Vehicle seat with side airbag and side bolster adjustment

Abstract

A vehicle seat is provided that has two side bolsters and a central seat part arranged between the latter. Further provided are adjusting devices for adjusting the side bolsters on the sides facing the central seat part. A side airbag is integrated into one side bolster of the side bolsters, on its side facing away from the central seat part. A non-elastic seat cover is provided for this side bolster. The seat cover has an airbag seam. The seat cover is elastically attached in the area of an end facing away from the side airbag.

Claims

1. A vehicle seat with two side bolsters and a central seat part arranged between the side bolsters, adjusting devices for adjusting the side bolsters on sides of the side bolsters facing the central seat part, a side airbag, which is integrated into one of the side bolsters on a side of the side bolster facing away from the central seat part, and a non-elastic seat cover for this side bolster, wherein the seat cover has an airbag seam, and the seat cover is elastically attached in an area of an end of the seat cover facing away from the side airbag in an area of the central seat part, wherein the side bolster and the elastic attachment comprise an elastic fabric, which is joined with the non-elastic seat cover and is further joined to a seat structure of the vehicle seat.

2. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein a gap is formed between the central seat part and the side bolster in which the side airbag is integrated, and the seat cover is elastically attached in the area of the gap.

3. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the elastic fabric joins with the non-elastic seat cover and is further mounted in the seat structure.

4. The vehicle seat according to claim 3, wherein the seat structure is joined with one of a holder and hook ring, to which the elastic fabric is attached.

5. The vehicle seat according to one of claim 1, wherein the non-elastic seat cover has a first cover part and second cover part.

6. The vehicle seat according to claim 5, wherein the first cover part is arranged on the exterior side of the side bolster facing the side airbag, and the second cover part is arranged on the side of the side bolster facing the central seat part and on a front side of the side bolster between the interior side and exterior side.

7. The vehicle seat according to claim 5, wherein the two cover parts are joined together.

8. The vehicle seat according to claim 7, wherein the first cover part has the airbag seam.

9. The vehicle seat according to claim 7, wherein the airbag seam is formed by joining together the two cover parts.

10. The vehicle seat according to claim 5, wherein facing areas of the two cover parts are not joined together, the first cover part being non-elastically attached to the seat structure and the second cover part being elastically attached to the seat structure in the facing area.

11. The vehicle seat according to claim 10, wherein a gap into which ends of the two cover parts are introduced is formed in the side bolster in the area of its front side.

12. The vehicle seat according to claim 11, the second cover part being elastically attached in the area of the gap.

13. The vehicle seat according to claim 12, wherein an elastic fabric joins with the non-elastic second cover part and is mounted in the seat structure.

14. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the central seat part and the two side bolsters comprise part of a backrest or a seat cushion of a vehicle seat.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The present invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the following drawing figures, wherein like numerals denote like elements.

(2) FIG. 1 is the backrest of the vehicle seat according to herein described embodiments of the invention, viewed opposite the forward traveling direction;

(3) FIG. 2 is a section through the backrest according to line A-A on FIG. 1 for an exemplary embodiment;

(4) FIG. 3 is a section through the partial area of the backrest illustrated by a circle on FIG. 2 according to line A-A on FIG. 1, with focus on a side bolster exhibiting a side airbag and a central seat part arranged adjacent to the side bolster, illustrated for the side bolster in the retracted state;

(5) FIG. 4 is the arrangement according to FIG. 3, illustrated for the side bolster in the extended state;

(6) FIG. 5 is a section according to FIG. 3 through the illustrated partial area of the backrest for another exemplary embodiment, with focus on a side bolster having a side airbag and a central seat part arranged adjacent to the side bolster, illustrated for the side bolster in the retracted state;

(7) FIG. 6 is the arrangement according to FIG. 5, illustrated for the side bolster in the extended state.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(8) The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the invention or the application and uses of the invention. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any theory presented in the preceding background of the invention or the following detailed description.

(9) FIG. 1 shows the backrest 2 of a vehicle seat 1 as viewed opposite the forward traveling direction. FIG. 2 shows this backrest 2 in a horizontal section according to line A-A on FIG. 1. As evident from the figures, the backrest has two side bolsters 3, 4 and a central seat part 5 or backrest part arranged between the latter. A shoulder part 6 between the two side bolsters 3, 4 adjoins the central seat part 5 at the top. In the area of the upper end, the shoulder part 6 is provided with two receptacles 7 for inserting a headrest. In the lower end, the backrest 2 has pivoting hinges 8 for swivelably accommodating the backrest 2 in a seat cushion of the vehicle seat 1.

(10) As evident from the sectional view according to FIG. 2, an adjusting device 9 for adjusting the side bolster 3 is integrated into the side bolster 3, and an adjusting device 9 for adjusting the side bolster 4 is integrated into the side bolster 4. The side bolster 4 directed toward the door side of the motor vehicle, in particular of the passenger car, is additionally provided on the side facing away from the central seat part 5 with a side airbag 11, which is integrated into the side bolster 4.

(11) FIGS. 3 to 6 illustrate the area of the side bolster 4 marked with the circle on FIG. 2 for two different exemplary embodiments, specifically with the side bolster 4 not in the extended position (FIGS. 3 and 5), and with the side bolster 4 in the extended position (FIGS. 4 and 6).

(12) A first exempla embodiment according to FIGS. 3 and 4 will be explained in more detail below:

(13) A seat structure 12 integrates the side bolster 4 and central seat part 5 (along with the side bolster 3 not illustrated on these figures). A bladder 13 allocated to the side bolster 4 is mounted in the seat structure 12. The adjusting device 10 can be used to inflate the latter from the large empty position, and hence unloaded position according to FIG. 3, to the filled position, and hence loaded position according to FIG. 4, and then return it from the latter to the empty position again according to FIG. 3. In this way, the side bolster 4 can be extended from the configuration of the side bolster 4 according to FIG. 3 into the position of the side bolster 4 according to FIG. 4. Because the side bolster 4 (and thus the side bolster 3 as well) can be adjusted, a seat cover would have to be elastic in this area. However, this would run counter to the requirement placed on the seat cover in the area of the side airbag 11. In order to ensure that the airbag seam is reliably undone, a non-elastic seat cover is required there.

(14) In this aspect, the exemplary embodiment is provided with a non-elastic seat cover 14, in particular a seat cover 14 made out of leather. This seat cover 14 has a first cover part 15 and a second cover part 16. The first cover part 15 is situated on the exterior side 17 of the side bolster 4 facing the side airbag 11, and the second cover part 16 is situated on the interior side 18 of this side bolster 4 facing the central seat part 5 and a front side 19 of this side bolster 4 between the interior side 18 and exterior side 17. The side bolster 4 is provided with a gap 20 at the transition from the exterior side 17 to the front side 19. The two cover parts 15 and 16 are sewn together, and arranged in the double-walled sewing area inside of the gap 20. The first cover part 15 is provided with an airbag seam 21 adjacent to the gap 20.

(15) A gap 22 is also provided between the side bolster 4 and central seat part 5. The end of the second cover part 16 facing the central seat part 5 is there joined with an elastic fabric 23, specifically an elastic fabric tape, and the end of this elastic fabric 23 facing away from the first cover part 15 is joined with the seat structure 12 by way of a hook ring 24. Another cover part 25 made out of leather, and hence non-elastic material, covers the central seat part 5, and is likewise inserted into the gap 22 and there held non-elastically in the hook ring 24.

(16) In the area of its side facing away from the second cover part 16, the bladder 13 is supported on a support plate 26 allocated to the seat structure 12.

(17) The side bolster 4 is not expanded with the bladder 13 not loaded, as illustrated on FIG. 3. The elastic fabric 23 is here hardly tensioned, so that the second cover part 16 is largely introduced into the gap 22.

(18) If this bladder 13 is loaded, and hence inflated, it presses the second cover part 16 outward, as illustrated for the end state according to FIG. 4, so that an elevated tensile force is applied to the elastic fabric 23 via the second cover part 16, and this elastic fabric 23 expands. As a consequence, the non-elastic second cover part 16 can follow the variable contour of the side bolster 4, and the first cover part 15, which is also not elastic, otherwise remains unchanged in the area of the exterior side 17 of the side bolster 4.

(19) The exemplary embodiment according to FIGS. 5 and 6 only differs from the one on FIGS. 3 and 4 in that the two facing ends of the cover parts 15 and 16 are not joined together, but rather mounted independently of each other in the seat structure 12. The first cover part 15 is mounted without any elastically acting intermediate part in the seat structure 12, while the second cover part 16 is mounted by way of an elastic fabric 27 in the seat structure 12. As a consequence, the second cover part 16 is elastically mounted at both ends, so that the elastic fabrics 23, 27 situated in the area of both ends of the second cover part 16 expand when the bladder 13 is inflated. The two cover parts 15 and 16 can be mounted in the gap 20 accordingly by means of a hook ring 28, which is connected with the seat structure 12, wherein the hook ring 28 serves to directly accommodate the first cover part 15 in the area of the gap 20 on the one hand, and further to accommodate the second cover part 16 via the elastic fabric 27 in the gap 20.

(20) While at least one exemplary embodiment has been presented in the foregoing detailed description, it should be appreciated that a vast number of variations exist. It should also be appreciated that the exemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments are only examples, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the foregoing detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing an exemplary embodiment, it being understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements described in an exemplary embodiment without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims and their legal equivalents.