Four-way pitching mechanism for a seating assembly

• US 10,442,320 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2018
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Kish, Joseph Michael, Aktas, Macit, Gabalski, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): Islam, Syed A
• Application Number:
  US15/880,189
• Publication Number:
  US 20190225120A1
• Time in Patent Office: 628 Days
• Field of Search: 297335, 297336, 297341
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/045 Longitudinal adjustment by means of articulated rods supporting the seat, e.g. parallelogram mechanisms B60N2/38 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/10 tiltable B60N2/12 , B60N2/2875 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/12 slidable and tiltable
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/1615 Parallelogram-like structure
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/43 Safety locks for back-rests B60N2/433
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/943 Stepwise movement mechanisms, e.g. ratchets
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2002/967 the locking system prevents tilt of whole seat by retaining and locking the seat in a vertical storage position

Abstract

A seating assembly includes a striker pin operably coupled to a track assembly, a sector arm operably coupled to a seat base and defining a first pivot axis and a second pivot axis, a dual cam latch disposed between the second pivot axis and the seat base when the sector arm is in a raised position and engageable with the striker pin when the sector arm is in a lowered position, wherein the dual cam latch is releasable by a forward movement of a seatback, a release cam operably coupled to the sector arm along the second pivot axis, wherein the release cam is configured to rotate downward when the sector arm is in the raised position, and a release bar including a front portion and a rear portion, wherein the rear portion is engageable by the release cam.

Claims

1. A seating assembly comprising:

a striker pin operably coupled to a track assembly;

a sector arm operably coupled to a seat base and defining a first pivot axis and a second pivot axis;

a dual cam latch disposed between the second pivot axis and the seat base when the sector arm is in a raised position and engageable with the striker pin when the sector arm is in a lowered position, wherein the dual cam latch is releasable by a forward movement of a seatback;

a release cam operably coupled to the sector arm along the second pivot axis, wherein the release cam is configured to rotate downward when the sector arm is in the raised position; and

a release bar including a front portion and a rear portion, wherein the rear portion is engageable by the release cam.

2. The seating assembly of claim 1, wherein the sector arm includes a first arm operably coupled to a second arm, and further wherein the first arm is configured as a gear for a pinion disposed on the seat base.

3. The seating assembly of claim 2, wherein the gear is operable between an up position and a down position.

4. The seating assembly of claim 1, wherein the release cam is configured to depress the rear portion of the release bar to actuate a release spring, and wherein actuation of the release spring facilitates sliding movement of the seat base relative to the track assembly.

5. A seating assembly comprising:

an actuator operably coupled to a seatback;

a latch assembly releasable by the actuator when the seatback is in a forward position and comprising;

a dual cam latch disposed on a sector arm; and

a release cam operably coupled to the sector arm, wherein the release cam is configured to rotate to an engaged position when the latch assembly is released by the actuator;

a release bar including a front portion and a rear portion, wherein the rear portion is depressed when the release cam is in the engaged position; and

a release spring engageable by the rear portion and configured to allow fore and aft movement of the seating assembly.

6. The seating assembly of claim 5 further comprising:

a seat base and a track assembly, wherein the sector arm defines a first pivot axis at the seat base and a second pivot axis at the track assembly.

7. The seating assembly of claim 6, further comprising:

a striker operably coupled to the track assembly at the second pivot axis; and

a biasing spring operably coupled to the sector arm and configured to bias the release cam in the engaged position.

8. The seating assembly of claim 7, wherein the latch assembly is configured to release when the actuator releases a locking hook of the latch assembly from engagement with the striker.

9. The seating assembly of claim 5, wherein the sector arm includes a first arm operably coupled to a second arm, and further wherein the first arm is configured as a gear.

10. The seating assembly of claim 9, wherein the gear is operably coupled to a pinion and is selectively securable in any of a plurality of positions between an up position and a down position.

11. A seating assembly comprising:

a seat base slideably coupled to a track assembly;

an actuation member actuatable by a forward movement of a seatback;

a latch assembly releasable by the actuation member; and

a release cam configured to rotate into an engaged position when the latch assembly is released and abut a release bar that engages a release spring to allow movement of the seat base along the track assembly.

12. The seating assembly of claim 11, wherein the latch assembly comprises:

a sector arm configured to operably couple the latch assembly to the seat base and the track assembly; and

a dual cam latch including a structural cam configured to release the latch assembly from engagement with a striker when actuated by the actuation member.

13. The seating assembly of claim 11, wherein the release bar includes a rear portion disposed under the seat base and operably coupled to a front portion extending partially under the seat base.

14. The seating assembly of claim 13, wherein the release cam includes a foot configured to engage with an end of the rear portion of the release bar.

15. The seating assembly of claim 14, wherein the rear portion of the release bar is lowered by the foot of the release cam when the release cam is in an activated position.

16. The seating assembly of claim 15, wherein the release spring is operably coupled to the track assembly and is releasable by the rear portion of the release bar lowering.

17. The seating assembly of claim 12 further comprising:

a gear arm operably coupled to the sector arm and the seat base; and

a pinion operably coupled to the seat base.

18. The seating assembly of claim 17, wherein the gear arm is operable between an up position and a down position.

19. The seating assembly of claim 17, wherein the gear arm is actuatable by an actuator operably coupled to the seating assembly.

20. The seating assembly of claim 11, wherein the actuation member is actuatable by a lever disposed on the seating assembly.