Foldable vehicle seat

• US 6,568,756 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2001
• Issued: 05/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fuji KIKO Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Fuji KIKO Company Limited
• Inventors: Sugano, Shuichi, Sugimoto, Kunihisa
• Primary Examiner(s): BARFIELD, ANTHONY DERRELL
• Application Number:
  US09/924,446
• Publication Number:
  US 20020043850A1
• Time in Patent Office: 656 Days
• Field of Search: 297/333, 297/334, 297/335, 297/378.12, 297/378.13, 297/331, 296/65.01, 296/65.05, 296/65.09
• US Class Current: 297/335
• 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

Abstract

A foldable vehicle seat is constructed such that when the seat is placed in a passenger area and that a seat cushion is tipped up from a seating position, a forward-inclination stopper stops once the seat cushion at an upright position by abutting on a lock plate. When the seat is moved from the passenger area to a luggage area, the forward-inclination stopper allows inclination of the seat cushion to the most forward inclined position in accordance with a position of the lock plate.

Claims

1. A seat for an automotive vehicle with passenger and luggage areas, comprising:

a cushion;

a seat slide device with an upper rail on which the cushion is disposed;

a cushion hinge arranged at a front end of the cushion and comprising a cushion plate, the cushion plate being coupled with the upper rail and rotatable between a first position corresponding to a seating position and a second position opposite to the first position in a forward direction, the cushion plate being biased in a direction of the second position, wherein the cushion can be inclined to the second position by its tipping-up from the seating position with center of the cushion hinge as center of rotation;

a lock plate mounted to the upper rail, the lock plate having a position selectively switched in accordance with a seat slide position;

a first stopper mounted to the cushion plate, wherein when the seat is placed in the passenger area and that the cushion is tipped up from the first position, the first stopper stops once the cushion at a middle position a first predetermined amount before the second position by abutting on the lock plate; and

a second stopper mounted to the cushion plate, wherein when the seat is placed in the luggage area and that the cushion is inclined backward from the second position to the first position, the second stopper stops once the cushion at an interlock position a second predetermined amount before the first position by abutting on the lock plate.

2. The seat as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the seat is moved from the passenger area to the luggage area, the first stopper allows inclination of the cushion to the second position in accordance with the position of the lock plate.

3. The seat as claimed in claim 2, wherein when the seat is moved from the luggage area to the passenger area, the second stopper allows returning of the cushion to the first position in accordance with the position of the lock plate.

4. The seat as claimed in claim 3, wherein when the seat is moved to the passenger area, the lock plate is switched to a forward lock position.

5. The seat as claimed in claim 4, wherein when the seat is moved to the luggage area, the lock plate is switched to a backward lock position.

6. The seat as claimed in claim 5, wherein the seat is locked at an end of a slide stroke of the seat slide device.

7. The seat as claimed in claim 6, further comprising a detection lever mounted to the upper rail, the detection lever being switched between a first position when the seat is placed at the end of the slide stroke on the side of the passenger area and a second position when the seat is placed in other positions.

8. The seat as claimed in claim 7, wherein the lock plate is operated together with movement of the detection lever.

9. A seat for an automotive vehicle with passenger and luggage areas, comprising:

a cushion;

a seat slide device with an upper rail on which the cushion is disposed;

a cushion hinge arranged at a front end of the cushion and comprising a cushion plate, the cushion plate being coupled with the upper rail and rotatable between a first position corresponding to a seating position and a second position opposite to the first position in a forward direction, the cushion plate being biased in a direction of the second position, wherein the cushion can be inclined to the second position by its tipping-up from the seating position with center of the cushion hinge as center of rotation;

a lock plate mounted to the upper rail, the lock plate having a position selectively switched in accordance with a seat slide position;

a first stopper mounted to the cushion plate, wherein when the seat is placed in the passenger area and that the cushion is tipped up from the first position, the first stopper stops once the cushion at a middle position a first predetermined amount before the second position by abutting on the lock plate, wherein when the seat is moved from the passenger area to the luggage area, the first stopper allows inclination of the cushion to the second position in accordance with the position of the lock plate; and

a second stopper mounted to the cushion plate, wherein when the seat is placed in the luggage area and that the cushion is inclined backward from the second position to the first position, the second stopper stops once the cushion at an interlock position a second predetermined amount before the first position by abutting on the lock plate, wherein when the seat is moved from the luggage area to the passenger area, the second stopper allows returning of the cushion to the first position in accordance with the position of the lock plate.

10. The seat as claimed in claim 9, wherein when the seat is moved to the passenger area, the lock plate is switched to a forward lock position.

11. The seat as claimed in claim 10, wherein when the seat is moved to the luggage area, the lock plate is switched to a backward lock position.

12. The seat as claimed in claim 11, wherein the seat is locked at an end of a slide stroke of the seat slide device.

13. The seat as claimed in claim 12, further comprising a detection lever mounted to the upper rail, the detection lever being switched between a first position when the seat is placed at the end of the slide stroke on the side of the passenger area and a second position when the seat is placed in other positions.

14. The seat as claimed in claim 13, wherein the lock plate is operated together with movement of the detection lever.

15. A seat for an automotive vehicle with passenger and luggage areas, comprising:

a cushion;

a seat slide device with an upper rail on which the cushion is disposed;

a cushion hinge arranged at a front end of the cushion and comprising a cushion plate, the cushion plate being coupled with the upper rail and rotatable between a first position corresponding to a seating position and a second position opposite to the first position in a forward direction, the cushion plate being biased in a direction of the second position, wherein the cushion can be inclined to the second position by its tipping-up from the seating position with center of the cushion hinge as center of rotation;

a lock plate mounted to the upper rail, the lock plate having a position selectively switched in accordance with a seat slide position;

a first stopper mounted to the cushion plate, wherein when the seat is placed in the passenger area and that the cushion is tipped up from the first position, the first stopper stops once the cushion at a middle position a first predetermined amount before the second position by abutting on the lock plate;

a second stopper mounted to the cushion plate, wherein when the seat is placed in the luggage area and that the cushion is inclined backward from the second position to the first position, the second stopper stops once the cushion at an interlock position a second predetermined amount before the first position by abutting on the lock plate; and

a detection lever mounted to the upper rail, the detection lever being switched between a first position when the seat is placed at the end of the slide stroke on the side of the passenger area and a second position when the seat is placed in other positions.

16. A seat for an automotive vehicle with passenger and luggage areas, comprising:

a cushion;

a seat slide device with an upper rail on which the cushion is disposed;

a cushion hinge arranged at a front end of the cushion and comprising a cushion plate, the cushion plate being coupled with the upper rail and rotatable between a first position corresponding to a seating position and a second position opposite to the first position in a forward direction, the cushion plate being biased in a direction of the second position, wherein the cushion can be inclined to the second position by its tipping-up from the seating position with center of the cushion hinge as center of rotation;

a lock plate mounted to the upper rail, the lock plate having a position selectively switched in accordance with a seat slide position;

a first stopper mounted to the cushion plate, wherein when the seat is placed in the passenger area and that the cushion is tipped up from the first position, the first stopper stops once the cushion at a middle position a first predetermined amount before the second position by abutting on the lock plate, wherein when the seat is moved from the passenger area to the luggage area, the first stopper allows inclination of the cushion to the second position in accordance with the position of the lock plate;

a second stopper mounted to the cushion plate, wherein when the seat is placed in the luggage area and that the cushion is inclined backward from the second position to the first position, the second stopper stops once the cushion at an interlock position a second predetermined amount before the first position by abutting on the lock plate, wherein when the seat is moved from the luggage area to the passenger area, the second stopper allows returning of the cushion to the first position in accordance with the position of the lock plate; and

a detection lever mounted to the upper rail, the detection lever being switched between a first position when the seat is placed at the end of the slide stroke on the side of the passenger area and a second position when the seat is placed in other positions.