VEHICLE SEAT WITH FEATURES TO ENHANCE LAP BELT EFFECTIVENESS

A vehicle seat includes an anti-submarining feature which enhances the effectiveness of the lap belt. The seat includes a seat frame with two side rails joined by front and rear tubes. A trigger mechanism includes two arms pivotably supported by the front tube. The two arms support a cross tube. A flexible mat is supported by the cross tube and the rear tube. In normal operation, the arms are prevented from rotating about the front tube by cam lobes which contact a trigger rod. In a front collision, the occupant's inertia, acting through the flexible mat, deforms the trigger rod releasing the trigger mechanism. The cross tube pivots upward and rearward. A missile portion of the flexible mat moves downward.