Vehicle seat with full memory easy entry

• US 5,605,377 A
• Filed: 09/27/1995
• Issued: 02/25/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Atoma International, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Atoma International, Inc.
• Inventors: Tame, Omar D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuomo, Peter M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Allred, David E.
• Application Number:
  US08/534,990
• Time in Patent Office: 517 Days
• Field of Search: 297/341, 248/429, 248/430
• US Class Current: 297/341
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/123 and provided with memory locks

Abstract

A vehicle seat comprising a memory carriage assembly having a connector mechanism mounted thereon for movement between first and second positions, and an actuator mechanism mounted thereon for movement between first and second positions. The memory carriage assembly is arranged with respect to the releasable locking assembly and both the manual and seat back actuated releasing mechanisms of the seat so that (1) when the releasable locking assembly is in the locked position thereof the actuator mechanism is in the first position thereof and the connector mechanism is in the first position thereof, (2) when the releasable locking assembly is released by the seat back actuated releasing mechanism, the actuator mechanism is moved from the first position thereof into the second position thereof to enable the connector mechanism to retain the memory carriage assembly in a stationary position while the seat is moved forwardly and returned with the return causing the actuator mechanism to enable the releasable locking assembly to return to its locking position which, in turn, moves the actuator mechanism from the second position thereof into the first position thereof, and (3) when the releasable locking assembly is released by the manually actuated releasing mechanism, the actuator mechanism will be retained in the first position thereof to enable the memory carriage assembly to be moved by the connector mechanism with the seat.

Claims

1. A vehicle seat comprising

a track assembly including a fixed track assembly constructed and arranged to be disposed in fixed relation in a vehicle and a movable track assembly mounted on said fixed track assembly for fore and aft movement with respect thereto,

a seat cushion assembly carried by said movable track assembly for movement therewith,

a seat back cushion assembly mounted for movement with the movable track assembly in operative relation with said seat cushion assembly, said seat back cushion assembly being constructed and arranged to be pivotally moved with respect to said seat cushion assembly between (1) an operative position disposed to support the back of an occupant in operative seated relation on said seat cushion assembly and (2) a rear accessing position disposed forwardly in overlying relation to said seat cushion assembly,

a releasable locking assembly carried by said movable track assembly for movement between locking and releasing positions, said releasable locking assembly being constructed and arranged (1) when in said locking position to lock said fixed and movable track assemblies together with said cushion assemblies in any one of a multiplicity of different fore and aft positions and (2) when in said releasing position to permit relative movement between said fixed and movable track assemblies to enable said cushion assemblies to be moved into any one of said multiplicity of positions,

a manually actuated releasing mechanism carried by said movable track assembly for movement between an inoperative position and an operative position, said manually actuated releasing mechanism being constructed and arranged with respect to said releasable locking mechanism (1) to control the movement of said releasable locking assembly from the locking position thereof into the releasing position thereof when said manually actuated releasing mechanism is moved from the inoperative position thereof into the operative position thereof and (2) to control the movement of said releasable locking assembly from the releasing position thereof into the locking position thereof when said manually actuated releasing mechanism is moved from the operative position thereof into the inoperative position thereof,

a seat back actuated releasing mechanism carried by said movable track assembly for movement between inoperative and operative positions, said seat back actuated releasing mechanism being constructed and arranged with respect to said seat back cushion assembly and said releasable locking mechanism to be moved (1) from the inoperative position thereof into the operative position thereof in response to the movement of said seat back cushion assembly from the operative position thereof into the rear accessing position thereof during which said releasable locking assembly is moved from the locking position thereof into the releasing position thereof and (2) from the operative position thereof into the inoperative position thereof,

a memory carriage assembly constructed and arranged to be moved independently in a fore and aft direction with respect to said track assembly,

said memory carriage assembly having a connector mechanism mounted thereon for movement between first and second positions, said connector mechanism (1) connecting said memory carriage assembly to said movable track assembly for movement therewith relative to said fixed track assembly when said connector mechanism is in the first position thereof and (2) connecting said memory carriage assembly in fixed relation with said fixed track assembly at a position corresponding to the desired position of use of said cushion assemblies with respect to said fixed track assembly when said connector mechanism is moved from the first position thereof into the second position thereof,

said memory carriage assembly also having an actuator mechanism mounted thereon for movement between first and second positions, said actuator mechanism being constructed and arranged (1) to move said connector mechanism from the first position thereof into the second position thereof when said actuator mechanism is moved from the first position thereof into the second position thereof and (2) to move said connector mechanism from the second position thereof into the first position thereof when said actuator mechanism is moved from the second position thereof into the first position thereof,

the arrangement of said releasable locking assembly, said releasing mechanisms and said actuator mechanism being such that (1) when said releasable locking assembly is in the locking position thereof said actuator mechanism is in the first position thereof and said connector mechanism is in the first position thereof, (2) when said releasable locking assembly is moved from the locking position thereof into the releasing position thereof by the movement of said seat back actuated releasing mechanism from the inoperative position into the operative position thereof in response to the movement of said seat back cushion assembly from the operative position thereof into the rear access position thereof said actuator mechanism is moved from the first position thereof into the second position thereof causing the connector mechanism to engage the fixed rail and retain said memory carriage assembly in fixed relation to said fixed track assembly at a position corresponding to the position of use of said cushion assemblies therewith, thereby enabling the cushion assemblies to be (A) moved forwardly from said corresponding position with said seat back releasing mechanism and said releasable locking assembly being disposed in a cooperative relationship wherein the releasable locking assembly is retained in its releasing position by a releasing arm connected to the seat back releasing mechanism and (B) returned rearwardly into said corresponding position of use wherein said actuator mechanism disrupts the cooperating relationship between the releasable locking assembly and said seat back releasing mechanism by engaging and moving said releasing arm and thus enabling the releasable locking assembly to return to its locking position and generally simultaneously causing the actuator mechanism to be moved from the second position thereof into the first position thereof, and (3) when said releasable locking assembly is moved from the locking position thereof into the releasing position thereof by the movement of said manually actuated releasing mechanism from the normally biased inoperative position thereof into the operative position thereof said actuator mechanism will be retained in the first position thereof to enable said memory carriage assembly to be moved by said connector mechanism with said cushion assemblies.

2. A vehicle seat as defined in claim 1 wherein said track includes a pair of transversely spaced cooperating sets of said fixed and movable track assemblies, the movable track assemblies being fixed together by structure extending from one movable track assembly to the other.

3. A vehicle seat as defined in claim 2 wherein the fixed track assembly of each cooperating set is formed with a series of spaced openings extending therealong in a fore and aft row, said releasable locking assembly including a locking arm pivoted to each movable track assembly between locking and releasing positions and having spaced teeth for entering spaced openings in the cooperating fixed track assembly when moved into the locking position thereof.

4. A vehicle seat as defined in claim 3 wherein said manually actuated releasing mechanism comprises a U-shaped manual actuating member having a respective free end of each leg thereof fixedly connected with a said locking arm.

5. A vehicle seat as defined in claim 4 wherein the locking arm pivoted to one of said movable track assemblies includes a laterally extending portion providing a generally upwardly extending surface, said seat back actuated releasing mechanism including a lever pivoted to said one movable track assembly, said lever including said releasing arm with a free end engageable with said upwardly facing surface during the movement of said seat back actuated releasing mechanism from the locking position thereof into the releasing position thereof to thereby move said locking arm from the locking position thereof to the releasing position thereof.

6. A vehicle seat as defined in claim 5 wherein said seat back actuated releasing mechanism further includes a seat back arm fixed in depending relation with said seat back cushion assembly so that a lower end of said seat back arm moves generally rearwardly when said seat back cushion assembly is moved from the operative position thereof into the rear accessing position thereof, a link connected at one end to the lower end of said seat back arm and a pin and slot connection between an opposite end of said link and a second arm of said lever.

7. A vehicle seat as defined in claim 6 wherein said memory carriage assembly includes a carriage frame structure mounted on the fixed track assembly of one of said cooperating sets for fore and aft movement therealong independently of the mounting of the cooperating movable track assembly thereon.

8. A vehicle seat as defined in claim 7 wherein said connector mechanism comprises a connector arm pivoted at one end to said carriage frame structure between first and second positions and having spaced first and second connector portions thereon, said first connector portion being constructed and arranged to interengage with the laterally extending portion of said locking arm when said connector arm is in the first position thereof, said second connector portion being constructed and arranged to interengage within a spaced opening in the fixed track assembly cooperating with said one movable track assembly when said connector arm is in the second position thereof.

9. A vehicle seat as defined in claim 8 wherein said actuator mechanism comprises an elongated actuator member pivotally mounted intermediate opposite ends thereof to said memory carriage frame structure, one of the opposite ends of said actuator member having a spring connected therewith which extends to and is connected with said connector arm, said spring being constructed and arranged between said connector arm and said actuator member so as to (1) bias said connector arm away from the second position thereof toward and into the first position thereof when said actuator member is in the first position thereof and (2) bias said connector arm away from the first position thereof toward and into the second position thereof when said actuator member is in the second position thereof.

10. A vehicle seat as defined in claim 9 wherein the other opposite end of said actuator member is constructed and arranged with respect to said releasing arm and said locking arm so that (1) when said actuator member is in the first position thereof said releasing arm engages said other opposite end during the movement of the releasing arm from the locking position thereof into the releasing position thereof to move the actuator member from the first position thereof into the second position thereof and (2) when said actuator member is in the second position thereof said locking arm will engage said other opposite end during the movement of said locking arm from the releasing position thereof into the locking position thereof to move said actuator member from the second position thereof into the first position thereof.