Seat structure for motor vehicle

• US 5,954,398 A
• Filed: 03/14/1997
• Issued: 09/21/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Engineering Kabushiki Kaisha, Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Engineering Kabushiki Kaisha, Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Morisawa, Yoshihiro, Niwa, Kenichi, Sugiura, Masanori, Kaminaka, Kouichi, Namba, Muneyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Cranmer, Laurie K.
• Application Number:
  US08/816,435
• Time in Patent Office: 921 Days
• Field of Search: 297/257, 297/63, 297/64, 297/66, 297/108, 297/111, 297/15, 297/234, 297/240, 297/243, 297/378.1, 297/378.12, 297/378.13, 297/378.14, 296/63, 296/66, 296/69
• US Class Current: 297/257
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/3013 the back-rest being hinged on the vehicle frame
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/3047 the cushion being hinged at the back-rest
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/305 the cushion being hinged on the vehicle frame
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/3088 characterised by the mechanical link
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/309 rods
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/34 into a bed
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/36 into a loading platform B60N2/065 takes precedence

Abstract

A seat structure for a motor vehicle includes a front seat having a seat back capable of reclining backward, and a rear seat comprising a seat back capable of reclining forward and a seat cushion. In this seat structure, the seat cushion of the rear seat is pivotably supported at a front end, lower portion thereof by a vehicle body through a pivotal support member, such that the seat cushion is rotatable about an axis of the pivotal support member to be flipped over and stored above a floor panel in front of the rear seat. The seat back of the rear seat is pivotably supported at a lower portion by a vehicle body, and is able to recline forward after the seat cushion of the rear seat is rotated and stored, so as to be located in an original position of the seat cushion. When the seat back of the front seat is leaned backward, and the seat back of the rear seat is leaned forward to be in the original position of the seat cushion, the seat back of the front seat and the seat back of the rear seat cooperates with a load-carrying platform behind the rear seat to form a substantially continuous plane.

Claims

1. A seat structure for a motor vehicle, comprising:

a front seat having a seat back capable of reclining backward, and

a rear seat having a seat back and a seat cushion, wherein

said seat cushion of the rear seat being pivotably supported at a front end, lower portion thereof by a vehicle body through a pivotal support member, said seat cushion being rotatable about an axis of said pivotal support member to be flipped over and stored horizontally above a floor panel between the rear seat and the front seat; and

said seat back of the rear seat being pivotably supported at a lower portion by the vehicle body, and being able to recline forward after said seat cushion of the rear seat is rotated and stored horizontally, so as to be located in an original position of the seat cushion, wherein

when said seat back of the front seat is leaned backward over said horizontally stored seat cushion, and said seat back of the rear seat is leaned forward and placed in the original position of the seat cushion, the seat back of the front seat and the seat back of the rear seat form a substantially planar surface with a load-carrying platform behind the rear seat; and

wherein said pivotal support member includes a first bracket member that extends from a rear seat cushion floor that normally bears the seat cushion of the rear seat, and a first hinge that connects said first bracket member to a second bracket member provided in said front end, lower portion of the seat cushion, such that said second bracket member is rotatable about said first hinge, and wherein

said first bracket extends backward from an axis of said first hinge by a predetermined distance, and then bends and extends toward the rear seat cushion floor to be attached to the rear seat cushion floor.

2. A seat structure for a motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said axis of said pivotal support member is located at one of a forward position and a forward and upward position relative to a front end of a rear seat cushion floor that normally bears the seat cushion of the rear seat, and wherein

when said seat cushion of the rear seat is rotated about said axis of the pivotal support member to be flipped over and horizontally stored above the floor panel between the rear seat and the front seat, the horizontally stored seat cushion provides a substantially horizontal back face.

3. A seat structure for a motor vehicle according to claim 2, wherein said seat cushion and said seat back of the rear seat is divided in a width direction of the vehicle into at least two sections that are arranged in parallel with each other, a part of the divided seat cushion being rotatable independently to be flipped over and stored horizontally above said floor panel between the rear seat and the front seat, a part of said seat back corresponding to said part of the seat cushion being capable of reclining forward independently.

4. A seat structure for a motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein when said seat cushion of the rear seat is rotated about said axis of the pivotal support member to be flipped over and stored horizontally above said floor panel between the rear seat and the front seat, a front end of an upper face of said seat cushion abuts on a raised face extending from the floor panel in front of the rear seat to a rear seat cushion floor that normally bears the seat cushion, so that the seat cushion provides a substantially horizontal back face.

5. A seat structure for a motor vehicle according to claim 4, wherein said seat cushion and said seat back of the rear seat is divided in a width direction of the vehicle into at least two sections that are arranged in parallel with each other, a part of the divided seat cushion being rotatable independently to be flipped over and stored horizontally above said floor panel between the rear seat and the front seat, a part of said seat back corresponding to said part of the seat cushion being capable of reclining forward independently.

6. A seat structure for a motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said seat cushion and said seat back of the rear seat is divided in a width direction of the vehicle into at least two sections that are arranged in parallel with each other, a part of the divided seat cushion being rotatable independently to be flipped over and stored horizontally above said floor panel between the rear seat and the front seat, a part of said seat back corresponding to said part of the seat cushion being capable of reclining forward independently.

7. A seat structure for a motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said seat cushion and said seat back of the rear seat is divided in a width direction of the vehicle into at least two sections that are arranged in parallel with each other, wherein

a part of the divided seat cushion is pivotably supported at a front end, lower portion thereof by a vehicle body through a pivotal member, and is rotatable about said pivot member to be flipped over and stored horizontally above said floor panel between the rear seat and the front seat, while a remaining part of the divided seat cushion is supported by the vehicle body through a detachable connecting member provided at a front end, lower portion of the seat cushion, and wherein

a part of said seat back corresponding to said part of the seat cushion is leaned forward to be located in an original position of said part of the seat cushion after said part of the seat cushion is flipped over and stored horizontally, while a remaining part of the seat back corresponding to said remaining part of the seat cushion is leaned forward to be located in an original position of said remaining part of the seat cushion after said remaining part of the seat cushion is removed.

8. A seat structure for a motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said seat cushion and said seat back of the rear seat is divided in a width direction of the vehicle into at least two sections that are arranged in parallel with each other, a part of the divided seat cushion being rotatable independently to be flipped over and stored horizontally above said floor panel between the rear seat and the front seat, a part of said seat back corresponding to said part of the seat cushion being capable of reclining forward independently.

9. A seat structure for a motor vehicle, comprising:

a front seat having a seat back capable of reclining backward; and

a rear seat having a seat back and a seat cushion, wherein,

said seat cushion of the rear seat being pivotably supported at a front end, lower portion thereof by a vehicle body through a pivotal support member, said seat cushion being rotatable about an axis of said pivotal support member to be flipped over and stored above a floor panel between the rear seat and the front seat, wherein

said seat back of the rear seat being pivotably supported at a lower portion by the vehicle body, and being able to recline forward after said seat cushion of the rear seat is rotated and stored, so as to be located in an original position of the seat cushion, wherein

said seat back of the front seat is leaned backward over said stored seat cushion, and said seat back of the rear seat is leaned forward and placed in the original position of the seat cushion, the seat back of the front seat and the seat back of the rear seat forms a substantially planer surface with a load-carrying platform behind the rear seat to form a substantially continuous plane, wherein

said seat cushion and said seat back of the rear seat is divided in a width direction of the vehicle into at least two sections that are arranged in parallel with each other, wherein

a part of the divided seat cushion is pivotably supported at a front end, lower portion thereof by a vehicle body through a pivotal member, and is rotatable about said pivot member to be flipped over and stored above said floor panel between the rear seat and the front seat, while a remaining part of the divided seat cushion is supported by the vehicle body through a detachable connecting member provided at a front end, lower portion of the seat cushion, and wherein

a part of said seat back corresponding to said part of the seat cushion is leaned forward to be located in an original position of said part of the seat cushion after said part of the seat cushion is flipped over and stored, while a remaining part of the seat back corresponding to said remaining part of the seat cushion is leaned forward to be located in an original position of said remaining part of the seat cushion after said remaining part of the seat cushion is removed.