Motor vehicle seat movable in the longitudinal direction in the tipped state

• US 5,626,392 A
• Filed: 05/18/1995
• Issued: 05/06/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: C ROB Hammerstein GmbH & Company KG (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: C ROB Hammerstein GmbH & Company KG (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Bauer, Heinz, Becker, Burckhard, Frohnhaus, Ernst-Reiner
• Primary Examiner(s): Brittain, James R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WHITE, RODNEY BARNETT
• Application Number:
  US08/444,241
• Time in Patent Office: 719 Days
• Field of Search: 297/341, 297/378.12, 248/550
• US Class Current: 297/341
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0705 omega-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0715 C or U-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0825 outside the rail
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/085 about a transversal axis
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/12 slidable and tiltable
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/123 and provided with memory locks
• 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

A motor vehicle seat with a longitudinal guide that has a locking device. The seat has a backrest which has a release lever for tilting the seat forward. The operation of the release lever releases the backrest from a normally upright position and allows it to be tipped forward. The backrest is connected to the locking device of the longitudinal guide by means of a release mechanism so that when backrest is tipped forward, the locking device can be released and the motor vehicle seat can be moved manually in the longitudinal guide. Alternatively, if the backrest is in the upright position, the locking device is either ready to be operated, or in the process of operating. A memory device is provided for finding a position where the locking device was previously engaged following the longitudinal movement of the seat along the guide.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle seat comprising

a) a longitudinal guide that can be locked by means of a locking device (24),

b) a backrest that can be tipped forward, said backrest having a release lever for tilting the seat forward, and whose operation releases the backrest from a locked upright position, and allows said backrest to be tipped forward, said backrest connected to the locking device (24) of the longitudinal guide by means of a release mechanism so that when the backrest is tipped forward, the locking device (24) of the longitudinal guide can be released and the motor vehicle seat can be manually moved by a user along said longitudinal guide and that if the backrest is in the upright position the locking device (24) is either one of ready to operate or operating and

c) a memory device for again finding a previously engaged position of the locking device (24) following said longitudinal movement in the said longitudinal guides.

2. A motor vehicle seat according to claim 1 characterized in that the memory device comprises a notch bar (32) which does not co-operate with the locking device (24).

3. A motor vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the memory device comprises a memory bar (44), said memory bar guided into a catch sheet (36) in an adjustable way, which is coordinated with a seat track of the longitudinal guide,

the memory bar (44) having a memory pin (48), which co-operates with notches of a notch bar (32) said memory bar (44) further comprising a stop (54), said stop co-ordinated with a counterstop (bolt 56) attached to said catch sheet (36),

between the memory bar (44) and the catch sheet (36) a return spring (58) is attached, said return spring elastically biasing the memory bar, so that its stop is held in contact with the counterstop and which prestresses an end of the memory bar (44) holding the memory pin (48), to the catch sheet (36), and

said catch sheet (36) is in a tiltable position, so that the memory bar (44) can be tilted from one position in which the memory pin (48) does not co-operate with the notch bar (32) into a position where the memory pin (48) and the notch bar (32) engage.

4. A motor vehicle seat according to claim 1 wherein said release mechanism comprises a Bowden wire (38) attached at one end to the backrest, spaced a distance from the backrest joint, and attached at the other end to a tiltable catch sheet (36), so that by moving the backrest forward said catch sheet (36) is tilted from its normal position.

5. Motor vehicle seat according to claim 1 characterized by a holding device keeping the backrest in its tipped position.

6. Motor vehicle seat according to claim 5 characterized in that the holding device shows a blocking device, which can be operated via a release lever.

7. Motor vehicle seat according to claim 5, characterized in that the holding device shows a flexible clamping device, which can be overcome at the backrest after engagement of a given momentum.

8. Motor vehicle seat according to claim 1, characterized by the catch sheet (36) being prestressed flexibly in a normal position, in which the memory pin (48) is not found in the catch of the notch bar (32).

9. Motor vehicle seat according to claim 1, characterized in that the longitudinal guide has two tracks, and a connecting shaft (26) is provided, which connects the two tracks, the catch sheet (36) rests on the connecting shaft (26), on which a manual lever (30) for operation of the locking device (24) is set.

10. Motor vehicle seat according to claim 9, characterized in that the catch sheet (36) is set swingably in a radial plane on the connecting shaft (26).

11. Motor vehicle seat according to claim 9 or 10, characterized by an arm (60) being attached to the connecting shaft (26) on which an engaging spring (62) prestressing an end of the memory bar (44) is set, and said end showing the memory pin (48).