PASSENGER SUPPORT AND METHODS OF USE

• US 20170253146A1
• Filed: 03/03/2017
• Published: 09/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Faurecia Automotive Seating, LLC (Forvia SE)
• Original Assignee: Faurecia Automotive Seating, LLC (Forvia SE)
• Inventors: COOLEY, Thomas J.
• Granted Patent: US 10,479,232 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/12 slidable and tiltable
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/123 and provided with memory locks
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2002/126 the backrest being maintained in its tilted position until the seat has slided to its memorised position
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2002/957 the locking system prevents an abnormal or wrong mounting situation, i.e. deployment or functioning of a seat part being prevented if the seat or seat part is not properly mounted

Abstract

A passenger support includes vehicle seat having a seat base mounted to a track for sliding the seat base longitudinally. A sliding motion controller is provided. The seat base is movable from a slid-back configuration to a forward-seating configuration when the sliding motion controller is activated.

Claims

1. A passenger support comprising

a foundation frame configured to be coupled to a vehicle,

a vehicle seat including a seat base mounted to the foundation frame for sliding movement between a slid-back configuration and a slid-forward configuration, the seat base configured to move from a horizontal-use configuration to a tilted configuration,

a sliding motion controller configured to block the seat base from moving to the slid-forward configuration when the sliding motion controller is deactivated and to allow the seat base to move toward the slid-forward configuration when the sliding motion controller is activated,

a pivoting motion controller configured to block the seat base from moving from the horizontal-use configuration to the tilted configuration when the pivoting motion controller is deactivated and to allow the seat base to move to the tilted configuration when the pivoting motion controller is activated, and

a locking mechanism configured to lock the seat base in the tilted configuration as the seat base is moved to the slid-forward configuration.

2. The passenger support of claim 1, further comprising a longitudinal motion controller including a forward tab and a rear tab configured to engage a stopper to control movement of the seat base between the slid-back configuration and the slid-forward configuration.

3. The passenger support of claim 2, wherein the sliding motion controller comprises a handle to disengage the forward tab of the longitudinal motion controller from the stopper so that the seat base is moveable to a forward-seating configuration between the slid-back configuration and the slid-forward configuration.

4. The passenger support of claim 3, wherein the rear tab of the longitudinal motion controller engages the stopper at the forward-seating configuration.

5. The passenger support of claim 4, wherein the pivoting motion controller is activated when the seat base is in the forward-seating configuration to move the seat based to the tilted configuration.

6. The passenger support of claim 5, wherein activating the pivoting motion controller to move the seat base into the tilted configuration disengages the rear tab of the longitudinal motion controller from the stopper so that the seat base is moveable to the slid-forward configuration.

7. The passenger support of claim 1, wherein the locking mechanism further comprises a locking hook and a pin and the locking hook is rotated into engagement with the pin in the tilted configuration to retain the seat base in the tilted configuration.

8. The passenger support of claim 7, wherein the locking mechanism further comprises a cam that locks the locking hook into engagement with the pin.

9. The passenger support of claim 8, further comprising a roller coupled to the cam, the roller engaging a forward ramp of the foundation frame when the seat base is moved from the slid-forward configuration to the forward-seating configuration, the roller rotating the cam to unlock the locking hook so that the seat base is movable from the tilted configuration to the horizontal-use configuration.

10. The passenger support of claim 1, wherein the seat base further comprises a slide that longitudinally moves along a track of the foundation frame.

11. The passenger support of claim 10, further comprising a slide latch to lock the slide to the track of the foundation frame.

12. The passenger support of claim 11, wherein the sliding motion controller engages the slide latch to unlock the slide from the track of the foundation frame.

13. A passenger support comprising

a vehicle seat including a seat base mounted to a track for sliding the seat base longitudinally,

a sliding motion controller, wherein the seat base is movable from a slid-back configuration to a forward-seating configuration when the sliding motion controller is activated, and

a pivoting motion controller, wherein the seat base is movable from a horizontal-use configuration to a tilted configuration when the pivoting motion controller is activated,

wherein, in the tilted configuration, the seat base is movable to a slid-forward configuration.

14. The passenger support of claim 13, wherein the seat base further comprises a slide that longitudinally moves along the track.

15. The passenger support of claim 14, further comprising a slide latch to lock the slide to the track.

16. The passenger support of claim 15, wherein the sliding motion controller engages the slide latch to unlock the slide from the track.

17. The passenger support of claim 13, wherein the seat base further comprises a locking hook and a pin, the locking hook is rotated into engagement with the pin in the tilted configuration to retain the seat base in the tilted configuration.

18. The passenger support of claim 17, further comprising a cam that locks the locking hook into engagement with the pin.

19. The passenger support of claim 18, further comprising a roller coupled to the cam, the roller engages a forward ramp of the track when the seat base is moved from the slid-forward configuration to the forward-seating configuration, the roller rotates the cam to unlock the locking hook so that the seat base is movable from the tilted configuration to the horizontal-use configuration.

20. A method of moving a passenger support between a passenger-use configuration and an easy entry configuration comprising the steps of

activating a sliding motion controller to move a seat base from a slid-back configuration to a forward-seating configuration,

activating a pivoting motion controller to move the seat base from a horizontal-use configuration to a tilted configuration when the seat base is in the slid-back seating configuration,

locking the seat base in the tilted configuration, and

sliding the seat base to a slid-forward configuration when the seat base is locked in the tilted configuration,.