Reclining rear seat system for a motor vehicle

• US 10,035,435 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2015
• Issued: 07/31/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Woodhouse, David, Chung, Bonghoon Lukas, Callum, Moray Stuart, Kang-Morales, Soo Young
• Primary Examiner(s): Nelson, Jr., Milton
• Application Number:
  US14/833,842
• Publication Number:
  US 20160288669A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,072 Days
• Field of Search: 2973781, 297243, 701 36, 701 49
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/002 Seats provided with an occupancy detection means mounted therein or thereon detection means responsive to presence or absence of children B60N2/266
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0021 characterised by the type of sensor or measurement
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0252 with relations between different adjustments, e.g. height of headrest following longitudinal position of seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/22 the back-rest being adjustable B60N2/2878 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/995 Lower-leg-rests, e.g. calf-rests
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2210/18 Infrared
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2210/24 Cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2230/10 Wired data transmission

Abstract

A reclining rear seat system is provided for a motor vehicle. That reclining rear seat system includes a front seat, a first actuator for displacing the front seat between a first position and a second position, a reclining rear seat and a second actuator for displacing the reclining rear seat between an upright position and fully reclined position. Further the system includes a controller configured to control the reclining rear seat system and a front seat occupant sensor.

Claims

1. A reclining rear seat system for a motor vehicle, comprising:

a front seat;

a front seat occupant sensor;

a first actuator for displacing said front seat between a first position and a second position;

a reclining rear seat;

a second actuator for deploying said reclining rear seat between an upright position and a fully reclined position;

a controller configured to control the reclining rear seat system including the first actuator and the second actuator in response to data received from said front seat occupant sensor.

2. The reclining rear seat system of claim 1, further including a foot rest, said foot rest being displaceable between a home position adjacent a floor of said motor vehicle and a deployed position extending forward of said reclining rear seat toward said front seat.

3. The reclining rear seat system of claim 2, wherein said front seat includes a seat back and a seat bottom.

4. The reclining rear seat system of claim 3, wherein said second position is vehicle forward of said first position with said seat back angled so as to overlie said seat bottom.

5. The reclining rear seat system of claim 4, wherein said reclining rear seat includes a rear seat back and a rear seat bottom forming an included angle A, said included angle A in said upright position being smaller than said included angle A in said fully reclined position.

6. The reclining rear seat system of claim 5, further including a foot rest actuator for displacing said foot rest between said home position and said deployed position.

7. The reclining rear seat system of claim 1, wherein said front seat includes a front seat bottom and a front seat back and said first actuator includes a front seat bottom actuator and a front seat back actuator.

8. The reclining rear seat system of claim 7, wherein said reclining rear seat includes a rear seat bottom and a rear seat back and said second actuator includes a rear seat bottom actuator and a rear seat back actuator.

9. A reclining rear seat system for a motor vehicle, comprising:

a front seat;

a first actuator for displacing said front seat;

a front seat occupant sensor;

a reclining rear seat;

a second actuator for displacing said reclining rear seat; and

a controller configured to respond to data from said front seat occupant sensor, displace said front seat forward if no occupant is detected in said front seat and recline said rear seat in increased space created behind said front seat.