OPERATING LEVER STRUCTURE FOR VEHICLE SEAT, AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING OPERATING LEVER STRUCTURE

• US 20100090515A1
• Filed: 09/17/2009
• Published: 04/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Boshoku Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Boshoku Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: YAMAZAKI, Akira, TOMONARI, Yoshitaka
• Granted Patent: US 8,353,561 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 297/463.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/6009 covering more than only the seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/90 Details or parts not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/1818 Belt guides
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/34 Belt retractors, e.g. reels anchoring devices , e.g. guide loops , with means to tension the belt in an emergency B60R22/195
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

In an operating lever structure for a vehicle seat in which an opening through which a seat belt extends is provided adjacent to a seat cushion lifting and lowering mechanism and a fixed end portion of the seat belt is connected to a seat cushion frame, a lifter lever includes a plate-like extending portion that is coupled to the lifting and lowering mechanism and a protrusion portion. The plate-like extending portion extends toward a front of the seat. The protrusion portion extends from the front end of the plate-like extending portion toward the outside in the seat width direction. The protrusion portion protrudes from an outer shield through a first exposing port of the outer shield, installed to a side portion of the seat cushion.

Claims

1. An operating lever structure for a vehicle seat in which an opening through which a seat belt extends is provided adjacent to a lifting and lowering mechanism that changes a vertical position of a seat cushion by lifting or lowering the seat cushion, and a fixed end portion of the seat belt is connected to a frame of the seat cushion, the operating lever structure comprising:

a lifting and lowering lever that is used for lifting and lowering operation of the lifting and lowering mechanism;

a reclining lever that is used for reclining operation to recline a seat back so as to change a back rest position of the seat back; and

a shielder that is installed so as to cover a side portion of the seat cushion in a state where the reclining lever and the lifting and lowering lever are operably exposed outside, wherein

the shielder has a first exposing port that is opened toward an outer side in a seat width direction of the vehicle seat to allow the lifting and lowering lever to be inserted and a second exposing port that is opened toward a front of the vehicle seat to allow the reclining lever to be inserted, and

the lifting and lowering lever includes a plate-like extending portion, of which one end portion is coupled to the lifting and lowering mechanism and the other end portion extends toward the front of the vehicle seat, and a protrusion portion that extends from the other end portion of the plate-like extending portion toward the outer side in the seat width direction and that protrudes from the shielder through the first exposing port.

2. The operating lever structure for a vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein

the opening through which the seat belt extends is provided on the outer side in the seat width direction with respect to the lifting and lowering mechanism,

the reclining lever is provided on the outer side of the opening in the seat width direction, and

the plate-like extending portion extends toward the front of the vehicle seat beyond the opening.

3. A method of manufacturing the operating lever structure for a vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein

in a first step, the shielder is moved from the front of the vehicle seat toward a rear of the vehicle seat to insert the reclining lever through the second exposing port and a first portion of the shielder is installed to the side portion of the seat cushion, and

in a second step, the shielder is moved from the outer side in the seat width direction toward an inner side in the seat width direction to insert the lifting and lowering lever through the first exposing port and a second portion of the shielder is installed to the side portion of the seat cushion.

4. An operating lever structure for a vehicle seat in which an opening through which a seat belt extends is provided adjacent to a lifting and lowering mechanism that changes a vertical position of a seat cushion by lifting or lowering the seat cushion, and a fixed end portion of the seat belt is connected to a frame of the seat cushion, the operating lever structure comprising:

a lifting and lowering lever that is used for lifting and lowering operation of the lifting and lowering mechanism; and

a shielder that is installed so as to cover a side portion of the seat cushion, wherein the shielder has a first exposing port that allows the lifting and lowering lever to be inserted, and

wherein the lifting and lowering lever includes a plate-like extending portion, of which one end portion is coupled to the lifting and lowering mechanism and the other end portion extends toward a front of the vehicle seat beyond the opening through which the seat belt extends, wherein the other end portion of the plate-like extending portion protrudes from the shielder through the first exposing port.

5. The operating lever structure for a vehicle seat according to claim 4, further comprising:

a reclining lever that is used to operate a reclining mechanism for changing a back rest angle of a seat back by reclining the seat back, wherein

the shielder has a second exposing port that is located on a rear side with respect to the opening through which the seat belt extends and through which the reclining lever protrudes from the shielder.

6. A method of manufacturing an operating lever structure for a vehicle seat in which an opening through which a seat belt extends is provided adjacent to a lifting and lowering mechanism that changes a vertical position of a seat cushion by lifting or lowering the seat cushion, and a fixed end portion of the seat belt is connected to a frame of the seat cushion, wherein the operating lever structure includes:

a lifting and lowering lever that is used for lifting and lowering operation of the lifting and lowering mechanism;

a reclining lever that is used for reclining operation so as to change a back rest position of a seat back by reclining the seat back; and

a shielder that is installed so as to cover a side portion of the seat cushion, wherein the shielder has a first exposing port that is opened toward an outer side in a seat width direction of the vehicle seat and through which the lifting and lowering lever protrudes from the shielder, and a second exposing port that is opened toward a front of the vehicle seat and through which the reclining lever protrudes from the shielder,

the method of manufacturing the operating lever structure comprising;

inserting the reclining lever through the second exposing port and installing a first portion of the shielder to the side portion of the seat cushion; and

inserting the lifting and lowering lever through the first exposing port and installing a second portion of the shielder to the side portion of the seat cushion.