Easy enter seat assembly

• US 4,065,178 A
• Filed: 03/18/1977
• Issued: 12/27/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: General Motors Corporation (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Perry, Thomas W., Carella, Richard F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zugel, Francis K.
• Application Number:
  US05/779,085
• Time in Patent Office: 284 Days
• Field of Search: 297/341, 297/378, 297/377, 5/44
• US Class Current: 297/341
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/123 and provided with memory locks

Abstract

A vehicle seat assembly includes a seat back and seat cushion which is attached to one track of a dual track assembly to permit fore and aft movement along the second track whose ends are affixed to the vehicle floor. A seat adjustment positioner member is selectively located along the second track and is engaged at its forward side by stops attached to the seat cushion for limiting rearward movement of the seat cushion. The seat back is tiltably supported at both sides by arms which are attached at their lower ends to a shaft the ends of which engage the rear side of the adjustment positioner. Interconnective means between the seat back arms and the seat cushion causes forward movement of the seat cushion when the seat back is tilted in a forward direction, all without movement of the seat adjustment positioner which remains in place to relocate the seat cushion in its former position after the seat back is returned to its former position.

Claims

1. A vehicle seat including a cushion and a seat back, track means including spaced rail members attached to said seat cushion and corresponding rail members attached to the vehicle floor slidingly engageable together for movement of said seat cushion in a fore and aft direction with respect to the vehicle, said stationary rails being attached to the vehicle floor and having a vertical wall with elongated slots therein extending in a fore and aft and generally horizontal direction, seat locater means extending between said stationary rails with end portions within said elongated slots and provision for selectively fixing said end portions at desirable locations along said elongated slots corresponding to a desired fore and aft seat cushion position, arm members extending from said seat back and being pivotally mounted to said stationary rails rearward of said end portions of the seat locater means to permit forward tilting movement of the seat back, said pivotal mounts of the seat back arms having an axis extending through said elongated slots and slidable rearwardly within said elongated slots as said seat back is tilted forward, connecting means between said seat back arms and said seat cushion to produce forward movement of the cushion as the arms are pivoted in response to forward tilting of the seat back, said connecting means limiting the degree of forward tilt and sliding movement of the cushion to a constant forward location irrespective of the position of said seat locater means, stop means extending from said slidable seat cushion and attached rail forwardly of the seat locater means and engageable therewith upon rearward return movement of the seat cushion to relocate said cushion in its preselected position along said stationary rails when the seat back is returned to its drive position.

2. A vehicle seat assembly including a cushion and a seat back, track means including a spaced rail member attached to said seat cushion and corresponding rail members attached to the vehicle floor slidably engageable together for movement of said seat cushion in a fore and aft direction with respect to this vehicle, said stationary rails being attached to the vehicle floor and having a vertical wall with elongated slots therein extending in a fore and aft and generally horizontal direction, seat locater means extending between said stationary rails including a shaft with end portions within said elongated slots and provision for selectively fixing said end portions at desirable locations along said elongated slots corresponding to a desired fore and aft seat cushion position, a second shaft rearward of said first shaft with its end portions extending into said elongated slots;

arm members extending from said seat back and being affixed to the ends of said second shaft for rotation together as the seat back is tilted forwardly, said second shaft being slidable in a rearward direction within said elongated slots to permit the pivotal axis of the seat back arms to shift adjacent to the aft ends of the elongated slots as said seat back is tilted forward, connecting means between said seat back arms and said seat cushion to produce forward movement of the cushion as the arms are pivoted in response to forward tilting of the seat back, said connecting means limiting the degree of forward tilt and sliding movement of the cushion to a constant position irrespective of the setting of said seat locater means, stop means extending from said seat cushion and attached rail portion forwardly of the first shaft and engageable therewith upon rearward return movement of the seat cushion to relocate said cushion in its preselected position along said stationary rails when the seat back is returned to its drive position.

3. A vehicle seat including a cushion and a seat back, track means including spaced rail members attached to said seat cushion and corresponding rail members attached to the vehicle floor slidably engageable together for movement of said seat cushion in a fore and aft direction with respect to the vehicle, said stationary rails being attached to the vehicle floor and having a vertical wall with elongated slots therein extending in a fore and aft and a generally horizontal direction, a seat locater means extending between said stationary rails and including a shaft with end portions within said elongated slots and with provision for selectively fixing said end portions at desirable locations along said elongated slots corresponding to a desired fore and aft seat cushion position, manually operable means for rotating said seat locater shaft and disengaging said fixing provision to permit a seat occupant to move the seat cushion and seat locater means to a desirable position along said slots, a second shaft located to the rear of said first shaft and with its end portions extending into said elongated slots, arm members extending from said seat back and being affixed to said end members of said second shaft to permit simultaneous forward tilted movement of the seat back and rotation of said second shaft, said second shaft being rearwardly slidable within said elongated slots to permit the pivotal axis of the seat back and arms to shift rearward adjacent to the aft ends of the elongated slots as said seat back is tilted forward, connecting means between said seat back arms and said seat cushion to produce forward movement of the cushion as the arms are pivoted in response to forward tilting of the seat back, said connecting means including elongated openings in said arms and a projecting member attached to said seat cushion engaging said arms and movable from one end position to a second end position as the seat back is tilted from its rearward drive position to a forward entry position whereby the degree of tilting of the seatback is limited by engagement between the seat cushion mounted projection and the second end of the opening depending stop means extending from said seat cushion and attached rail portion at a location forward of the first shaft and engageable therewith on rearward return movement of the seat cushion as said seat back is tilted rearwardly thereby relocating said cushion in its selected position along said stationary rails as determined by the location of said first shaft.