This application claims priority of German Application No. 10 2005 044 555.1, filed Sep. 17, 2005, and which is incorporated herein by reference.
The invention relates to a vehicle seat including a seat frame longitudinally adjustable on at least one upper rail relative to at least one lower rail affixed to a chassis of a vehicle.
A vehicle seat of this type is known from DE 10 2004 008 177 A1. The seat frame, for example a seat bracket, can be shifted longitudinally on, for example, two upper rails that are opposite lower rails on the chassis side. A backrest is pivotably attached to the seat frame, and is locked in place via a stop adjustment mechanism, wherein a seat cushion with a seat cushion frame is accommodated such that it can be shifted longitudinally toward the front, and is coupled to the backrest frame of the backrest. In this manner, in DE 10 2004 008 177 A1 the seat cushion frame is pivotably attached to the backrest frame above the pivoting axis of the backrest, such that when the released backrest is folded forward, the seat cushion frame is shifted forward.
In this manner an easy-entry adjustment is possible, in which the user first releases the stop adjustment mechanism via, for example, an easy-entry lever and a connecting element, for example a connecting rod or a Bowden control cable, and then folds the backrest forward, wherein the seat frame is shifted longitudinally toward the front, and the seat cushion frame is shifted forward and downward, in order to create space for the backrest to pivot.
When space limitations are tight, however, this type of easy-entry adjustment is often problematic, as in this case the seat cushion can butt up against the vehicle seat in a front row of seating. In such cases, only a small adjusting movement of the seat cushion, and thus a limited folding movement of the backrest, is frequently possible.
An object of the invention is to enable an adjustment of the vehicle seat to the easy-entry position, in which the vehicle seat is shifted forward longitudinally, the backrest is folded forward, and the seat cushion is shifted forward, even when limited installation space is available.
This object is achieved with a vehicle seat including a seat frame, the seat frame being longitudinally adjustable on at least one upper rail relative to at least one lower rail affixed to a chassis. The seat frame is lockable in longitudinal positions by a longitudinal locking mechanism, which can be released by a rail release mechanism. There is a backrest, the backrest including a backrest frame pivotably attached to the seat frame about a backrest pivoting axis, and which is lockable by a stop adjustment mechanism on the seat frame, and which, once released, in use, can be folded forward from an upright use position to an easy-entry position. A release lever for releasing the stop adjustment mechanism is provided, and an easy-entry device for actuating the release lever. A seat cushion, the seat cushion being shiftable relative to the seat frame with a seat cushion frame, and the seat cushion frame is shifted forward longitudinally in a coupled adjustment motion, in use, when the backrest frame is folded forward to the easy-entry position. When the vehicle seat is in the easy-entry position, in use, the seat cushion frame is shiftable toward the rear relative to the backrest frame and the seat frame.
Additional features and vehicle seat embodiments according to the invention are set forth below.
Thus, according to the invention, in the easy-entry adjustment of the vehicle seat, when the seat cushion frame encounters an obstacle, especially a front vehicle seat, it is shifted toward the rear relative to the seat frame that has been shifted forward and the backrest that has been folded forward. For this purpose, a longitudinally adjustable connection of the seat cushion frame to the backrest frame is advantageously provided. This can be achieved according to alternative embodiments, for example with a pin/link guide/guideway or a pin/slot/guideway between the seat cushion frame and the backrest frame, or even with a lever mechanism between the seat cushion frame and the backrest frame.
In addition, when in the use position, when the easy-entry lever is not actuated, the seat cushion frame is advantageously pin-connected to the backrest frame by way of a locking mechanism, and can be longitudinally adjusted relative to the backrest frame only when the easy-entry lever has been actuated. For the purpose of locking the seat cushion frame in place, according to the invention a locking cam is advantageously pivotably attached to the backrest frame, and can be pivoted from a locked position to a released position by way of a control cable that is actuated via the easy-entry lever, against its spring preload. In this manner a secure locking of the seat cushion in place in its normal use position is ensured. When the easy-entry lever is actuated, the locking cam is pivoted and thereby released, so that the longitudinal adjustability of the seat cushion with the seat cushion frame relative to the backrest is enabled. In this connection, when the backrest is in a forward-folded position, a locking element can prevent the locking cam from being lowered, so that when the vehicle seat is not longitudinally shifted and the easy-entry lever has been released, a re-locking of the seat cushion frame by the locking cam is prevented.
The release of the rails is advantageously controlled based upon the folded position of the backrest, for which purpose a control cam fixed in the backrest pivots a rail release lever. The folded position of the backrest in the easy-entry position can be fixed in place by way of a retaining element, such as a pivotably attached retaining plate, which, for example, engages in the control cam and secures the backrest against further forward-folding movement.
Below, the invention will be described in greater detail in terms of a number of embodiments, with reference to the drawings.
a is a side view of an enlargement of a section of the vehicle seat of
b is a side view of the vehicle seat of
c is a side view of the vehicle seat of
a is a side view of an enlargement of a section of
a is a side view of an enlargement of a section of
a is a side view of an enlargement of a section of a vehicle seat according to a further embodiment, in its use position, i.e. according to
b is a side view of the vehicle seat of
c is a side view of the vehicle seat of
d is a side view of the vehicle seat with the backrest folded forward in the easy-entry position, i.e. according to
e is a side view of the vehicle seat shifted forward in the easy-entry position and with the seat cushion shifted toward the rear, i.e. according to
A vehicle seat 1 in a second row of seating is attached to a vehicle chassis 2 such that it can be longitudinally shifted, and spaced from a front vehicle seat 3 in the first row of seating. The vehicle seat 1 includes a bracket 4 and a front bearing block 5, as a seat frame 4, 5, which are mounted on upper rails 6, and which in turn can be longitudinally displaced relative to lower rails 7 that are fixed on the chassis, and that can be locked in place in their longitudinal positions by way of a rail locking mechanism, which can be released by way of a rail release mechanism 9, shown by way of example in
A backrest 10 with a backrest frame 11 is foldably hinged to the bracket 4 on a backrest pivoting axis A, and is locked in place by way of a stop adjustment mechanism that is not shown in greater detail here, and which in turn is released by the clockwise pivoting of a release lever 12 (in
The vehicle seat 1 further includes a seat cushion 14 with a seat cushion frame 15, the front of which is pivotably attached via a rocker arm 18 to the front bearing block 5. In the use position the rocker arm 18 extends substantially vertically, dropping downward from its upper pivot point 19 on the seat cushion frame 15, and somewhat toward the rear to its lower pivot point 20 on the bearing block 5.
At the rear of the seat cushion frame 15 a pin 22 that protrudes axially is provided, which is guided directly or with a mounted roller in a substantially straight guide 24 in the backrest frame 11 that extends downward and toward the rear. For this purpose the guide 24 can be formed in a bearing plate 11.1 that is welded to the backrest frame 11. In the use position shown in
Further, a locking plate 30 is pivotably attached to the pin 22, and is prestressed or biased in a clockwise direction via a spring 31. The locking plate 30 serves to block or lock the locking cam 26, as will be described in greater detail below, and in the use position shown in
A pivoting plate 34 is pivotably mounted on the backrest pivoting axis A and is prestressed in a clockwise direction via a spring 35. A control cam 36 (or control plate) is stationarily welded to the backrest frame 11 and has, among other things, a first curve region 36.1 with a large radius to the backrest pivoting axis A, a recess 36.2 with a small radius to the backrest pivoting axis A, a third curve region 36.3 that is adjacent to the recess 36.2, and a radially protruding fourth curve region 36.4. The components 12, 34 and 36 thus pivot around the backrest pivoting axis A. In the release lever 12 a guide 38 that extends with a constant radius to the backrest pivoting axis A is formed, in which a locating pin 40 for a second control cable 41 (or control cable core 41) is held, the second control cable sheath 42 of which is fastened to or supported against the pivoting lever 34. The two control cables 28, 41 are connected to a common control cable receptacle 45 as shown in
Further, a retaining plate 50 with an axially protruding pin 51 and a hook 52 is pivotably attached to the bracket 4, wherein said plate lies adjacent to the control cam 36, prestressed via a spring 53, and with a folding movement of the backrest 10 glides along the control cam 36. In the non-actuated, use position shown in
In the use position shown in
Starting from the use position shown in
With the further actuation of the easy-entry lever 46 to its final upper position the pivoting plate 34 cannot pivot any further, so that, as shown in
As shown in
In the lower portion of the vehicle seat 1, the pin 56 of the rail release lever 55 is moved to or driven against the curve section 36.4 of the control cam 36 that protrudes in a radial direction, so that the rail release lever 55 is pivoted counterclockwise, and the rail release mechanism 9 is actuated, so that the vehicle seat 1 is released in a longitudinal direction. The hook 52 of the retaining plate 50 drops into the recess 36.2 in the control cam 36 that is fixed to the backrest, and thus fixes the backrest 10 in place against counterclockwise folding movements, i.e. against folding forward.
The vehicle seat 1 is then shifted forward, as shown in
In this manner, a longitudinal shift of the vehicle seat to the easy-entry position is possible, even under tight space limitations, in that the seat cushion 14 yields correspondingly in a longitudinal direction, without the functionality of the easy-entry position being thereby impaired. In this, the shifting occurs against the preload of the spring 23.
a through 5d show a further embodiment of a vehicle seat according to the invention. In place of the pin/slot/guide 22, 24 of the first embodiment, a lever mechanism 60, 62, 63 is selected here for the longitudinally displaceable connection of the seat cushion frame 15 to the backrest frame 11. In this manner, the seat cushion frame 15 is pivotably attached via its pin 60 to a lever 62 at its back, which in turn is attached at a joint 63 to the backrest frame 11 or its bearing plate 11.1.
The second embodiment is further changed in the drawings as compared to the first embodiment in that the bearing plate 11.1 in the second embodiment covers the locking plate 30 and the locking cam 26, and in that its shape is changed somewhat. The lever 62 lies in front of the bearing plate 11.1, which in turn lies in front of the locking plate 30 and the locking cam 26, wherein the locating pin 29 of the locking cam 26 that is taken up by the first control cable 28 is spaced somewhat from the locking plate 30. Furthermore, a guide 64 for the locating pin 29 is provided in the bearing plate 11.1. The locking plate 30 and the locking cam 26 are otherwise unchanged relative to the first embodiment.
a through 5d in turn illustrate the adjustment from the use position to the easy-entry position. Starting from the use position shown in
The vehicle seat 1 is then again (as shown in
While this invention has been described as having a preferred design, it is understood that it is capable of further modifications, and uses and/or adaptations of the invention and following in general the principle of the invention and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within the known or customary practice in the art to which the invention pertains, and as may be applied to the central features hereinbefore set forth, and fall within the scope of the invention or limits of the claims appended hereto.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10 2005 044 555 | Sep 2005 | DE | national |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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5597206 | Ainsworth et al. | Jan 1997 | A |
6152533 | Smuk | Nov 2000 | A |
7014263 | Mukoujima et al. | Mar 2006 | B2 |
7040684 | Tame et al. | May 2006 | B2 |
7137667 | Habedank | Nov 2006 | B2 |
Number | Date | Country |
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203 03 753 | Aug 2004 | DE |
10 2004 008 177 | Sep 2004 | DE |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20070063565 A1 | Mar 2007 | US |