RECLINING REAR SEAT SYSTEM FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE

• US 20160288669A1
• Filed: 08/24/2015
• Published: 10/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Woodhouse, David, Chung, Bonghoon Lukas, Callum, Moray Stuart, Kang-Morales, Soo Young
• Granted Patent: US 10,035,435 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/002 Seats provided with an occupancy detection means mounted therein or thereon detection means responsive to presence or absence of children B60N2/266
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0252 with relations between different adjustments, e.g. height of headrest following longitudinal position of seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/22 the back-rest being adjustable B60N2/2878 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/995 Lower-leg-rests, e.g. calf-rests

Abstract

A reclining rear seat system is provided for a motor vehicle. That reclining rear seat system includes a front seat, a first actuator for displacing the front seat between a first position and a second position, a reclining rear seat and a second actuator for displacing the reclining rear seat between an upright position and fully reclined position. Further the system includes a controller configured to control the reclining rear seat system and a front seat occupant sensor.

Claims

1. A reclining rear seat system for a motor vehicle, comprising:

a front seat;

a first actuator for displacing said front seat between a first position and a second position;

a reclining rear seat;

a second actuator for deploying said reclining rear seat between an upright position and a fully reclined position;

a controller configured to control the reclining rear seat system; and

a front seat occupant sensor.

2. The reclining rear seat system of claim 1, further including a foot rest, said foot rest being displaceable between a home position adjacent a floor of said motor vehicle and a deployed position extending forward of said reclining rear seat toward said front seat.

3. The reclining rear seat system of claim 2, wherein said front seat includes a seat back and a seat bottom.

4. The reclining rear seat system of claim 3, wherein said second position is vehicle forward of said first position with said seat back angled so as to overlie said seat bottom.

5. The reclining rear seat system of claim 4, wherein said reclining rear seat includes a rear seat back and a rear seat bottom forming an included angle A, said included angle A in said upright position being smaller than said included angle A in said reclined position.

6. The reclining rear seat system of claim 5, further including a foot rest actuator for displacing said foot rest between said home position and said deployed position.

7. The reclining rear seat system of claim 1, wherein said front seat includes a front seat bottom and a front seat back and said first actuator includes a front seat bottom actuator and a front seat back actuator.

8. The reclining rear seat system of claim 7, wherein said reclining rear seat includes a rear seat bottom and a rear seat back and said second actuator includes a rear seat bottom actuator and a rear seat back actuator.

9. A method for reclining a rear seat in a motor vehicle, comprising:

detecting, by a sensor, presence of an occupant in a front seat;

displacing, by a first actuator, said front seat vehicle forward if no occupant is detected so as to increase space behind said front seat; and

reclining, by a second actuator, a rear seat in said increased space behind said front seat.

10. The method of claim 9, further including deploying, by a third actuator, a foot rest for a rear seat occupant.

11. The method of claim 10, including folding, by said first actuator, a front seat back over a front seat bottom so that said front seat back at least partially overlies said front seat bottom.

12. The method of claim 11, including controlling operation of said first actuator, said second actuator and said third actuator by a controller configured to control a reclining rear seat system.