VEHICLE SEAT

• US 20110241401A1
• Filed: 03/30/2011
• Published: 10/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Boshoku Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Toyota Boshoku Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: OTSUKA, Taiyo
• Granted Patent: US 8,573,674 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 297/331
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0715 C or U-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0818 inside the rail
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0875 in a vertical direction
• 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

Abstract

A switching mechanism that switches a locking device of a slider device between a locked state and an unlocked state includes a sliding member that slides along a wall surface of a fixed rail, a step portion that is formed on the wall surface of the fixed rail and onto which the sliding member rides when a seat main body enters an unusable range, an unlocking mechanism that is provided on the seat main body and that unlocks the locking device and keeps the locking device unlocked in response to movement of the sliding member as the sliding member rides onto the step portion, and an unlocking operation canceling mechanism that is provided on the seat main body and that cancels an operation by the unlocking mechanism to unlock the locking device when the seat cushion is flipped up into a tipped up position.

Claims

1. A vehicle seat that is slidably provided on a vehicle floor, comprising:

a fixed rail that is fixed onto the vehicle floor;

a slide rail that is slidably assembled to the fixed rail, a seat main body being provided on an upper portion of the slide rail;

a locking device that is provided on the slide rail and that locks the slide rail such that the slide rail will not slide, by engaging with the fixed rail; and

a switching mechanism that switches the locking device between a locked state and an unlocked state,

wherein the vehicle seat is configured such that the seat main body that is slidably provided on the vehicle floor is able to be locked so as not to slide when the seat main body is in a sittable position as well as when the seat main body is in a tipped up position in which a seat cushion is flipped up, in a preset seat-usable range, and the seat main body is able to be locked so as not to slide by being placed in the tipped up position, in a position in which the seat main body has been slid out of the seat-usable range and into an unusable range, and

wherein the switching mechanism has a sliding member that is provided on the slide rail and that slides along a wall surface of the fixed rail, a step portion that is formed on the wall surface of the fixed rail and onto which the sliding member rides when the seat main body enters the unusable range, an unlocking mechanism that is provided on the seat main body and that unlocks the locking device and keeps the locking device unlocked in response to movement of the sliding member as the sliding member rides onto the step portion, and an unlocking operation canceling mechanism that is provided on the seat main body and that cancels an operation by the unlocking mechanism to unlock the locking device when the seat cushion is flipped up into the tipped up position.

2. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the unlocking mechanism includes a link that is connected to the locking device, and a first elongated hole that extends in a longitudinal direction of the link is provided in the link;

the unlocking operation canceling mechanism includes a link that is connected to the locking device, and a second elongated hole that extends in a longitudinal direction of the link is provided in the link;

the link of the unlocking mechanism and the link of the unlocking operation canceling mechanism are connected together by a slide pin that slides in the first elongated hole and the second elongated hole;

the unlocking mechanism keeps the locking device unlocked by having the link of the unlocking mechanism rotate in response to the movement of the sliding member, such that the slide pin pushes on the locking device; and

the unlocking operation canceling mechanism stops the slide pin from pushing on the locking device by having the link of the unlocking operation canceling mechanism rotate such that the slide pin slides along the elongated hole in the link of the unlocking mechanism when the seat cushion is in the tipped up position.

3. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the unlocking mechanism includes an operating arm that is operated by the sliding member and extends out from the seat main body;

the operating arm is arranged facing an upper surface of the sliding member; and

the upper surface of the sliding member is provided exposed above the slide rail.