Seat assembly having rear actuated egress mechanism

• US 8,182,041 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2009
• Issued: 05/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Moegling, Peter James, Hazlewood, Robert Joseph, Muck, Todd Rupert
• Primary Examiner(s): Nelson, Jr., Milton
• Application Number:
  US12/627,552
• Publication Number:
  US 20110127822A1
• Time in Patent Office: 904 Days
• Field of Search: 297/378.12, 297/366, 297/367.R, 297/378.1
• US Class Current: 297/378.12
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/12 slidable and tiltable
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/22 the back-rest being adjustable B60N2/2878 takes precedence

Abstract

A seat assembly for an automotive vehicle having a rear actuated release mechanism is provided. The seat assembly includes a seat frame, and a seat back pivotally mounted to the seat frame about a pivot axis for movement between a seated position and a stowed position. The seat assembly further includes a release mechanism capable of locking, releasing, and moving the seat back from a seated position to a stowed position. The release mechanism is actuated by a release handle having an elongated slot formed therein. An egress mechanism operable to actuate the release mechanism from the rear of the seat assembly, includes a bracket pivotally attached to the seat frame and having a pin engaged within the slot of the release handle. The rotation of the bracket from a first position to a second position rotates the release handle to actuate the release mechanism to pivot the seat back from the seated position to the stowed position.

Claims

1. A seat assembly for supporting an occupant in a passenger compartment of an automotive vehicle, said seat assembly comprising:

a seat frame;

a seat back mounted to said seat frame to pivot about an axis between a seated position and a stowed position;

a release mechanism having a release handle, said release handle having an elongated slot, said release handle operable to actuate said release mechanism to move said seat back from said seated position to said stowed position;

a bracket having a first end and an opposite second end, said bracket rotatably mounted to said seat frame to rotate about a rotation point, said bracket having a pin extending outwardly from said first end, said pin being engaged within said slot of said release handle; and

a release member having one end attached to said second end of said bracket at an attachment point, an opposite end of said release member extends beyond a rear end of said seat assembly, said attachment point being spaced apart from said rotation point such that said rotation point of said bracket is positioned between said pin and said attachment point;

wherein upon actuation of said release member said bracket rotates from a first position to a second position thereby rotating said release handle to actuate said release mechanism to move said seat back from said seated position to said stowed position.

2. The seat assembly of claim 1, wherein a distance between said rotation point and said pin is equal to a distance between said rotation point and said attachment point.

3. The seat assembly of claim 1, wherein movement of said seat back from said stowed position to said seated position rotates said bracket from said second position to said first position.

4. The seat assembly of claim 1, wherein said slot has a pair of opposed ends, and wherein said pin is spaced apart from either of said pair of opposed ends when said bracket is in said first position or in said second position.