Seat structure for motor vehicle

• US 6,030,038 A
• Filed: 02/08/1999
• Issued: 02/29/2000
• 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: Niwa, Kenichi, Sugiura, Masanori, Kaminaka, Kouichi, Morisawa, Yoshihiro, Namba, Muneyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Cranmer, Laurie K.
• Application Number:
  US09/245,850
• Time in Patent Office: 386 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 rear seat having,

a rear seat cushion pivotably supported by a vehicle body through a pivotal support member provided in a front end portion thereof, said rear seat cushion being rotatable about the pivotal support member between a first position in which said rear seat cushion is placed on a rear seat cushion floor, and a second position in which said rear seat cushion is placed above a floor panel in front of the rear seat to form a first surface, and

a rear seat back, at least a part of which reclines forward to form a second surface, said first surface being substantially lower than the second surface, when said rear seat cushion is in said second position; and

a front seat having a front seat back that reclines rearward to form a third surface above said first surface, the third surface being substantially level and continuous with the second surface, wherein

said pivotal support member has a double hinge structure including a first hinge provided on a raised portion that extends from the floor panel in front of the rear seat to the rear seat cushion floor that normally bears said rear seat cushion, and a second hinge provided in said front end portion of the rear seat cushion,

said first hinge is directly supported by said raised face, while said second hinge being supported by a support member rotatable about said first hinge such that a radius of rotation about said second hinge is smaller than a radius of rotation about said first hinge, and

a lock mechanism is provided between said support member and said second hinge for selectively restricting rotation of said rear seat cushion about said second hinge, wherein

said rear seat cushion rotates about said first hinge between said first position and a third position, located between said first and second positions, while said lock mechanism restricts rotation about said second hinge, rotates about said second hinge between said third position and a fourth position, located between said third and second positions, and rotates about said first hinge between said fourth and second positions.

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

a part of the divided rear seat cushion is rotatably supported at a front end portion thereof by the vehicle body through said pivotal support member, and a remaining part of the rear seat cushion is supported by the vehicle body through a detachable connecting member provided in a front end portion of the rear seat cushion.

3. 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 above said floor panel in front of the rear 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 said third position is where said rear seat cushion is substantially vertical.

5. A seat structure for a motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said fourth position is where said rear seat cushion is substantially horizontal.