Electric vehicle seat stowing structure

• US 7,063,368 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2004
• Issued: 06/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Kayumi, Tetsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Gutman, H.
• Application Number:
  US10/878,106
• Publication Number:
  US 20050017564A1
• Time in Patent Office: 722 Days
• Field of Search: 296/65.05, 296/65.01, 296/66, 296/65.08, 296/65.09, 296 6516- 18, 297/378.1, 297/378.12, 297/344.1
• US Class Current: 296/65.05
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/01583 locking on transversal elements on the vehicle floor or rail, e.g. transversal rods
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/02246 Electric motors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2352 with external pawls
• 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 2/3079 in a recess
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/36 into a loading platform B60N2/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/859 specially adapted for rear seats
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/882 detachable

Abstract

An electric vehicle seat stowing structure having a swing drive mechanism for swinging a seat cushion between a seating position and a stowing position, the swing drive mechanism provided on a floor of a vehicle in the vicinity of a wheel house including a group of reduction gears disposed in a gear case or in a bracket and an actuator for driving the group of reduction gears placed vertically on a side of the gear case or the bracket and a striker for locking the seat cushion to the seating position.

Claims

1. An electric vehicle seat stowing structure, comprising:

a swing drive mechanism for swinging a seat cushion between a seating position and a stowing position, the swing drive mechanism provided on a floor of a vehicle in the vicinity of a wheel house including

a group of reduction gears disposed in a gear case or in a bracket; and

an actuator for driving the group of reduction gears placed vertically on a side of the gear case or the bracket; and

a striker for locking the seat cushion in the seating position.

2. An electric vehicle seat stowing structure as set forth in claim 1, further comprising

a rear member for reinforcing the floor, wherein the swing drive mechanism and the striker are mounted on the rear member.

3. An electric vehicle seat stowing structure as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a reinforcement cross member disposed on the floor in the vicinity of the striker, wherein an end portion of the cross member is connected to a gusset reinforcing the wheel house additionally.

4. An electric vehicle seat stowing structure as set forth in claim 2, further comprising a reinforcement cross member disposed on the floor in the vicinity of the striker, wherein an end portion of the cross member is connected to a gusset reinforcing the wheel house additionally.

5. An electric vehicle seat stowing structure as set forth in claim 1, wherein the electric vehicle seat stowing structure is adopted to a the vehicle of which riding capacity ranges from 6 to 7 occupants.

6. An electric vehicle seat stowing structure as set forth in claim 1, wherein the electric vehicle seat stowing structure is adopted to a the vehicle of which riding capacity ranges from 4 to 5 occupants.

10. An electric vehicle seat stowing structure as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a lock mechanism including

a base mounted on a cushion frame;

a plate mounted on the base via a rotational shaft portion;

first and second gears provided at an upper end portion of the base;

a lower lever mounted on the plate via a pin so as to freely swing thereon;

a lock gear formed on the lower lever, the lock gear meshing with the first and second gears;

an intermediate lever mounted on the plate via an intermediate pin so as to freely swing thereon, the intermediate lever pressing a distal end of the lower swing lever;

an upper lever mounted on the plate via an upper pin so as to freely swing thereon; and

a tension spring extended between the lower swing lever and the upper swing lever.

11. An electric vehicle seat stowing structure as set forth in claim 10, further comprising an automatic lock release mechanism including

a mounting bracket mounted on the cushion frame;

a driving motor provided on the mounting bracket;

a fluctuating shaft protruded from the driving motor;

a magnet mounted on the fluctuating shaft; and

an upper and lower sensor mounted, respectively, on locations that correspond to upper and lower ends of the fluctuating shaft.

12. An electric vehicle seat stowing structure as set forth in claim 11, further comprising a manual lock release mechanism including

a lever of which a lower end is mounted thereon via a pin in such a manner that the lever freely swings on the pin;

an arm provided in such a manner as to extend to the lower end portion of the manual lever;

an inner cable of which a proximal end portion is connected to the distal end portion of the arm; and

a coil spring mounted on the pin.

13. An electric vehicle seat stowing structure as set forth in claim 12, wherein the cable branches to a first and second cable at a connecting portion, the first and second cable being connected to the automatic lock release mechanism and manual lock release mechanism, respectively.

7. An assembling method of an electric vehicle seat stowing structure, comprising steps of:

mounting a cross member on a floor of a vehicle;

mounting a first support shaft on the floor, and disposing a first mounting plate provided on the first support shaft so as to be inclined at a predetermined angle;

mounting a second support shaft on the floor via a swing drive mechanism, and disposing a second mounting plate provided on the second support shaft so as to be inclined at the predetermined angle;

mounting first and second strikers, respectively, at positions being spaced apart at a predetermined distance relative to the first and second support shafts;

inclining the seat cushion according to inclination angles of the respective first and second mounting plates;

engaging first and second locking brackets of the seat cushion with the first and second mounting plate, respectively;

swinging the seat cushion to a floor recessed stowing portion; and

mounting the first and second mounting plates on a bottom portion of the seat cushion

wherein the swing drive mechanism includes

a group of reduction gears disposed in a gear case or in a bracket; and

an actuator for driving the group of reduction gears placed vertically on

a side of the gear case or the bracket.

8. An assembling method of an electric vehicle seat stowing structure as set forth in claim 7, wherein the first support shaft and the first mounting plate are a right support shaft and a right mounting plate, respectively, and the second support shaft and the second mounting plate are a left support shaft and a left mounting plate, respectively.

9. An assembling method of an electric vehicle seat stowing structure as set forth in claim 7, wherein the first support shaft and the first mounting plate are a left support shaft and a left mounting plate, respectively, and the second support shaft and the second mounting plate are a right support shaft and a right mounting plate, respectively.