Tip and slide system for a vehicle seat

• US 9,868,369 B1
• Filed: 07/15/2016
• Issued: 01/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Aktas, Macit
• Primary Examiner(s): White, Rodney B
• Application Number:
  US15/211,696
• Publication Number:
  US 20180015846A1
• Time in Patent Office: 550 Days
• Field of Search: 29734411, 29737812, 29737814
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/12 slidable and tiltable
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2002/126 the backrest being maintained in its tilted position until the seat has slided to its memorised position

Abstract

A vehicle seat includes a seatback pivot rotationally operable relative to a slidable base, a first cam in communication with the seatback pivot to activate a track-overslide actuator of the base when the seatback pivot is in a rear-entry position and a second cam in communication with the seatback pivot. When the track-overslide actuator is activated, forward operation of the base locks the seatback pivot in the rear-entry position.

Claims

1. A vehicle seat comprising:

a seatback having a pivot rotationally coupled to a base at a rear-access assembly, the seatback selectively operable about the pivot between a plurality of rotational positions and the base slidable along a track between a plurality of comfort positions;

a rear-access lever in communication with the pivot and the rear-access assembly, wherein operation of the rear-access lever to an engaged state places the rear-access assembly in a ready position that at least partially obstructs rotation of the pivot;

a track overslide actuator of the rear-access assembly in communication with the pivot and the track, wherein after the rear-access assembly is in the ready position, operation of the pivot to a rear-entry position activates the track overslide actuator to provide slidable forward operation of the base along the track beyond the plurality of comfort positions wherein the track overslide actuator includes a first cam that directly engages an overslide surface of the pivot; and

an interlock actuator of the rear-access assembly in communication with the pivot and the track, wherein when the track overslide actuator is activated, forward operation of the base along the track from a home position activates the interlock actuator into a blocking position to lock the pivot and the seatback in the rear-entry position, wherein rearward sliding movement of the base back to the home position disengages the interlock actuator from the blocking position and movement of the pivot to an upright position disengages the track overslide actuator, wherein the interlock actuator includes a second cam that directly engages an interlock surface of the pivot, wherein when the interlock actuator is activated, the interlock surface at least partially surrounds the second cam to define the blocking position and retain the pivot in the rear-entry position.

2. The vehicle seat of claim 1, wherein the rear-access lever is operable between the engaged state and an idle state, wherein when the rear-access lever is in the idle state and the track overslide actuator is deactivated the rear-access assembly is disengaged from the pivot and the pivot is selectively operable between the plurality of rotational positions.

3. The vehicle seat of claim 2, wherein the rear-access lever is disposed proximate a top of the seatback.

4. The vehicle seat of claim 1, further comprising:

a comfort stop of the track; and

an operable stop of the track overslide actuator, wherein when the track overslide actuator is deactivated, the comfort stop engages the operable stop to define sliding operation of the base only between the plurality of comfort positions, and wherein activation of the track overslide actuator operates the operable stop to an avoidance position wherein the operable stop selectively bypasses the comfort stop to define sliding operation of the base beyond the plurality of comfort positions.

5. The vehicle seat of claim 1, wherein the track includes an interlock ledge that selectively engages a track portion of the interlock actuator, wherein when the track overslide actuator is engaged, disengagement of the track portion of the interlock actuator with the interlock ledge places the second cam in the blocking position, and wherein engagement of the track portion of the interlock actuator and the interlock ledge defines at least partial rotational operation of the seatback.

6. The vehicle seat of claim 1, wherein the rear-entry position of the seatback defines a substantially inaccessible state of the base.

7. A vehicle seat comprising:

a seatback pivot rotationally operable relative to a slidable base;

a first cam in communication with the seatback pivot to activate a track-overslide actuator of the base when the seatback pivot is in a rear-entry position; and

a second cam in communication with the seatback pivot, wherein when the track-overslide actuator is activated, forward operation of the base locks the seatback pivot in the rear-entry position.

8. The vehicle seat of claim 7, wherein the slidable base engages a track that defines a plurality of comfort positions of the slidable base when the track-overslide actuator is deactivated, and wherein the track further defines a forward slidable movement of the slidable base beyond the plurality of comfort positions when the track-overslide actuator is activated.

9. The vehicle seat of claim 8, wherein rearward movement of the base from beyond the plurality of comfort positions to at least one of the plurality of comfort positions disengages the second cam from the seatback pivot, wherein disengagement of the second cam defines at least partial rotation of the seatback pivot from the rear-entry position to an upright position of the seatback pivot, and wherein movement of the seatback from the rear-entry position to the upright position disengages the first cam from the seatback pivot to define operation of the seatback pivot between a plurality of rotational positions free of obstruction from the first cam.

10. The vehicle seat of claim 8, further comprising:

a comfort stop of the track-overslide actuator that defines a forward-most comfort position of the slidable base; and

an operable stop of the track-overslide actuator, wherein when the track-overslide actuator is deactivated, the comfort stop engages the operable stop to define the forward-most comfort position, and wherein activation of the track-overslide actuator operates the operable stop to an avoidance position wherein the operable stop selectively bypasses the comfort stop to define sliding operation of the slidable base beyond the plurality of comfort positions to define a rear-access position.

11. The vehicle seat of claim 8, wherein the second cam is in communication with an interlock actuator, the interlock actuator having an interlock ledge that selectively engages a track portion of the interlock actuator, wherein when the track-overslide actuator is engaged, disengagement of the track portion from the interlock ledge places the second cam into direct engagement with the seatback pivot to define a blocking opposition of the seatback pivot wherein the seatback pivot is locked in the rear-entry position, and wherein engagement of the track portion with the interlock ledge disengages the second cam from the seatback pivot to define at least partial rotational operation of the seatback pivot.

12. The vehicle seat of claim 7, further comprising:

a rear-access lever that selectively operates the first cam from a clearance position wherein the seatback pivot rotates freely relative to the first cam to an obstructing position wherein the first cam intersects a rotational path of the seatback pivot such that rotation of the seatback pivot to the rear-entry position activates the track-overslide actuator.

13. The vehicle seat of claim 12, wherein rotation of the seatback pivot to the rear-entry position operates the rear-access lever to return to an original lever position.

14. The vehicle seat of claim 12, wherein the seatback pivot defines an overslide surface that engages the first cam in the obstructing position, and wherein the seatback pivot defines an interlock surface that selectively engages the second cam, wherein the interlock surface at least partially surrounds the second cam to secure the seatback pivot in the rear-entry position.

15. A pivot assembly for a vehicle seat comprising:

a seatback pivot in communication with a seat-base slide, wherein rotation of the seatback pivot to a rear-entry position selectively activates an overslide cam to define an overslide state of the seat-base slide, and wherein forward translation of the seatback pivot in the rear-entry position relative to the seat-base slide activates an interlock cam that retains the seatback pivot in the rear-entry position, wherein the interlock cam is operable between an offset position wherein the seatback pivot freely rotates relative to the interlock cam and a blocking position wherein the interlock cam engages an interlock surface of the seatback pivot that at least partially surrounds the interlock cam to retain the seatback pivot in the rear-entry position, wherein the interlock surface is only in alignment with the interlock cam when the seatback pivot is in the rear-entry position.

16. The pivot assembly of claim 15, wherein the overslide cam is operable between a clearance position and an obstructing position, the clearance position defined by operation of the seatback pivot being free of engagement with the overslide cam, and the obstructing position defined by the overslide cam being in a rotational path of an overslide surface of the seatback pivot, and wherein a rear-access lever operates the overslide cam from the clearance position to the obstructing position.

17. The pivot assembly of claim 15, wherein rearward translation of the seatback pivot from an overslide state of the seat-base slide to a comfort position of the seat-base slide disengages the interlock cam from the seatback pivot to define selective operation of the seatback pivot from the rear-entry position to an upright position, and wherein operation of the seatback pivot from the rear-entry position to the upright position disengages the overslide cam from the seatback pivot to define rotation of the seatback pivot between a plurality of rotational positions free of obstruction from the overslide and interlock cams.