Seat having cushion height and recline adjustment mechanisms

• US 20070007807A1
• Filed: 07/06/2005
• Published: 01/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seats, Inc. (Nordic Group of Cos. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Seats, Inc. (Nordic Group of Cos. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Hahn, Douglas
• Granted Patent: US 7,390,062 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 297/344.120
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/06 slidable B60N2/12 , B60N2/2209 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/1615 Parallelogram-like structure
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/1675 with weight compensating means
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/1828 Slides only
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/1896 Stepwise movement mechanisms, e.g. ratchets B60N2/1882 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/224 Stepwise movement mechanisms, e.g. ratchets
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2352 with external pawls
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/505 Adjustable suspension including height adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/507 Parallelogram-like structure

Abstract

A seat includes a base portion and an upright portion pivotable with respect to the base portion. The seat includes a reclining mechanism that includes first and second toothed members that are selectively engaged and disengaged to resist and permit, respectively, the angle of the upright portion with respect to the base portion. The first and second toothed members are engaged and disengaged through rotation of a cam mechanism. The seat also includes a bottom seat cushion height adjustment mechanism that permits raising and lowering of the bottom seat cushion with respect to a base portion of the frame. The bottom seat cushion height adjustment mechanism includes a slidable member that is slidable with respect to the base frame, and a plurality of cams that convert linear motion of the slidable member into vertical movement of the bottom seat cushion. A single biasing member biases the upright portion and bottom seat cushion toward their respective default positions in the absence of an overwhelming opposing force from an operator seated in the seat. The seat includes a seat belt assembly having all points mounted to the frame of the seat frame, and not to the vehicle in which the seat is installed. The biasing member is not a structural element of the seat, and all stress transferred to the seat through the seat belt assembly is borne by the seat frame and the first and second toothed members of the reclining mechanism.

Claims

1. A seat comprising:

a base portion including a rigid base frame and a seat bottom cushion supported by the base frame;

a generally upright portion extending up from and being pivotable with respect to the base portion and including a rigid back frame and a seat back cushion mounted to the back frame;

means for adjusting the height of the bottom cushion through a range of motion with respect to the base frame, the bottom cushion having a default height within the range of motion;

means for adjusting the angle of the upright portion of the seat through a range of motion with respect to the base portion of the seat, the upright portion having, within the range of motion, a default angle with respect to the base portion; and

a biasing member interconnected between the base portion and upright portion of the seat and actuable in one direction to bias the bottom cushion toward the default height and in a second direction to bias the upright portion of the seat toward the default angle.

2. The seat of claim 1, further comprising:

a belt having opposite ends each interconnected to one of the upright and base portions of the seat;

a first buckle member interconnected with the belt; and

a second buckle member affixed to one of the upright and base portions of the seat;

wherein interconnecting the first and second buckle members causes portions of the belt to extend across the lap and chest of a person sitting in the seat.

3. The seat of claim 1, wherein the first and second directions of actuation of the biasing member are opposite one another.

4. The seat of claim 1, wherein the biasing member includes a gas spring having one end affixed to the upright portion of the seat and the opposite end affixed to the means for adjusting the height of the bottom cushion;

wherein the gas spring is in one instance braced against the means for adjusting height and actuable in the first direction to cause pivotal movement of the upright portion to its default angle; and

wherein the gas spring is in another instance braced against the upright portion of the seat and actuable in a second direction to actuate the means for adjusting height to move the bottom seat cushion to its default height.

5. A seat comprising:

a base portion including a rigid base frame and a seat bottom cushion supported by the base frame;

a generally upright portion extending up from and pivotable with respect to the base portion and including a rigid back frame, and a seat back cushion mounted to the back frame;

an actuable toothed member mounted on a first side of the seat to one of the base frame and back frame for movement with respect to the associated frame;

a second toothed member mounted on the first side of the seat to the other of the base frame and back frame;

a biasing member biasing the actuable toothed member into engagement with the second toothed member to resist pivotal movement of the upright portion of the seat with respect to the base portion of the seat;

a lever pivotably mounted to a second side of the seat opposite the first side; and

a linkage transferring pivotal movement of the lever into movement of the actuable toothed member.

6. The seat of claim 5, wherein the linkage comprises a rigid rod having a longitudinal axis;

wherein the rigid rod extends between the first and second sides of the seat and is interconnected between the lever and the actuable toothed member; and

wherein pivotal movement of the lever causes the rigid rod to rotate about the longitudinal axis to selectively move the actuable toothed member into and out of engagement with the second toothed member.

7. The seat of claim 6, wherein the actuable toothed member is pivotably mounted to the associated frame at a pivot point and about a pivot axis non-collinear with the longitudinal axis of the rigid rod;

and wherein the linkage further includes a cam interconnected with the rigid rod and transferring rotation of the rigid rod about the longitudinal axis into pivotal movement of the actuable toothed member about the pivot axis.

8. The seat of claim 7, wherein the actuable toothed member includes a circular hole;

wherein the cam portion of the linkage includes a circular disk rotatably received within the circular hole; and

wherein the rigid rod is connected to the disk at an off-center location such that rotation of the rod about the longitudinal axis causes eccentric rotation of the disk within the circular hole and results in the actuable toothed member pivoting about the pivot axis.

9. The seat of claim 5, further comprising:

a belt having opposite ends each interconnected to one of the upright and base portions of the seat;

a first buckle member interconnected with the belt; and

a second buckle member affixed to one of the upright and base portions of the seat;

wherein interconnecting the first and second buckle members causes portions of the belt to extend across the lap and chest of a person sitting in the seat.

10. The seat of claim 9, wherein the actuable and second toothed members are part of the load-bearing path of the seat frame;

and wherein the seat meets industry standards for pull tests on the belt without the assistance of any structural interconnection between the seat and a vehicle in which the seat is installed, other than mounting the seat to the vehicle floor.

11. A seat comprising:

a base portion including a rigid base frame, a seat bottom cushion supported by the base frame, and a first toothed member mounted to the base frame on a first side of the seat;

a generally upright portion extending up from and pivotable with respect to the base portion and including a rigid back frame, a seat back cushion mounted to the back frame, and a second toothed member mounted to the back frame on the first side of the seat;

a belt having opposite ends each interconnected to one of the upright and base portions of the seat;

a first buckle member interconnected with the belt; and

a second buckle member affixed to one of the upright and base portions of the seat;

wherein interconnecting the first and second buckle members causes portions of the belt to extend across the lap and chest of a person sitting in the seat; and

wherein the first and second toothed members are selectively engageable and disengagable to resist and permit, respectively, pivotal movement of the upright portion of the seat with respect to the base portion of the seat.

12. The seat of claim 11, wherein one of the first and second toothed members is an actuable toothed member;

and wherein the actuable toothed member is pivotable about a pivot axis into and out of engagement with the other toothed member to resist and permit, respectively, pivotal movement of the upright portion of the seat with respect to the base portion of the seat;

the seat further comprising a cam mechanism pivotable about an axis non-collinear with the pivot axis of the actuable toothed member to pivot the actuable member about the pivot axis.

13. The seat of claim 11, wherein the first and second toothed members are part of the load-bearing path of the seat frame;

and wherein the seat meets industry standards for pull tests on the belt without the assistance of any structural interconnection between the seat and a vehicle in which the seat is installed, other than mounting the seat to the vehicle floor.

14. A seat comprising:

a base portion including a rigid base frame and a cushion supported by the base frame;

a generally upright portion extending up from the base portion and including a rigid back frame and a cushion mounted to the back frame, the seat defining an included angle between the top of the base portion cushion and front of the upright portion cushion, the upright portion of the seat being pivotable with respect to the base portion;

a mechanism for selectively locking and unlocking the upright portion of the seat to resist and permit, respectively, pivotal movement of the upright portion of the seat with respect to the base portion of the seat; and

means for biasing the upright portion of the seat toward the minimum included angle;

wherein the load path for resisting forward movement of the upright portion of the seat includes the locking mechanism and does not include the biasing member.

15. The seat of claim 14, further comprising:

a belt having opposite ends each interconnected to one of the upright and base portions of the seat;

a first buckle member interconnected with the belt; and

a second buckle member affixed to one of the upright and base portions of the seat;

wherein interconnecting the first and second buckle members causes portions of the belt to extend across the lap and chest of a person sitting in the seat.

16. The seat of claim 15, wherein the mechanism for selectively locking and unlocking is part of the load-bearing path of the seat frame;

and wherein the seat meets industry standards for pull tests on the belt without the assistance of any structural interconnection between the seat and a vehicle in which the seat is installed, other than mounting the seat to the vehicle floor.

17. A seat comprising:

a frame;

a bottom cushion;

a slidable member slidable with respect to the frame; and

at least one cam pivotably mounted to the frame and pivotably interconnected with both the slidable member and the bottom cushion to transfer linear sliding movement of the slidable member into vertical movement of the bottom cushion with respect to the frame.

18. The seat of claim 17, wherein the cam is configured to transfer linear movement of the slidable member into vertical movement of the bottom cushion at about a 1:

2 linear-to-vertical ratio.

19. The seat of claim 17, wherein the slidable member is slidable with a range of motion, the seat further comprising a mechanism for locking the slidable member at any of a plurality of selected locations within the range of motion to maintain the bottom cushion at a selected height with respect to the base portion of the frame.

20. The seat of claim 19, wherein the mechanism includes a first toothed member mounted to the slidable member for movement therewith and a second toothed member mounted to the frame;

wherein one of the first and second toothed members is movable to selectively engage and disengage the other toothed member to resist and permit, respectively, sliding movement of the slidable member with respect to the frame.

21. The seat of claim 17, further comprising a biasing member biasing the slidable member toward a default position;

and means for locking the bottom cushion at a selected height;

wherein the biasing member moves the bottom cushion toward the default position in response to disengagement of the means for locking.

22. The seat of claim 21, wherein the default position of the slidable member corresponds to the bottom cushion being in its highest position, and wherein the biasing force created by the biasing member is overcome by the weight of a person sitting on the bottom cushion.

23. The seat of claim 17, further comprising a forward cam support rod and a rear cam support rod;

wherein each cam support rod includes a longitudinal axis;

wherein each cam support rod is mounted to the frame for rotation about its longitudinal axis;

wherein each cam support rod includes a first end at a first side of the seat and a second end at a second side of the seat that is opposite the first side; and

wherein the at least one cam includes a cam mounted to each of the first and second ends of each of the forward and rear cam support rods and fixed for rotation with the cam support rods.