Entry/exit support structure of vehicle seat

• US 10,538,178 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2017
• Issued: 01/21/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Iwasaki, Keita, Higashihara, Shota, Suzuki, Kengo
• Primary Examiner(s): Allred, David E
• Application Number:
  US15/819,447
• Publication Number:
  US 20180208083A1
• Time in Patent Office: 791 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0715 C or U-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0727 Stop members for limiting sliding movement
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/08 characterised by the locking device
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0843 about a longitudinal axis
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/12 slidable and tiltable
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/1685 characterised by a lock
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/99 adjustable

Abstract

An entry/exit support structure of a vehicle seat has: a side support portion that is provided in a seat transverse direction of a seat cushion, and that is displaced in a seat vertical direction; a seat sliding mechanism that supports the seat cushion to slide in a seat front-rear direction, and that has a locking device restricting sliding of the seat cushion in the seat front-rear direction; and a side support portion restricting mechanism having a release operation portion. In a state in which the release operation portion is positioned at a lock position, displacement of the side support portion in the seat vertical direction is restricted. In a state in which the release operation portion is positioned at a release position, displacement of the side support portion in the seat vertical direction is permitted and sliding of the seat cushion in the seat front-rear direction is permitted.

Claims

1. An entry/exit support structure of a vehicle seat, comprising:

a side support cushion portion of a seat cushion, the side support cushion portion being provided at at least one side in a seat transverse direction of the seat cushion on which a vehicle occupant sits such that in a lowered position, an upper surface of the side support cushion portion forms a continuation of the seat cushion and is generally in the same plane as an upper surface of the seat cushion, and the side support cushion portion is configured to be displaced in a seat vertical direction such that the upper surface of the side support cushion portion rises out of the plane;

a seat sliding mechanism that supports the seat cushion to be configured to slide in a seat front-rear direction, and that has a locking device that restricts sliding of the seat cushion in the seat front-rear direction; and

a side support cushion portion restricting mechanism that has a release operation portion comprising a support lock releasing lever operated by a vehicle occupant, the support lock releasing lever being connected to the locking device,

wherein moving the support lock releasing lever into a state in which the release operation portion is positioned at a lock position restricts displacement of the side support cushion portion in the seat vertical direction, and, moving the support lock releasing lever into a state in which the release operation portion is positioned at a release position causes both the restricting mechanism and the locking device to be released such that both displacement of the side support cushion portion in the seat vertical direction and sliding of the seat cushion in the seat front-rear direction are permitted.

2. The entry/exit support structure of a vehicle seat of claim 1, wherein the side support cushion portion includes a side support cushion portion urging member, and the side support cushion portion urging member urges the side support cushion portion in a direction of being displaced toward a seat lower side.

3. The entry/exit support structure of a vehicle seat of claim 1, wherein the release operation portion is provided at a seat lower side of the side support cushion portion.

4. The entry/exit support structure of a vehicle seat of claim 1, wherein a slide permitting operation portion is provided at a lower side of the seat cushion at a position different than the release operation portion, and due to the slide permitting operation portion being operated, sliding of the seat cushion in a seat front-rear direction is permitted while the support structure is in a state in which displacement of the side support cushion portion in the seat vertical direction is restricted.

5. The entry/exit support structure of a vehicle seat of claim 1, wherein the side support cushion portion restricting mechanism has a first cable and a second cable, and when the release operation portion is operated, the first cable is pulled and sliding of the seat cushion in the seat front-rear direction is permitted, and the second cable is pulled and displacement of the side support cushion portion in the seat vertical direction is permitted.

6. The entry/exit support structure of a vehicle seat of claim 5, wherein the side support cushion portion restricting mechanism further has a lock plate whose proximal end side is joined to a shaft portion, and that is formed in a shape of a plate that extends toward a radial direction outer side of the shaft portion, and an engaged plate having a lock hole that restricts rotation of the shaft portion due to a distal end portion of the lock plate being engaged with the lock hole, the engaged plate being tiltably supported via a pin.

7. The entry/exit support structure of a vehicle seat of claim 6, wherein, when the second cable, which is directly connected to the engaged plate, is pulled, the engaged plate is tilted toward one side, and the distal end portion of the lock plate is pulled-out from the lock hole of the engaged plate, and restriction of rotation of the shaft portion is released, and the release operation portion enters a state of being positioned at the release position.