Seat apparatus for vehicle

• US 20060214460A1
• Filed: 03/21/2006
• Published: 09/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Kojima, Yasuhiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,600,802 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 296/65.130
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0705 omega-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0825 outside the rail
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0843 about a longitudinal axis

Abstract

A seat apparatus for a vehicle includes a first rail secured to a floor of the vehicle, a second rail relatively movable to the first rail, a lock member for restricting a movement of the second rail relatively to the first rail, an operational member for engaging with the lock member, a memory release member operable with the operational member, a release member for engaging with the lock member, and a memory member of which a movement relative to the floor of the vehicle can be restricted. When a restriction of the movement of the second rail is released by the operational member, the memory release member releases a restriction of the movement of the memory member. When the restriction of the movement of the second rail is released by the release member, the movement of the memory member is restricted.

Claims

1. A seat apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:

a first rail secured to a floor of the vehicle;

a second rail secured to a seat and relatively movable to the first rail;

a lock member for restricting a movement of the second rail relative to the first rail;

an operational member for engaging with the lock member to release a restriction of the movement of the second rail relative to the first rail exerted by the lock member;

a memory release member operable with the operational member;

a release member operable in association with a tilt of a seat back over a predetermined angle for engaging with the lock member to release the restriction of the movement of the second rail relative to the first rail exerted by the lock member; and

a memory member of which a movement relative to the floor of the vehicle is restricted when the movement of the second rail relative to the first rail is restricted by the lock member, wherein

when the restriction of the movement of the second rail relative to the first rail is released by the operational member, the memory release member engages with the memory member so that a restriction of the movement of the memory member relative to the floor of the vehicle is released and so that the memory member integrally moves with the second rail, on the other hand, when the restriction of the movement of the second rail relative to the first rail is released by the release member, the movement of the memory member relative to the floor of the vehicle is restricted while the second rail moves in a first direction and after that the second rail moves in a second direction so that the memory member engages with the second rail as the second rail moves in the second direction and so that a position of the second rail relative to the first rail before the second rail moves in the first direction can be retrieved.

2. A seat apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:

a first rail secured to a floor of the vehicle;

a second rail secured to a seat and relatively movable to the first rail;

a lock member for restricting a movement of the second rail relative to the first rail;

an operational member for engaging with the lock member to release a restriction of the movement of the second rail relative to the first rail exerted by the lock member;

a memory release member operable with the operational member;

a release member operable in association with a tilt of a seat back over a predetermined angle for engaging with the lock member to release the restriction of the movement of the second rail relative to the first rail exerted by the lock member;

a memory rail secured to the floor of the vehicle; and

a memory member of which a movement relative to the memory rail is restricted when the movement of the second rail relative to the first rail is restricted by the lock member, wherein

when the restriction of the movement of the second rail relative to the first rail is released by the operational member, the memory release member engages with the memory member so that a restriction of the movement of the memory member relative to the memory rail is released and so that the memory member integrally moves with the second rail, on the other hand, when the restriction of the movement of the second rail relative to the first rail is released by the release member, the movement of the memory member relative to the memory rail is restricted while the second rail moves in a first direction and after that the second rail moves in a second direction so that the memory member engages with the second rail as the second rail moves in the second direction and so that a position of the second rail relative to the first rail before the second rail moves in the first direction can be retrieved.

3. The seat apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the first rail includes an accommodating space, and the memory rail and the memory member are placed in the accommodating space.

4. The seat apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the memory release member stops operating while the operational member continues to operate after a release of the restriction of the movement of the memory member relative to the memory rail is completed before a release of the restriction of the movement of the second rail relative to the first rail by the operational member is completed.

5. The seat apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

the operational member is rotatably connected to the second rail and includes an engaging pin, the memory release member is rotatably connected to the second rail and includes a long hole to which the engaging pin is inserted, the seat apparatus includes a restricting member provided either one of the second rail and the memory release member, the memory release member rotates together with rotation of the operational member to release the restriction of the movement of the memory member relative to the memory rail until the memory release member engages with the second rail through the restricting member, and the operational member rotates, as the engaging pin moves in the long hole, relatively to the memory release member to release the restriction of the movement of the second rail relative to the first rail after a rotational movement of the memory release member is restricted.

13. The seat apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

the memory release member stops operating while the operational member continues to operate after a release of the restriction of the movement of the memory member relative to the memory rail is completed before a release of the restriction of the movement of the second rail relative to the first rail by the operational member is completed.

14. The seat apparatus according to claim 13, wherein

the operational member is rotatably connected to the second rail and includes an engaging pin, the memory release member is rotatably connected to the second rail and includes a long hole to which the engaging pin is inserted, the seat apparatus includes a restricting member provided either one of the second rail and the memory release member, the memory release member rotates together with rotation of the operational member to release the restriction of the movement of the memory member relative to the memory rail until the memory release member engages with the second rail through the restricting member, and the operational member rotates, as the engaging pin moves in the long hole, relatively to the memory release member to release the restriction of the movement of the second rail relative to the first rail after a rotational movement of the memory release member is restricted.

6. A seat apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:

a first rail secured to a floor of the vehicle;

a second rail secured to a seat and relatively movable to the first rail;

a lock member for restricting a movement of the second rail relative to the first rail;

an operational member for engaging with the lock member to release a restriction of the movement of the second rail relative to the first rail exerted by the lock member;

a release member for engaging with the lock member to release the restriction of the movement of the second rail relative to the first rail exerted by the lock member independently from the operational member; and

a memory member for restricting the movement of the second rail to a position relative to the first rail before the second rail moves in a first direction when the second rail relatively moves to the first rail in the first direction and after that the second rail relatively moves to the first rail in a second direction.

7. The seat apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

the release member engages with the lock member as a seat back tilts over a predetermined angle to release the restriction of the movement of the second rail relative to the first rail exerted by the lock member.

8. The seat apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

when the restriction of the movement of the second rail relative to the first rail is released by the release member, the memory member restricts the movement of the second rail to the position relative to the first rail before the second rail moves in the first direction when the second rail relatively moves to the first rail in the first direction and after that the second rail relatively moves to the first rail in the second direction.

9. The seat apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a memory release member operable with the operational member, wherein

a movement of the memory member relative to the floor of the vehicle is restricted when the movement of the second rail relative to the first rail is restricted by the lock member, when the restriction of the movement of the second rail relative to the first rail is released by the operational member, the memory release member engages with the memory member to release a restriction of the movement of the memory member relative to the floor of the vehicle and the memory member integrally moves with the second rail, and when the restriction of the movement of the second rail relative to the first rail is released by the release member, the movement of the memory member relative to the floor of the vehicle is restricted while the second rail moves in the first direction and after that the second rail moves in the second direction so that the memory member engages with the second rail as the second rail moves in the second direction and so that the position of the second rail relative to the first rail before the second rail moves in the first direction can be retrieved.

10. The seat apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

the first rail includes an accommodating space, and the memory member is placed in the accommodating space.

11. The seat apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

the memory release member stops operating while the operational member continues to operate after a release of the restriction of the movement of the memory member relative to the floor of the vehicle is completed before a release of the restriction of the movement of the second rail relative to the first rail by the operational member is completed.

12. The seat apparatus according to claim 11, wherein

the operational member is rotatably connected to the second rail and includes an engaging pin, the memory release member is rotatably connected to the second rail and includes a long hole to which the engaging pin is inserted, the seat apparatus includes a restricting member provided either one of the second rail and the memory release member, the memory release member rotates together with rotation of the operational member to release the restriction of the movement of the memory member relative to the floor of the vehicle until the memory release member engages with the second rail through the restricting member, and the operational member rotates, as the engaging pin moves in the long hole, relatively to the memory release member to release the restriction of the movement of the second rail relative to the first rail after a rotational movement of the memory release member is restricted.