Fold-down seat for a motor vehicle

• US 5,788,329 A
• Filed: 02/08/1996
• Issued: 08/04/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dura Operating Corporation (Dura Automotive Systems)
• Original Assignee: Atwood Industries, Inc. (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gray, Larry E., Barbee, Paul, Pilarczyk, Ervin Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Cranmer, Laurie K.
• Application Number:
  US08/598,335
• Time in Patent Office: 908 Days
• Field of Search: 297/354.13, 297/65, 297/300.1, 297/341, 297/362.11, 297/362.14, 297/64, 5/41, 5/42, 5/37.1, 5/13, 5/31, 5/32.1, 5/927
• US Class Current: 297/354.13
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/34 into a bed
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 3/38 Sleeping arrangements , e.g. living or sleeping accommodation on the roof of the vehicle

Abstract

A fold-down seat frame for a motor vehicle is provided. The seat includes a seat bottom disposed in a predominantly horizontal position and a seat back adapted for movement between a predominantly vertical seating position and a predominantly horizontal reclined position. The seat back and seat bottom share an adjacent edge that forms a vertex between the two. An auxiliary section is adapted for movement between a seated position and a reclined position. When in the seated position, the auxiliary section is located substantially below the seat bottom, and when in the reclined position, the auxiliary section is interposed between the seat back and seat bottom and aligned in substantially horizontal fashion therewith. A hinging assembly interconnects the seat back, and the seat bottom, and the auxiliary section and operates to controllably and concertedly move the seat back, the seat bottom, and auxiliary section between the seated and reclined positions.

Claims

1. A fold-down seat frame for a motor vehicle comprising:

a seat bottom disposed in a predominately horizontal position;

a seat back adapted for movement between a predominately vertical seating position and a predominately horizontal reclined position, the seat back having an edge disposed adjacent to an edge of the seat bottom when in the seating position, the edges being spaced apart when the seat back is disposed in the reclined position;

an auxiliary section adapted for movement between a seating position and a reclined position, the auxiliary section being substantially horizontally disposed and interposed between the spaced apart edges of the seat back and seat bottom when in the reclined position, the auxiliary section being disposed predominantly below the seat back and the seat bottom when in the seating position, the auxiliary section being disposed partially behind the seat bottom and the seat back, when in the seating position; and

hinge means interconnecting the seat back, the seat bottom and the auxiliary section, the hinge means controllably and concertedly moving the seat back and the auxiliary section between the seating the reclined positions.

2. The fold-down seat according to claim 1, wherein the hinge means is operative to move the auxiliary section upward in relation to the seat back and the seat bottom as the auxiliary section is moved from the seating position to the reclined position.

3. A fold-down seat for a motor vehicle comprising:

a seat bottom disposed in a predominately horizontal position;

a seat back adapted for movement between a predominately vertical seating position and a predominately horizontal reclined position, the seat back having an edge disposed adjacent to an edge of the seat bottom when in the seating position, the edges being spaced apart when the seat back is disposed in the reclined position;

an auxiliary section adapted for pivotal movement between a seating position and a reclined position, the pivotal movement encompassing a range of motion of less than 180°

, the auxiliary section being predominately disposed between the seat back and seat bottom when in the seating position, auxiliary section being substantially horizontally disposed and interposed between the spaced apart edges of the seat bottom and seat back when in the reclined position; and

a hinging means for translating the seat between the seating and reclined positions, the hinging means configured to define a complex translational path of the seat back relative to the seat bottom.

4. The fold-down seat according to claim 3, wherein the complex path includes a pivotal component of movement.

5. The fold-down seat according to claim 4, wherein the complex path includes a linear component of movement.

6. A fold-down seat for a motor vehicle configured to move between seated and reclined positions, the seat comprising:

a seat back and a seat bottom disposed in angular relation to form a vertex at a common edge, when in the seated position;

an auxiliary section disposed outside the angle formed between the seat back and the seat bottom, the auxiliary section being predominantly disposed below the seat back and seat bottom when in the seating position; and

hinging means interconnecting the seat back, the seat bottom, and the auxiliary section for concertedly moving the seat between the seated and reclined positions, the hinging means being configured to pivot the seat back downwardly and rearwardly, advance the seat bottom forwardly, the hinging means being further configured to pivot the auxiliary section to a position interposed between the seat back and the seat bottom, when moving the seat from the seated to the reclined position, the auxiliary section adapted to pivot from the seated position to the reclined position through a range of motion of less than 180°

.

7. The fold-down seat according to claim 6, further including motorized drive means for motivating the seat between the seated and reclined positions.

8. The fold-down seat according to claim 7, wherein the drive means acts upon the hinging means to motivate the movement of the seat.