Claims:We Claim:

1. A seating arrangement (500) for a vehicle, the seating arrangement 500 comprising:
a safety harness (100) adapted to be worn around a torso of an occupant;
a latching mechanism (200) configured on the safety harness (100) for latching with a backrest (512) of a seat (510);
wherein the latching mechanism (200) engages with an opening (520) configured on the backrest (512), and a string (300)extending from the latching mechanism (200) and installed in or on the safety harness (100) such that upon pulling the string (300) the latching mechanism (200) unlocks from the opening (520) of the backrest (512).

2. The seating arrangement (500) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the latching mechanism (200) having:
a housing (210) with slit (212) configured thereon,
a mounting member (220) slidably arranged in the housing (210) and biased towards to the housing (210);
a fin (230) linked on the mounting member (220) and adapted to extend out from the slit (212) of the housing (210) when the mounting member (220) is biased toward the housing (210) and the fins (230) retract in the housing (210) when the mounting member (220) is pulled away from the housing (210).

3. The seating arrangement (500) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the string (300) is connected to the mounting member (220), when the string (300) is pulled, the fin (230) are retracted in the housing (210) and the latching mechanism (200) along with the safety harness (100) is detached from the backrest (512) of the seat (510).

4. The seating arrangement (500) as claimed in claims 1 & 2, wherein the housing (210) is conical in shape with the slits (212) extending longitudinally thereon.

5. The seating arrangement (500) as claimed in claims 1 & 2, wherein the latching mechanism (100) is a push to lock or a cam lock mechanism.

6. The seating arrangement (500) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fin (230) is harpoon in shape and a proximal end (234) restricts detachment of the latching mechanism (200) from the opening (520).

7. The seating arrangement (500) as claimed in claims 1 & 2, wherein the housing (210) is having two or more slits (212) and corresponding number of fins (230).

8. The seating arrangement (500) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fin (230) is linked on the mounting member (220) by a mechanical link (240), the mounting member (220) is having a slot (222) for configuring one end of the mechanical link (240), similarly the fin (230) is having a slot (232) for configuring the other end of the mechanical link (240).
9. The seating arrangement (500) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the safety harness (100) is combination of a safety vest and a safety belt.

10. The seating arrangement (500) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the safety harness (100) is provided with an adjustable fastening element (110) for tying the safety harness (100) on the torso of the occupant.
, Description:Field of the Invention

[0001] The present invention relates to a seating arrangement for a vehicle. More particularly, the present invention relates to a safety harness of a seating arrangement for a vehicle.

Background of the Invention

[0002] Generally, safety is a major concern for an occupant in a vehicle. Vehicles are provided with various safety elements such as airbags and safety belts for providing safety to the occupant by protecting from sudden impacts such as accidents. The airbags are provided in the vehicle to reduce injuries to an occupant from steering wheels and side frames of the vehicle by providing cushion around them during a crash. Once an airbag is deployed during an impact, an IP (interior panel) where the airbag is assembled needs to be replaced as a body of the instrument panel explodes by deploying the airbag.

[0003] When an occupant occupying in a seat is oriented in other positions except a predefined airbag protection position, if accident occurs, the airbags are almost ineffective to provide safety to the occupant. For moving and rotating seats, the airbags may be ineffective, also the seat belt is not effective in providing the safety to the occupants from the impacts.

[0004] Therefore, there is a need for a seating arrangement for a vehicle which overcomes few or all drawbacks of the existing prior art.

Objects of the Invention

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a seating arrangement for a vehicle.

[0006] Further object of the present invention is to provide a seating arrangement for a vehicle that provides safety to an occupant at various orientations of a seat for example for a rotatable seat.

[0007] Furthermore, object of the present invention is to provide a seating arrangement for a vehicle, which is light weighted.

[0008] Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a seating arrangement for a vehicle that is easy to attach and detach to a seat of the vehicle.

[0009] Still one object of the present invention is to provide a seating arrangement for a vehicle, which is compact and simple in construction.

Summary of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, there is provided a seating arrangement for a vehicle. The seating arrangement is provided for safety and for preventing injury of an occupant seating inside the vehicle in case of accident. Precisely, the seating arrangement is provided with a safety harness to provide safety to the occupant seating on a seat of the vehicle. The safety harness may be a combination of a safety vest and a safety belt, which may be configured on the seat of the vehicle. The safety harness may be removably configured on the seat of the vehicle. Specifically, the safety harness may be configured on a backrest of the seat. The safety harness may be adapted to wear around a torso of the occupant. The safety harness may be provided with an adjustable fastening element. The adjustable fastening element may be provided for connecting the safety harness on the torso of the occupant.

[0011] Further, the safety harness may have a latching mechanism and a string. The latching mechanism may be configured on the safety harness for fastening the safety harness with the backrest of the seat. The latching mechanism may be a push to lock mechanism, which engages with an opening configured on the backrest. A string is installed in or on the safety harness such that upon pulling the string the latching mechanism unlocks from the opening of the backrest. The latching member is removably configured inside the opening to prevent movement such as a front or a side movement of the occupant in-case of any sudden impact such as an accident or the like. The opening may be a cylindrical opening configured around a centre part of the backrest for mounting the latching mechanism therein.

[0012] The latching mechanism may be configured on a centre back portion of the safety harness. The latching mechanism may be provided for latching the safety harness with the backrest of a seat. The latching mechanism may be a push to lock mechanism. The latching mechanism may be engages with the opening configured on the backrest. Further, the latching arrangement may be provided with a housing, a mounting member and a fin. The housing may be configured with a slit on the surface. Specifically, the housing may be conical in shape with the slit extending longitudinally thereon. The housing may have two or more slits and corresponding number of the fins moving in and out of the slits.

[0013] The each of the fins may be of a harpoon shape and adapted to extend out in the housing through the slits. The fins may be configured in such a way that proximal ends of the fins are restricting detachment of the latching mechanism from the opening when extended. In this embodiment, the latching mechanism may engage in such a way that the latching mechanism prevents movement of the occupant in-case of any sudden impact such as an accident and the like from the opening.

[0014] Further, the mounting member may be slidably arranged in the housing. The mounting member may be arranged with a biasing member. The biasing member may be a flexible or an elastic device that attached across the mounting member. The biasing member may be provided to move the mounting member to original position after the occupant leaves the string. Specifically, when a force is applied to the biasing member by pulling the string by the occupant, the biasing member may expands or contracts to a certain extent to allow the occupant to move forward, and when the force is released, the biasing member may return to the original position.

[0015] The fin may be linked on the mounting member by using mechanical link. The mechanical link may be connected to manage forces and the applied movement to the mounting member by the string. The mounting member may have a slot for configuring an end of the mechanical link. Similarly, each of the fin is having a slot for configuring another end of the mechanical link.

[0016] The fins are adapted to extend out from the slits of the housing. Specifically, the fins extend out from the slits of the housing when the mounting member is pulled by the string. Specifically, first end of the string is connected to the mounting member of the latching mechanism and a portion of the second end of the string is accessible to an occupant to pull the string. The latching mechanism may unlock from the opening by retracting the fins into the housing by pulling the string by the occupant as desired. Further by unlocking the latching mechanism from the opening, the latching mechanism along with the safety harness may detached from the backrest of the seat. Further, the safety harness may lock backs into the opening of the backrest by pushing the latching mechanism inside the opening on the backrest of the seat.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0017] The advantages and features of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following detailed description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like elements are identified with like symbols.

[0018] Figure 1 illustrates an assembled view of a seating arrangement in accordance with the present invention;

[0019] Figure 2 illustrates an assembled view of a safety harness of the seating arrangement of the figure 1;

[0020] Figure 3 illustrates a sectional view of a latching mechanism of the seating arrangement of figure 1;

[0021] Figure 4 illustrates another sectional view of the latching mechanism shown in the figure 3;
[0022] Figure 5 shows a top view of the latching mechanism shown in figure 3 with three fins; and

[0023] Figure 6 illustrated a perspective view of a seat where a backrest of the seat is having an opening thereon in accordance with the present invention.

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0024] An embodiment of this invention, illustrating its features, will now be described in detail. The words "comprising," "having," "containing," and "including," and other forms thereof, are intended to be equivalent in meaning and be open-ended in that an item or items following any one of these words is not meant to be an exhaustive listing of such item or items, or meant to be limited to only the listed item or items.

[0025] The terms “first,” “second,” and the like, herein do not denote any order, quantity, or importance, but rather are used to distinguish one element from another, and the terms “a” and “an” herein do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one of the referenced item.

[0026] The disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which may be embodied in various forms.
[0027] The present invention provides a seating arrangement for a vehicle. The seating arrangement is provided for safety of an occupant seating inside the vehicle. The seating arrangement specially provides safety to the occupant at various orientations of a seat like on a rotatable seat. Further, the seating arrangement is also light weighted and easy to attach and detach to a seat of the vehicle. The safety harness is a combination of a safety vest and safety belt. In the present embodiment, the safety harness is configured on the seat of the vehicle. Specifically, the safety harness is removably configured on a backrest of the seat of the vehicle.

[0028] Referring now to figures 1, a seating arrangement (500) for a vehicle in accordance with the present invention is illustrated. The seating arrangement (500) is provided with a safety harness (100). The safety harness (100) is adapted to wear around a torso of an occupant, as shown in figure 1. The safety harness (100) is provided with an adjustable fastening element (110), as shown in figure 2. The adjustable fastening element (110) is provided for tying the safety harness (100) on the torso of the occupant. In this embodiment, the adjustable fastening element (110) is a hook and loop fasteners, consists of two components, a lineal fabric strip with tiny hooks that is stick with another fabric strip with smaller loops which attached temporarily, until pulled apart. In another embodiment, the adjustable fastening element (110) can be a button, a buckle and a strap, a press-fit latch or zip or the like.

[0029] Further, the safety harness (100) is provided with a latching mechanism (200) and a string (300). The string (300) is installed in or on the safety harness (100). First end of the string (300) is connected to the latching mechanism (200) and a portion of the second end of the string (300) is accessible to an occupant to pull the string (300). When the string (300) is pulled by the occupant, the occupant may slide to reach a utility element such as a glove box and further pulling may detached the safety harness (100) from the backrest (512) completely.

[0030] Referring now to figures 3, 4 and 5, various views of the latching mechanism (200) of the safety harness (100) in accordance with the present invention are illustrated. The latching mechanism (200) is configured on a centre back portion of the safety harness (100). The latching mechanism (200) is provided for latching the safety harness (100) with the backrest (512) of a seat (510). In the present embodiment, the latching mechanism (200) is a push to lock mechanism. Any, other type of latching mechanism such as a knob lock or a cam lock mechanism can be used. Further, the latching mechanism (200) engages with an opening (520) configured on the backrest (512). In the present embodiment, the opening (520) is a cylindrical opening configured around a centre part of the backrest (512) for mounting the latching mechanism (200) slidably therein.

[0031] Further, the latching mechanism (200) is provided with a housing (210), a mounting member (220) and a fin (230). The housing (210) is conical in shape, configured with a slit (212). The slit (212) is extending longitudinally around an outer surface of the housing (210). The housing (210) is having two or more slits (212) and corresponding number of the fins (230) are arranged in adjacent to the slits (212). In the present embodiment, three slits (212) are provided on the housing (210) and accordingly three fins (230) are arranged thereon.

[0032] The each of the fin (230) is adapted to extend out from the housing (210) through the slit (212). In the present embodiment, the each of the fin (230) is harpoon in shape. The fins (230) are configured in such a way that a proximal end (234) of the fin (230) are restricting detachment of the latching mechanism (200) from the opening (520) of the backrest (512). Specifically, in the present embodiment, the latching mechanism (200) engages in such a way that the latching mechanism prevents movement of the occupant in-case of any sudden impact such as an accident or the like.

[0033] Further, the first end of the string (300) is connected to the mounting member (220) of the latching mechanism (200) such that the mounting member (220) is slidably arranged in the housing (210) upon pulling of the string (300). The mounting member (220) is arranged with a biasing member (224). In the present embodiment, the biasing member (224) is a flexible or an elastic device that attached across the mounting member (220). The biasing member (224) is provided to move the mounting member (220) to original position after the occupant leaves the string (300). Specifically, when a force is applied to the biasing member (224) by pulling the string (300) by the occupant, the biasing member (224) expands or contracts to a certain extent to allow the occupant to move forward, and when the force is released, the biasing member (224) return to the original position.

[0034] The fin (230) are linked on the mounting member (220) by using a mechanical link (240). The mechanical link (240) are connected to manage forces and the applied movement to the mounting member (220) by the string (300). The mounting member (220) is having a slot (222) for configuring an end of the mechanical link (240). Similarly, each of the fin (230) is having a slot (232) for configuring another end of the mechanical link (240), as shown on figures 2 and 3.

[0035] In the present embodiment, the fin (230) are adapted to extend out from the slit (212) of the housing (210). Specifically, the fin (230) extends out from the slits (212) of the housing (210) when the mounting member (220) is pulled by the string (300). Specifically, the mounting member (220) is pulled by the occupant using the string (300). The latching mechanism (200) unlocks from the opening (520) as the fins 230 are retracted in the housing (210) by pulling the string (300). Further by unlocking the latching mechanism (200) from the opening, the latching mechanism (200) along with the safety harness (100) is detached from the backrest (512) of the seat (510).

[0036] Further, the safety harness (100) locks backs into the opening (520) of the backrest (512) by placing the latching mechanism (200) into the opening (520) and by pushing the latching mechanism (200) inside the opening (520).

[0037] Therefore, the present invention has an advantage of providing a seating arrangement (500) for a vehicle. The seating arrangement (500) provides safety to an occupant at various orientations of a seat (rotating seat). Also, seating arrangement (500) is light weighted. The seating arrangement (500) is easy to attach and detach to a seat of the vehicle. Also, the seating arrangement (500) is compact and simple in construction.

[0038] The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously, many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the present invention and its practical application, and to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the present invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is understood that various omissions and substitutions of equivalents are contemplated as circumstances may suggest or render expedient, but such omissions and substitutions are intended to cover the application or implementation without departing from the spirit or scope of the claims of the present invention.