Seat assembly including a toothed pawl interengageable with a seatback

• US 7,364,237 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2005
• Issued: 04/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BAE Industries Incorporated (Marisa Industries, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: BAE Industries Incorporated (Marisa Industries, Inc.)
• Inventors: Trombley, Eric, Bruck, Stephen, Quittschreiber, David L., Grable, David M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barfield; Anthony D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Garrett; Erika
• Application Number:
  US11/188,426
• Publication Number:
  US 20070029858A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,009 Days
• Field of Search: 297/378.1, 297/378.13, 297/378.12, 297/367, 297/368, 297/369, 297/379.12
• US Class Current: 297/378.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/20 the back-rest being tiltable, e.g. to permit easy access B60N2/04, B60N2/22 , B60N2/3002 take precedence

Abstract

A seatback assembly including a frame exhibiting a side-disposed and arcuate edge. An arm is pivotally secured to the frame. A pawl is in turn pivotally secured to the arm and is biased in engaging fashion relative to the arcuate extending edge via alternating and mating teeth and recess configurations established between the pawl and along at least one of first and second spaced apart locations defined along the arcuate edge. A cam is mounted to a further location of the seatback arm and biases the pawl against the frame. The cam is actuated to cause the pawl to disengage from the first configured sector location, the seatback arm pivoting towards the seat frame, whereupon the pawl matingly engages the second location along the arcuate seat sector edge to lock the seatback in a forwardly rotated and stowed position relative to the seat frame.

Claims

1. A seatback assembly, comprising:

a frame exhibiting a side-disposed and arcuate edge;

an arm pivotally secured to said frame;

a pawl pivotally secured to said arm and biased in engaging fashion relative to said arcuate extending edge via an alternating and mating teeth and recess configuration established between said pawl and along at least one of first and second spaced apart locations defined along said arcuate edge and which are separated by an arcuate surface portion;

a rivet for pivotally mounting said pawl at a generally elongated end location of said pawl and which is at a spaced location from said alternating teeth and recess configuration, a surface of said pawl extending substantially opposite from said associated teeth and recess configuration further comprising a centralized and cam receiving depression;

a cam mounted to a further location of said seatback arm and biasing said pawl against said frame; and

said cam being actuated to cause said pawl to disengage from said first configured sector location, said seatback arm pivoting towards said seat frame and across said surface portion, whereupon said pawl matingly engages said spaced apart second location along said arcuate seat sector edge.

2. The seatback assembly as described in claim 1, said pawl depression separating a first projection located proximate to said pawl mounting rivet from a second stepped projection.

3. The seatback assembly as described in claim 2, a portion of said cam seating within said receiving depression of said pawl further comprising first and second spaced apart and downwardly extending projections and which coact with said first and second spaced projections of said pawl dependent upon a direction of rotation of said cam.

4. A seatback assembly for securely pivoting a seatback arm relative to a seat bottom, comprising:

a seat frame including a side sector exhibiting an arcuate upper edge;

the seatback arm pivotally secured to said side sector and overlapping said arcuate upper edge;

a pawl pivotally mounted to said seatback arm and matingly engaging a first location along said arcuate sector edge corresponding to an upright engaged position of said seatback arm relative said seat sector;

a cam mounted to a further location of said seatback arm and biasing said pawl in said engaged position; and

said cam being rotatably slaved to a lever, a clock spring biasing said lever and slaved cam in a selected and engaging rotational direction, said clock spring securing upon an exterior surface of an outer bracket trim plate arranged opposite said cam and pawl; and

a cover plate secured a parallel spaced distance from said seatback arm and sandwiching therebetween said seat sector arcuate edge, said cam and said pawl, a stop pin extending from said side sector and engaging first and second configured edge locations of said cover plate to define fully upright and forwardly folded positions of said seatback arm;

actuation of said lever rotating said cam, causing said pawl to disengage from said first configured sector location, said seatback arm pivoting towards said seat frame along a surface portion associated with said upper arcuate edge, whereupon said pawl matingly engages a second spaced apart location along said arcuate seat sector edge corresponding to a seatback folding position of the seatback relative to the seat bottom.

5. The seatback assembly as described in claim 4, further comprising a keyed pivot cam lever rotatively slaving said cam to said lever.

6. The seatback assembly as described in claim 4, further comprising a second inside bracket trim plate overlaying said cover plate and arranged opposite said outer bracket trim plate.

7. The seatback assembly as described in claim 4, further comprising a main pivot pin extending through aligning apertures defined in said seatback arm, seat frame sector, said cover plate, and said inner and outer bracket trim plates.

8. A setback assembly for securely pivoting a setback arm relative to a seat bottom, comprising:

a seat frame including a side sector exhibiting an arcuate upper edge;

the seatback arm pivotally secured to said side sector and overlapping said arcuate upper edge;

a pawl pivotally mounted to said seatback arm and matingly engaging a first location along said arcuate sector edge corresponding to upright engaged position of said seatback arm relative said seat sector;

a cam mounted to a further location of said seatback arm and biasing said pawl in said engaged position;

said cam being rotatably slaved to a lever, actuation of said lever rotating said cam, causing said pawl to disengage from said first configured sector location, said seatback arm pivoting towards said seat frame along a surface portion associated with said upper arcuate edge, whereupon said pawl matingly engages a second spaced apart location along said arcuate seat sector edge corresponding to a seatback folding position of the seatback relative to the seat bottom; and

at least one of said first and second mating locations further comprising alternating teeth and recesses established between opposing locations of said pawl and said arcuate sector edge, said second configured location along said arcuate sector edge further comprising a continuous arcuate recess seating said teeth and recess configuration exhibited by said pawl.

9. The seathack assembly as described in claim 8, said seat frame further comprising a support stanchion to which is secured said side sector via a plurality of rivets.

10. A seatback assembly for securely pivoting a seatback arm relative to a seat bottom, comprising:

a seat frame including a side sector exhibiting an arcuate upper edge;

the seatback arm pivotally secured to said side sector and overlapping said arcuate upper edge;

a pawl pivotally mounted to said seatback arm and matingly engaging a first location along said arcuate sector edge corresponding to an upright engaged position of said seatback arm relative said seat sector;

a cam mounted to a further location of said seatback arm and biasing said pawl in said engaged position;

said cam being rotatably slaved to a lever, actuation of said lever rotating said cam, causing said pawl to disengage from said first configured sector location, said seatback arm pivoting towards said seat frame along a surface portion associated with said upper arcuate edge, whereupon said pawl matingly engages a second spaced apart location along said arcuate seat sector edge corresponding to a seatback folding position of the seatback relative to the seat bottom;

at least one of said first and second mating locations further comprising alternating teeth and recesses established between opposing locations of said pawl and said arcuate sector edge; and

a rivet for pivotally mounting said pawl at a generally elongated end location of said pawl and which is at a spaced location from said alternating teeth and recess configuration, a surface of said pawl extending substantially opposite from said associated teeth and recess configuration further comprising a centralized and cam receiving depression.

11. The seatback assembly as described in claim 10, said pawl depression separating a first projection located proximate to said pawl mounting rivet from a second stepped projection.

12. The seatback assembly as described in claim 11, a portion of said cam seating within said receiving depression of said pawl further comprising first and second spaced apart and downwardly extending projections and which coact with said first and second spaced projections of said pawl dependent upon a direction of rotation of said cam.

13. A seatback assembly for securely pivoting a seatback arm relative to a seat bottom, comprising:

a seat frame including a side sector exhibiting an arcuate upper edge;

the seatback arm pivotally secured to said side sector and overlapping said arcuate upper edge;

a pawl pivotally mounted to said seatback arm and matingly engaging a first location along said arcuate sector edge corresponding to an upright engaged position of said seatback arm relative said seat sector;

a cam mounted to a further location of said seatback arm and biasing said pawl in said engaged position;

said cam being rotatably slaved to a lever, actuation of said lever rotating said cam, causing said pawl to disengage from said first configured sector location, said seatback arm pivoting towards said seat frame along a surface portion associated with said upper arcuate edge, whereupon said pawl matingly engages a second spaced apart location along said arcuate seat sector edge corresponding to a seatback folding position of the seatback relative to the seat bottom;

at least one of said first and second mating locations further comprising alternating teeth and recesses established between opposing locations of said pawl and said arcuate sector edge, said second configured location along said arcuate sector edge further comprising a continuous arcuate recess seating said teeth and recess configuration exhibited by said pawl.

14. A seatback assembly for securely pivoting a seatback arm relative to a seat bottom, comprising:

a seat frame including a side sector exhibiting an arcuate upper edge;

the seatback arm pivotally secured to said side sector and overlapping said arcuate upper edge;

a pawl pivotally mounted to said seatback arm and matingly engaging a first location along said arcuate sector edge corresponding to an upright engaged position of said seatback arm relative said seat sector;

a cam mounted to a further location of said seatback arm and biasing said pawl in said engaged position;

an armrest pin exhibiting a square head and secured to an inner facing surface of said seatback arm offset from said cam; and

said cam being rotatably slaved to a lever, actuation of said lever rotating said cam, causing said pawl to disengage from said first configured sector location, said seatback arm pivoting towards said seat frame along a surface portion associated with said upper arcuate edge, whereupon said pawl matingly engages a second spaced apart location along said arcuate seat sector edge corresponding to a seatback folding position of the seatback relative to the seat bottom.