Thigh support for customer accommodation seat

• US 9,187,019 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2013
• Issued: 11/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Dry, Alan George, Groesbeck, Gunnar, Line, Johnathan Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): BROWN, PETER R
• Application Number:
  US14/056,000
• Publication Number:
  US 20150108816A1
• Time in Patent Office: 761 Days
• Field of Search: 297/284.11, 297/312
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/62 Thigh-rests B60N2/914 takes precedence

Abstract

A vehicle seating assembly includes a seatback. A seat base includes a first thigh support and a second thigh support. A self-locking cam system is operably coupled with the first thigh support and the second thigh support, including a torque tube. A plurality of cams are disposed along the torque tube and are operably coupled with a plurality of spring guides. The self-locking cam system is configured to move the first thigh support and the second thigh support from a lowered position to a raised position.

Claims

1. A vehicle seating assembly comprising:

a seatback;

a seat base including a first thigh support and a second thigh support;

a cam system operably coupled with the first thigh support and the second thigh support including a torque tube having a plurality of cams disposed along the torque tube wherein each thigh support is operably coupled with a plurality of spring guides that guide springs disposed between the cams and the thigh supports, and wherein each spring guide is disposed at least partially in a compression spring; and

wherein the cam system is configured to move the first thigh support and the second thigh support from a lowered position to a raised position.

2. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1, wherein the first and second thigh supports move from the lowered position to the raised position independently of each other.

3. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1, wherein the cam system includes a first cam subassembly configured to move the first thigh support and a second cam subassembly configured to move the second thigh support.

4. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1, wherein the first and second thigh supports rotate about a hinge pin disposed in the seat base.

5. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1, wherein the cam system further includes a cam follower that surrounds and protects each of the cams during use.

6. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1, wherein the torque tube is secured into the seat base using a plurality of pillow blocks.

7. A vehicle seating assembly, comprising:

a seat base having first and second thigh supports, independently movable;

a cam system including cams disposed along a torque tube and operably coupled with the first and second thigh supports;

spring guides disposed in and aligned with compression springs that spring-bias the cams; and

an actuation lever operably coupled with the cam system and configured to move the first and second thigh supports between lowered and raised positions.

8. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 7, wherein the actuation lever is configured to be in a down position corresponding with the first and second thigh supports being in the lowered position and an up position corresponding with the first and second thigh supports being in the raised position.

9. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 7, wherein the cam system includes a first cam subassembly configured to move the first thigh support and a second cam subassembly configured to move the second thigh support.

10. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 7, wherein the torque tube is secured into the seat base using a plurality of pillow blocks.

11. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 7, wherein the cam system is a spring-biased self-locking cam system.

12. A vehicle seating assembly comprising:

a seat base having first and second thigh supports;

first and second cam subassemblies operably coupled with the first and second thigh supports and including a plurality of spring-biased cams spaced apart along a torque tube, wherein the cams are biased by compression springs; and

wherein the first and second cam subassemblies are configured to move the first and second thigh supports independently from a lowered position to a raised position using first and second actuation levers.

13. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 12, wherein the first and second thigh supports move from the lowered position to the raised position independently of each other.

14. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 12, wherein the actuation levers are configured to be in a down position corresponding with the first and second thigh supports being in the lowered position and an up position corresponding with the first and second thigh supports being in the raised position.

15. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 12, wherein the actuation levers are configured for manual adjustment by a user.

16. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 12, wherein the first and second thigh supports rotate about a hinge pin disposed in the seat base.

17. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 12, wherein the cam system is a self-locking cam system.