Front seat aranged in a two-door motor vehicle

• US 5,000,283 A
• Filed: 02/28/1990
• Issued: 03/19/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Daimler-Benz AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Daimler-Benz AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Inventors: Krieg, Karl-Heinz
• Primary Examiner(s): Bertsch, Richard A.
• Application Number:
  US07/486,369
• Time in Patent Office: 384 Days
• Field of Search: 180/271, 180/290, 180/268, 180/282, 297/216, 297/353, 297/354, 297/379, 296/68, 296/65.1, 296/68.1
• US Class Current: 180/271
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/20 the back-rest being tiltable, e.g. to permit easy access B60N2/04, B60N2/22 , B60N2/3002 take precedence

Abstract

An adjustable front seat is arranged in a two-door motor vehicle and has a backrest capable of forward-tilting and inclination-adjusting about the same axis. A locking of the backrest with a catch pin is caused by a fork latch, the locking of which is cancelled as a result of a pivoting of a spring-loaded detent pawl. Under adverse preconditions, a secure locking of the backrest can be provided if, when the locking position is reached, the detent pawl falls into the fork latch and the detent pawl interacts with a switch member. When the detent pawl has not properly engaged the fork latch this generates a signal, which, with the associated door closed and the ignition key inserted, activates a backrest-pivoting device for pivoting the backrest forwards while the momentary backrest inclination position is maintained, to pivot the fork latch (supported against the catch pin) about the latter until the detent pawl falls into the fork latch. The signal is cancelled when the detent properly engages into the fork latch.

Claims

1. An adjustable front seat for a two-door motor vehicle that has a back rest which has a forward-tilting and an inclination-adjusting movement that takes place about a single axis;

wherein locking of the backrest is obtained by a catch pin being engaged by a fork latch;

wherein the locking is cancelled as a result of pivoting away of a spring-loaded detent pawl from the fork latch;

wherein, when a locking position is reached, the spring loaded detent pawl falls into the fork latch;

wherein, when a locking position is reached, the spring loaded detent pawl interacts with a switch member to generates a signal when the detent pawl has not fallen into the fork latch;

wherein when an associated vehicle door is closed and when an ignition key is inserted into an ignition switch, the signal activates a backrest-pivoting means for pivoting the backrest forward while the momentary backrest inclination movement position is maintained;

wherein the backrest pivoting causes the fork latch, which is supported against the catch pin, to pivot about the catch pin until the detent pawl falls into the fork latch; and

wherein the detent pawl falling into the fork latch causes the signal to stop.

2. An adjustable front seat for a two-door motor vehicle that has a back rest which has a forward-tilting and an inclination-adjusting movement that takes place about a single axis;

wherein locking of the backrest is obtained by a catch pin being engaged by a fork latch;

wherein the locking is cancelled as a result of pivoting away of a spring-loaded detent pawl from the fork latch;

wherein, when a locking position is reached, the spring loaded detent pawl falls into the fork latch;

wherein there are two backrest-locking mechanisms located opposite one another on opposite sides of the seat;

wherein when the locking position is reached, the detent pawl of each backrest locking mechanism falls into an associated fork latch;

wherein each detent pawl interacts with a switch member to generate a signal when a respective detent pawl has not fallen in to its respective fork latch and two signals when both detent pawls have not fallen into their respective fork latches;

wherein when an associated door is closed and when an ignition key is inserted into an ignition switch, a signal will trigger at least one of a visual and acoustic alarm;

wherein when two signals occur, the signals active a backrest-pivoting means for effecting pivoting of the backrest forwards while the momentary backrest movement inclination is maintained;

wherein the backrest pivoting causes the fork latches, which are supported against a respective catch pin, to pivot about the catch pin until at least one of the detent pawls falls into its fork latch; and

wherein the falling in of one detent pawl into its associated fork latch causes its signal to stop.

3. A front seat according to claim 2, wherein after one signal has lapsed, the fork latches are pivoted further for an additional short predetermined period of time.