Vehicle seat assembly

• US 6,425,619 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2000
• Issued: 07/30/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: FCA US LLC (Stellantis NV)
• Original Assignee: Daimler Chrysler Corporation (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Inventors: Ney, Clyde W
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Ken
• Application Number:
  US09/738,528
• Publication Number:
  US 20010030440A1
• Time in Patent Office: 592 Days
• Field of Search: 296/65.15, 296/64, 296/65.13, 296/65.14, 296/65.8, 296/65.1, 296/37.16, 296/37.8, 297/232, 297/233, 297/257, 297/112, 297/238, 297/344.1, 297/286
• US Class Current: 296/65.15
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/02246 Electric motors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0228 Hand-activated mechanical switches B60N2/0229 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0237 using portable terminals, e.g. smartphones
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2806 for securing the child seat to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/286 forward facing B60N2/2866 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/3022 along longitudinal axis
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/3056 along longitunal axis
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/3093 slides
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2205/35 Seat, bench or back-rests being split laterally in two or more parts

Abstract

A vehicle seat assembly for a motor vehicle having a passenger compartment with a floor. The motor vehicle has a front row of seats and a rear row of seats. The front row of seats is disposed in a forward portion of the passenger compartment and is interconnected to the floor. The rear row of seats is disposed in a rear portion of the passenger compartment, behind the front row of seats, and is interconnected to the floor. The rear row of seats includes the vehicle seat assembly and has at least a portion linearly translatable in a fore direction and an aft direction under a source of power. A switch assembly is located in the forward portion of the passenger compartment for selectively controlling linear translation of the portion of the seat assembly in the fore and aft directions.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle comprising:

a passenger compartment including a floor;

a front row of seats disposed in a forward portion of the passenger compartment and interconnected to the floor;

at least one rear row of seats in a rear portion of the passenger compartment behind the front row of seats and interconnected to the floor, the rear row of seats including a seat assembly having at least a portion linearly translatable in a fore direction and an aft direction under a source of power; and

a switch assembly located in the forward portion of the passenger compartment for selectively controlling linear translation of the portion of the seat assembly in the fore and aft directions.

2. The motor vehicle of claim 1, wherein the seat assembly is a split bench seat assembly including first and second outboard seat segments and a central seat segment, the central seat segment being linearly translatable in the fore and aft directions under the source of power.

3. The motor vehicle of claim 2, wherein the central seat segment includes an integrated child seat.

4. The motor vehicle of claim 2, wherein each of the first and second outboard seat segments includes a bucket seat.

5. The motor vehicle of claim 1, wherein the switch assembly includes a plurality of preset seat position selectors for selectively controlling linear translation of the portion of the seat assembly to preset fore and aft positions.

6. The motor vehicle of claim 5, wherein each of the plurality of preset seat position selectors are selectively programmable to correspond with an operator desired fore-aft linear position of the portion of the seat assembly.

7. The motor vehicle of claim 1, wherein the seat portion linearly translatable includes a child safety seat having a linearly translatable child seat portion.

8. The motor vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a controller for automatically translating the portion of the seat assembly to a predetermined position in response to a vehicle condition.

9. The motor vehicle of claim 8, wherein the predetermined position is an aft position.

10. The motor vehicle of claim 9, wherein the controller automatically translates the portion in response to shifting of the transmission from a park position.