Seat apparatus

• US 7,594,699 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2006
• Issued: 09/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Satta, Hirota, Suzuki, Tomonori, Higashi, Hidemitsu, Mizuguchi, Masaya, Kato, Hideharu
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn; David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Abraham; Tania
• Application Number:
  US11/510,769
• Publication Number:
  US 20070046088A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,128 Days
• Field of Search: 297/361.1, 297/378.1, 297/217.3, 297/362.11, 297/125, 296/65.16, 296/65.17, 296/68, 296/69
• US Class Current: 297/362.11
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0244 with logic circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/3075 stowed in recess B60N2/3079 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/309 rods

Abstract

A seat apparatus includes a seat cushion on which an operator is seated, a seatback supporting the operator seated on the seat cushion, the seatback being configured to incline forward to reduce an angle of the seatback relative to the seat cushion and to incline rearward to increase the angle of the seatback relative to the seat cushion, a seatback drive device inclining the seatback forward and rearward relative to the seat cushion, a seatback operating switch provided at a position where is reached by the operator seated on the seat cushion, the seatback operating switch operating the seatback driving device in response to an operation of the switch, and an excessive load restricting device restricting an excessive load applied to the operator seated on the seat cushion by limiting a forward inclination of the seatback when the seatback operating switch is operated so as to incline the seatback forward.

Claims

1. A seat apparatus comprising:

a seat cushion on which an operator is to be seated;

a seatback movably inclinable relative to the seat cushion to incline in a forward direction relative to the seat cushion to reduce an angle of the seatback relative to the seat cushion and to incline in a rearward direction relative to the seat cushion to increase the angle of the seatback relative to the seat cushion;

a seatback drive device operatively connected to the seatback to incline the seatback in the forward and rearward directions relative to the seat cushion;

a seatback operating switch operable by the operator seated on the seat cushion, the seatback driving device being operated in response to operation of the seatback operating switch to incline the seatback in the forward direction relative to the seat cushion; and

excessive load restricting means for restricting application of an excessive load to the operator seated on the seat cushion by determining whether the angle of the seatback relative to the seat cushion is within an adjustment permitting range and by preventing inclination of the seatback in the forward direction, even when the seatback operating switch is operated, if the angle of the seatback relative to the seat cushion is outside the adjustment permitting range.

2. The seat apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the seatback operating switch also serves as a reclining switch performing a reclining operation by inclining the seatback in the rearward direction.

3. The seat apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a second switch positioned at a location incapable of being operated by the operator seated on the seat cushion, the second switch being operable to movably incline the seatback in the forward direction.

4. The seat apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the second switch operates the seatback to incline the seatback in the forward direction into a position at which the seatback overlaps the seat cushion.