Seat assembly having a seat cushion rocker mechanism

• US 7,654,615 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2006
• Issued: 02/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intier Automotive Seating Systems GmbH
• Original Assignee: Intier Automotive Seating Systems GmbH
• Inventors: Ventura, Kevin J., Winkelhake, Bernd
• Primary Examiner(s): WHITE, RODNEY BARNETT
• Application Number:
  US12/066,396
• Publication Number:
  US 20080224519A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,236 Days
• Field of Search: 297/344.15
• US Class Current: 297/344.15
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/06 slidable B60N2/12 , B60N2/2209 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/1615 Parallelogram-like structure
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/165 Gear wheel driven mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/1685 characterised by a lock
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/169 Stepwise movement mechanisms, e.g. ratchets B60N2/167 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/1803 with independent front and/or rear adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/181 Rods
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/1864 Gear wheel driven mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/1892 characterised by a lock
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/1896 Stepwise movement mechanisms, e.g. ratchets B60N2/1882 takes precedence

Abstract

A seat assembly (10) for supporting an occupant above a floor in a vehicle includes a seat cushion (12) coupled to a pair of spaced apart risers (20, 22) extending between forward (24) and rearward (26) ends and a seat back (16) pivotally coupled thereto. A rocker mechanism (58) selectively angularly adjusts the seat cushion (12) relative to the floor. A first pivot (70) pivotally connects the rearward ends (26) of the risers (20, 22) to the floor. A sector gear (92) is pivotally coupled to the riser adjacent the forward end and includes a mounting pin (94) offset from the pivotal connection. A rocker link (96) extends from a first end pivotally coupled to the floor and a second end pivotally coupled to the mounting pin (94) for guiding the forward ends (24) of the risers (20, 22) during pivotal movement about the first pivot (70). A pawl (102) is pivotally coupled to the rocker link (96) for selectively engaging the sector gear (92) to maintain the angular position of the seat assembly (10).

Claims

1. A seat assembly adapted to be coupled to the floor of an automotive vehicle, said seat assembly comprising:

a pair of spaced apart risers extending between forward and rearward ends for supporting the seat assembly above the floor of the vehicle;

a seat cushion coupled to said risers for supporting an occupant in said seat assembly;

a seat back pivotally coupled to said risers; and

a rocker mechanism for selectively adjusting an angular position of said seat cushion relative to the floor, said rock&

mechanism including a rear adjuster link defining a first pivot adapted for pivotally connecting said rearward ends of said risers to the floor, a sector gear coupled to said riser adjacent said forward end thereof by a pivotal connection and including a mounting pin offset from said pivotal connection to said riser, a rocker link having a first end adapted to be pivotally coupled to the floor and a second end pivotally coupled to said mounting pin on said sector gear for supporting and guiding said forward ends of said risers during pivotal movement about said first pivot, and a pawl pivotally coupled to said rocker link for selectively engaging and locking said sector gear to maintain said selectively adjusted angular position of said seat cushion.

2. A seat assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said pawl includes a distal end having teeth for engaging teeth on said sector gear.

3. A seat assembly as set forth in claim 2 wherein said sector gear includes an arcuate guide slot and said rocker link includes a guide pin extending therefrom for traveling along said arcuate guide slot to define a range of angular adjustment of said seat cushion.

4. A seat assembly as set forth in claim 3 including a release lever pivotally mounted to said rocker link and having a first end for selective engagement with said pawl and an opposite second end.

5. A seat assembly as set forth in claim 4 including a spring for biasing said release lever into engagement with said pawl.

6. A seat assembly as set forth in claim 5 wherein said spring extends between said second end of said release lever and said first end of said rocker link.

7. A seat assembly as set forth in claim 6 including a Bowden cable operatively coupled to said second end of said release lever for pivoting said first end of said release lever out of engagement with said pawl thereby actuating said rocker mechanism.

8. A seat assembly as set forth in claim 7 including a pair of spaced apart track assemblies extending longitudinally between forward and rearward ends for mounting the seat assembly to the floor of the vehicle.

9. A seat assembly as set forth in claim 8 wherein said first pivot pivotally connects said rearward ends of said risers to said rearward ends of said respective track assemblies and said first end of said rocker link is pivotally coupled to said forward end of said track assembly.

10. A seat assembly as set forth in claim 9 including a vertical height adjuster operatively coupled between said risers and said track assemblies for selectively vertically adjusting said seat assembly relative to the floor while simultaneously providing fore and aft adjustment, said vertical height adjuster including a pair of front adjuster links pivotally connecting said forward ends of said risers and said track assemblies, a pair of rear adjuster links pivotally connecting said rearward ends of said risers and said track assemblies, and an actuator operatively coupled to said vertical height adjuster for selectively actuating said vertical height adjuster to provide simultaneous height and fore/aft adjustment of said seat assembly wherein said front and rear adjuster links define an arcuate path of adjustment travel relative to the floor of the vehicle.

11. A seat assembly adapted to be coupled to the floor of an automotive vehicle, said seat assembly comprising:

a pair of spaced apart risers extending between forward and rearward ends for supporting the seat assembly above the floor of the vehicle;

a pair of spaced apart track assemblies extending between forward and rearward ends for mounting the seat assembly to the floor of the vehicle;

a seat cushion coupled to said risers for supporting an occupant in said seat assembly;

a seat back pivotally coupled to said risers;

a vertical height adjuster operatively coupled between said risers and said track assemblies for selectively vertically adjusting said seat assembly relative to the floor while simultaneously providing fore and aft adjustment, said vertical height adjuster including a pair of front adjuster links pivotally connecting said forward ends of said risers and said track assemblies, a pair of rear adjuster links pivotally connecting said rearward ends of said risers and said track assemblies, and an actuator operatively coupled to said vertical height adjuster for selectively actuating said vertical height adjuster to provide simultaneous height and fore/aft adjustment of said seat assembly wherein said front and rear adjuster links define an arcuate path of movement relative to the floor of the vehicle; and

wherein each of said front adjuster links define a rocker mechanism for selectively adjusting an angular position of said seat cushion relative to the floor, said rocker mechanism including a sector gear coupled to said riser adjacent said forward end thereof by a pivotal connection and including a mounting pin offset from said pivotal connection to said riser, a rocker link having a first end pivotally coupled to said forward end of said track assembly and a second end pivotally coupled to said mounting pin on said sector gear for supporting and guiding said forward ends of said risers during pivotal movement about said pair of rear adjuster links, and a pawl pivotally coupled to said rocker link for selectively engaging and locking said sector gear to maintain said selectively adjusted angular position of said seat cushion.