Tip-up automotive seat provided with interlocking means

• US 6,883,868 B2
• Filed: 02/18/2004
• Issued: 04/26/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TS Tech Company Limited
• Original Assignee: TS Tech Company Limited
• Inventors: Yoshida, Masami
• Primary Examiner(s): BARFIELD, ANTHONY DERRELL
• Application Number:
  US10/781,604
• Publication Number:
  US 20050006940A1
• Time in Patent Office: 433 Days
• Field of Search: 297/331, 297/335, 297/340, 297/344.1, 296/65.05, 296/65.13, 296/65.14
• US Class Current: 297/331
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/065 Rear seats
• 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 2002/957 the locking system prevents an abnormal or wrong mounting situation, i.e. deployment or functioning of a seat part being prevented if the seat or seat part is not properly mounted

Abstract

A tip-up, slidable automotive seat comprises a seat cushion, a seat back, a tipping-up mechanism for allowing the seat cushion to be tipped up relative to the seat back, and an interlocking mechanism for preventing the seat from being moved forward unless the seat cushion is tipped up relative to the seat back and for allowing the seat to be moved forward when the seat cushion is tipped up.

Claims

1. A tip-up automotive seat comprising:

a seat cushion;

a seat back;

seat track means for allowing said seat to be moved forward and rearward in a vehicle;

said seat track means including a pair of substantially parallel stationary rails attached to a floor section of said vehicle, and a pair of substantially parallel movable rails slidably supported to said stationary rails;

said movable rails having side brackets rising up therefrom;

said seat back being arranged between said side brackets and supported to said side brackets;

said seat cushion being arranged between said side brackets and pivotally supported to said side brackets;

tipping-up means provided at one side or both sides of said seat for allowing said seat cushion to be tipped up relative to said seat back;

said tipping-up means comprising a first rod and a straightly extending elongated hole formed in a corresponding side bracket;

said first rod having a first end portion and a second end portion;

said first end portion of said first rod being connected to a corresponding side of said seat cushion;

said second end portion of said first rod being provided with an inducting pin;

said inducting pin of said first rod being inserted in said straightly extending elongated hole so as to be moved along said elongated hole; and

interlocking means provided at the one side or both sides of said seat for preventing said seat from being moved forward unless said seat cushion is tipped up relative to said seat back and for allowing said seat to be moved forward when said seat cushion is tipped up;

said interlocking means comprising;

a restricting lever of a substantially inverted L-shape pivotally supported to a side of a corresponding movable rail;

said restricting lever having a first arm portion extending toward a bottom portion of a corresponding stationary rail, and a second arm portion extending rearward from an upper region of said first arm portion;

first spring means stretched between the side of said movable rail and said restricting lever;

a second operating rod having a third end portion and a fourth end portion;

said second operating rod including a support pin provided at said third end portion thereof and a stopper pin provided at said fourth end portion thereof;

vertically spaced apart upper and lower guide holes of substantially L-shapes formed in said side bracket and disposed at portions of said side bracket which are lower than a portion of said side bracket in which said elongated hole is formed;

said upper guide hole having a first hole portion extending substantially horizontally, and a second hole portion extending obliquely and upward from said second hole portion;

said lower guide hole having a third hole portion extending substantially horizontally along an upper region of said second arm portion of said restricting lever, and a fourth hole portion extending obliquely and upward from said third hole portion;

said support pin of said second operating rod being inserted in said upper guide hole so as to be moved along said upper guide hole;

said stopper pin of said second operating rod being inserted in said lower guide hole so as to be moved along said lower guide hole;

second spring means stretched between said side bracket and said operating rod;

cam means disposed substantially between said elongated hole and said upper guide hole and pivotally supported to said side bracket;

said cam means comprising a cam body, an upper receiving recess portion formed in said cam body for receiving said inducting pin of said first rod, and a lower receiving recess portion formed in said cam body for receiving said support pin of said second operating rod; and

a stopper plate mounted on said bottom portion of said stationary rail, wherein unless said seat cushion is tipped up, said stopper pin of the second operating rod holds said second arm portion of said restricting lever and said first arm portion of said restricting lever is to be abutted against said stopper plate, so that said seat can not be moved forward, and wherein when said seat cushion is tipped up, said first rod is pulled upward while allowing said inducting pin of said first rod to be moved along said elongated hole, said inducting pin is operatively engaged with said upper receiving recess portion of said cam while causing said cam to be rotated, said second operating rod is moved upward while allowing said support pin and said stopper pin to be moved along said upper guide hole and said lower guide hole, respectively, whereby said restricting lever is allowed to be rotated due to an action of said first spring means and said restricting lever is brought to a condition where it is not to be abutted against said stopper plate.

2. A tip-up automotive seat as set forth in claim 1, wherein said cam means further includes a semi-ring like guide member for guiding said support pin of said second operating rod along said upper guide hole, said semi-ring like guide member hanging downward from said cam body, said support pin of said second operating rod passing a space surrounded by said cam body and said semi-ring like guide member and being inserted in said upper guide hole.