Seat for vehicle

• US 20070040437A1
• Filed: 08/01/2006
• Published: 02/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Nagura, Mikihito, Ogasawara, Takayuki
• Granted Patent: US 7,490,907 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 297/367.R
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/20 the back-rest being tiltable, e.g. to permit easy access B60N2/04, B60N2/22 , B60N2/3002 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2358 and provided with memory locks

Abstract

Right and left side reclining apparatuses adjust a rotational position of a seat back frame relative to a seat cushion frame of a seat for a vehicle. Each of the reclining apparatuses includes an upper arm which rotates with the seat back frame, a lower arm to which the upper arm is rotatably attached, and a lock member for locking rotation of the upper arm relative to the lower arm or releasing the lock. At least one of the reclining apparatuses includes a rotating member for forward-tilting which enables the seat back frame to rotate relative to the seat cushion frame while the lock is exerted, and an engaging member for locking rotation of the rotating member for forward-tilting. The right and left side reclining apparatuses are connected by a connecting member.

Claims

1. A seat for a vehicle, comprising:

a cushion frame provided at each of a left side and a right side of a seat cushion for supporting the seat cushion;

a seat back frame provided at each of a left side and a right side of a seat back for supporting the seat back, the seat back frame rotatable to the cushion frame;

a right side reclining apparatus provided between the cushion frame of the right side of the seat cushion and the seat back frame of the right side of the seat back for adjusting a rotational position of the seat back frame;

a left side reclining apparatus provided between the cushion frame of the left side of the seat cushion and the seat back frame of the left side of the seat back for adjusting the rotational position of the seat back frame;

each of the right side reclining apparatus and the left side reclining apparatus including;

an upper arm rotatable with the seat back frame;

a lower arm to which the upper arm is rotatably attached; and

a lock member for switching between a locked state, in which rotation of the upper arm relative to the lower arm is locked, and a lock-released state, in which a lock of the rotation of the upper arm relative to the lower arm is released, in a situation where the rotational position of the seat back frame is to be adjusted within a range of seating positions;

at least one of the right side reclining apparatus and the left side reclining apparatus including;

a rotating member for forward-tiling attached to either one of the upper arm and the lower arm so that the rotating member for forward-tilting cannot rotate relative to either one of the upper arm and the lower arm, the rotating member for forward-tilting enabling the seat back frame to rotate relative to the cushion frame while the locked state is retained; and

an engaging member which engages with/disengages from an engaging portion formed at the rotating member for forward-tilting for locking rotation of the rotating member for forward-tilting by engaging with the engaging portion; and

a connecting member for connecting the right side reclining apparatus and the left side reclining apparatus so that a rotational angle of the upper arm relative to the lower arm of the right side reclining apparatus is synchronized with a rotational angle of the upper arm relative to the lower arm of the left side reclining apparatus.

2. The seat for the vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the rotating member for forward-tilting and the engaging member are provided at each of the right side reclining apparatus and the left side reclining apparatus, and the connecting member connects the rotating member for forward-tilting of the right side reclining apparatus and the rotating member for forward-tilting of the left side reclining apparatus.

3. The seat for the vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the lower arm is fixed to the cushion frame so that the lower arm cannot rotate relative to the cushion frame, and the upper arm is fixed to the rotating member for forward-tilting.

4. The seat for the vehicle according to claim 2, wherein

the lower arm is fixed to the cushion frame so that the lower arm cannot rotate relative to the cushion frame, and the upper arm is fixed to the rotating member for forward-tilting.

5. The seat for the vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a stopping means for restricting the rotation of the rotating member for forward-tilting relative to the lower arm in a direction that the seat back is raised backward of the vehicle at a predetermined rotational position in a state where the engaging member is disengaged from the engaging portion and in the lock-released state, wherein

the predetermined rotational position is set to a position where the engaging portion engages with the engaging member.

6. The seat for the vehicle according to claim 2, further comprising a stopping means for restricting the rotation of the rotating member for forward-tilting relative to the lower arm in a direction that the seat back is raised backward of the vehicle at a predetermined rotational position in a state where the engaging member is disengaged from the engaging portion and in the lock-released state, wherein

the predetermined rotational position is set to a position where the engaging portion engages with the engaging member.

7. The seat for the vehicle according to claim 3, further comprising a stopping means for restricting the rotation of the rotating member for forward-tilting relative to the lower arm in a direction that the seat back is raised backward of the vehicle at a predetermined rotational position in a state where the engaging member is disengaged from the engaging portion and in the lock-released state, wherein

the predetermined rotational position is set to a position where the engaging portion engages with the engaging member.

8. The seat for the vehicle according to claim 4, further comprising a stopping means for restricting the rotation of the rotating member for forward-tilting relative to the lower arm in a direction that the seat back is raised backward of the vehicle at a predetermined rotational position in a state where the engaging member is disengaged from the engaging portion and in the lock-released state, wherein

the predetermined rotational position is set to a position where the engaging portion engages with the engaging member.

9. The seat for the vehicle according to claim 5, wherein

the lock member is located in either one of the lower arm and the upper arm in a state where movement of the lock member in a rotational direction is restricted, the stopping means includes a first stopper formed at the lock member and a second stopper formed at the other of the lower arm and the upper arm, and the first stopper and the second stopper make contact at the position where the engaging portion engages with the engaging member.

10. The seat for the vehicle according to claim 6, wherein

the lock member is located in either one of the lower arm and the upper arm in a state where movement of the lock member in a rotational direction is restricted, the stopping means includes a first stopper formed at the lock member and a second stopper formed at the other of the lower arm and the upper arm, and the first stopper and the second stopper make contact at the position where the engaging portion engages with the engaging member.

11. The seat for the vehicle according to claim 7, wherein

the lock member is located in either one of the lower arm and the upper arm in a state where movement of the lock member in a rotational direction is restricted, the stopping means includes a first stopper formed at the lock member and a second stopper formed at the other of the lower arm and the upper arm, and the first stopper and the second stopper make contact at the position where the engaging portion engages with the engaging member.

12. The seat for the vehicle according to claim 8, wherein

the lock member is located in either one of the lower arm and the upper arm in a state where movement of the lock member in a rotational direction is restricted, the stopping means includes a first stopper formed at the lock member and a second stopper formed at the other of the lower arm and the upper arm, and the first stopper and the second stopper make contact at the position where the engaging portion engages with the engaging member.