Easy entry seat adjuster with memory

• US 4,844,542 A
• Filed: 08/29/1988
• Issued: 07/04/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Motors Auto OOO (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Humer, Mladen
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Peter R.
• Application Number:
  US07/237,479
• Time in Patent Office: 309 Days
• Field of Search: 297/341, 297/344, 297/354, 297/378, 297/379, 248/419, 248/420, 248/424, 248/429, 248/430, 248/393, 248/398, 296/65 R
• US Class Current: 297/341
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/123 and provided with memory locks

Abstract

An easy entry seat adjuster mechanism for a seat assembly having a seat cushion unit and a pivotal back rest and which functions to allow the seat cushion unit to be adjustably positioned along a track and which functions to allow the seat to be shifted forwardly in response to tilting movement of the seat back to permit easy entry into the rear seat and then to automatically return the seat to its previously adjusted position upon return of the back rest to its upright position and shifting the seat rearwardly. The seat adjuster mechanism has a memory means, including a stationary rack and toothed gear operatively associated with a lock lever on the seat adjuster for effecting the automatic repositioning of the seat to its previously adjusted position.

Claims

1. An easy entry vehicle seat assembly comprising a stationary guide track means which is adapted to be mounted to a vehicle floor, a second guide track means which is slidably mounted on said stationary guide track means for movement between forward and rearward positions, a seat cushion unit mounted to said second guide track means, a back rest unit pivotally supported on said seat cushion unit for movement between an upright position and a forward position overlying said seat cushion unit to permit easy entry into the vehicle,

a latch means including a lock lever pivotally supported by said second guide track means for movement between a locked position in which said lock lever is engageable with means on said stationary track to lock the second guide track means and said seat cushion unit to said stationary track means and an unlocked position in which said lock lever is disengaged from said stationary track means to enable said second track means and said seat cushion unit to be slidably moved fore and aft on said stationary track to adjust the position of said seat cushion unit and first spring means for biasing said lock lever to its locked position,

first release means operatively connected with said latch means for effecting movement of said lock lever to its unlocked position in opposition to the biasing force of said first spring means to enable said second track means of said seat cushion unit to be slidably moved on said stationary track,

second release means operatively connected to said lock lever of said latch means and responsive to movement of said back rest unit toward its forward position to move said lock lever to its unlocked position to allow forward movement of said seat cushion unit to provide easy entry behind the seat to said vehicle,

and seat position memory means including a stationary rack extending along said second track means and a toothed gear means which is swingably supported by said second track means, biased toward meshed engagement with said rack, operatively engageable with said lock lever of said latch means and operatively connected with said first release means,

said toothed gear means being swingable out of engagement with rack and effecting movement of said lock lever to its unlocked position to allow said seat cushion unit to be moved to an adjusted position in response to actuation of said first release means,

said toothed gear means being rotatable relative to said lock lever and remaining in meshed engagement with said rack when said lock lever is moved to its unlocked position and out of locking engagement with said toothed gear means in response to movement of said back rest to its forward position to allow said seat to be moved forwardly for easy entry,

said lock lever automatically returning toward its locked position and into locked engagement with said toothed gear means when said back rest is moved to its upright position whereby said seat assembly is always returned to its adjusted position.

2. An easy entry vehicle seat assembly comprising a stationary guide track means which is adapted to be mounted to a vehicle floor, a second guide track means which is slidably mounted on said stationary guide track means for movement between forward and rearward positions, a seat cushion unit mounted to said second guide track means, a back rest unit pivotally supported on said seat cushion unit for movement between an upright position and a forward position overlying said seat cushion unit to permit easy entry into the vehicle,

a latch means including a lock lever pivotally supported by said second guide track means for movement between a locked position in which said lock lever is engageable with means on said stationary track to lock the second guide track means and said seat cushion unit to said stationary track means and an unlocked position in which said lock lever is disengaged from said stationary track means to enable said second track means and said seat cushion unit to be slidably moved fore and aft on said stationary track to adjust the position of said seat cushion unit, first spring means for biasing said lock lever to its locked position,

first release means operatively connected with said latch means for effecting movement of said lock lever to its unlocked position in opposition to the biasing force and said first spring means to enable said second track means of said seat cushion unit to be slidably moved on said stationary track,

second release means operatively connected to said lock lever of said latch means and responsive to movement of said back rest unit toward its forward position to move said lock lever to its unlocked position to allow forward movement of said seat cushion unit to provide easy entry behind the seat to said vehicle,

and seat position memory means operatively connected with said first release means and operatively engageable with said lock lever of said latch means for allowing said seat cushion unit and second track means to be adjustably positioned along said stationary track in response to manual manipulation of said first release means and for allowing said seat cushion unit and second track means to be moved forwardly of their adjusted position in response to movement of said back rest unit to its forward position and then automatically returned to their adjusted position in response to movement of said back rest unit to its upright position,

said memory means comprising a stationary rack extending along said second track means,

a second lever pivotally supported by said second track means,

a gear means rotatably supported by said lever, said gear means having a toothed portion and a generally annular cam portion having a single radially extending notch whose depth is defined by a bottom, said gear means being located adjacent a lock tab on said lock lever of said latch means which is receivable in said notch,

said second lever and gear means being swingable between a first position in which said toothed portion of said gear means is in meshed engagement with said rack and a second position in which the toothed portion is not in meshed engagement with said rack and in which the bottom defining said notch has engaged said tab and moved said lock lever to is unlocked position,

second spring means operatively connected with said second lever for biasing the second lever and said gear means toward their first position,

said first release means being operatively connected with said second lever,

said first release means in response to being manually manipulated causing said second lever and gear means to be moved in opposition to the biasing force of said second spring means to their second position and said lock lever to its unlocked position to allow said seat cushion unit to be adjustably positioned fore and aft,

said back rest unit when moved to its forward position causing said lock lever to be moved to its unlocked position in which said tab thereof is located radially outwardly of said notch in said cam portion to allow said gear means to rotate and move along said rack when said seat assembly is pushed forwardly from its adjusted position,

said back rest when moved toward its upright position causing said first spring means to move said tab of said lock lever into engagement with said annular cam portion of said gear means and when moved rearwardly causing said gear means to rotate and move along said rack while said tab rides on said cam portion until said notch in said cam portion is radially aligned with said tab on said lock lever whereupon said first spring means moves said lock lever to its locked position and with the tab being received within said notch to prevent further rearward movement of said seat cushion unit whereby the latter is automatically returned to it previous adjusted position.