Vehicle seat apparatus

• US 7,404,602 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2005
• Issued: 07/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Okada, Masaki, Koga, Yoshitaka
• Primary Examiner(s): WHITE, RODNEY BARNETT
• Application Number:
  US11/266,238
• Publication Number:
  US 20060091711A1
• Time in Patent Office: 998 Days
• Field of Search: 297/284.11, 297/216.1
• US Class Current: 297/284.11
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/02246 Electric motors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0284 Adjustable seat-cushion length B60N2/0224 takes precedence

Abstract

A vehicle seat apparatus including a cushion body provided on a frame member, a seat cushion, a gear member, a driving mechanism, an arm, and a link mechanism having a first bracket rotatably supported at the gear member, a second bracket rotatably supported at the first bracket, and a link bracket, a first end of which is rotatably supported at the second bracket, and a second end of which is connected to the arm. The arm is connected to the gear member through the link mechanism, and with an up-and-down operation of a front-end portion of the cushion body relative to the frame member by means of a swing of the arm, a length of the seating surface is variable in a longitudinal direction.

Claims

1. A vehicle seat apparatus comprising:

a cushion body provided on a frame member;

a seat cushion, a seating surface of which is formed by the cushion body;

a gear member rotatably supported at the frame member;

a driving mechanism supported at the frame member and connected to the gear member so as to rotate the gear member;

an arm swingably supported at the frame member and connected to a front-end portion of the cushion body; and

a link mechanism comprising;

a first bracket rotatably supported at the gear member around a shaft extended in a direction of a rotation center of the gear member;

a second bracket rotatably supported at the first bracket around a shaft extended substantially perpendicular to a rotation center of the first bracket; and

a link bracket, a first end of which is rotatably supported at the second bracket around a shaft extended substantially perpendicular to a rotation center of the second bracket, and a second end of which is connected to the arm, wherein

the arm is connected to the gear member through the link mechanism, and

with an up-and-down operation of the front-end portion of the cushion body relative to the frame member by means of a swing of the arm, a length of the seating surface is variable in a longitudinal direction.

2. The vehicle seat apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the first bracket, being a substantially U-shaped cross section, includes a first base wall and a, right and left, pair of first vertical walls extended from first and second ends of the first base wall, and by means of a first pin extended in the direction of the rotation center of the gear member, the first base wall is rotatably supported at the gear member.

3. The vehicle seat apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the second bracket, being a substantially U-shaped cross section, includes a second base wall and a, right and left, pair of second vertical walls extended from first and second ends of the second base wall, and

by means of a second pin extended substantially perpendicular to the rotation center of the first bracket, the second base wall is rotatably supported at the first bracket.

4. The vehicle seat apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the second pin is fixed at the pair of the first vertical walls.

5. The vehicle seat apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the second bracket, being a substantially U-shaped cross section, includes a base wall and a, right and left, pair of second vertical walls extended from first and second ends of the base wall, and

by means of a second pin extended substantially perpendicular to the rotation center of the first bracket, the base wall is rotatably supported at the first bracket.

6. The vehicle seat apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

the link bracket, being a substantially U-shaped cross section, includes a link base wall and a, right and left, pair of link vertical walls extended from first and second ends of the link base wall, and

by means of a link pin extended substantially perpendicular to the rotation center of the second bracket, the link base wall is rotatably supported at the second bracket.

7. The vehicle seat apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the link pin is fixed at the pair of second vertical walls.

8. The vehicle seat apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the link bracket, being a substantially U-shaped cross section, includes a link base wall and a, right and left, pair of link vertical walls extended from first and second ends of the link base wall, and

by means of a link pin extended substantially perpendicular to the rotation center of the second bracket, the link base wall is rotatably supported at the second bracket.

9. The vehicle seat apparatus according to claim 1, further comprises:

a supporting bracket fixed to the arm; and

a third bracket which is attached to the supporting bracket and rotably supports an end of the supporting bracket around a shaft extended substantially perpendicular to a rotation center of the link bracket.

10. The vehicle seat apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

the third bracket, being a substantially U-shaped cross section, includes a third base wall and a, right and left, pair of third vertical walls extended from first and second ends of the third base wall, and

by means of a third pin extended substantially perpendicular to the rotation center of the link bracket, the third base wall is rotatably supported at the second bracket.

11. The vehicle seat apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

the link bracket, being a substantially U-shaped cross section, includes a link base wall and a, right and left, pair of link vertical walls extended from first and second ends of the link base wall, and

by means of a link pin extended substantially perpendicular to the rotation center of the second bracket, the link base wall is rotatably supported at the second bracket.

12. The vehicle seat apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the third pin is fixed at the pair of link vertical walls.