VEHICLE SEAT

• US 20120074743A1
• Filed: 01/14/2011
• Published: 03/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tachi-S Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Tachi-S Company Limited
• Inventors: ASAKURA, Takashi
• Granted Patent: US 8,550,554 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 297/216.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/1615 Parallelogram-like structure
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/165 Gear wheel driven mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/4228 due to impact coming from the rear
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/42709 involving residual deformation or fracture of the structure

Abstract

In a vehicle seat, two front links and two rear links are pivotally connected between a seat cushion frame and a floor of vehicle. One of the two front links is of a sector shape having an arcuate gear region meshed with a drive pinion. Or alternatively, both of the two front links may be of such sector gear configuration, such that one front link is engaged with the drive pinion and the other front link engaged with a free-to-rotate pinion. Hence, both two front links are robust enough to withstand an excessive great load in the case of rear-end collision. By contrast, the two rear links are simply prone to deformation by the excessive great load. Accordingly, the excessive great load is to be intensively exerted upon those two rear links which will in turn be deformed quickly to absorb a corresponding excessive great impact.

Claims

1. A vehicle seat in combination with a floor of vehicle, comprising:

a seat cushion frame including a first lateral frame member and a second lateral frame member, wherein said first lateral frame member has a forward portion facing forwardly of the vehicle, while said second lateral frame member has a backward portion facing backwardly of the vehicle,

a drive pinion rotatably provided to said first lateral frame member, said drive pinion being operatively connected with a drive source;

a first front link element of sector shape having;

a lower end portion pivotally secured on said floor of vehicle; and

an upper widened end portion so formed to diverge from said lower end portion, said upper widened end portion being pivotally connected with said forward portion of said first lateral frame member;

said first front link element having an arcuate gear region defined in said upper widened end portion thereof, said arcuate gear region being in meshed engagement with said drive pinion and so arranged as to face backwardly of the seat;

said drive pinion being disposed backward of said arcuate gear region;

a second front link element which is at the upper end portion thereof pivotally connected with said forward portion of said second lateral frame member, while being at the lower end portion thereof pivotally fixed on said floor of vehicle;

said first and second front link elements being interlocked via a connecting element so as to be movable vertically in a synchronized way;

a first rear link element which is at the upper end portion thereof pivotally connected with said backward portion of said first lateral frame member, while being at the lower end portion thereof pivotally fixed on said floor of vehicle; and

a second rear link element which is at the upper end portion thereof pivotally connected with said backward portion of said second lateral frame member, while being at the lower end portion thereof pivotally fixed on said floor of vehicle;

wherein said first and second rear link elements are prone to deformation by an excessive great load applied backwardly and downwardly to the seat in case of rear-end collision, thereby absorbing a corresponding excessive great impact.

2. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second front link element is a second front link element of sector shape which has:

an upper widened portion defined in an upper area thereof corresponding to said upper end portion of the second front link element; and

an arcuate gear region defined in said upper widened portion, wherein a pinion is provided to said second lateral frame member in a free-to-rotate manner, wherein said pinion is disposed backward of said arcuate gear region of said second front link element of sector shape, while being in meshed engagement therewith, wherein said connecting element comprises a connecting shaft rotatably journalled between said first and second lateral frame members; and

wherein said second front link element of sector shape and said first front link element of sector shape are both fixed on said connecting shaft, so as to be rotatable in a synchronized way relative to a central axis of said connecting shaft.