Reclining rear seat system for a motor vehicle

• US 10,471,857 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2018
• Issued: 11/12/2019
• 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:
  US16/042,398
• Publication Number:
  US 20180326874A1
• Time in Patent Office: 477 Days
• Field of Search: 2974632, 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 2/0252 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

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 method for reclining a rear seat in a motor vehicle, comprising:

detecting, by a sensor, presence of an occupant in a front seat;

displacing, by a first actuator, said front seat forward if no occupant is detected so as to increase space behind said front seat; and

reclining, by a second actuator, a rear seat in said increased space behind said front seat.

2. The method of claim 1, further including deploying, by a third actuator, a foot rest for a rear seat occupant.

3. The method of claim 2, including folding, by said first actuator, a front seat back over a front seat bottom so that said front seat back at least partially overlies said front seat bottom.

4. The method of claim 3, including controlling operation of said first actuator, said second actuator and said third actuator by a controller configured to control a reclining rear seat system.

5. The method of claim 1, including folding, by said first actuator, a front seat back over a front seat bottom so that said front seat back at least partially overlies said front seat bottom.

6. The method of claim 5, including controlling said first actuator and said second actuator by a controller configured to control a reclining rear seat system.