Tumble seat with displaceable side handle release

• US 5,671,965 A
• Filed: 03/26/1996
• Issued: 09/30/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Atoma International Of America, Corp.
• Original Assignee: Atoma International, Inc.
• Inventors: O'Connor, James G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mitchell, David M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROBINSON, KIA MONIQUE
• Application Number:
  US08/621,684
• Time in Patent Office: 553 Days
• Field of Search: 296/65.1, 297/325, 297/326, 297/331, 297/335, 297/336, 248/503.1
• US Class Current: 296/65.06
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/01583 locking on transversal elements on the vehicle floor or rail, e.g. transversal rods

Abstract

A vehicle seat is provided for use in a vehicle including floor means having a pair of front and rear wells and anchor members extending across the wells. The seat is movable between a fixed, operative position and forwardly tumbled, storage position. Handle structure is coupled to at least one of the rear legs in a position to be manually grasped and operated at a side of the vehicle seat for unlatching the rear hook members thereby permitting the vehicle seat to be pivoted about the front anchor members and moved to the forwardly tumbled, storage position thereof. The handle structure includes a lost-motion connection constructed and arranged such that when the rear legs move toward the forwardly folded position thereof causing a portion of the handle structure to contact a surface of an associated rigid support which would otherwise restrict movement of the rear legs, the lost-motion connection permits the handle structure to move, enabling the rear legs to complete movement to the forwardly folded position thereof.

Claims

1. A vehicle seat for use in a vehicle including floor means having a pair of front and rear wells disposed with respect to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle and anchor members extending across said wells, said seat being constructed and arranged to be movable between an operative position for receiving a passenger thereon and forwardly tumbled, storage position, said vehicle seat comprising:

a pair of rigid support structures disposed on opposite sides of said vehicle seat,

a cushioned seat structure on said pair of rigid support structures,

front and rear legs mounted on each of said rigid support structures, each of said legs including a downwardly facing surface for engaging the anchor members, and associated front and rear hook members, each of said front and rear hook members being mounted for movement between (1) an operative position so as to enter the associated front and rear wells and engage in hooked relationship with the anchor members so as to detachably retain the rigid support structures in a fixed, operative position on the floor means with the anchor members and the downwardly facing surfaces in engagement and (2) an inoperative position removed from engagement with the anchor members,

each of said rear legs being pivotally coupled to an associated rigid support structure so as to be movable between (1) an operative position extending generally downwardly with respect to an associated rigid support structure permitting said rear hook members to be disposed in the operative position thereof, and (2) a forwardly folded position disposed generally adjacent an associated rigid support structure, and

an actuating mechanism operatively associated with said rear hook members and including manually movable handle structure associated with at least one of said rear legs in a position to be manually grasped and operated at a side of said vehicle seat, said handle structure being biased toward a use position by a spring system, said actuating mechanism being constructed and arranged with respect to said rear hook members so that manual movement of said handle structure from said use position moves said rear hook members from their operative position to their inoperative position thereby permitting said vehicle seat to be pivoted about said front anchor members, disposed in the operative position thereof, and moved to the forwardly tumbled, storage position thereof,

said handle structure including a lost-motion connection constructed and arranged such that when said rear legs move toward their forwardly folded position causing a portion of said handle structure to contact a surface of an associated rigid support which would otherwise restrict movement of said rear legs, said lost-motion connection permits said handle structure to move against the bias thereon, enabling said rear legs to complete movement to their forwardly folded position thereof.

2. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein said actuating mechanism includes a lift bar disposed between said rigid support structures and pivotally coupled to each of said rear legs, said lift bar being operatively associated with said rear hook members such that movement of said lift bar to an operative position moves said rear hook members from said operative position thereof to said inoperative position thereof, said handle structure being coupled to at least one end of said lift bar so as to extend outwardly from a side of an associated rigid support structure, whereby movement of said handle structure from its use position moves said lift bar to its operative position thereby moving the rear hook members to the inoperative position thereof.

3. The vehicle seat according to claim 2, wherein said lift bar includes a cam fixed at each end thereof, each said cam cooperating with a cam surface of an associated said rear hook member when said lift bar is moved to its operative position, which causes the rear hook members to move to the inoperative position thereof.

4. The vehicle seat according to claim 2, wherein said handle structure includes a housing defining an engageable portion and a mounting portion, and a coupling member mounted for movement within a recess defined in said mounting portion, said coupling member being fixed at one portion thereof to said one end of said lift bar, said spring system including a torsion spring having one end coupled to said housing and the other end thereof coupled to said coupling member so that the torsion spring biases said coupling member and thus said handle structure to the use position thereof,

said housing including a boss extending into said recess so as to define first and second opposing stop surfaces, said coupling member including first and second stop surfaces disposed in spaced relation such that when said handle structure is in said use position, said first stop surface of said coupling member is engaged with said first stop surface of said boss,

said lost-motion connection being defined by cooperation of said boss with said coupling member so that when said handle portion contacts said surface of the rigid support structure, said coupling member rotates with respect to said housing against the bias of said torsion spring until said second stop surface of said coupling member engages said second stop surface of said boss, which allows said rear legs to move to the forwardly folded position thereof.

5. The vehicle seat according to claim 4, wherein one said handle structure is coupled to each end of said lift bar.

6. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, further comprising linkage structure coupling said front legs to said rear legs, said linkage structure being constructed and arranged such that upon movement of said vehicle seat to its forwardly tumbled, storage position, said linkage actuates said rear legs to move said rear legs to their forwardly folded positions.

7. A frame structure for supporting a cushioned seat structure of a vehicle seat for use in a vehicle including floor means, said floor means having a pair of front and rear wells disposed with respect to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle and anchor members extending across said wells, said frame structure being constructed and arranged to be movable between an operative position on said floor means and a forwardly tumbled, storage position, said frame structure comprising:

a pair of rigid support structures constructed and arranged to be mounted to said seat structure on opposing sides thereof,

front and rear legs mounted on each of said pair of rigid support structures, each of said legs including a downwardly facing surface for engaging the anchor members, and associated front and rear hook members, each of said front and rear hook members being mounted for movement between (1) an operative position so as to enter the associated front and rear wells and engage in hooked relationship with the anchor members so as to detachably retain the rigid support structures in a fixed operative position on the floor means with the anchor members and the downwardly facing surfaces in engagement and (2) an inoperative position removed from engagement with the anchor members,

each of said rear legs being pivotally coupled to an associated rigid support structure so as to be movable between (1) an operative position extending generally downwardly with respect to an associated rigid support structure with said rear hook members disposed in their operative positions, and (2) a forwardly folded position disposed generally adjacent an associated rigid support structure, and

an actuating mechanism including manually movable handle structure associated with at least one of said rear legs in a position to be manually grasped and operated at a side of said vehicle seat, said handle structure being biased toward a use position by a spring system, said actuating mechanism being constructed and arranged with respect to said rear hook members so that manual movement of said handle structure from said use position moves said rear hook members from the operative position thereof to the inoperative position thereof thereby permitting said frame structure and the seat structure when mounted thereon to be pivoted about said front anchor members, disposed in the operative position thereof, and moved to the forwardly tumbled, storage position thereof,

said handle structure including a lost-motion connection constructed and arranged such that when said rear legs move toward the forwardly folded position thereof causing a portion of said handle structure to contact a surface of an associated rigid support which would otherwise restrict movement of said rear legs, said lost-motion connection permits said handle structure to move against the bias thereon, enabling said rear legs to complete movement to the forwardly folded position thereof.

8. The vehicle seat according to claim 7, wherein said actuating mechanism includes a lift bar disposed between said rigid support structures and pivotally coupled to each of said rear legs, said lift bar being operatively associated with said rear hook members such that movement of said lift bar to an operative position moves said rear hook members from said operative position thereof to said inoperative position thereof, said handle structure being coupled to at least one end of said lift bar so as to extend outwardly from a side of an associated rigid support structure, whereby movement of said handle structure from its use position moves said lift bar to its operative position thereby moving the rear hook members to the inoperative position thereof.

9. The vehicle seat according to claim 8, wherein said lift bar includes a cam fixed at each end thereof, each said cam cooperating with a cam surface of an associated said rear hook member when said lift bar is moved to its operative position, which causes the rear hook members to move to the inoperative position thereof.

10. The vehicle seat according to claim 8, wherein said handle structure includes a housing defining an engageable portion and a mounting portion, and a coupling member mounted for movement within a recess defined in said mounting portion, said coupling member being fixed at one portion thereof to said one end of said lift bar, said spring system including a torsion spring having one end coupled to said housing and the other end thereof coupled to said coupling member so that the torsion spring biases said coupling member and thus said handle structure to the use position thereof,

said housing including a boss extending into said recess so as to define first and second opposing stop surfaces, said coupling member including first and second stop surfaces disposed in spaced relation such that when said handle structure is in said use position, said first stop surface of said coupling member is engaged with said first stop surface of said boss,

said lost-motion connection being defined by cooperation of said boss with said coupling member so that when said handle portion contacts said surface of the rigid support structure, said coupling member rotates with respect to said housing against the bias of said torsion spring until said second stop surface of said coupling member engages said second stop surface of said boss, which allows said rear legs to move to the forwardly folded position thereof.

11. The vehicle seat according to claim 10, wherein one said handle structure is coupled to each end of said lift bar.

12. The vehicle seat according to claim 7, further comprising linkage structure coupling said front legs to said rear legs, said linkage structure being constructed and arranged such that upon movement of said vehicle seat to its forwardly tumbled, storage position, said linkage actuates said rear legs to move said rear legs to their forwardly folded positions.