Seat assembly with articulating cushion and seat back recliner

• US 5,203,608 A
• Filed: 02/28/1991
• Issued: 04/20/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hoover Universal Incorporated (Adient plc)
• Original Assignee: Hoover Universal Incorporated (Adient plc)
• Inventors: Tame, Omar D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dorner, Kenneth J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DAVIS, CASSANDRA HOPE
• Application Number:
  US07/662,485
• Time in Patent Office: 782 Days
• Field of Search: 297/320, 297/361, 297/317, 297/321, 297/319, 297/330
• US Class Current: 297/320
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/1835 pivoting about an axis located in the front
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/1853 Linear actuator, e.g. screw mechanism
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/233 by linear screw mechanisms

Abstract

A seat assembly is disclosed with an articulating seat cushion rotatable about a transverse axis near the front end of the seat cushion. The seat back is reclinable and is coupled to the rear of the seat cushion so as to raise the rear end of the seat cushion in response to rearward reclining of the seat back whereby the seat occupant'"'"'s hip point is raised as the seat back is reclined to provide a more comfortable recliner. The recliner drive mechanism includes a lead screw with a motor/transmission assembly to drive the lead screw and includes a thrust washer carried by the lead screw to transfer axial loads on the lead screw directly to the motor mount rather than allowing the lead screw loads to be transferred to the internal components of the motor/transmission assembly.

Claims

1. A seat assembly comprising:

a support frame;

a seat part having a forward end and a rearward end, said seat part being pivotally mounted to said frame for rotation about a first transverse axis fixed in position relative to said seat part forwardly of said rearward end;

a seat back extending upwardly at the rearward end of said seat part and pivotally mounted to said frame for rotation about a second transverse axis for movement between an upright position and a rearwardly rotated reclined position;

means operatively associated with said seat back and said seat part for rotating said set back between said upright position and said reclined position and for rotating said seat part about said first axis to raise the rearward end of said seat part when said seat back is rotated rearwardly;

said means for rotating including a recliner arm mounted to said support frame for rotation about said second axis and coupled to said seat back for rotation therewith, said recliner arm extending generally downwardly from second axis when said seat back is in said upright position;

drive means mounted to said support frame and coupled to said recliner arm for selectively rotating said recliner arm and for retaining said recliner arm in a selected rotational position whereby said seat back is rotated and retained in said reclined position;

a cam pin extending from said recliner arm with the rearward end of said seat part rearward of said first axis resting upon said cam pin and being supported thereon whereby as said seat back is rotated rearwardly to said reclined position, said cam pin moves in an arcuate path about said second axis from a rear-lower position corresponding to said seat back upright position to forward-raised position corresponding to said seat back reclined position and raises the rearward end of said seat part supported thereon; and

said seat part including a convex cam surface across which said cam pin moves as said recliner arm is rotated, said convex cam surface having a rearward end.

2. The seat assembly of claim 1 further comprising stop means at the rearward end of said cam surface to prevent rearward travel of said cam pin beyond said seat part and wherein said convex cam surface extends downwardly and forwardly from said stop means.

3. The seat assembly of claim 1 wherein said drive means comprises:

a motor/transmission assembly coupled to said support frame via mount means;

an elongated lead screw driven by said motor/transmission assembly for rotation about an axis of said screw;

a drive nut threadably carried by said lead screw for linear motion along said screw axis in response to rotation of said screw; and

means for coupling said drive nut to said recliner arm through a slot in said recliner arm whereby said recliner arm is rotated about said second axis as said drive nut is moved linearly.

4. The seat assembly of claim 3 further comprising a thrust ring mounted to said lead screw having a surface engageable with said mount means to resist axial deflection of said lead screw in response to axial loads applied to said lead screw by said recliner arm.