Seat position control mechanism having a position memory element

• US 3,940,182 A
• Filed: 08/29/1974
• Issued: 02/24/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Tamura, Takeo
• Primary Examiner(s): McCall, James T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Aschenbrenner, Peter A.
• Application Number:
  US05/501,781
• Time in Patent Office: 544 Days
• Field of Search: 297/340, 297/341, 297/379, 297/354
• US Class Current: 297/341
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/123 and provided with memory locks

Abstract

A vehicle seat assembly having a substantially horizontal seat member and a normally upright backrest pivoted relative to the seat member is locked in one of a plurality of selectable positions lengthwise of a stationary guide fixed to the vehicle floor. A seat position memory element is provided having a first latch which is selectively engageable with the stationary guide and a slide member which is slidably carried on the stationary guide. The slide member has a second latch which normally engages the stationary guide to lock the seat assembly in position and is disengaged therefrom when the backrest is folded forward to permit the seat assembly to move forward. A control shaft is rotatably carried on the slide member and arranged to coact with the first and second latches. Upon rotation of the control shaft, the first and second latches are disengaged from the stationary guide to move the seat to a selected position. Restoring of the control shaft causes the first and second latches to come into engagement with the stationary guide. When the backrest is folded forward to move the seat forward, the first latch remains engaged with the stationary guide while the second latch is disengaged therefrom. Upon return movement of the seat, the second latch comes into engagement with the stationary guide such that the seat assembly returns to the selected position.

Claims

1. A seat position control mechanism for a vehicle seat assembly having a substantially horizontal seat and a normally upright backrest pivotable relative to the seat for forward tilting movement, the control mechanism comprising:

stationary guides having a plurality of spaced latch engaging means and fixedly attached to the vehicle floor under the seat;

slide members slidable on said stationary guides and attached to the seat;

an elongate member disposed parallel with one of said stationary guides and an associated slide member and having first and second latch engaging apertures therein, each being arranged in registry with one of said latch engaging means of said stationary guide;

a first spring-loaded latch on said elongate member and normally engaged with said first aperture and one of said latch engaging means of said stationary guide;

a second spring-loaded latch on said slide member and normally engaged with said second aperture of said elongate member and another latch engaging means of said stationary guide;

a manual control shaft axially rotatably supported by the slide member and engageable with said first and second latches to cause the same to disengage from the respective latch engaging means and said latch engaging apertures when said control shaft is manually turned, the engagement of said control shaft with said first latch being such that said elongate member is movable with said slide member; and

means for connecting the backrest with said second latch in such manner that upon the forward tilting movement of the backrest said second latch is disengaged from said another latch engaging means and said second aperture to thereby allow said slide member to be moved forward and then backward to the position determined by the engagement of said first latch with said first latch engaging aperture and said one of the latch engaging means of said stationary guide, and at this position said second latch is engaged in said second aperature and said another latch engaging means.

2. A seat position control mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control shaft is provided with a transverse abutment member having a generally U-shaped groove engageable with said first latch to disengage the same from the stationary guide upon rotation of said control shaft.