The subject invention relates to a vehicle seat assembly having a seat cushion and a seat back operatively interconnected to the seat cushion for pivotal adjustment between a plurality of reclined seating positions and a stowed position, and more particularly, to a mechanism that holds the seat back in a tilted position intermediate of the reclined seating positions and the stowed position to facilitate access or ingress behind the seat assembly.
An automotive vehicle includes seat assemblies for supporting occupants within the vehicle above a floor. Typically, a seat assembly includes a seat cushion, a seat back and a recliner assembly operatively coupled between the seat back and the seat cushion. The recliner assembly allows pivotal adjustment of the seat back between a plurality of reclined seating positions, therebetween. A track assembly interconnects the seat cushion to the floor and allows selective locking and adjustment of the seat assembly between a range of fore and aft seating positions along the floor. Further, it is common for the track assembly and the recliner assembly to be synchronized or linked together to allow the seat assembly to be adjusted to an easy entry position. In the easy entry position, the entire seat assembly is positioned forward of the range of seating positions and the seat back is tilted forwardly to facilitate access or ingress behind the seat assembly.
Often it is desired to have the seat back fold flat against the seat cushion to increase the cargo carrying capacity of the vehicle. However, conventional seat assemblies that are adjustable to an easy entry position do not additionally provide for a seat back that can be folded flat against the seat cushion. Allowing a seat back to merely fold flat while adjusting the entire seat forward to an easy entry position along the track assembly would likely present packaging interferences with the seat back and obstructions typically found in front of a seat assembly, such as a dashboard or another seat assembly.
Accordingly, there remains a need for a seat assembly having a mechanism for maintaining the seat back in a forwardly tilted position while the seat assembly is adjusted to the easy entry position, and further allows the seat back to be adjusted to a folded flat position against the seat cushion.
According to one aspect of the invention, a seat assembly for an automotive vehicle is provided comprising a seat cushion and a seat back. A recliner assembly is operatively coupled between the seat cushion and the seat back for selective locking and pivotal adjustment of the seat back between a plurality of reclined seating positions and a stowed position overlying the seat cushion. A release lever is pivotally coupled to the seat assembly for movement between an unreleased position and a released position for locking and unlocking the recliner assembly, respectively. A stop hookingly engagable with the seat back for maintaining the seat back in a tilted position between the plurality of reclined seating positions and the stowed position is pivotally coupled to the seat assembly for movement between a first position wherein the seat back is movable between the plurality of reclined seating positions and the stowed position and a second position presented for engaging the seat back for maintaining the seat back in the tilted position. A dump lever is cammingly engaged with the release lever and the stop and is pivotally coupled to the seat assembly for movement between unreleased and released positions for moving the release lever between the respective unreleased and released positions and simultaneously moving the stop between the first and second positions.
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,
A track assembly 18, as commonly known by those skilled in the seating art, is disposed between the seat cushion 12 and the vehicle floor 5. The track assembly 18 allows incremental, fore and aft adjustment of the seat assembly 10 relative to the vehicle floor 8. The track assembly 18 includes a locking mechanism for releasably locking the seat assembly 10 in one of a plurality of seating positions B bounded by a full forward seating position E′ and a full rear seat position E″. The track assembly 18 further allows the seat assembly 10 to be adjusted from one of the seating positions E to an extended position beyond the full forward position E′, commonly referred to as an “easy entry” position F, as shown in
Referring to
A shaft 15 extends axially from the recliner assembly 16. The shaft 15 is rotatably to the recliner assembly 16 for actuating the recliner assembly 16 between the locked and unlocked states. A lever arm 17 extends radially from the shaft 15. A release lever 30 extending between proximal and distal ends 32, 34 is pivotally mounted to the seat cushion 12 by a pivot pin 36 between the proximal and distal ends 32, 34. The release lever 30 is movable between an unreleased position, as shown in
A stop 40 is pivotally mounted to the seat cushion 12 by a pivot pin 42 for movement between a first position, as shown in
A dump lever 50 is pivotally mounted to the seat cushion 12 by a pivot pin 52 and is movable between an unreleased position, as shown in
In operation, the angular position of the seat back 14 relative to the seat cushion 12 may be adjusted between any one of the seating positions A, B, or C and the stowed position D by rotating the release lever 30 clockwise, as viewed from the perspective shown in
The seat assembly 10 may be adjusted between any one of the seating positions E to the easy entry position F by rotating the dump lever 50 counterclockwise, as viewed from the perspective shown in
The seat assembly 10 is returned to the full forward seating position E′ by rotating the seat back 14 clockwise until reaching the upright seat position A. The hook 44 falls out of engagement with the edge 24 of the flange 22, thereby allowing the stop 40 to rotate back to the first position under the bias of the biasing member 46. The recline and dump levers 30, 50 return to their respective unreleased positions. The recliner assembly 16 returns to the locked state, which locks the seat back 14 in the upright seating position A. The seat assembly 10 may then be pushed rearwardly from the easy entry position F towards the full forward seating position E′. Once the seat assembly 10 reaches the full forward position E′, the locking mechanism of the track assembly 18 re-locks and the seat assembly 10 is held in the full forward position E′.
Referring to
The invention has been described in an illustrative manner, and it is to be understood that the terminology, which has been used, is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than of limitation.
Many modification 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 described.
This application claims the benefit of provisional application No. 60/303,725 filed Jul. 6, 2001.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
---|---|---|---|---|
PCT/US02/21622 | 7/8/2002 | WO | 00 | 6/30/2004 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
WO03/004307 | 1/16/2003 | WO | A |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
3953069 | Tamura et al. | Apr 1976 | A |
4076309 | Chekirda et al. | Feb 1978 | A |
4146267 | Mori et al. | Mar 1979 | A |
4286819 | Inoue et al. | Sep 1981 | A |
4627656 | Gokimoto et al. | Dec 1986 | A |
4997223 | Croft | Mar 1991 | A |
5224759 | Matsuura et al. | Jul 1993 | A |
5383710 | Premji | Jan 1995 | A |
5522643 | Matsuura | Jun 1996 | A |
5597206 | Ainsworth et al. | Jan 1997 | A |
5788330 | Ryan | Aug 1998 | A |
5820218 | Baloche et al. | Oct 1998 | A |
6139104 | Brewer | Oct 2000 | A |
6139105 | Morgos et al. | Oct 2000 | A |
6199953 | Chen | Mar 2001 | B1 |
6209955 | Seibold | Apr 2001 | B1 |
6312053 | Magyar | Nov 2001 | B1 |
6550864 | Zarna et al. | Apr 2003 | B1 |
6659557 | Deptolla | Dec 2003 | B1 |
6739668 | Coman et al. | May 2004 | B1 |
20010040400 | Kamida et al. | Nov 2001 | A1 |
20020040400 | Masters | Apr 2002 | A1 |
20020135216 | Hamelin et al. | Sep 2002 | A1 |
20040090102 | Tame et al. | May 2004 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
2 391 873 | Dec 1978 | FR |
WO 98 45136 | Oct 1998 | WO |
WO 99 38723 | Aug 1999 | WO |
WO 00 27668 | May 2000 | WO |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20040239168 A1 | Dec 2004 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
60303725 | Jul 2001 | US |