Vehicle seat

• US 8,033,589 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2007
• Issued: 10/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Shatai Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Toyota Shatai Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Miura, Yoshiyuki, Kusanagi, Hiroki
• Primary Examiner(s): Morrow; Jason S
• Application Number:
  US12/375,835
• Publication Number:
  US 20100007165A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,637 Days
• Field of Search: 296/68.1, 296/65.07, 296/65.06, 296/65.08, 296/65.12, 296/65.11, 296/65.15, 296/65.18, 296/65.13, 296/65.14, 297/329, 297/330, 297/344.15, 297/344.17, 297/344.23, 297/344.24
• US Class Current: 296/68.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/045 Longitudinal adjustment by means of articulated rods supporting the seat, e.g. parallelogram mechanisms B60N2/38 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/067 by linear actuators, e.g. linear screw mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/074 rotated about the transversal axis
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0742 rotated about the vertical axis
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0818 inside the rail
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/085 about a transversal axis
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0875 in a vertical direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/146 characterised by the locking device
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/245 for handicapped persons
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/43 Safety locks for back-rests B60N2/433

Abstract

A vehicle seat of the present invention has an engaged member, an engagement member and a guide portion. The engagement member is provided on the seat body so as to be movable between a restraint position and a restraint release position. The engagement member is capable of moving to the restraint position, so as to be advanced to a position in which the engagement member faces the engaged member, and is capable of moving to the restraint release position, so as to be retracted to a position in which the engagement member does not face the engaged member. The guide portion is capable of moving the engagement member to the restraint position when the seat body moves to the retracted position, and is capable of moving the engagement member to the restraint release position when the seat body is advanced from the retracted position.

Claims

1. A vehicle seat comprising:

a seat body;

a rotation mechanism having a rotation base that is capable of rotating along a vehicle floor;

a vertically moving mechanism having a first slide mechanism, a link mechanism and a guide mechanism, wherein the first slide mechanism is disposed on said rotation base and having a slide base that is capable of being advanced or retracted, wherein one end of the link mechanism is vertically rotatably connected to said slide base, and wherein the guide mechanism is capable of guiding said link mechanism so as to vertically move the other end of said link mechanism as said slide base advances or retracts; and

a second slide mechanism that supports the seat body on the other end of said link mechanism so as to be capable of being advanced and retracted,

wherein said seat body is capable of being lowered by said vertically moving mechanism so as to be moved from an interior position to an exterior position after the seat body is rotated from a seating position in which the seat body faces a front side of a vehicle to a laterally facing position in which the seat body faces a door opening by said rotation mechanism and is then advanced toward a vehicle exterior by said second slide mechanism, and wherein said seat body is capable of being moved from the exterior position to the interior position by performing a reverse operation,

the vehicle seat further comprising;

an engaged member that is integrated with said slide base in an advancing-retracting direction;

an engagement member that is provided on said seat body so as to be movable between a restraint position and a restraint release position, wherein when said seat body is in a retracted position with respect to said link mechanism, the engagement member is capable of moving to said restraint position, so as to be advanced to a position in which the engagement member faces said engaged member from below and from a retracting direction with respect to said link mechanism of said seat body, and is capable of moving to said restraint release position, so as to be retracted to a position in which the engagement member does not face said engaged member in the advancing-retracting direction with respect to said link mechanism of said seat body; and

a guide portion that is disposed on the rotation base, wherein the guide portion is capable of moving said engagement member to said restraint position when said seat body moves to the retracted position with respect to said link mechanism and said slide base is retracted to a retracted position with respect to said rotation base, and is capable of moving said engagement member to said restraint release position when said seat body is advanced from the retracted position with respect to said link mechanism or said slide base is advanced from the retracted position with respect to said rotation base.

2. A vehicle seat as defined in claim 1, wherein in order to move said seat body to the exterior position, prior to advancing motion of said seat body with respect to said link mechanism, said slide base is advanced from the retracted position to a position closer to the retracted position with respect to said rotation base, thereby moving said engagement member to said restraint release position, and wherein in order to move said seat body to the interior position, said slide base is temporarily stopped immediately before the slide base reaches the retracted position with respect to said rotation base, and said seat body is retracted to the retracted position with respect to said link mechanism, and then said slide base is retracted to the retracted position with respect to said rotation base, thereby moving said engagement member to said restraint position.

3. A vehicle seat comprising:

a seat body;

a rotation mechanism having a rotation table that is capable of rotating along a vehicle floor;

a vertically moving mechanism having a first slide mechanism, a link mechanism and a guide mechanism, wherein the first slide mechanism is disposed on said rotation table and having a slide base that is capable of being advanced or retracted, wherein one end of the link mechanism is vertically rotatably connected to said slide base, and wherein the guide mechanism is capable of guiding said link mechanism so as to vertically move the other end of said link mechanism as said slide base advances or retracts; and

a second slide mechanism that supports the seat body on the other end of said link mechanism so as to be capable of being advanced and retracted,

wherein said seat body is capable of being lowered by said vertically moving mechanism so as to be moved from an interior position to an exterior position after the seat body is rotated from a seating position in which the seat body faces a front side of a vehicle to a laterally facing position in which the seat body faces a door opening by said rotation mechanism and is then advanced toward a vehicle exterior by said second slide mechanism, and wherein said seat body is capable of being moved from the exterior position to the interior position by performing a reverse operation,

the vehicle seat further comprising;

an engagement member connected to said seat body;

a slide engagement member connected to the vehicle floor; and

an intermediate member having a first receiving portion and a second receiving portion, wherein the intermediate member is constructed so as to be incapable of moving relative to said slide base in an advancing-retracting direction and to be capable of moving between a restraint position and a restraint release position, and wherein the intermediate member is capable of moving to the restraint position when a force directed forwardly or forwardly-upwardly is applied to said first receiving portion,

wherein said engagement member is constructed to normally not preclude said seat body from being advanced and retracted with respect to said link mechanism,

wherein the engagement member is constructed to engage the first receiving portion of said intermediate member when said seat body moves forwardly or forwardly-upwardly with respect to said slide base upon front-end collision of the vehicle in a condition that said seat body is in the interior position, thereby transmitting a force to urge said seat body to further move to the intermediate member,

wherein said intermediate member is constructed to normally not preclude said seat body, the second slide mechanism and the vertically moving mechanism from rotating with respect to the vehicle floor, and to normally not preclude said slide base from being advanced and retracted with respect to said rotation base, and

wherein the intermediate member is also constructed such that said second receiving portion engages said slide engagement member when the intermediate member moves to said restraint position by a force transmitted from said engagement member upon the front-end collision of the vehicle in a condition that said seat body is in the interior position, thereby transmitting the force to urge the seat body to move forwardly or forwardly-upwardly to the vehicle floor.