FR3144581A1 - VEHICLE SEAT BACKREST AND VEHICLE SEAT INCLUDING SUCH A BACKREST - Google Patents

Abstract

A backrest (16) for a vehicle seat (11) comprises a backrest frame (17) comprising first and second side uprights (171; 172), spaced apart from each other in a transverse direction (Y) of the backrest (16), and a shell (46) carried by the side uprights (171; 172), the shell (46) being deformable and/or movable relative to the side uprights (171; 172). The shell (46) has a front face (46A), intended to be oriented towards an occupant of the vehicle seat (11), and a rear face (46B), opposite the front face (46A). The shell (46) forms a recess (59), open on the front face (46A) of the shell (46) and closed on the rear face (46B) of the shell (46). A device (63) adapted to perform a comfort and/or safety function of the vehicle seat (11) is fixed in the recess (59). Abstract figure: [Fig. 4]

Description

VEHICLE SEAT BACKREST AND VEHICLE SEAT COMPRISING SUCH A BACKREST

The present disclosure relates to a vehicle seat backrest, in particular a motor vehicle seat, and to a vehicle seat, in particular a motor vehicle seat, comprising such a backrest.

It is known to produce seats capable of adapting to the posture of an occupant or to a change in posture of an occupant. In particular, it is known from document EP-A-2 755 855, a seat whose backrest comprises a shell adapted to take various configurations, between a configuration adapted to a lordosis of the back of an occupant of the seat and a configuration adapted to a kyphosis of the back of the occupant, in response to variable loads applied by the back of the occupant, in particular by a lumbar region of the back of the occupant.

Furthermore, it is known from application PCT/FR2022/052067, in the name of the applicant and unpublished, a vehicle seat, in which the backrest comprises such a shell, on which is also fixed one or more devices adapted to perform a comfort or safety function for the occupant of the seat. According to this application PCT/FR2022/052067, each comfort or safety device is fixed on a rear face of the shell, the comfort or safety device passing through a hole in the shell. However, such a fixing is not very aesthetic, which reveals the comfort or safety device to the occupant of a seat arranged behind the seat described in PCT/FR2022/052067. Thus, it was proposed to fix a cover above the comfort or safety device, so that the comfort or safety device is no longer visible from the rear of the vehicle seat. However, such a cover requires an additional assembly operation, which makes the assembly of such a seat more complex.

Summary

This disclosure improves the situation.

A vehicle seat back, in particular a motor vehicle, is proposed comprising:
- a backrest frame comprising a first side upright and a second side upright, the first and second side uprights being spaced apart from each other in a transverse direction of the backrest;
- a shell carried by the first and second side uprights, the shell being deformable and/or movable relative to the first and second side uprights, the shell having a front face, intended to be oriented towards an occupant of the vehicle seat, and a rear face, opposite the front face;
and in which the shell forms at least one recess, open on the front face of the shell and closed on the rear face of the shell, a device adapted to perform a comfort and/or safety function of the vehicle seat being fixed in the at least one recess.

Thus, advantageously, the comfort or safety device is hidden by the bottom of the recess. The assembly of the seat back is thus more aesthetic and simpler than with the solutions proposed until now.

According to preferred embodiments, the folder may include one or more of the following features, taken alone or in combination:
- the recess has a truncated cone shape;
- the device suitable for performing a comfort and/or safety function is one of:
-- a vibrating module, in particular an exciter or a loudspeaker;
-- a heating module; and
-- an air-conditioning module, in particular a ventilation module, a massage module comprising inflatable pockets or a lumbar support device comprising at least one inflatable pocket;
- the shell has at least one slot comprising at least one portion extending substantially in a transverse direction of the vehicle seat, the shell preferably having a plurality of slots comprising at least one portion extending substantially in the transverse direction of the vehicle seat;
- the at least one slot comprises a portion which extends over a wall of the at least one recess, the slot preferably comprising a portion which extends along a generatrix of said one frustoconical wall;
- the shell has at least one protruding relief extending from a wall of the recess, said at least one protruding relief extending from the front face of the shell;
- the backrest comprises two first connecting rods, each first connecting rod being pivotally mounted on the backrest frame, around a first axis, the first axis preferably extending in a substantially transverse direction of the backrest, each first connecting rod being further pivotally mounted on the shell, around a second axis, the second axis preferably extending in a substantially transverse direction of the backrest;
- the shell is connected, on each side, to the backrest frame by a spherical connection; and
- the backrest further comprises padding at least partly in contact with the front face of the shell, and a cover covering the padding, the cover being fixed at least partly to the rear face of the shell.

According to another aspect, there is provided a vehicle seat, in particular a motor vehicle seat, comprising a seat and a backrest as described above in all its combinations, the backrest preferably being pivotally mounted relative to the seat around an axis for adjusting the inclination of the backrest relative to the seat.

Other features, details and advantages will become apparent upon reading the detailed description below, and upon analysis of the attached drawings, in which:

schematically represents a vehicle seat assembly, seen from the side.

schematically represents in perspective view, a detail of the seat of the seat assembly of the , without padding and cover in order to reveal a shell of the backrest upholstery.

schematically represents a perspective view of a first detail of the seat back of the seat assembly of the .

schematically represents a perspective view of a second detail of the seat back of the seat assembly of the .

schematically represents a perspective view of a third detail of the seat back of the seat assembly of the .

schematically represents a detail of a view of the rear face of the seat of the seat assembly of the , without padding and cover in order to reveal the shell of the backrest.

schematically represents the seat back shell of the seat assembly of the , front view, with a haptic exciter removed.

schematically represents a sectional view of an example of an exciter mounted on the seat back shell of the seat assembly of the .

In the various figures, the same references designate identical or similar elements. For the sake of brevity, only the elements which are useful for understanding the embodiment described are shown in the figures and are described in detail below.

In the following description, when reference is made to absolute position qualifiers, such as the terms "front", "rear", "top", "bottom", "left", "right", etc., or relative position qualifiers, such as the terms "above", "below", "upper", "lower", etc., or to orientation qualifiers, such as "horizontal", "vertical", etc., reference is made, unless otherwise specified, to the orientation of the figures or of a vehicle seat in its normal position of use.

In particular, the longitudinal direction X means the longitudinal direction of the seat. The longitudinal direction of the seat is considered to be the same as the longitudinal direction of the motor vehicle in which the seat is mounted. This longitudinal direction X corresponds to the normal direction of travel of the vehicle. The longitudinal direction X is horizontal. The transverse direction Y of the seat thus corresponds to the transverse or lateral direction of the motor vehicle. This transverse direction corresponds to a direction perpendicular to the normal direction of travel of the vehicle. The transverse direction Y is horizontal. Finally, the vertical direction Z is a vertical direction of the seat, perpendicular to the longitudinal and transverse directions.

There schematically represents a motor vehicle seat assembly 10 , comprising a vehicle seat 11 and a slide mechanism 12 , the seat 11 being mounted on the slide mechanism 12 .

The seat 11 comprises a seat 13 , with a seat frame 14 and a seat upholstery 15 , on which a backrest 16 , with a backrest frame 17 and a backrest upholstery 18 , is mounted. The backrest frame 17 is here pivotable about an axis A , relative to the seat frame 14. To do this, a hinge mechanism 20 is arranged between the seat frame 14 and the backrest frame 17 , on each side of the backrest 17. The axis A is for example substantially parallel to the transverse direction Y.

The seat 13 is mounted on movable profiles 22 , also called slides or male profiles, by means of feet 24 , 26. Each movable profile 22 is associated with a fixed profile 28 to form a slide 19. The fixed profile 28 is also called a rail or female profile. The fixed profile 28 is fixed to the floor 30 of a motor vehicle. The fixed 28 and movable 22 profiles of the slides 19 may be metallic.

The seat 11 comprises in this example an element 32 for manually controlling the locking / unlocking of the slides 19. Thus , this control element 32 makes it possible to lock and unlock devices for locking the sliding of the movable profiles 22 relative to the respective fixed profiles 28. Once the locking devices are unlocked, the occupant of the seat can slide the movable profiles 22 relative to their respective fixed profiles 28 of the slides 19 , in the longitudinal direction X of the slides 19. To do this, the occupant can in particular pull or push the seat 13 or the backrest 16 .

Alternatively, the manual control element 32 controls, in addition to unlocking the sliding of the movable profiles 22 relative to the respective fixed profiles 28 , an actuator for moving the movable profiles 22 relative to the fixed profiles 28. The element 32 can then take the form of one or more control buttons.

The seat 11 further comprises a headrest 34. The headrest 34 comprises a headrest frame 35 and a headrest trim 36. The headrest frame 35 is connected to the backrest frame 17. For example, here, the headrest frame 35 is integral with the backrest frame 17. According to the example illustrated, the headrest frame 35 is integral with at least part of the backrest frame 17. Alternatively, the headrest frame 35 is connected to the backrest frame 17 by means of at least one headrest fixing rod, preferably two headrest fixing rods. The headrest fixing rod(s) may be of variable length to allow height adjustment of the position of the headrest 34 . Alternatively or in addition, the headrest frame 35 is movable relative to the headrest fixing rod(s) 3 4 to allow this height adjustment of the position of the headrest 34 . The headrest trim 36 and/or the backrest trim 18 may cover all or part of the headrest fixing rod(s), for example to improve the appearance of the vehicle seat 1 1 .

In the following, an example of a backrest 16 that can be implemented in the vehicle seat 11 of the , in view of the has .

As illustrated, the backrest frame 17 here comprises two tubes 37 , 38. The two tubes 37 , 38 are spaced apart from each other, in the longitudinal direction X of the seat 11. A first tube 37 has a substantially “U” shape, forming two first substantially parallel uprights 39 and a crosspiece 40 connecting the two first uprights 39. A second tube 38 has two second substantially parallel uprights 41 , and a “V” portion 42 connecting the two second uprights 41. The “V” portion here forms the headrest frame 35 . On each lateral side of the backrest 14 , a first upright 39 is connected to a second upright 41 by means of a first reinforcing plate 43 , and, here, a second reinforcing plate 44 and a third reinforcing plate 45. For example, each reinforcing plate 43 , 44 , 45 is welded to each of the associated first and second uprights 39 , 41. The first reinforcing plate 43 extends for example in a median zone of the uprights 39 , 41 of the pipes 37 , 38 , here between the second and third reinforcing plates 44 , 45. The second reinforcing plate 44 extends for example to the lower (or free) ends of the pipes 37 , 38 . The third reinforcing plate 45 extends for example in the vicinity of an upper end of the uprights 39 , 41 of the pipes 37 , 38 .

Thus, the backrest frame 17 comprises two side uprights 17 ₁ , 17 ₂ , each side upright 17 ₁ , 17 ₂ of the backrest frame 17 comprising, according to the example illustrated:
- a first amount 39 of the first tube 37 ;
- a second amount 41 of the second tube 38 ;
- a first reinforcement plate 43 ;
- a second reinforcement plate 44 ; and
- a third reinforcement plate 45 .
Each side upright 17 ₁ , 17 ₂ , of the backrest frame 17 can however, according to another example, consist solely of a first upright 39 of the first tube 37 , a second upright 41 of the second tube 38 and a single reinforcing plate 43 .

Furthermore, the backrest 16 , more particularly the backrest upholstery 18 , comprises a shell 46 capable of supporting the back of an occupant of the seat 11. The shell 46 is supported by the backrest frame 17. More precisely, the shell 46 is here fixed to the backrest frame 17 .

The shell 46 extends mainly transversely in the backrest 16 of the seat 11 . The shell 46 has a front face 46A intended to be oriented towards an occupant of the seat 11 , and a rear face 46B , opposite the front face 46A . The front face 46A of the shell 46 may be covered with padding, for example foam, and/or a seat covering, such as a cover (or cover). The rear face 46B of the shell 46 may not be covered with padding or a seat covering. The rear face 46B of the shell 46 may thus be at least partially visible, or even completely visible, to a passenger seated behind the seat 11 . Advantageously, the backrest 16 is devoid of padding covering the rear face 46B of the shell 46 . Thus, the space arranged behind the shell 46 can be left free and be accessible by a passenger seated behind the seat 11. Such a space can in particular improve the comfort of the passenger seated behind the seat 11 by leaving more room for the knees of this passenger seated behind the seat 11 , which knees can be at least partially received in the space behind the shell 46 , in particular between the uprights 41 of the tubing 38. To do this, the seat back 16 can be devoid of a rear trim element, such as a plate forming the rear face of the seat back 16 , distinct from the shell 46 .

In the upper part, the shell 46 is here fixed directly to the first lateral upright 17 ₁ and to the second lateral upright 17 ₂ of the backrest frame 17 .

To do this, as is particularly visible on the , the first reinforcing plate 43 has a first face 47 (or internal face), with a hinge member 48 allowing a spherical connection. The first face 47 of each first reinforcing plate 43 is oriented towards the other first reinforcing plate 43 , therefore towards the inside of the vehicle seat 11. The first face 47 is here substantially normal to the transverse direction Y of the seat 11. The hinge member 48 extends in the transverse direction Y from the first face 47 of the first reinforcing plate 43. The hinge member 48 has for example a part substantially in the shape of a sphere or ball, integral with a cylindrical part connecting the part substantially in the shape of a sphere or ball to the first face 47 of the first reinforcing plate 43. The hinge member 48 is for example a ball joint. The articulation member 48 is received in a complementary housing 49 , formed on the rear face 46B of the shell 46. Here, the housing 49 is delimited in a flange 50 of the shell 46 , extending on the rear face 46B of the shell 46 .

Furthermore, in the lower part, the shell 46 is fixed on each side to the backrest frame 17 , by means of a connecting rod 51 .

On the one hand, as is particularly visible on the , each connecting rod 51 is pivotally mounted about a first transverse axis relative to the shell 46. To do this, a lug 52 of the shell 46 , extending in the transverse direction Y of the seat 11 , is received in a complementary housing, formed in the connecting rod 51. As can be seen in the , the lug 52 is for example of a generally substantially cylindrical shape.

On the other hand, each connecting rod 51 is pivotally mounted about a second transverse axis, relative to an upright 17 ₁ , 17 ₂ of the backrest frame 17 . To do this, here, a pin 54 , integral with the second plate 44 and extending in the transverse direction Y of the vehicle seat 11 , is received in a complementary housing 55 , formed in the connecting rod 51 . The pin 54 is for example of generally cylindrical shape. The pin 54 is for example attached to the second plate 44 , in particular welded or screwed onto the second plate 54 . Alternatively, however, the pin 54 is integral with the second plate 44 .

Furthermore, the shell 46 is deformable here. To improve the deformability of the shell 46 , in particular in the area of the shell 46 intended to support the lumbar region of an occupant of the vehicle seat 11 , the shell 46 has transverse slots 56 , 57 , 58 , in particular in the lower part of the shell 46. The slots 56 , 57 , 58 have at least one portion extending substantially parallel to the transverse direction Y of the vehicle seat 11. Each slot 56 , 57 , 58 has a width of between 1 mm, preferably 2 mm, and 7 mm, preferably 6 mm. For example, each slot 56 , 57 , 58 has a width of 5 mm.

Thus, the particular fixing of the shell 46 on the backrest frame 17 , coupled here with the flexibility of the shell 46 , in particular in the lower part of the shell 46 intended to support the lumbar region of an occupant of the vehicle seat 11 , allows a better adjustment of the vehicle seat, in particular of the backrest 16 of the vehicle seat 11 , to its occupant and to the position of this occupant in the vehicle seat 11 .

Furthermore, as is particularly visible on the , the shell 46 has two recesses 59 . Each recess 59 is open on the front face 46A of the shell 46 . Each recess 59 is here closed on the rear face 46B of the shell 46 . Here, each recess 59 has a truncated cone shape, facilitating the molding of the shell 46 , in particular by injection molding. The shell 46 can in fact be made of a material capable of being shaped by molding. In particular, the shell 46 can be made of plastic, for example polyethylene (PE). The shell 46 has for example a minimum thickness of between 1 mm and 5 mm, in particular substantially equal to 2.5 mm. In addition, the truncated cone shape of the recesses 59 is particularly suitable for receiving a haptic exciter 63 , as described later.

Each recess 59 has, in the illustrated example, a first wall 60 , lateral, frustoconical, and a second wall 61 which forms the bottom of the recess 59 , and which can be substantially flat or slightly curved. As is notably visible on the , three reliefs 62 here protrude relative to the first wall 60 . Each relief 62 here extends substantially in the longitudinal direction X of the vehicle seat 11 . The reliefs 62 make it possible to fix inside each recess 59 a device adapted to perform a comfort and/or safety function of the vehicle seat 11 (or comfort or safety device). The term “comfort” is understood here in the broad sense. It should not be understood as limited solely to the position of the occupant of the seat and/or to the temperature in the passenger compartment or of the seat 11 alone. On the contrary, the term “comfort” here covers everything that contributes to the well-being of the occupant of the vehicle seat.

In the illustrated example, a vibrating module, here a haptic exciter 63 (or exciter or vibrator or vibrating device, from the English “ exciter ”) is received in each recess 59. Such a haptic exciter 63 may have a massage function for an occupant of the seat. Alternatively or in addition, such a haptic exciter 63 may have a warning function for the occupant of the seat. According to yet another variant, such a haptic exciter 63 may be implemented to vibrate in harmony with music played in the motor vehicle, by a HI-FI device of the motor vehicle. In all cases, it is sought that the vibrations emitted by such a haptic exciter 63 are perceived by the occupant of the seat 11 , but, preferably, that these vibrations propagate as little as possible to the shell 46 or even to the backrest frame 17 and/or to the seat frame 14 .

As illustrated in the , each exciter 63 comprises a frame 64 , a vibrating element 65 and means, not shown, for vibrating the vibrating element 65. The means for vibrating the vibrating element 65 are accessible to those skilled in the art. These means may in particular comprise a coil for vibrating a vibrating body in the vibrating element, made of a magnetic material or secured to a piston made of a magnetic material. The vibrations of each exciter 63 are advantageously directed essentially in the direction of a median axis of the exciter 63 considered, corresponding here substantially to the longitudinal direction X of the vehicle seat 11 .

Each exciter 63 is devoid of any vibrating membrane. Each exciter 63 is thus to be distinguished from a loudspeaker in that each exciter 63 aims primarily to transmit vibrations (or solid-borne noise) to the occupant of the vehicle seat, rather than sound (airborne noise). The vibrations of each exciter 63 may in particular be in a frequency range that is not audible. The frequencies of the vibrations of the exciters 63 may in particular be outside the range 20 Hz to 20 kHz.

Alternatively or additionally, the vibrating element 65 may have a shape such that these three dimensions are substantially of the same order of magnitude. In particular, a dimension of the vibrating element 65 , measured in the direction of the median axis of the exciter 63 , is not one hundred times smaller, preferably ten times smaller, than the other dimensions of the vibrating element 65, measured in a plane perpendicular to the median axis of the exciter 63 .

Finally, the exciter 63 is devoid of a rotating propeller. Each exciter 63 is thus to be distinguished from a fan.

The vibrating element 65 is here of substantially cylindrical shape, of circular section and of axis the median axis of the exciter 63. The vibrating element 65 is fixed to the chassis 64 , in particular by elastic fitting.

The vibrating element 65 is received in a complementary cylindrical portion of the chassis 64. The cylindrical portion may be blocked, in whole or in part, on its face opposite its face intended to be oriented towards an occupant of the vehicle seat 11. The cylindrical portion of the chassis 64 is of axis the median axis of the exciter 63 .

The chassis 64 of each exciter 63 comprises, in addition to this cylindrical portion, three legs. Each of the three legs can have the shape of a substantially rectangular blade. The legs are here regularly distributed around the median axis of the exciter 63. Each leg extends mainly in a radial direction, relative to the median axis of the exciter 63. Thus, a first longitudinal end of each leg is here secured to the cylindrical portion of the chassis 64. Each leg comprises, at a second longitudinal end, opposite the first longitudinal end, a hole to allow the exciter 63 to be fixed in a recess 59 by screwing screws 66 into holes formed inside the projecting reliefs 62 .

Each exciter 63 is fixed to the shell 46 at at least three points, preferably at exactly three points, more preferably at exactly three points regularly distributed around the median axis of the exciter 63. At each point, a vibration damping element of the exciter 63 may be implemented, in order to limit or even prevent the propagation of the vibrations emitted by the exciter 63 towards the shell 46 .

Other devices may be received in each of the recesses 59 , including:
- another vibrating module, such as a speaker for example;
- a heating module; and
- an air-conditioning module, in particular a ventilation module, a massage module comprising inflatable pockets or a lumbar support device comprising at least one inflatable pocket.

The production of the recesses 59 on the shell 46 may tend to strengthen the shell 56 , which may limit the flexibility of the shell 56 in the vicinity of the recesses 59 and be detrimental to the comfort of the occupant of the seat 11 .

To limit this phenomenon, the first wall 60 of each recess 59 can form, with the wall of the neighboring shell 46 , outside the recess 59 , seen in section, an angle whose radius of curvature is between 3 mm, preferably 3.5 mm, and 6 mm, preferably 5 mm.

Furthermore, the slots 56 , 57 , 58 can be made so as to best adapt the flexibility of the shell 46 to the different support or non-support zones of the occupant of the vehicle seat 11. Thus, first slots 56 are substantially rectilinear and extend entirely outside the recesses 59 , substantially in the transverse direction Y of the vehicle seat 11. Second slots 57 have curved portions, to avoid the recesses 59. Finally, third slots 58 extend at least partially inside the recesses 59 , in particular on the first wall 60 , or even as far as the second wall 61. Preferably, the portion of the third slots 58 extending on the first wall 60 extends in the direction of a generatrix of the first wall 60 . The walls 60 , 61 of the recesses 59 can thus also have a certain flexibility.

Also to adapt the flexibility of the shell 46 , the latter has reinforcement reliefs 66 in the vicinity of its lateral sides, where the shell 46 can be fixed to lateral modules for maintaining the occupant in position in the vehicle seat 11. These modules are advantageously more rigid than the shell 46 , in particular, in order to ensure that the occupant is maintained in position.

The electrical power supply of the comfort and/or safety devices fixed in the recesses 59 is preferably carried out by means of electrical cables extending on the front face 46A of the shell 46. However, these electrical cables can also extend partially on the rear face 46B of the shell 46 , in particular in order to be connected to an electrical power source present in the motor vehicle. In this case, the cables can pass through the shell 46 through at least one hole, the at least one hole preferably being arranged in the vicinity of the lower end of the shell 46 (i.e. the end of the shell 46 closest to the seat 13 ). The cables are then guided on the rear face 46B of the shell 46 so as not to be visible to an occupant of the seat arranged behind the vehicle seat 11 . Reliefs may thus be present on the rear face 46B of the shell 46 , in particular in the vicinity of the lower end of the shell 46 , to guide the electric cable(s).

In addition, the plate 46 comprises, on its rear face 46B , reliefs 67 for fixing a cover (or cover) of the vehicle seat 11 , in particular a cover of the backrest 16 of the vehicle seat 11. Thus, a cover can cover the front face of the backrest 16 and be fixed on the rear face 46B of the shell 46 , in particular in the vicinity of the upper and lower ends of the rear face 46B of the shell 46. Thus, a large majority of the rear face 46B of the shell 46 can be left uncovered, so as to be visible to an occupant of a seat located behind the vehicle seat 11. The cover can in particular cover the electrical wire(s) extending on the rear face 46B of the shell 46 , in particular in the vicinity of the lower end of the shell 46 .

Here, the reliefs 67 are elastic fitting tabs adapted to fix a rod mounted at one end of the cover to be fixed. Other means of fixing a cover on the rear face 46B of the shell 46 are however accessible to those skilled in the art.

Advantageously, the vehicle seat 11 does not have a rear trim, in particular no rear trim plate. This makes it possible to reduce the weight of the vehicle seat 11 , thereby limiting the consumption of the motor vehicle equipped with the vehicle seat 11. As indicated above, it is thus possible to leave a space accessible to an occupant of a seat located behind the vehicle seat 11 , in particular for the knees of this occupant.

Thus, the shell 46 is a functional technical part that fulfills the functions of padding support, comfort support for the occupant of the vehicle seat and support for equipment fulfilling a comfort or safety function, but also an appearance part partly ensuring the aesthetics of the vehicle seat 11. The shell 46 in fact replaces the elastic support sheet generally implemented to support the padding of the vehicle seat back. The shell 46 also constitutes a support for the padding of the vehicle seat back, or even a cover covering this padding. The shell 46 also makes it possible to carry comfort and/or safety equipment of the vehicle seat, which can easily be removed or replaced. Comfort equipment can also be added throughout the life of the vehicle seat back. The vehicle seat back is thus modular according to the desires of the occupant, by adding or removing comfort equipment. Finally, the shell 46 is made of plastic as an appearance part intended to ensure the aesthetics and a pleasant feel of the vehicle seat back. Thus, it is possible that no trim part is added on the rear face of the vehicle seat back, to leave the shell 46 accessible and/or visible, from the rear of the vehicle seat 11 .

Claims (10)

Backrest (16) of a vehicle seat (11), in particular of a motor vehicle, comprising:
- a backrest frame (17) comprising a first lateral upright (17 ₁ ) and a second lateral upright (17 ₂ ), the first and second lateral uprights (17 ₁ ; 17 ₂ ) being spaced from each other in a transverse direction (Y) of the backrest (16);
- a shell (46) carried by the first and second side uprights (17 ₁ ; 17 ₂ ), the shell (46) being deformable and/or movable relative to the first and second side uprights (17 ₁ ; 17 ₂ ), the shell (46) having a front face (46A), intended to be oriented towards an occupant of the vehicle seat (11), and a rear face (46B), opposite the front face (46A);
and wherein the shell (46) forms at least one recess (59), open on the front face (46A) of the shell (46) and closed on the rear face (46B) of the shell (46), a device (63) adapted to perform a comfort and/or safety function of the vehicle seat (11) being fixed in the at least one recess (59). A file according to claim 1, wherein the recess (59) has a frustoconical shape. File according to claim 1 or 2, in which the device adapted to perform a comfort and/or safety function is one of:
- a vibrating module, in particular an exciter (63) or a loudspeaker;
- a heating module; and
- an air-conditioning module, in particular a ventilation module or a massage module comprising inflatable pockets or a lumbar support device comprising at least one inflatable pocket. Backrest according to one of claims 1 to 3, in which the shell (46) has at least one slot (56, 57, 58) comprising at least one portion extending substantially in a transverse direction (Y) of the vehicle seat (11), the shell (46) preferably having a plurality of slots (56, 57, 58) comprising at least one portion extending substantially in the transverse direction (Y) of the vehicle seat (11). File according to claim 4, in which the at least one slot (58) comprises a portion which extends on a wall (60, 61) of the at least one recess (59), the slot (58) preferably comprising a portion which extends along a generatrix of said one frustoconical wall (60). File according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the shell (46) has at least one projecting relief (62) extending from a wall (60, 61) of the recess (59), said at least one projecting relief (62) extending from the front face (46A) of the shell (46). Backrest according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising two first connecting rods (51), each first connecting rod (51) being pivotally mounted on the backrest frame (17), around a first axis, the first axis preferably extending in a substantially transverse direction (Y) of the backrest (16), each first connecting rod (51) being further pivotally mounted on the shell (46), around a second axis, the second axis preferably extending in a substantially transverse direction of the backrest (16). Backrest according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the shell (46) is connected, on each side, to the backrest frame (17) by a spherical connection. Backrest according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising padding at least partly in contact with the front face (46A) of the shell (46), and a cover covering the padding, the cover being fixed at least partly, on the rear face (46B) of the shell (46). Vehicle seat (11), in particular for a motor vehicle, comprising a seat (13) and a backrest (16) according to any one of the preceding claims, the backrest (16) preferably being pivotally mounted relative to the seat (13) around an axis (A) for adjusting the inclination of the backrest (16) relative to the seat (13).