This invention concerns a new seat construction suitable for a variety of uses at home or in theaters or similar, or for use as a vehicle seat, in which case its use allows new safety factors to be taken into consideration

Very little has been done to improve the safety of vehicle seats for many years Attention has rather been paid to improving the structural details of vehicles in order to enhance safety around the sitting person The car seat is still, for example, a unit which moves back and forth on rails and which has a sitting part and a back part covered by a suitable cushion which is often shaped in a way that gives ergonomic advantages

The Finnish patent applications 940611 and 953945 have taken a new approach in that they have presented an entirely new kind of construction relating specifically to the seat and its safety belt system, rather than to the other vehicle structures Thus, the patent application 940611 proposes transferring the hinge point of the seat's back part to a position much further forward than normal, and also proposes dividing the safety belt into two separate loops placed over the shoulders of the sitting person In the event of a collision, the safety belts and seat will then distribute the forces in the most favourable way in terms of the safety of the sitting person

Patent application 953945, on the other hand, presents the above type of construction, in which the path of movement of the safety belts has been significantly improved, in terms of the safety of the sitting person, so as to minimize for example the possibility that the sitting person slips out from under the safety belts in a frontal collision, and so as to make the back part swing forward and thus reduce the deceleration maximum

The purpose of this invention is to accomplish a new, multi-purpose, simple and advantageous seat structure and, regarding its use in vehicles, to improve the safety

related to the seat in particular in such a way that, by employing the method of movement of the safety belts presented in the last-mentioned application, a significant improvement may be achieved in the protection of the sitting person in collisions from different directions

The above-mentioned and other benefits and advantages of this invention are achieved as is presented as characteristic in the attached patent claims

The invention is described in more detail in the following with reference to the drawings depicting its various embodiments, in which

Figure 1 presents in the form of a projection a scheme of a vehicle seat structure according to the invention in one of its embodiments,

Figures 2a - 2e present a series of examples of alternatives for adjusting the seat structure according to the invention,

Figure 2a presents one alternative equipped with a jack-type solution,

Figure 2b presents another alternative in which two jack-type devices are used for making adjustments,

Figure 2c, on the other hand, presents three embodiments in which are adjustment devices of the hoist or jack type,

Figure 2d presents yet another embodiment which is well-suited as a chair at home or in the theater,

Figure 2e presents the embodiment of figure 2d in more detail as a perspective diagram,

Figures 3a - 3h depict the effects of different adjustments on the basic form of the

seat structure,

Figure 4 presents the same kind of illustration as in figure 1 , which shows the concept of how the safety belts can be thought of as moving in a seat structure according to the invention

Figure 5 presents one solution in a seat structure according to the invention, namely a structure by means of which a certain degree of flexibility has been created in the seat and lift in the seat component,

Figure 6 presents an adapted embodiment of the invention, in which a highly practical neck support construction has been added to the structure,

Figures 7a - 7b show the movements of a seat structure according to the invention in a collision situation,

Figure 8 presents a collision situation such that the collision comes from the left- hand side of the sitting person and a hinged seat is used, allowing sideways movement,

Figure 9a presents a side view of the use of a seat structure according to the invention as a device preventing use of a vehicle, or generally its degree of movement,

Figure 9b presents a side view of the degree of movement of one seat structure, according to the invention,

Figure 10 presents the frame construction of a seat structure according to the invention for the purpose presented in Figure 9a,

Figure 11 presents the general principle of the locking of the seat in a way that prevents driving,

Figure 12 presents the general principle of the application of padding to a seat structure according to the invention,

Figure 13 presents the general principle of a seat structure according to the invention, in the seat part of which another type of material than web has been partly used,

Figure 14 presents a gas spring solution used in the seat structure according to the invention,

Figures 15a and 15b present the construction and operating principle of a practicable automatic seat belt presenter in one embodiment of the invention, and

Figures 16a and 16b present yet another embodiment of the invention, which strives to simplify the construction

It should first be noted that a seat structure according to the invention is applicable to many different purposes A lighter general model, such as a theater chair, is shown in Figure 2d and especially in Figure 2e and in Figure 5, whereas the emphasis in the following description is on the usage of a seat structure according to the invention as a safe vehicular seat, where it includes many parts which are required for this purpose, but which are not necessary for the first-mentioned purpose

Figure 1 , therefore, presents one realizable example of a seat structure according to the invention, especially for vehicular use Thus, the base of the seat structure 1 is a frame structure 2, which consists of the vertical beams 3,4, and transverse beams 5,6, the first of which forms an upper transverse beam, and the second, underneath the seat surface, which will be described in detail later, forms a lower transverse beam One or other, or both of the transverse beams can, as will be described later, be omitted, when the desired functions can be achieved without

In the figure the beams are shown as bare, rectangular section beams, made specifically of metal, but it is obvious that the beams could also be tubes or bars, and that the shape of the entity could be curved and not rectangular, as shown in the figure In addition, the beams, tubes, or such, could possibly be padded, and their material be metal or plastic, for example The frame can also be formed from beams or similar attached to one another in another manner, as shown in the example in Figure 6

Frame 2 has been attached or jointed directly to the chassis, or a part attached to the chassis, of the vehicle, so that the frame 2 can articulate around the hinge, shown here by way of example, represented by the jointing pin 7 If required, the frame is equipped in the usual way with a neck support 8

The structure 1 of the actual seat component and the backrest of the seat structure 1 is as follows Two parts, 9,10 and 11 ,12 have been made of essentially non- stretching, e g web-type material, the positioning and structure of which is described in the following The backrest is formed of two parts of a plate-like, essentially non- stretching web or corresponding material of which the part marked by number 11 is the part against which the sitter rests his/her back The other part 12 is supported in this case by a loop-like holding device 13 so that the part 12 is at an angle with the previous part 11

The back rest part 11 is supported at its top end to the upper structures of the frame 5, for example, by a coupling part 14 in the form of a ball joint or joint end (which includes a joint bearing), which supports the backrest 11 via a sturdy rod 15 or corresponding set into the upper part of the backrest Particularly in the case of a version of the invention intended for non-vehicular use, the backrest part 1 1 can be simply rotated around the upper beam of the transverse frame construction, or similar (e g , Fig 5) The lower part 12 is supported for example by a similar type of coupling to the frame of the vehicle, or the frame of the seat structure, using a

later-to-be-descπbed system

However, the presented type of coupling is only an example, and thus the coupling can be implemented for example by moveable or fixed joints which span the entire width of the parts

The sitting part 9,10 has been made in way corresponding to that of the backrest and comprises a part 9, which is fixed to a holding device 13 and is supported around a rod-like part 16, and continues in a lower part 10 ending in a rod-like supporting part 17 which, with a suitable clamp 18, is fixed to a frame component of the seat frame, such as the lower transverse part 6 It is clear that the rod-like features (part 16 and others) presented as examples can be replaced by other kinds of systems such as a roller mechanism

The lower transverse part 6 can have a slot 19 or similar which allows a restricted sideways movement of the seat part in the event of a sideways collision, for example Any device whatsoever may be applied to slot 19, as long as it allows sideways movement along the groove For example, different types of roller devices are suitable for the purpose Seat part 9 can also be supported directly on the seat frame, for example, by cords, in the manner by which sails are attached

The entire backrest and seat component system is held together and in the desired shape by a support device 20 made of strong material, which may be, for example, in the form of a plate and may include guide holes, or may be formed by one or several beams, which are supported on the support beam or similar 16, referred to above, in the angle of the seat component, or else the front edge of support device 20, may correspond in fact to support rod 6

The various attachment mechanisms of the support device 20 to the chassis structure of the vehicle, such as the base plate, are presented in many forms in the various diagrams One favourable solution is such in which the support device

20 is attached to the frame structure of the vehicle via an intermediate member

which allows the movement of the attachment point in as diverse way as possible, which in practice means movement upwards, sideways and in the lengthwise direction Thus, for example, a ball-type attachment point 21 has been marked as one example in the diagram, and in the presented embodiment a "one-legged" supporting plate 20 has been fixed from its rear end The lower part 12 of the backrest part may be fixed to the supporting plate 20 By way of example, the diagram shows the use of a band or level rod-type intervening piece 23 between the supporting plate 20 and the supporting rod 22 at the rear edge of part 12 The intervening piece 23 has been attached here directly above point 21 to the supporting plate 20 It is of course clear that there are many other methods known to the art by which the attachment may be performed The attachment takes place however primarily in one way or another to the frame of the seat structure or, in one application, to one or more points in the floor structures, for example, by means of an adjustment rail mechanism

Figures 2a - 2e present certain alternative embodiments to bring about adjustments in a seat structure according to the invention Because the movement of the point 21 depicted in figure 1 , forwards/backwards and also up/down achieves the moulding of the seat structure in relation to seat depth, seat height and also the angle of inclination of the sitting part and the backrest part, it is natural to wish to achieve the movement of expressly this point However, the movement of point 18, which is fixed to the lower transverse beam, or rather the movement of beam 6 itself, or the changing of the length of seat web 9-11 also affects the above-described properties This aspect is described in figure 3

The "jack-like" solutions described in figures 2a - 2c are not to be regarded in any way as restricting the invention It is clear that in practice there exist many different alternatives with whose aid the adjustments may be made For example, various electrical transfer systems, or those based on the seated person and the control spring force acting on him, are in practice possible alternatives as adjustment mechanisms The term "jack" refers here generally to adjustment devices which after adjustment keep their position independent of collisions coming from different

directions On the other hand, it is also possible that the "jack" flexes in a controlled way to dampen the effects of a collision, for example, like a gas spring

As will become apparent in what follows, an essential part is also the movement of the adjusting devices in a channel in the vehicle's chassis structure (e g 40, Fig 1 ) or for example supported on balls in a housing structure or mobile in a similar way From the point of view of certain practical applications of a structure according to the invention, it is also important that the seat structure can be removed if necessary from its place or at least turned to the side For this purpose it is possible to employ any known solution whatsoever From the point of view of maintenance, too, the achievement of accessibility and an easy maintenance position is essential

For ease of understanding, various critical points have been marked in Figures 2a - 2d using the letters A, B, C and D, of which point A corresponds more or less to beam 6, point B more or less to reference number 16 in Figure 1 , C to reference number 13 and D roughly to number 21

Figure 2a shows how device 24 which is of any kind at all that can be adjusted in length, such as a jack, is attached to the rear part of support plate 20 and is then supported from the bottom of the vehicle with the aid of wheel 25 Wheel 25 may, for example, run in a channel in the footplate of the vehicle in such a way that it cannot rise out of the channel, but can, if required, move forwards and backwards The movement of the arm of the jack, i e the lengthening and shortening of the jack acts on point D, by both raising and lowering it and moving it forwards and backwards In this alternative, the above movements always take place simulta¬ neously

Figure 2b shows an embodiment, in which an element of separate adjustments has been included This means that one device 26 moves the device 24 described in the previous embodiment forwards and backwards, being attached to the rear of it As a consequence of this, it is also possible to carry out separate adjustment using device 26, in addition to the adjustments shown in Figure 2a

Figure 2c shows a principle of adjustment equipment that is even more diverse that the previous It can be seen from Figure 2c that the location of the "jacks" 24 and 26 is now such that device 26 moves the entirety resting on wheels 25 and 28 on the footplate forwards and backwards In this sense, device 26 can be located on any side whatsoever of the entire equipment In addition to this, the device includes an arm, marked by reference number 27, the angle and position of which is adjusted by device 24, and a plate or bar connecting arm 27 and device 24 A wheeled jack gives a good picture of this kind of device When considering the moveability of point D, this can be moved completely freely forwards/backwards and up/down on the basis of the above adjustments, in which case an ideal result can always be achieved by carrying out a suitable adjustment If necessary, point D is also adjustable laterally

The embodiments of the seat structure according to the invention, shown in Figure 2d, are suitable for many purposes, for example, when a larger number of seats are used Different kinds of theaters are typical applications The seat is thus formed of the basic components described above Adjustment, however, is achieved by using a control 38, which reels the belt or cable 39, and thus shortens/lengthens the distance between the support wheel 25 and the control 38 and affects the shape of the seat structure

Figure 2d shows, by way of example, a lever 41 , which represents the operating device of the control device Naturally, the wheel or wheels 25 can be placed in the location of the control device 38 and/or the control device in the location of the wheels In addition to this, it is possible to use diverse adjustments at point 21 (for example by adjusting the height of point 21 by means of a device that is not shown) and a seat belt, in which case the seat structure could be used, for example, in a virtual reality theater The path of the belt or cable 39 may be, when the control 38 is situated at or near to point 21 , such that it runs to the lower parts of vertical beams 3 and 4 and is secured to them

Figure 2e shows the construction of Figure 2d, but in this case the components are shown more graphically The numbering in this figure corresponds to that in Figure 2d, so that the above description of Figure 2d can apply to it too

Figures 3a - 3h show the effect of the physical character of the seat structure, Figures 3a - 3d show four alternatives, in all of which point A remains the same, but the location of point D varies As can be clearly seen, the seat can be adapted, using the adjustments described, for many different purposes Thus it is easy to alter the height of the seat to suit a child, as shown in Figure 3c It is simple to alter the depth of the seat as desired and the angle of the seat section and backrest can also be altered by changing the location of point D

In the cases of Figures 3e and 3f, adjustment of point A has also been included In practice, this adjustment can be implemented so that the lower transverse beam 6 moves upwards and downwards along beams 3 and 4 with the aid of mechanisms made in beams 3 and 4 In Figures 3d and 3e, precisely the same construction is used, except that in Figure 3e point A is higher than in Figure 3d As can be seen from the figure, the positions of the seat and backrest components of the seat have changed substantially The difference between Figures 3e and 3f is that the interval ABC has different lengths in these figures The rear attachment point D, however, is in the same place in all of these figures The downward movement of attachment point A in the vertical beams 3, 4 increases the tensile strength requirements of the seat and backrest components in particular, but also provides additional flexibility to the entire seat structure

Figures 3g and 3h show diagrammatically how the adjustment of the back and seat component of the seat can be altered, without additional structural components, in such a way that the seated person can simply alter the center of gravity after sitting down by using, for example, his back to push the seat back to a more sloping position, or by pushing lightly on the seat component with his thighs, if he wishes to bring the back to a more vertical position The lateral angle of the seat can also be moved from one side to the other by means of light control movements by the

seated person

In Figure 4, the details shown in Figure 1 have been omitted, and the purpose is only to show how safety belts run in a seat structure according to the invention Thus a safety belt alternative regarded as a good solution according to the invention includes two safety belt loops 100 and 101 , which both have their own reels 102 and 103 The safety belts rise from reels 102 and 103 towards buckles 104 and 105, by means of which the above half-belts are connected to one another in a situation in which the person seated is fastening the belt, in any detachable manner whatsoever

From buckles 104 and 105 the belts continue to the rear guide 106, which is located in connection with point 21 shown in Figure 1 , and after that the loops rise to guides 107, 108 attached to the frame's upper transverse beam 5, and return having passed through them to buckles 104 and 105 and are secured to these Alternatively, the path could be 103, 105, 107, 106 and 105 The most appropriate path of the seat belts is shown in Figure 6, in which the seat belts are not secured to a common point in the rear guide, but are rather secured to their own guide points 106 and 106', which are located, for example, in the frame or adjustment rail of the seat structure

Figure 5 shows one variation of a seat structure according to the invention In this type of seat, which is suitable for use as a garden seat, for example, the basic difference from the embodiments described above is that the backrest components 11 and 12 are made from cord-like elements 11 ' and 12' In place of the space 13 between the joint described in Figure 1 , this embodiment has holes, through which elements 11 ' and 12' can run freely In this way, the structure corresponds completely to those described above The seat may, and usually almost certainly will have a cushion or covering on top of the elements Spring elements 11 " attached to the upper transverse beam of the frame of the seat component 9 raise the rear edge of the seat component 9, which facilitates both sitting down in the seat and getting up from it

Figure 6 show yet another embodiment of the invention This structure shows a situation, in which the frame structure is formed in such a way that there is no transverse upper beam as described above, but side beams 3 and 4 form curved beams, which join together at the upper section and form there transverse bar 15 or similar, around which the fabric of the backrest 11 is looped Bar 15 is attached to the frame structure by means of joint end 14 or similar

The structure described above of the invention permits the creation of an extremely effective and logically operating neck support 8 This is because the attachment of the neck support 8 to the seat structure has been made in such a way that, for example, the bar-like attachment components 8' run advantageously through bar 15 and extend inside the fabric of backrest 11 or between the fold In a rear collision, when the risk of damage to the cervical vertebrae is very great, a person seated in the seat causes an impact to the backrest, which also moves the area of the attachment bars 8' backwards This in turn cause the neck support 8 to swing forwards around joint point 14 at bar 15 Neck support 8 thus moves forwards to support the head of the person seated at an earlier stage than when a fixed neck support is used This is a significant safety factor in traffic

Figures 7a - 7b show an advantageous property of a seat structure according to the invention, according to which a necessary and safe tightening of a seat belt is achieved in a collision Thus, Figure 7a shows a situation, in which the person sits in a seat structure according to the invention The seat belts follow a path as described above, but they now run through an additional ring 109, which is located in bar 20 There is naturally a similar loop on the bars on both sides In a collision, as shown in a front view in Figure 7b, certain changes take place in the seat structure, which are shown in the Figure The frame section of the seat rises above bar 20, which, due to the effect of the gas spring, described later, shortens The seat belt must be bent around the edge of the frame beam and backwards to the seat section to the base of the gas spring, which is compressed to the lowest position, to the seated person's seat section and thus propelled by the force

directed, by the seat belts among other things, at an angle downwards to the front, thus causing the belt to be tightened The tightened belt reduces injury in a known manner

Figure 8 shows a diagram of a lateral collision, in which the collision comes from the left of the sitter Here an embodiment is used, in which the lower part 10 of the seat component is attached to the side beams 4 and 5 in such a way that the lower ends of the seat section are free to move laterally In a lateral collision, seat components 9, 10 swing suddenly towards the impact tilting the seat component in such a way that the forces are directed mostly to seat components 9, 10 and thus do not tend to move the sitter away laterally The above situation is also created, when centrifugal force acts on the sitter from the left

Figures 9a and 10 show something that can be easily arranged using a seat structure according to the invention, i e. prevention of use of a vehicle The seat structure according to the invention can be turned, without detaching it from the attachment on the chassis or floor-plate, from the normal seated position (Figure

9a, right-hand position) to the upper position (Figure 9a, left-hand position), whence the seat structure can be locked, for example to the steering wheel 34 and thus the unauthorized use of the car can be prevented The aforementioned upper position may be a position, in which the seat is ready for removal, for example for cleaning or maintenance In the upper position, the seat is reduced to a relatively thin structure, which may easily be attached by its upper part to the steering wheel by any suitable device whatsoever The attachment can also be made to other parts of the vehicle, for example to a seat in front of the seat in question

Figure 9b shows in turn the seat structure shown in Figures 7a and 7b in a position moving towards the position in Figure 9a Thus, the seat structure is turned halfway towards the steering wheel, whence the side beams 3 and 4 have clearly moved, turning around the point at which their lower ends rest on the chassis structure Bars 20 have moved forwards at their lower ends, simultaneously pushing seat section 9, 0 upwards and forwards From this position, it is possible to continue,

for example, to a position locking the steering wheel, or, on the other hand, the position can be used, when it is wished to clean the areas beneath the seat or to service the seat If desired, a gas spring, or similar device facilitating movement, can be attached to frame structure 3, 4, which assists turning the seat to the upper position, by being supported on a suitable beam in the lower part of the structure

One construction which, by way of example, may assist the locking of the seat structure according to the invention to a position preventing the use of the vehicle, is shown in Figure 10 In this example, triangular plate components 35 are attached, to be able to be turned, by hinges to the inner corners of the upper transverse beam 5 and the side beams 3, 4 of the seat structure Otherwise these components 35 can act as reinforcements of the seat structure When it is wished to lock the seat to the steering wheel, these turnable plate components 35 are used to implement the procedure

Figure 11 shows yet another way of locking the seat so that it prevents driving, hinders the theft of, for example, the car radio, etc In this embodiment, locking device 37 is built into the joint, from which the backrest of the seat is turned, no matter whether the seat is of the kind in which the backrest is dropped forward by releasing the mechanism with a lever as is normal in two-door cars, or is of some other type Thus a separate lock is arranged in this joint point, either as a factory installation or retro-fitted, and it is possible to lock the backrest into a forward position, for example, against the steering wheel, using this locking device When the backrest is in this position, it is impossible to use the car

Figure 12 shows one manner, by way of example, by means of which the seat structure according to the invention can be easily given a padding that makes sitting more comfortable, the backrest of which is marked by reference number 43 and the seat by reference number 44 Paddings 43 and 44 are formed, for example of "mattresses" which are as wide or wider than the seat/backrest components, which are attached in a suitable manner to the seat/backrest component By way of example, the attachment can be made using press-studs, Velcro or in corresponding

detachable ways If necessary, the paddings are turned round the edges of the seat and backrest components Thus, if required, shaping can be used to improve the ergonomy of the seat Suitable devices, by means of which the web parts can be prevented from slipping laterally out of position, can be attached to the web parts of seats One device, by way of example, is a thickening in the edge of the web and a corresponding groove in the bars

Figure 13 in turn shows a seat structure according to the invention, in which part of the seat and/or backrest components are made from a material, which is different to the web material described above Parts 45 and 46, drawn more thickly in Figure 13 can be of, for example, metal or plastic, particularly in a plate-like form It is possible to reinforce the entire structure using constructions of this type It is also possible to consider Figure 12 as being padded and basically of the type shown in Figure 13

It is possible for support component 20 to replace at least part of the structure of seat component 20 Thus one possible embodiment is such, in which support component 20 is plate-like and the seat component 9 and piece 16 are attached to component 20 In this case, component 10 is unnecessary The edges of support component 20 are attached to the inner surfaces of side beams 3 and 4 The attachment is made using such a type of transmission mechanism that permits the movement of support component 20 and beams 3, 4 along the longitudinal axis of beams 3, 4, because the adjustments, as has been stated above, alter the proportions In this case, in addition, lower transverse beam 6 can be omitted as unnecessary, if permitted by the rest of the general structure

The invention is described above by explaining only those solutions of principle that are regarded as the best It is obvious, that the invention may be used, in addition to other uses, in many different kinds of vehicles, in which case the seat may have special demands, which those versed in the art may resolve in ways that are not described in detail here Thus in the case of technical details and similar, the invention may be adapted in many ways, without, however, deviating from the

basic principles of the invention and the scope of the accompanying Claims

Thus, for example, alterations can be made if necessary in the attachment points of the seat and backrest components In place of the transverse beam attachments described, the backrest may be supported from above on the upper parts of vertical beams 3, 4 and the seat component can be supported correspondingly on the lower parts of vertical beams 3, 4 The lower part 10 of the seat component can also run in such a way that when it goes around lower transverse beam 6 it is supported on attachment points in the vertical beams 3 and 4 that are lower than beam 6 The adjustments of the angle of the seat and backrest and the height of the seat component can then be selectively combined in adjustment device 38, for example, by means of a separate lever or similar

What has been said above, concerning the lack of stretch in the web or similar forming the seat and backrest, holds good in most cases However, stretch properties in the material can also be exploited in a controlled manner in such a way that, for example, impact force in vehicular use is absorbed by the controlled stretching of belts or similar As has also be stated above, the aforementioned components can also be made from other than web-type materials

It has been stated above that the seat structure according to the invention is a relatively narrow structure, suitable for seating a single person However, in practice the structure according to the invention can also be easily made, for example, into a widened model for seating two, without altering the structures in any way What is stated above concerning the basic shape of the seat, is also valid in relation to its width

Yet another property that should be mentioned is that, particularly in vehicular use, it is possible to move the seat structure as an entirety in such a way that the attachment points of vertical beams 3 and 4 in the chassis of the vehicle can be moved forwards and backwards with the aid of a suitable system, for example, a rail, in which case the typical adjustment of a conventional car seat is ensured, in

addition to the above diverse adjustments

Further, a seat structure according to the invention can be adapted in such a way that the support devices, which may be, at least partly, plate-like pieces similar to those shown in Figure 1 by reference number 20, or bar-like components 20, 20' according to Figure 5 or 6, can include gas springs, which lift the seat to the desired upper position, and which, due to the weight of the seated person, shorten and thus set the seat into a lower sitting position Support bars 20, 20' may also be crossed, if desired Although the frame beams 3 and 4 have also been spoken of above as being the only alternative, it is self evident that the rising beam sections can be combined as a single beam, at least for certain purposes

The abovementioned bar containing a standard gas spring is shown in Figure 14 Thus, the bar 20 includes suitable attachment lugs 201 and 202, which are set at the end of a bar formed of tube-like components 203 and 204 telescoping inside one another and which are of an appropriate model Gas spring 205 is located inside tube 203 At one end it is attached to tube 203, for example, by means of a threaded attachment 206 Round, plate-like component 207 is attached to the other end of gas spring 205 and rests against stop 208, which may be, for example, a bolt running through tube 204 or other suitable stop The structure permits telescopic movement, which gas spring 205 resists in its own way The structure is, as a whole, sufficiently sturdy to withstand the stresses of a collision Gas spring 205 thus tries to lengthen the structure of bar 20 as far as possible but gives way to the amount of its own weight, which, when sitting on the seat, permits it to be kept at more or less the same height, without a need for separate adjustment As the weight of the person seated and the length increases, the installation of a fixed-height neck support is possible

Figures 15a and 15b show diagrammatically one suitable method of making a so- called seat belt presenter, the arrangement of which makes it easier to use the seat belt by loosening the belts for sitting In practice this has been arranged very simply Seat belts 100 and 101 run in the manner described above, except that they run

through loops 107 and 108, which are now equipped with springs 107' and 108', which are attached, for example, as described, to the neck support structure 8, particularly the structure hidden in the rest of the construction

Belts 110 and 111 are also attached to the same loops 107 and 108, and are attached at the other end to device 13, to which the other end of the seat section is also attached Belts 110 and 111 or similar are essentially non-stretch and are attached permanently in place at both ends

Figure 15a shows the initial situation Springs 107' and 108' have pulled belts 100 and 101 up Figure 15b shows the situation at the stage when the person sits in the seat The attachment device 13 of the seat section 9 is pushed down by the weight of the person and pulls loops 107 and 108 with it, loosening the seat belts by a corresponding amount Thus, it is easy to secure the belts after this If desired, guides (not shown) can be added to the structure described above, which, besides pulling the aforementioned belts down, also present the belts over the shoulders and towards the chest, thus facilitating the securing and opening of the belts This in turn ensures that the belts do not, at least, remain unused because it is difficult to secure them

Springs 107' and 108' can have relatively great lifting power, so that sitting in the seat is made softer by the power of the springs, while it also becomes easier for the person to rise out of the seat

Figures 16a and 16b show one embodiment of the invention, which attempts to create as simple a structure as possible The frame can be made, for example, from strong composite plastic, whence the frame is graceful and light as, for example, in a general-purpose chair But, when reinforced, it can also be used in a vehicle The rest of the seat corresponds to the aforementioned embodiments Figures 16a and 16b are intended to show that even a simple structure permits the preservation of the aforementioned adjustments and other properties A very simple change of shape of the frame tube, which in this case is flexible, is sufficient to make the seat

adjustable to the weight of the person sitting in it as either a low or a high seat The sitter can, at the same time, use light control movements to adjust the seat from an arm-chair position to a vertical-back position, while simultaneously tilting the position from one side to the other In vehicular use, the flexible structure of the seat increases comfort during a journey, due to the suspension of the structure of the seat