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Foot support for a safety seat

Foot support for a safety seat description/claims

The instant application should be granted the priority date of Sep. 14, 2007 the filing date of the corresponding German patent application 10 2007 043 965.4

The present invention relates to a foot support for a safety seat usable in land vehicles, aircraft and watercraft.

In particular for vehicles that are protected against mines, safety seats are used these days, the configuration and/or mounting of which in the vehicle is such that in particular impacts that act vertically upon the vehicle, i.e. vertical force components of applied forces, no longer act directly upon the body of a person seated on the safety seat. Such safety seats are described, for example, in DE 10130631 A1 or in WO 2005/028245 A1. However, the known safety arrangements have the drawback that the person respectively seated in the seat places their feet upon the floor region of the vehicle in front of the seat. If vertical impacts are then encountered, which for example in the case where the vehicle undergoes a mine blast can also result in a deformation or a buckling up of the floor of the vehicle, the forces that are caused to act as a result are introduced via the seat or legs and knees into the body of the occupant of the seat, which can lead to overstressing of the pertaining body parts.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to eliminate the aforementioned drawback.

This object, and other objects and advantages of the present invention, will appear more clearly from the following specification in conjunction with the accompanying schematic drawing, the sole figure of which shows a safety seat having a foot support associated therewith.

The present invention provides a foot support for a safety seat that is adapted to be used in land vehicles, aircraft and watercraft, wherein the foot support is not connected to the floor of the vehicle, and has a frame made of flexible material, wherein the frame is spaced from the floor of the vehicle and is secured to mounting means disposed on the vehicle, and wherein at least one supporting surface for the feet of an occupant seated on the safety seat is supported on the frame.

The foot support of the present application first of all has the advantage that the supporting surface for the feet of the occupant is directly separated or isolated from the vehicle, in other words from the floor thereof. Since the foot support is disposed at a distance or spaced from the vehicle floor, possible deformations, in particular buckling up of the vehicle floor, do not result in injury. Forces that occur from below, for example caused by mine blasts, are absorbed or reduced by the frame, and at most are passed on only slightly. Where forces that are applied from the side occur, merely the tensioning of the frame that serves for the support of the supporting surface is affected; however, laterally occurring forces are not conveyed into the body of the occupant. A further advantage is that the foot support, in particular where textile materials are used, has a low inherent weight and is comprised of few and economical components, whereby known components can be relied upon.

Pursuant to one embodiment of the present invention, the frame can be comprised of a textile belt strap material, as is known in general, for example, for safety belt applications in vehicles.

Pursuant to an alternative embodiment, the frame can be comprised of one or more cables that can be made either of a textile material or can be formed as stranded wires.

Pursuant to another embodiment of the present invention, the supporting surface, which is stretched or otherwise mounted between frame portions that extend laterally of the safety seat, is displaceable along the frame; in this way, for improving the sitting comfort of the occupant, the foot support can be displaced as desired or required into an appropriate position.

Pursuant to another embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of supporting surfaces can be mounted on the frame, and in particular can be displaceable thereon; this is in particular expedient if the foot support is to be associated with two or more adjacently arranged safety seats.

Pursuant to a further specific embodiment of the present invention, the frame that supports the supporting surface for the feet has a U-shaped configuration and is formed by two belt strap portions, one end of each of which is respectively secured to a mounting means or bracket secured to the vehicle, and the other ends of which, while forming the lateral frame portions, are joined together in a fixing or tensioning device. Pursuant to one expedient embodiment, the belt strap portions can be guided through two guide fittings that are secured to the vehicle, and the fixing or tensioning device is disposed between the guide fittings.

Alternatively, the corresponding frame can be closed and can comprise a belt strap that is guided in an endless or continuous manner through guide fittings secured to the vehicle, with the two ends of the belt strap being joined together in a fixing or tensioning device for the frame. To the extent that pursuant to one embodiment of the invention, conventional belt straps are used for forming the frame, pursuant to another embodiment of the invention the fixing or tensioning device can be embodied as a ratchet tensioner.

Pursuant to embodiments of the invention, the supporting surface can be made of a sheet-like textile material or of a light, pressure-resistant material.

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