Vehicle seat

Abstract

A vehicle seat has shoulder restraints extending forward from a backrest. The shoulder restraints may extend forward of a seated occupant's shoulder, providing effective restraint of lateral movement. The seat may also include head and thigh restraints and a beam running horizontally across the backrest. The beam stiffens the backrest and may also stiffen the shoulder restraints or provide attachment points for fixing the seat to a vehicle roll cage.

1 - 17 . (canceled)  
   
   
       18 . A vehicle seat having: 
 a base and a backrest,    shoulder restraints extending forward from the backrest,    wherein the shoulder restraints, in use, extend forward beyond the shoulder of a seated occupant and are adapted to restrain lateral movement of the seated occupant in the occupant's shoulder region, and    at least one of the shoulder restraints has a fixture point.    
   
   
       19 . A vehicle seat as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein the base includes a seat portion and thigh restraints extending upwardly at the sides of the seat portion and wherein the thigh restraints are adapted to, in use, restrain lateral movement of the seated occupant in the occupant's thigh region.  
   
   
       20 . A vehicle seat as claimed in  claim 18 , further including a beam extending substantially across the backrest and forward along the shoulder restraints, wherein the beam is formed integrally with the backrest and is structured to extend substantially horizontally across the backrest at about shoulder height of a seated occupant.  
   
   
       21 . A vehicle seat as claimed in  claim 20  wherein the beam includes one or more fixing points for fixing the seat to one or more structured members of a vehicle.  
   
   
       22 . A vehicle seat as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein each shoulder restraints has a fixture point near the end thereof.  
   
   
       23 . A vehicle seat as claimed in  claim 18 , further including head restraints extending forward from the backrest; wherein the head restraints are adapted, in use, to restrain lateral movement of a seated occupant's head.  
   
   
       24 . A vehicle seat as claimed in  claim 23 , wherein the head restraints include fixture points.  
   
   
       25 . The vehicle seat as claimed in  claim 24 , wherein the fixture points are located near the ends of the head restraints.  
   
   
       26 . A vehicle seat having: 
 a base,    a backrest,    shoulder restraints extending forward from the backrest,    head restraints extending forward from the backrest,    one or more fixing points to fix the seat to one or more structural members of a vehicle, and    the head restraints and shoulder restraints include fixture points,    wherein the shoulder restraints are adapted, in use, to restrain lateral movement of a seated occupant in the occupant's shoulder region and the head restraints are adapted, in use, to restrain lateral movement of the seated occupant's head.    
   
   
       27 . A vehicle seat as claimed in  claim 26  wherein the fixture points are located near the ends of the head restraints and shoulder restraints.  
   
   
       28 . A vehicle seat as claimed in  claim 26  further including a first beam extending across the backrest and forward along the shoulder restraints.  
   
   
       29 . A vehicle seat as claimed in  claim 28  further including a second beam extending across the backrest and forward along part of the head restraints.  
   
   
       30 . A vehicle seat as claimed in  claim 29  further including a vertical beam extending along the backrest and linking the first and second beams.  
   
   
       31 . A vehicle seat as claimed in  claim 26  wherein each shoulder restraint includes a fixture point.  
   
   
       32 . A vehicle seat as claimed in  claim 26  wherein the shoulder restraint fixture point is located near an end of the shoulder restraint.  
   
   
       33 . A vehicle seat as claimed in  claim 26  wherein each head restraint includes a fixture point.  
   
   
       34 . A vehicle seat as claimed in  claim 33  wherein each fixture point is located near an end of the head restraint.  
   
   
       35 . A vehicle seat as claimed in  claim 28  wherein the part of the beam which extends across the backrest includes one or more fixing points.  
   
   
       36 . A vehicle seat as claimed in  claim 20  further including a second beam extending substantially horizontally across the backrest and forward along part of the head restraints.  
   
   
       37 . A vehicle seat as claimed in  claim 18  wherein each shoulder restraint includes a fixture point.  
   
   
       38 . A vehicle seat as claimed in  claim 37  wherein each head restraint includes a fixture point.  
   
   
       39 . A vehicle seat as claimed in  claim 37  wherein the fixture point in each of the shoulder restraints and head restraints is located near an end thereof.  
   
   
       40 . A vehicle seat as claimed in  claim 36  wherein a vertically orientated beam extending along the backrest links said beam and the second beam.