS FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE

Abstract

It is provided a vehicle seat arrangement for a motor vehicle, comprising a vehicle seat; an inflatable device which is arranged on the vehicle seat for protecting a vehicle occupant located on the vehicle seat; an inflating means for inflating the inflatable device, wherein the inflatable device has at least one inflatable chamber and is designed and arranged in such a manner that the vehicle occupant receives an impulse by the chamber expanding after the inflating means is triggered. The inflatable device is connected to the vehicle seat via at least two connecting regions of a connecting plane of the vehicle seat in such a manner that, after the triggering of the inflating means, the expansion of the chamber substantially takes place only in a single expansion direction obliquely or perpendicularly to the connecting plane.

Claims

1. A vehicle seat arrangement for a motor vehicle, comprising a vehicle seat; an inflatable device which is arranged on the vehicle seat for protecting a vehicle occupant located on the vehicle seat; an inflating means for inflating the inflatable device, wherein the inflatable device has at least one inflatable chamber and is designed and arranged in such a manner that the vehicle occupant receives an impulse by the chamber expanding after the inflating means is triggered, and the inflatable device is connected to the vehicle seat via at least two connecting regions of a connecting plane of the vehicle seat in such a manner that, after the triggering of the inflating means, the expansion of the chamber substantially takes place only in a single expansion direction obliquely or perpendicularly to the connecting plane.

2. The vehicle seat arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the chamber is designed and connected to the vehicle seat in such a manner that, during the expansion of the chamber, essentially only the extent thereof in the expansion direction is increased, while the extent thereof perpendicular to the expansion direction remains substantially unchanged.

3. The vehicle seat arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the chamber is designed and connected to the vehicle seat in such a manner that said chamber substantially maintains its orientation in space after the triggering of the inflating means.

4. The vehicle seat arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the inflatable device is produced in such a manner that the extent thereof perpendicular to the expansion direction in the inflated state is not greater than in the non-inflated state.

5. The vehicle seat arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the connection of the chamber to the connecting regions is realized in each case via a fastening element or in an integrally bonded manner.

6. The vehicle seat arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the inflatable device has at least two inflatable chambers which are adjacent to each other along the expansion direction, wherein the expansion of the chambers in each case takes place substantially only in the expansion direction after the triggering of the inflating means.

7. The vehicle seat arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the inflatable device has more than two inflatable chambers which, in the inflated state, are arranged one above another along the expansion direction, wherein the expansion of the chambers in each case takes place substantially only in the expansion direction after the triggering of the inflating means.

8. The vehicle seat arrangement according to claim 6, wherein a first of the chambers is connected to the vehicle seat via the two connecting regions.

9. The vehicle seat arrangement according to claim 8, wherein the second chamber is likewise connected to the vehicle seat via at least two connecting regions of the connecting plane of the vehicle seat.

10. The vehicle seat arrangement according to claim 8, wherein the second chamber is fastened to at least two fastening regions of the first chamber.

11. The vehicle seat arrangement according to claim 10, wherein the chambers are connected to each other in such a manner that they substantially maintain their relative position to one another during the inflation.

12. The vehicle seat arrangement according to claim 10, wherein the fastening regions are positioned along a circumference of the first chamber.

13. The vehicle seat arrangement according to claim 10, wherein the fastening regions are positioned in such a manner that the length of a connection line, which runs along the circumference of the first chamber, between the fastening regions does not exceed half of the length of the circumference of the first chamber.

14. The vehicle seat arrangement according to claim 6, wherein the chambers have different dimensions perpendicular to the expansion direction.

15. The vehicle seat arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the inflating means can be triggered by a signal of a pre-crash and/or crash sensor system of the vehicle.

16. A vehicle seat arrangement for a motor vehicle, comprising a vehicle seat; at least one inflatable device arranged on or in a side member of the vehicle seat, an inflating means for inflating the inflatable device, wherein the inflatable device has at least one inflatable chamber and is designed and arranged in such a manner that a vehicle occupant located on the vehicle seat experiences an application of force by the chamber expanding after the activation of the inflating means, and/or the shape and/or size of the side member can be adapted with the aid of the inflatable device, and wherein the inflatable device has at least two inflatable chambers which are adjacent to one another along the expansion direction, and the inflatable device is connected to the vehicle seat via at least two connecting regions of a connecting plane in such a manner that, after the activation of the inflating means, the expansion of the chambers in each case substantially takes place only in a single expansion direction obliquely or perpendicularly to the connecting plane, wherein the second chamber is fastened to at least two fastening regions of the first chamber, and wherein the fastening regions are positioned in such a manner that the length of a connecting line, which runs along the circumference of the chamber, between the fastening regions does not exceed half of the length of the circumference of the chamber.

17. A vehicle comprising a vehicle seat arrangement according to claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] The invention is explained in more detail below using exemplary embodiments with reference to the figures.

[0039] FIG. 1A schematically shows a side view of an inflatable device of a vehicle seat according to the invention, wherein the inflatable chambers of the inflatable device have an ellipsoid configuration.

[0040] FIG. 1B shows a modification of FIG. 1A, according to which the chambers of the inflatable device have a rectangular cross section.

[0041] FIGS. 2A, 2B show modifications of FIGS. 1A and 1B.

[0042] FIGS. 3A, 3B show a further modification of FIGS. 1A, 1B.

[0043] FIGS. 4A, 4B show a further modification of FIGS. 1A, 1B.

[0044] FIG. 5 shows an illustration for illustrating the positioning of fastening regions between adjacent chambers (rectangular chamber cross section).

[0045] FIG. 6 shows an illustration for illustrating fastening regions between adjacent chambers (circular chamber cross section).

[0046] FIGS. 7A, 7B show modifications of FIGS. 5 and 6.

[0047] FIGS. 8A, 8B show further modifications of FIGS. 5 and 6.

[0048] FIGS. 9A, 9B show further modifications of FIGS. 5 and 6.

[0049] FIG. 10 shows an illustration of the connection of adjacent chambers to one another.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0050] FIG. 1A shows an inflatable device 1 of a vehicle seat according to the invention of a motor vehicle. The inflatable device 1 has a plurality of chambers 21a-21n which are arranged adjacent to one another and one above another in a plurality of planes. The inflatable chambers 21a-n are filled with gas (in particular compressed gas) by an inflating means (not illustrated), wherein, after the inflating means is triggered, the inflated state of the device 1 that is illustrated in FIG. 1A arises. The chambers 21a-n each have a material layer which restricts the inflatable volume of the chambers 21a-n. In the non-inflated state of the chambers 21a-n, an upper and a lower portion of said material layers in each case rest flat on one another.

[0051] The inflatable device 1 is part of a pre-crash protection system with which, when an imminent collision of the motor vehicle is detected, an impulse can be exerted on a vehicle occupant located on the vehicle seat by inflation of the chambers 21a-n, said impulse being intended to move said vehicle occupant into a position safer for him/her as far as possible before the beginning of the collision. The chambers 21a-n can be connected to one another via flow connections, via which gas can pass from one chamber into an adjacent chamber. However, it is also conceivable for the chambers 21a-n to be filled in parallel with the aid of the inflating means.

[0052] The chambers 21a-n are configured in such a manner that they each have an at least approximately ellipsoid shape in the inflated state. However, it is also conceivable for the chambers 21a-n to each have a different spatial configuration; cf., for example, FIG. 1B.

[0053] The lower chamber 21a is connected via at least two connecting elements 31a, 32a (e.g. in the form of bands) to connecting regions 41, 42 of an at least substantially flat connecting surface 410 (mounting surface) of the vehicle seat. The second chamber 21b of the device 1, which chamber is adjacent above and to the first chamber 21a is likewise connected via further connecting elements 31b, 32b to the connecting regions 41, 42 of the connecting surface 410.

[0054] In addition, there are fastening elements 51b, 52b (for example, likewise in the form of bands) via which the second inflatable element 21b is connected to the first inflatable element 21a. The remaining chambers 21b-n are in each case also connected to at least one adjacent chamber via further fastening elements (not illustrated). It is also conceivable for the remaining chambers 21b-n to likewise be connected via connecting elements to the connecting regions 41, 42 of the connecting surface 410. However, this is not compulsory.

[0055] The chambers 21a-n are designed in such a manner, and the connection of the chambers 21a-n (at least the chambers 21a, 21b) to the connecting surface 410 of the vehicle seat takes place in such a manner, that, after triggering of the inflating means of the device 1, the chambers 21a-n substantially expand only along an expansion direction E oriented obliquely or perpendicular to the connecting surface 410, and the dimensions of said chambers perpendicular to the expansion direction E substantially do not change during the inflation. According to FIG. 1A, the chambers expand along the expansion direction E, but not in a direction perpendicular to the expansion direction E. The abovementioned initiating impulse on the vehicle occupant can thereby be transmitted as efficiently as possible. In addition, the chambers 21a-n are arranged above one another in the expansion direction B in such a manner that the extent of the device 1 perpendicular to the expansion direction E is not increased by the inflation. For example, the chambers 21a-n maintain their relative position to one another.

[0056] As already mentioned, the invention is not restricted to a specific geometry of the chambers 21a-n. On the contrary, the chambers 21a-n can have any desired geometry in principle that permits an inflation of the chambers 21a-n substantially only in the expansion direction E. For example, the chambers 21a-n can each have a cuboidal volume, as is shown in FIG. 1B.

[0057] The connection of the chambers 21a-n to the connecting surface 410 and/or the fastening of the chambers 21a-n to one another can likewise be configured in diverse ways. It is thus entirely conceivable for the connection of the second chamber 21b (and optionally also at least one of the remaining chambers) to the connecting surface 410 to take place via connecting regions 43, 44 which are positioned at a distance from the connecting regions 41, 42, via which the first chamber 21a is connected to the connecting surface 410. This is illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B.

[0058] It is also possible for the connection of the inflatable device 1 to the connecting surface 410 to take place by the fact that only the first chamber 21a is connected via the connecting elements 31a, 32a to the connecting regions 41, 42 of the connecting surface 410; cf. FIGS. 3A and 3B.

[0059] The chambers 21a-n of the inflatable device 1 also do not have to be configured identically. It is thus entirely possible for at least some of the chambers 21a-n to have different geometries and/or sizes. For example, the chambers 21a-n can have different inflatable volumes (FIGS. 4A and 4B). In this connection, the chambers 21a-n can already have different dimensions (e.g. radii or edge lengths) perpendicular to the expansion direction E prior to the inflation.

[0060] FIG. 5 schematically shows a cross section of a chamber 21a (for example of the first chamber of FIG. 1B, 2B, 3B or 4B) perpendicular to the expansion direction E. According thereto, the chamber cross section has an approximately rectangular shape with a longer side length L and a shorter side length B. The fastening regions 61, 62, via which the second chamber (not illustrated in FIG. 5) is connected to the first chamber 21a, are positioned in the region of an outer circumference (of the edge) U of the chamber 21a. More precisely, the fastening regions 61, 62 are located in corner regions of the circumference U. A connecting line V which extends along the circumference U between the fastening regions 61, 62 therefore has a length I.sub.v, which at least approximately corresponds to half the circumferential length of the cross section of the chamber 21a.

[0061] According to one exemplary embodiment of the invention, the fastening points 61, 62 are in particular placed in such a manner that the connecting line V has a length Iv which corresponds to half the circumference or is smaller than half the circumference of the cross section of the chamber (in the case of more than 2 fastening regions); i.e. I.sub.v(L+B).

[0062] This principle can be used for chamber circumferences U running in any desired manner, for example for the circular chamber cross section shown in FIG. 6 and for the circumferential line U correspondingly running in the form of a circular line. Accordingly, the connecting line V (which is shown somewhat offset from the circumferential line U for illustrative reasons), which runs on the circumferential line U, between the fastening regions 61, 62 has a length I.sub.v, which corresponds to half the length of the circumferential line U, i.e. has a length of r (r: radius of the chamber 21a perpendicular to the expansion direction).

[0063] The principle of the positioning of the fastening regions between adjacent chambers is shown for three fastening regions 61-63 in FIG. 7A (rectangular chamber cross section) and FIG. 7B (circular chamber cross section) and four fastening regions 61-64 in FIGS. 8A, 8B and 9A, 9B. The fastening regions are positioned in such a manner that the lengths of the connecting lines V.sub.1, V.sub.2, V.sub.3 and V.sub.4 (FIGS. 8A, 8B, 9A, 9B) which run along the circumferential line U, between adjacent fastening regions are in each case smaller than half the length of the circumferential line U of the inflatable chamber. The lengths of the connecting lines V.sub.1, V.sub.2, V.sub.3 and V.sub.4 may be entirely different.

[0064] It is shown in FIG. 10 that the fastening of two adjacent chambers 21a, 21b to each other in particular takes place in such a manner that the chambers 21a, 21b are movable relative to each other as little as possible at least in a direction perpendicular to the expansion direction E (cf. FIG. 1A) during the inflation of the chambers. The outline of the first chamber 21a is marked with a solid line, the outline of the second chamber 21b with a chain-dotted line.

[0065] For example, the chambers 21a, 21b substantially maintain their relative position to each other perpendicular to the expansion direction. According to FIG. 10, the adjacent chambers 21a, 21b are connected to each other via fastening regions 61-64 of the one chamber 21a and fastening regions 71-74 of the second chamber 21b in such a manner that they are also positioned in the inflated state such that their edge regions substantially coincide. For example, some of the fastening regions are aligned with one another (here the fastening regions 61 and 71 and also 63 and 73). By means of this fastening of the chambers 21a, 21b, in particular none of the inflated chambers 21a, 21b projects beyond the other chamber. The extent of the inflatable device, to which the chambers 21a, 21b belong, perpendicular to the expansion direction is therefore not increased.

[0066] It is stressed that elements of the above-described exemplary embodiments may, of course, also be used in combination with one another. The positioning of the fastening regions according to FIGS. 5, 6 and 7A to 9B can thus be used with each of the exemplary embodiments of FIGS. 1A to 4B.