Seat storage structure for a passenger car

• US 6,231,101 B1
• Filed: 04/27/1999
• Issued: 05/15/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/1998
• Status: Expired

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Mori, Takahiro, Kamida, Koji
• Primary Examiner(s): Pape, Joseph D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Patel, Kiran B.
• Application Number:
  US09/299,658
• Time in Patent Office: 749 Days
• Field of Search: 296/65.05, 296/65.09, 296/65.03, 296/63, 297/14, 297/15, 297/331, 297/335
• US Class Current: 296/63
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/01583 locking on transversal elements on the vehicle floor or rail, e.g. transversal rods
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/3011 the back-rest being hinged on the cushion, e.g. "portefeuille movement"
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/305 the cushion being hinged on the vehicle frame
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/3075 stowed in recess B60N2/3079 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/3079 in a recess
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/366 characterised by the locking device

Abstract

An operator opens the tail gate, and stretches his/her arm through the tail gate to make the seat back fall down forward. Then, the operator can pull the pull fitting to make both the seat back and the seat cushion turn over backward so as to be received in the storage concave portion. Accordingly, this design allows an operator to perform the rear seat rearrangement in a very easy posture from the outside of a car.

Claims

1. A passenger car seat storage structure in which a tail gate is provided in a rear portion thereof and a rear seat having a seat cushion and a seat back is disposed adjacent to the tail gate, said seat storage structure comprising:

a storage concave portion formed in a floor of the car and behind the rear seat, wherein the seat back is folded onto the seat cushion, the rear seat is rotated backward and received in said storage concave portion to make a bottom of the seat cushion substantially even with the floor;

a pull fitting attached to and extending rearwardly from a back of the seat back for pulling the rear seat backward while the seat back is folded onto the seat cushion side, thereby moving the rear seat to be stored in said storage concave portion; and

a lock member for locking said pull fining not in use, said lock member being provided in the back of the seat back;

wherein a first bracket is fixed to a skeleton frame provided in the seat back, a second bracket attached to a base of said pull fining is attached to the first bracket, a skin of the back seat is held between a receiving member and a garnish in a manner so that the receiving member and the garnish are put on the skin from a back and a front of the skin to cover an opening formed in the skin, a base of said pull fitting is disposed to face the garnish and the receiving member, and the receiving member is made to abut against the second bracket.

2. A passenger car seat storage structure according to claim 1, further comprising a second unlocking lever for unlocking a seat lock mechanism which locks the seat cushion to the floor, said second unlocking member being provided in a rear portion of the seat cushion.

3. A passenger car seat storage structure according to claim 1, wherein said pull fitting is a rope.

4. A passenger car seat storage structure according to claim 1, wherein said pull fitting can be accessed through the tailgate.

5. A passenger car seat storage structure according to claim 1, wherein said pull fitting is made of a flexible material.

6. A passenger car seat storage structure according to claim 1, wherein said pull fitting has a pull ring.

7. A passenger car seat storage structure according to claim 1, wherein said pull fitting has a handle.

8. A passenger car seat storage structure in which a tail gate is provided in a rear portion thereof and a rear seat having a seat cushion and a seat back is disposed adjacent to the tail gate, said seat storage structure comprising:

a storage concave portion formed in a floor of the car and behind the rear seat, wherein the seat back is folded onto the seat cushion, the rear seat is rotated backward and received in said storage concave portion to make a bottom of the seat cushion substantially even with the floor;

a pull fitting attached to and extending rearwardly from a back of the seat back for pulling the rear seat backward while the seat back is folded onto the seat cushion side, thereby moving the rear seat to be stored in said storage concave portion; and

a first unlocking lever for unlocking a reclining mechanism of the rear seat, said first unlocking lever being provided on the back of the seat back;

wherein a third bracket for swingably supporting said first unlocking lever is fixed to a skeleton frame provided in the seat back, a receiving member having an opening is extended from the third bracket to a vicinity of a skin of the seat back so that the opening of the receiving member is made coincident with an opening formed in the skin, and a garnish is inserted in the opening of the receiving member so as to press the opening of the skin so that the skin is held between the garnish and the receiving member.

9. A passenger car seat storage structure according to claim 8, further comprising a second unlocking lever for unlocking a seat lock mechanism which locks the seat cushion to the floor, said second unlocking lever being provided in a rear portion of the seat cushion.

10. A passenger car seat storage structure according to claim 8, wherein said pull fitting is a rope.

11. A passenger car seat storage structure according to claim 8, wherein said pull fitting can be accessed through the tailgate.

12. A passenger car seat storage structure according to claim 8, wherein said pull fitting is made of a flexible material.

13. A passenger car seat storage structure according to claim 8, wherein said pull fitting has a pull ring.

14. A passenger car seat storage structure according to claim 8, wherein said pull fitting has a handle.

15. A seat storage structure for a passenger car, in which a tail gate is provided in a rear portion thereof and a rear seat having a seat cushion and a seat back is disposed adjacent to the tail gate, said seat storage structure comprising:

a storage concave portion formed in a floor of the car and behind the rear seat, wherein the seat back is folded onto the seat cushion, the rear seat is rotated backward and received in said storage concave portion to make a bottom of the seat cushion substantially even with the floor;

a pull fitting being provided in a back of the seat back for pulling the rear seat backward while the seat back is folded onto the seat cushion side, thereby receiving the rear seat in said storage concave portion;

a lock member for locking said pull fitting not in use, said lock member being provided in the back of the seat back;

a first bracket fixed to a skeleton frame provided in the seat back;

a second bracket attached to a base of said pull fitting and attached to the first bracket;

a skin of the back seat held between a receiving member and a garnish in a manner so that the receiving member and the garnish are put on the skin from a back and a front of the skin to cover an opening formed in the skin; and

a base of said pull fitting disposed to face the garnish and the receiving member, the receiving member abutting against the second bracket.

16. A seat storage structure for a passenger car, in which a tail gate is provided in a rear portion thereof and a rear seat having a seat cushion and a seat back is disposed adjacent to the tail gate, said seat storage structure comprising:

a storage concave portion formed in a floor of the car and behind the rear seat, wherein the seat back is folded onto the seat cushion, the rear seat is rotated backward and received in said storage concave portion to make a bottom of the seat cushion substantially even with the floor;

a pull fitting being provided in a back of the seat back for pulling the rear seat backward while the seat back is folded onto the seat cushion side, thereby receiving the rear seat in said storage concave portion;

a first unlocking lever for unlocking a reclining mechanism of the rear seat, said first unlocking member being provided on the back of the seat back;

a third bracket for swingably supporting said first unlocking lever fixed to a skeleton frame provided in the seat back;

a receiving member having an opening extending from the third bracket to a vicinity of a skin of the seat back so that the opening of the receiving member is made coincident with an opening formed in the skin; and

a garnish inserted in the opening of the receiving member so as to press the opening of the skin so that the skin is held between the garnish and the receiving member.