Seat back automatic height adjustor and recliner mechanism

• US 5,700,055 A
• Filed: 02/26/1996
• Issued: 12/23/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Inventors: Heyer, Michael H. J., Masters, James C., Davidson, Russell K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nelson, Jr., Milton
• Application Number:
  US08/607,227
• Time in Patent Office: 666 Days
• Field of Search: 297/378.1, 297/378.12, 297/353, 297/331, 297/335, 297/337, 297/284.1, 297/344.19, 297/408, 297/336, 297/396, 296/65.1
• US Class Current: 297/378.12
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2222 the back-rest having two or more parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/3013 the back-rest being hinged on the vehicle frame
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/36 into a loading platform B60N2/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/64 Back-rests or cushions B60N2/2222 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/68 Seat frames
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/832 movable to an inoperative or stowed position
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2205/35 Seat, bench or back-rests being split laterally in two or more parts

Abstract

A passenger seat assembly (10) for a motor vehicle (12) includes a seat bottom (24) and seat back (26) which can be folded to a horizontal stowed position for increased storage capacity. The seat assembly (10) comprises a linear recliner (66) for adjustment of the seat back (26) in the upright position and to selectively facilitate forward pivotal folding of the seat back (26) to overlap and cover the seat bottom in the stowed position. The seat back (26) also includes a lower portion (150) pivotally attached to a support stanchion (28) and an upper portion (152) connected to the lower portion (150). An adjustment mechanism (154) automatically adjusts the vertical height of the seat back (26) from a retracted position with the upper portion (152) extended upwardly from the lower portion (150).

Claims

1. A passenger seat assembly for a motor vehicle which can be folded to a stowed position for increasing cargo storage capacity, said assembly comprising:

a seat bottom having an upper surface and a lower surface;

a seat back having a front surface and a back surface and pivotal between a generally upright seating position and a generally horizontal folded position;

a support stanchion for supporting said seat bottom and said seat back above a vehicle floor;

said seat bottom pivotally coupled to said support stanchion and moveable between a generally horizontal seating position and a folded stowed position with said upper surface adjacent the vehicle floor; and

said seat back pivotally coupled to said support stanchion and moveable between said upright position and said horizontal folded position wherein said front surface of said seat back overlaps and covers said lower surface of said seat bottom in said stowed position and said back surface providing a generally horizontal cargo support surface.

2. A seat assembly as set forth in claim 1 further characterized by said support stanchion having a front pivot member coupled to said seat bottom and a rear pivot member spaced from said front pivot member and coupled to said seat back.

3. A seat assembly as set forth in claim 2 further characterized by said front surface of said seat back abutting and covering said lower surface of said seat bottom with said seat bottom in said stowed position and said seat back in said horizontal folded position.

4. A passenger seat assembly for a motor vehicle which can be folded to a stored position for increasing cargo storage capacity, said assembly comprising;

a generally horizontal seat bottom having an upper surface and a lower surface;

a generally upright seat back having a front surface and a back surface;

support means for supporting said seat bottom above a vehicle floor movably between a generally horizontal use position and a folded stowed position with said upper surface adjacent the vehicle floor and for supporting said seat back movably between a generally upright position and a generally horizontal folded position overlaying said folded position of said seat bottom;

recliner means interconnecting said seat back and said support means for providing pivotal movement of said seat back between said upright position and said folded position; and

latch means operatively connected between said seat bottom and said support means for selectively locking said seat bottom in said horizontal use position and said seat back in said upright position, said latch means including blocking means for engaging said recliner means with said seat bottom in said horizontal use position to block said pivotal movement of said seat back from said upright to said horizontal folded position.

5. A seat assembly as set forth in claim 4 further characterized by said blocking means including a lever operatively connected between said latch means and said support means for engaging said recliner means when said seat bottom is in said horizontal use position.

6. A seat assembly as set forth in claim 5 further characterized by said latch means including a detent tab attached to said seat bottom and a detent receiver attached to said lever.

7. A seat assembly as set forth in claim 6 further characterized by said lever pivotally attached to said support means and including an upper portion forming said detent tab and a lower portion having a generally J-shaped configuration.

8. A seat assembly as set forth in claim 7 further characterized by said blocking means further including a pair of blocking tabs extending outwardly from said J-shaped lower portion of said lever.

9. A seat assembly as set forth in claim 8 further characterized by said support means including a support stanchion adapted to be fixedly secured to the vehicle floor and having a seat inboard side and a seat outboard side;

said stanchion further including a front pivot member pivotally coupled to said seat bottom and a rear pivot member pivotally coupled to said seat back.

10. A seat assembly as set forth in claim 9 further characterized by said stanchion including a pair of openings passing from said inboard to said outboard side for receiving said pair of blocking tabs of said lever therethrough.

11. A seat assembly as set forth in claim 10 further characterized by said lever pivotally coupled to said inboard side of said stanchion between said upper portion and said lower portion;

said lever including a spring connected between said lower portion of said lever and said inboard side of said stanchion to bias said lower portion away from said stanchion and said upper portion against said stanchion.

12. A seat assembly as set forth in claim 11 further characterized by said recliner means including a linear recliner fixedly secured to said seat back, said linear recliner including a cylinder housing a piston having a distal end and providing linear sliding movement of said piston relative to said cylinder.

13. A seat assembly as set forth in claim 12 further characterized by said recliner means further including a slide mechanism operatively connected to said outboard side of said stanchion, said slide mechanism including a track member fixed to said stanchion and a slide block vertically slidable within said track member.

14. A seat assembly as set forth in claim 13 further characterized by said linear recliner including a connecting block attached to the distal end of said piston and removably coupled to said slide block for translating said linear sliding movement of said piston to vertical sliding movement of said slide block within said track member.

15. A seat assembly as set forth in claim 14 further characterized by said slide block including a base member and a latch member pivotally attached to said base member;

said latch member pivotal between a closed position for locking said connecting block to said slide block with said seat back in said upright position and releasing said connecting block from said slide block with said seat bottom in said stowed position and in response to pivotal movement of said seat back to said horizontal folded position.

16. A seat assembly as set forth in claim 15 further characterized by said track member having an opening aligned with said openings in said stanchion for receiving said blocking tabs of said lever therethrough when said seat bottom is in said horizontal use position, said blocking tabs extending through each of said openings below said slide block to prevent sliding movement of said slide block and prevent pivotal movement of said seat back to said horizontal folded position.

17. A seat assembly as set forth in claim 16 further characterized by said recliner means further including an upper stop and a lower stop defining upper and lower limits of said sliding movement of said slide block in said track member.

18. A passenger seat assembly for a motor vehicle comprising:

a generally horizontal seat bottom;

a generally upright seat back;

support means for supporting said seat bottom and said seat back above a vehicle floor;

said seat back including a lower portion adjacent said seat bottom and an upper portion operatively connected to said lower portion;

adjustment means interconnecting said upper and lower seat back portions for automatically adjusting the vertical height of said seat back from a retracted position with said upper portion retracted in said lower portion of said seat back to an extended position with said upper portion extending vertically upwardly from said lower portion of said seat back; and

pivot means operatively connected between said upper portion and said lower portion for rotating said upper portion of said seat back forward of said lower portion in response to said adjustment means raising said upper portion from said retracted position to said extended position.

19. A seat assembly as set forth in claim 18 further characterized by said adjustment means including a track member connected to said lower portion of said seat back and a slide member connected to said upper portion of said seat back and slidably received in said track member.

20. A seat assembly as set forth in claim 19 further characterized by said adjustment means including at least one gas spring interconnected between said upper portion and said lower portion of said seat back to automatically extend said upper portion from said retracted position to said extending position.

21. A seat assembly as set forth in claim 20 further characterized by said pivot means including a pair of parallel slots in said track member and a pair of pins in said slide member received in said slots;

said slots and said pins being vertically offset and one of said slots having an angled upper channel to receive one of said pins and rotate said upper portion of said seat back to an angle forward of said lower portion.