Vehicle seat

• US 20040104590A1
• Filed: 08/12/2003
• Published: 06/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company), Tachi-S Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company), Tachi-S Company Limited
• Inventors: Tamada, Kouji, Kikuchi, Nobukazu, Sekita, Isao, Ikeda, Tetsuo
• Granted Patent: US 6,817,646 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 296/65.03
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/01583 locking on transversal elements on the vehicle floor or rail, e.g. transversal rods
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/06 slidable B60N2/12 , B60N2/2209 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/3011 the back-rest being hinged on the cushion, e.g. "portefeuille movement"
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/3013 the back-rest being hinged on the vehicle frame
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/305 the cushion being hinged on the vehicle frame
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/309 rods
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/366 characterised by the locking device
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/859 specially adapted for rear seats
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2205/35 Seat, bench or back-rests being split laterally in two or more parts

Abstract

A vehicle seat of fold-down type which allows simultaneous flipping over of both seat back and seat cushion to their respective positions via an interlocking mechanism. The interlocking mechanism is operatively connected between the seat back and seat cushion, so that, for instance, upon folding the seat back down to a horizontal storage position, the seat cushion is automatically flipped over upwardly to an upright use position, without contact and interference therebetween. A seat cushion lock mechanism may be provided in such interlocking element so as to permit automatic locking and unlocking of the seat cushion to and from a vehicle body by folding the seat back downwardly and upwardly. In that fold-down seat, a headrest lock mechanism may be provided such that operation of a seat back lock mechanism causes quick operation of the headrest lock mechanism to unlock the headrest prior to the seat back being folded down.

Claims

1. A vehicle seat in combination with a vehicle body, comprising:

a seat cushion rotatably provided so as to be able to be rotated or flipped over between a horizontal use position and an upright storage position;

a seat back rotatably provided so as to be able to be rotated or flipped over between an upright use position and a horizontal storage position;

a lock means for locking and unlocking said seat cushion to and from said horizontal use position, said lock means being provided between said seat cushion and said vehicle body at a point below the seat cushion; and

an interlocking means operatively connected with said seat back and said seat cushion, said interlocking means including a biasing means for biasingly cause said seat cushion to flip over to said upright storage position, with such an arrangement that, upon folding said seat back from said upright use position down to said horizontal storage position, said lock means is automatically operated by said interlocking means to unlock said seat cushion from the horizontal use position, and thus, said seat cushion is automatically caused by said biasing means to flip over from said horizontal use position to said upright storage position.

2. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 1, wherein said interlocking means is arranged laterally of both said seat back and said seat cushion and disposed below said seat cushion.

3. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 1, wherein said seat cushion is rotatably connected with said vehicle body at one end portion thereof which is disposed forwardly of said vehicle body, wherein said seat back is rotatably connected with said vehicle body at a lower end portion thereof, and wherein another lock means is provided for locking and unlocking said seat back to and from said upright use position.

4. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 1, wherein said lock means comprises:

a striker provided in said seat cushion;

a rotary latch member provided to said vehicle body so as to be ratable in a first direction for engagement with said striker and in a second direction for disengagement from said striker; and

a rotary actuator member rotatably provided for causing rotation of said rotary latch member in one of said first and second directions in conjunction with said interlocking means.

5. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 1, wherein said interlocking means includes a link means having one end pivotally connected with said seat back, and wherein said biasing means comprises an elastically contractible/extendable biasing mechanism which is connected at one end thereof with another end of said link member and also connected at another end thereof with said seat cushion.

6. The vehicle seat according to claim 5, wherein said elastically contractible/extendable biasing mechanism comprises:

a body connected with said another end of said link means;

a rod movably provided in said body so as to move in an outward direction therefrom and in an inward direction thereinto, said rod being connected with said seat cushion; and

an elastic biasing element provided in said body for biasingly causing said rod to move in said outward direction.

7. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 1, wherein said lock means comprises:

a striker provided in said seat cushion;

a rotary latch member provided at a side of said vehicle body so as to be ratable in a first direction for engagement with said striker and in a second direction for disengagement from said striker; and

a rotary actuator member rotatably provided for causing rotation of said rotary latch member in one of said first and second directions in conjunction with said interlocking means, wherein said interlocking means includes a link means having one end pivotally connected with said seat back, and wherein said biasing means comprises an elastically contractible/extendable biasing mechanism which is connected at one end thereof with another end of said link member and also connected at another end thereof with said seat cushion, and wherein said interlocking means further includes a slide pin connected between said link means and said elastically contractible/extendable biasing mechanism, said slide pin being so slidably provided as to slidingly move toward and away from said rotary actuator member, with such an arrangement that, when said seat back is folded from said upright use position down to said horizontal storage position, said slide pin moves toward and contacts said rotary actuator member, thereby causing rotation of the rotary latch member in said second direction for disengagement from said striker.

8. The vehicle seat according to claim 7, which further comprises a guide means provided on said vehicle body, said guide means being adapted for allowing slidable movement of said slide pin therealong.

9. A vehicle seat in combination with a vehicle body, comprising:

a seat cushion rotatably provided so as to be able to be rotated or flipped over between a horizontal use position and an upright storage position;

a seat back rotatably with said vehicle body so as to be able to be rotated or flipped over between an upright use position and a horizontal storage position; and

an interlocking means operatively connected with said seat back and said seat cushion, said interlocking means including;

a biasing means for biasingly causing said seat cushion to flip over to said upright storage position, said basing means being so workable as to resiliently contract and extend in a direction;

a link means having one end pivotally connected with said seat back and another end pivotally connected with said biasing means; and

a guide means for guiding said biasing means so as to insure that the biasing means works in said direction,

with such an arrangement that, upon folding said seat back from the upright use position down to the horizontal storage position, both said link means and said biasing means are moved via said guide means, thereby automatically rotating or flipping over said seat cushion from said horizontal use position to said upright storage position.

10. The fold-down vehicle seat as claimed in claim 9, wherein said biasing means comprises an elastically contractible/extendable biasing mechanism consisting essentially of:

a body connected with said another end of said link means;

a rod movably provided in said body so as to move in an outward direction therefrom and in an inward direction thereinto, said rod being connected with said seat cushion; and

an elastic biasing element provided in said body for biasingly causing said rod to move in said outward direction.

11. The vehicle seat according to claim 10, wherein said elastically contractible/ extendable basing mechanism comprises a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder.

12. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 9, wherein said biasing means and said link means are operatively connected with said seat back and said seat cushion in such a manner that, when said seat back is folded down substantially to a midway point between said upright use position and said horizontal storage position, said seat cushion is flipped over by said biasing and link means to said upright storage position, and, with further folding down of said seat back from said midway point to said horizontal storage position, the seat cushion is positively retained at the upright storage position under a biasing force of said biasing means.

13. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 9, wherein said seat cushion is rotatably connected with said vehicle body at one end portion thereof which faces in a direction forwardly of said vehicle body, wherein said seat back is rotatably connected with said vehicle body at a lower end portion thereof which forms a center of rotation of the seat back, and wherein said link means is pivotally connected, at said one end thereof, with said seat back at a point above said center of rotation of the seat back.

14. The vehicle seat according to claim 9, wherein said link means comprises at least one link member of generally “

L”

shape.

15. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 9, wherein a lock means is provided for locking and unlocking said seat back to and from said vehicle body.

16. A vehicle seat in combination with a vehicle body, comprising:

a seat back rotatably provided so as to be able to be rotated or flipped over between an upright use position and a horizontal storage position;

a striker fixed on said vehicle body at a point corresponding to said upright use position associated with said seat back;

a seat back lock means for locking and unlocking said seat back to and from said striker, said seat back lock means comprising;

an operation lever means movable in one of a locking direction to lock said seat back to said striker and an unlocking direction to unlock said seat back from said striker;

a latch workable for engagement with said striker;

a lock bracket having one end portion rotatably supported in said seat back and another end portion connected via a connecting rod with said operation lever means, wherein said one end portion is disposed above said latch; and

a biasing means connected between said latch and said another end portion of said lock bracket so as to not only biasingly cause said lock bracket to engage said latch, but also bias said operation lever means in said locking direction;

a headrest rotatably provided on said seat back;

a headrest lock means for locking and unlocking said headrest to and from a locked position, said headrest lock means comprising;

a lock piece provided with said headrest; and

a hook-like latch member biased by a spring in a direction to engage said lock piece, and

an interlocking means operatively connected between said operation lever means of said seat back lock means and said hook-like latch member of said headrest lock means.

17. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 16, wherein said interlocking means comprises a cable having one end connected with said operation lever means and another end connected with said hook-like latch member.

18. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 16, wherein said operation lever means comprises an operation knob and an actuator lever portion, wherein said actuator lever portion is rotatable about a center of rotation, and wherein said connecting rod is connected with said actuator lever portion at a point near to said center of rotation, while said interlocking means is connected with said actuator lever portion at a point distant from said center of rotation, so that, when said operation knob is moved in said unlocking direction, said hook-like latch member of said headrest lock means is first disengaged from said lock piece associated with said headrest, thereby allowing said headrest to rotate from said locked position to a storage position, after which, said latch is disengaged from said striker, thereby allowing said seat back to be flipped over from said upright use position to said horizontal storage position.

19. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 16, wherein said latch has an engagement cut-out portion formed therein and said lock bracket is formed with an engagement projection, with such an arrangement that, when said latch of said seat back lock means is engaged with said striker, said engagement projection of said lock bracket is engaged with said engagement cut-out portion of said latch, thereby locking said seat back to said upright use position.

20. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 16, wherein said latch is formed with a protrudent portion, wherein said protrudent portion is disposed in a path along which said striker enters said seat back, with such an arrangement that, when returning said seat back from said horizontal storage position to said upright use position, said striker contacts and pushes said protrudent portion of said latch, thereby causing said latch to move to and engage with said striker.