Seat position control mechanism

• US 4,422,690 A
• Filed: 06/22/1981
• Issued: 12/27/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/1981
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Motors Corporation (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Kopich, Leonard F.
• Primary Examiner(s): McCall, James T.
• Application Number:
  US06/275,833
• Time in Patent Office: 918 Days
• Field of Search: 297/341, 297/342, 297/343, 297/379, 248/393, 248/398, 296/65 R
• US Class Current: 297/341
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/123 and provided with memory locks

Abstract

A seat position control mechanism includes a pair of track members, a detent member secured to one track member and having a plurality of longitudinally spaced recesses, and a second detent member secured to the other track member and having a single recess. A pawl which is manually controlled or controlled by tilting movement of the seat back is engageable with one of the spaced recesses and a single recess to lock the track members to each other. The seat can be adjusted by operating the manual control to release the pawl from a spaced recess while remaining in engagement with the single recess to unlock the track members. Tilting movement of the seat back or use of the manual control moves the pawl out of the single recess while remaining in engagement with the spaced recess. Return of the pawl into engagement with the single recess re-establishes the seat in the initial starting position and locks the track members to each other.

Claims

1. In a vehicle seat including a seat cushion, a seat back supported thereon for movement between an upright position and a tilted position, and a pair of track members for mounting the seat on a vehicle for relative longitudinal movement to a plurality of adjusted positions and an easy enter position, a seat position control mechanism comprising, in combination, a plurality of longitudinally spaced first locating means on one of the track members, a second locating means on the other track member, locator means movably mounted on the other track member for movement therewith and movement relative thereto, means biasing the locator means to a normal position in engagement with a first locating means and the second locating means to lock the track members in an adjusted position, operable means for moving the locator means to a seat adjustment position out of engagement with one of the first locating means while remaining in engagement with the second locating means to unlock the track members and permit movement of the track members to another adjusted position, and means alternately responsive to movement of the seat back to tilted position or actuation of the operable means for moving the locator means out of engagement with the second locating means while remaining in engagement with a first locating means to unlock the track members and permit the track members to move from an initial starting position to the terminal position, movement of the seat back to upright position or de-actuation of the operable means permitting movement of the track members from the terminal position to the initial starting position and re-engagement of the locator means with the second locating means under the action of the pawl biasing means to again lock the track members in the initial starting position.

2. In a vehicle seat including a seat cushion, a seat back supported thereon for movement between an upright position and a tilted position, and a pair of track members for mounting the seat on a vehicle for relative longitudinal movement to a plurality of adjusted positions and an easy enter position, a seat position control mechanism comprising, in combination, a first detent member on one of the track members having a plurality of longitudinally spaced first recesses, a second detent member on the other track member having a second recess registerable with any one of the first recesses, a pawl, a control member rotatably mounted on the other track member, means slidably and non-rotatably coupling the pawl and the control member, means normally rotatably locating the control member in a position to locate the pawl within a first recess and within the second recess to lock the track members in an adjusted position, operable means for rotating the control member to locate the pawl out of engagement with a first recess while remaining in engagement with the second recess to unlock the track members and permit movement of the track members to another adjusted position, and means responsive to movement of the seat back to tilted position for rotating the control rod to move the pawl out of engagement with the second recess while remaining in engagement with a first recess to unlock the track members for movement from an initial starting position to the terminal position, movement of the seat back to upright position permitting re-engagement of the pawl with the second recess when the track members return to the initial starting position.

3. In a vehicle seat including a pair of track members for mounting the seat on a vehicle for relative longitudinal movement to a plurality of adjusted positions and an easy enter terminal position, a seat position control mechanism comprising, in combination, an elongate detent member on one of the track members having a plurality of longitudinally spaced first recesses, a second elongate detent member on the other track member having a second recess, a pawl, means slidably mounted on the other track member and rotatably supporting the pawl for movement relative thereto, a control member rotatably mounted on the other track member and slidably and non-rotatably coupled to the pawl for rotating the pawl relative to the detent members, means locating the pawl in a normal position within a first recess and within the second recess to lock the track members in an adjusted position, means for rotating the control member to rotate the pawl out of the first recess while remaining within the second recess to unlock the track members and permit movement of the one track member and first detent member to another adjusted position relative the other track member and pawl, and means for rotating the control member to rotate the pawl out of the second recess while remaining within the first recess to unlock the track members and permit the other track member, second detent member, mounting means and control member to move relative to the one track member, first detent member and pawl from an initial starting position to the terminal position, movement of the track members from the terminal position to the initial starting position re-engaging the pawl with the second recess to again lock the track members in the initial starting position.

4. In a vehicle seat including a seat back movable between an upright position and a tilted position, and a pair of track members for mounting the seat on a vehicle for relative longitudinal movement to a plurality of adjusted positions and an easy enter position, a seat position control mechanism comprising, in combination, a first elongate detent member on one of the track members having a plurality of longitudinally spaced recesses, a second elongate detent member on the other track member having a second recess, a pawl, a pawl support slidably mounted on the other track member, a control rod rotatably mounted on the other track member and slidably and non-rotatably coupled to the pawl, the control rod providing the pivotal connection between the pawl and pawl support, means locating the pawl in a normal position within a first recess and within the second recess to lock the track members in an adjusted position, manually operable means coupled to the control rod for rotating the pawl out of the first recess while remaining in the second recess to unlock the track members and permit movement of the track members to another adjusted position, and means coupling the seat back to the control rod for moving the pawl out of the second recess while remaining in the first recess to unlock the track members and permit the track members to move from an initial starting position to the terminal position upon movement of the seat back to tilted position, movement of the seat back to upright position permitting movement of the track members from the terminal position to the initial starting position and re-engagement of the pawl with the second recess to again lock the track members in the initial starting position.