Vehicle seat with a seat tilt adjustment combined with a fold flat mechanism with a return function

• US 7,648,202 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2008
• Issued: 01/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Inventors: Wieclawski, Stanislaw Andrzej, Bokelmann, Tobias
• Primary Examiner(s): Nelson, Jr.; Milton
• Application Number:
  US12/107,552
• Publication Number:
  US 20080315655A1
• Time in Patent Office: 637 Days
• Field of Search: 297/341, 297/340, 297/317, 297/316, 297/378.1, 297/342, 297/329, 297/284.11, 297/322, 297/324, 297/332, 297/333, 297/318
• US Class Current: 297/341
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/181 Rods
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/1842 pivoting about an axis located in the rear
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/1864 Gear wheel driven mechanism
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/3013 the back-rest being hinged on the vehicle frame
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/3065 in a longitudinal-vertical plane
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/36 into a loading platform B60N2/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/4263 with anti-submarining systems

Abstract

A vehicle seat includes a seat bottom and a seat back. The seat bottom includes a forward section and a rear section. The seat back is pivotably mounted about the seat bottom. The seat back is positionable in a reclined position and a folded position. The pivotable link system characteristically positions the forward section of the seat bottom in a lowered position and one or more raised positions.

Claims

1. A vehicle seat comprising:

a seat bottom having a forward section and a rear section;

a seat back pivotable relative to the seat bottom;

a pivotable link system that positions the forward section of the seat bottom in one or more raised position; and

a torsion spring that biases the seat bottom forward to an extended position or rearward to a lowered position wherein the seat back is adapted to fold forward, the seat back is in communication with the link system such that positioning the seat back in the folded position causes the seat bottom to move to an extended forward position thereby accommodating the folded seat back, and the seat back is coupled to the link system by a first pulley system that disengages the seat bottom so that the seat bottom may be positioned in the forward extended position.

2. The vehicle seat of claim 1 wherein the link system includes a link attached to the seat bottom.

3. The vehicle seat of claim 1 wherein the link system includes a sector gear that moves the link such that the seat bottom is positioned into the one or more raised positions, the sector gear being positionable in one or more gear positions that correspond to the one or more raised positions.

4. The vehicle seat of claim 3 wherein the link includes a post, which is in communication with the sector gear.

5. The vehicle seat of claim 4 wherein the link system further includes a clasping bracket attached to the sector gear, the clasping bracket engaging the post.

6. The vehicle seat of claim 5 wherein the link system includes a pinion gear in communication with a user operated knob, the pinion gear positioning the sector gear in the one or more gear positions.

7. The vehicle seat of claim 1 wherein the seat back is coupled to the link system by a second pulley system so that the seat bottom is placed in the forward extended position when the seat back is folded.

8. The vehicle seat of claim 1 further comprising a track upon which the seat bottom slides while tilting to a substantially flat folded position.

9. The vehicle seat of claim 1 wherein the seat back is adapted to recline backwards.

10. A vehicle seat comprising:

a seat bottom having a forward section and a rear section;

a seat back pivotable relative to the seat bottom, the seat back being adapted to fold forward; and

a pivotable link system that positions the forward section of the seat bottom in one or more raised position,

wherein the seat back is in communication with the link system such that positioning the seat back in the folded position causes the seat bottom to move to an extended forward position thereby accommodating the folded seat back and wherein the seat back is coupled to the link system by a first pulley system and a second pulley system, the first pulley system disengages the seat bottom so that the seat bottom may be positioned in the forward extended position and the second pulley system is such that the seat bottom is positionable in the forward extended position when the seat back is folded.

11. The vehicle seat of claim 10 further comprising a torsion spring that biases the seat bottom forward to an extended position or rearward to a lowered position.

12. The vehicle seat of claim 10 wherein the link system includes a sector gear that moves the link such that the seat bottom is positioned into the one or more raised positions, the sector gear being positionable in one or more gear positions that correspond to the one or more raised positions.