1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a seat assembly for an automotive vehicle. More particularly, the invention relates to a seat assembly that is movable between a seating position, a stand-up position, and at least one stowed position.
2. Description of Related Art
It is common in certain mini-van and sport utility vehicles to provide third row seating. Typically, the vehicle includes a pair of front doors adjacent front row seating and a pair of rear doors located adjacent second row seating. The third row seating is located at the generally furthermost rear portion of the vehicle and is not located adjacent a door opening. Thus, passengers do not have direct access to the third row seating.
To provide access to the third row seating or a rear storage area, it is well known that the second row seating may have a releasable seat back locking mechanism which is capable of being manually actuated in order to pivot the seat back forwardly to an access position. A passenger can then enter the vehicle through one of the rear doors, moving past the second row seating, to gain access to the third row seating or the rear storage area.
Optionally, the second row seating may be movable to a tumbled position adjacent the front row seating, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,135,555 to Liu et al. In Liu et al. a seat back of the second row seating is first folded forward until it is flat against a seat cushion of the second row seating. Second, both the seat back and seat cushion are pivoted approximately ninety degrees (90°) about a pivot point at a lower front edge of the seat cushion until the seat back and seat cushion are substantially upright. In this position, the seat back of the second row seating is disposed adjacent to a back side of the front row seating. The passenger can then enter the vehicle moving past the tumbled second row seating. However, movement of the second row seating in this manner can be difficult for some passengers, and the passageway for ingress and egress is often uncomfortably small for other passengers.
In order to provide better access to the third row seating it has been proposed to move the second row seating to a stand-up position, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,676,216 to Freijy et al. In Freijy et al., a seat cushion pivots forward about a pivot point at a lower front edge from a generally horizontal position for supporting a seat occupant to a generally vertical position. At the same time a seat back moves from a first vertical position for supporting a back of the seat occupant to a second vertical position forward and upward of the first vertical position. The seat back and seat cushion move dependently due to a linkage therebetween. However, the second row seating disclosed in Freijy et al. is not movable to a stowed or kneeling position wherein the seat back is folded forward overlying the seat cushion and the seat cushion is lowered against the floor. The stowed position is desirable for increasing the available cargo space in the rear storage area of the vehicle.
Typically, in seat assemblies that are movable to a stowed position, the seat back is pivotally coupled to the seat cushion at a seat back pivot located between a lower end of the seat back and a rear end of the seat cushion. The seat back pivot allows the seat back to pivot between a generally upright position and a forwardly folded position overlying the seat cushion. The seat cushion often includes a four-bar-linkage or front and rear legs pivotally coupled between the seat cushion and the floor of the vehicle for moving the seat cushion between a raised position spaced above the floor and a lowered position resting along the floor. In the stowed position the seat cushion is in the lowered position and the seat back is in the forwardly folded position. Thus, when the seat assembly is in the stowed position a back side of the seat back is generally horizontal and defines a load floor surface.
It is therefore desirable to provide a seat assembly that is movable between a seating position and a stand-up position in order to improve access to a rearward row of seating or a storage area behind the seat assembly. Is also desirable that the seat assembly be movable to a stowed position in order to increase the amount of storage space in the vehicle.
According to one aspect of the invention, a seat assembly is provided for supporting an occupant above a floor in an automotive vehicle. The seat assembly includes a seat back and a seat cushion that extends between a front end and a rear end. The seat assembly also includes a linkage system for moving the seat assembly between a seating position, a stowed position, and a stand-up position. A front link is pivotally coupled between the front end of the seat cushion and the floor. A support link extends between a forward end that is adapted to be pivotally coupled to the floor and a rearward end. A seat back bracket extends between upper and lower ends. The upper end is operatively coupled to the seat back for allowing selective pivotal movement of the seat back between a first upright position and a forwardly folded position. The lower end is pivotally coupled to the rearward end of the support link. A drive link extends between a first end pivotally coupled to the seat cushion and a second end pivotally coupled to the seat back. The drive link urges the seat cushion between a raised position and a lowered position, forward and downward of the raised position, in response to pivoting the seat back between the first upright position and the forwardly folded position. Additionally, the drive link urges the seat back bracket to pivot about the lower end to maintain the seat back in a generally vertical orientation in response to pivoting the support link about the forward end, which pivots the seat cushion between the raised position and a generally vertical position.
Other advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Referring to the Figures, wherein like numerals indicate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, a seat assembly for use in an automotive vehicle is generally shown at 10. The seat assembly 10 includes a seat cushion 12 for supporting a seat occupant above a floor 14 of the vehicle. The seat assembly 10 also includes a seat back 16 operatively coupled to the seat cushion 12 for supporting a back of the seat occupant. Each one of the seat cushion 12 and the seat back 16 include a rigid frame structure supporting a resilient contoured foam pad that is encased by a fabric trim cover, as is commonly known in the vehicle seating art. The seat cushion 12 extends between a front end 18 and a rear end 20. The seat back 16 extends between a lower end 22 and an upper end 24.
A linkage system, generally shown at 26, is provided for supporting the seat cushion 12 and seat back 16 above the floor 14 of the vehicle. The linkage system 26 is operable for moving the seat assembly 10 between a seating position, shown in
In the stand-up position, shown in
Referring to
Each one of the front links 32 is pivotally coupled between the seat cushion 12 and one of the floor brackets 38. More specifically, each one of the front links 32 extends between an upper end 48 pivotally coupled to the front end 18 of the seat cushion 12 at pivot 50 and a lower end 52 pivotally coupled to one of the forward floor brackets 38 at the pivot axis 44. A second cross bar 54, best seen in
A damping strut 62 is provided to assist with movement of the seat assembly 10 between the seating position and the stand-up position. In the embodiment shown, the damping strut 62 is provided on the same side of the seat assembly 10 as the second spring 58 and extends between the floor bracket 38 and the support link 30. More specifically, the damping strut 62 is pivotally coupled to the floor bracket 38 at pivot 64 and is pivotally coupled to the support link 30 at a position between the first cross bar 46 and the forward end 40.
Each one of the seat back brackets 34 extends between an upper end 66 and a lower end 68. The lower end 68 of each one of the seat back brackets 34 is pivotally coupled to the rearward end 42 of one of the support links 30 at pivot 70. A pair of pivot mechanisms 72 is operatively coupled between the seat back 16 and the seat back brackets 34 to control pivotal movement of the seat back 16. More specifically, each one of the pivot mechanisms 72 is operatively coupled between the lower end 22 of the seat back 16 and the upper end 66 of one of the seat back brackets 34 defining a seat back pivot. The pivot mechanisms 72 actuate together between a locked state, locking the seat back 16 in the first upright position, and an unlocked state, allowing pivotal movement of the seat back 16 between the first upright position and the forwardly folded position. A release handle (not shown) is provided for actuating the pivot mechanisms 72 from the locked state to the unlocked state. The pivot mechanisms 72 can be any mechanism suitable for controlling pivotal movement of the seat back 16 between the first upright position and the forwardly folded position, without varying from the scope of the invention.
The lower end 68 of each one of the seat back brackets 34 is adapted to be releasably secured to the floor 14. More specifically, the lower end 68 of each one of the seat back brackets 34 includes a latch mechanism 74, best seen in
In the embodiment shown, each one of the drive links 36 extends non-linearly between a first end 82 and a second end 84. The first end 82 of each one of the drive links 36 is pivotally coupled to the front end 18 of the seat cushion 12 at pivot 50. The second end 84 of each one of the drive links 36 is pivotally coupled to the seat back 16 at pivot 86. It is appreciated that the drive links 36 may be any shape extending between the seat cushion 12 and the seat back 16, without varying from the scope of the invention.
In operation, beginning with the seat assembly 10 in the seating position the pivot mechanisms 72 are actuated from the locked state to the unlocked state by operating the release handle. With the pivot mechanisms 72 in the unlocked state the seat back 16 is free to pivot about the seat back pivot from the first upright position to the forwardly folded position. As the seat back 16 pivots in a counterclockwise direction (when viewed from
To return the seat assembly 10 from the first stowed position to the seating position, the upper end 24 of the seat back 16 is lifted causing the seat back 16 to pivot about the seat back pivot from the forwardly folded position to the first upright position. As the seat back 16 pivots in a clockwise direction (when viewed from
Beginning again with the seat assembly 10 in the seating position the latch mechanisms 74 are actuated from the latched state to the unlatched state by pulling the strap 80, thereby disengaging the latch mechanisms 74 with the striker bars 76. The support links 30 are now free to pivot in the counterclockwise direction (when viewed from
To return the seat assembly 10 from the stand-up position to the seating position, the upper end 24 of the seat back 16 is pushed rearwardly, which causes the support links 30 to pivot in the clockwise direction about the pivot axis 44. As the support links 30 pivot in the clockwise direction, the front links 32 also pivot in the clockwise direction about the pivot axis 44 thereby moving the seat cushion 12 from the generally vertical position to the first raised position. The support links 30 pivot in the clockwise direction about the pivot axis 44 until the latch mechanisms 74 re-engage with the corresponding striker bars 76. At the same time, the drive links 36 pivot in the clockwise direction about pivot 50. As the drive links 36 pivot in the clockwise direction, the second end 84 of each one of the drive links 36 urges the seat back 16 and the seat back brackets 34 to pivot in the counterclockwise direction about pivot 70 relative to the seat cushion 12, thereby moving the seat back 16 from the second upright position to the first upright position. With the seat cushion 12 in the first raised position and the seat back 16 in the first upright position, the seat assembly 10 is in the seating position. Although not shown in the Figures, it is contemplated that the rear end 20 of the seat cushion 12 may be coupled to the rearward end 42 of the support links 30 to ensure that the seat cushion 12 and the support links 30 pivot together as the seat assembly 10 moves between the seating position and the stand-up position.
When the seat assembly 10 is in the seating position, the seat cushion 12 can be flipped forwardly about pivot 50, as shown in
The seat assembly 10 is also movable between the seating position and a second stowed position, as shown in
The invention has been described here in an illustrative manner, and it is to be understood that the terminology used is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than limitation. Many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than as specifically enumerated within the description.
This application claims priority to and all the benefits of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/023,900, filed on Jan. 28, 2008 and entitled “Fold And Kneel Seat Assembly With Stand Up Mechanism.”
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/CA2009/000071 | 1/26/2009 | WO | 00 | 7/12/2010 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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61023900 | Jan 2008 | US |