VEHICLE SEAT

• US 20120098311A1
• Filed: 06/30/2010
• Published: 04/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company), TS Tech Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company), TS Tech Company Limited
• Inventors: Ishikawa, Tetsuya, Nishimura, Kazuhisa, Kobayashi, Hideki
• Granted Patent: US 8,845,026 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 297/331
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/3013 the back-rest being hinged on the vehicle frame
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/3065 in a longitudinal-vertical plane
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/3088 characterised by the mechanical link
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/36 into a loading platform B60N2/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/859 specially adapted for rear seats
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/874 movable to an inoperative or stowed position B60N2/832, B60N2/856 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2205/40 Dual or redundant actuating means, e.g. backrest tilting can be actuated alternatively by a lever at the backrest or a lever in the luggage compartment

Abstract

In a vehicle seat including a first seat portion movable between a use position in which the first seat portion is ready for use and a retracted position in which the first seat portion not in use is located, and a second seat portion movable between a use position in which the second seat portion is ready for use and a retracted position in which the second seat portion not in use is located, an actuator mechanism is configured to cause the second seat portion to start moving toward its retracted position at a time when the first seat portion passes a predetermined intermediate position that is on a way from the use position toward the retracted position.

Claims

1. A vehicle seat comprising a seat cushion movable between a use position in which the seat cushion is ready for use and a retracted position in which the seat cushion is frontwardly tipped up, and a seat back movable between a use position in which the seat back is ready for use and a retracted position in which the seat back is frontwardly tilted down,

wherein the vehicle seat comprises an actuator mechanism configured to cause the seat back to start moving toward its retracted position at a time when the seat cushion passes a predetermined intermediate position that is on a way from a posture in which the seat cushion is ready for use toward a posture in which the seat cushion is tipped up.

2. The vehicle seat according to claim 1,

wherein the actuator mechanism comprises:

a biasing member including a seat back biasing part configured to bias the seat back from the use position toward the retracted position;

a lock member including a seat back lock part configured to lock the seat back in the use position; and

an unlock device including a seat back unlock part configured to release the seat back lock part applied to the seat back, thereby causing the seat back to start moving toward the retracted position, at the time when the seat cushion passes the predetermined intermediate position that is on the way from the posture in which the seat cushion is ready for use toward the posture in which the seat cushion is tipped up.

3. The vehicle seat according to claim 2, wherein the seat back unlock part is configured to unlock the seat back after the seat cushion gets out of a movable region of the seat back or a head rest provided on the seat back.

4. The vehicle seat according to claim 2, wherein the seat back unlock part is configured to unlock the seat back at a time before the seat cushion gets out of a movable region of the seat back or a head rest provided on the seat back and when the seat back or the head rest does not interfere with the seat cushion.

5. The vehicle seat according to claim 2, further comprising a head rest movable between a use position in which the head rest is ready for use and a retracted position in which the head rest is frontwardly tilted down,

wherein the biasing member includes a head rest biasing part configured to bias the head rest from the use position toward the retracted position;

the lock member includes a head rest lock part configured to lock the head rest in the use position; and

the unlock device includes a head rest unlock part configured to release the head rest lock part applied to the head rest, thereby causing the head rest to start moving toward the retracted position, wherein releasing of the seat back lock part applied to the seat back and releasing of the head rest lock part applied to the head rest occur at the same time when the seat cushion passes the predetermined intermediate position that is on the way from its use position toward its retracted position.

6. The vehicle seat according to claim 2, further comprising a head rest movable between a use position in which the head rest is ready for use and a retracted position in which the head rest is frontwardly tilted down,

wherein the biasing member includes a head rest biasing part configured to bias the head rest from the use position toward the retracted position;

the lock member includes a head rest lock part configured to lock the head rest in the use position; and

the unlock device includes a head rest unlock part configured to release the head rest lock part applied to the head rest, thereby causing the head rest to start moving toward the retracted position, wherein releasing of the head rest lock part applied to the head rest occurs at a time when the seat cushion passes a predetermined intermediate position that is on the way from its use position toward its retracted position, and the releasing of the head rest lock part applied to the head rest is timed to come before releasing the seat back lock part applied to the seat back and to cause a state in which the head rest and the seat back move concurrently to arise.

7. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, further comprising a head rest movable between a use position in which the head rest is ready for use and a retracted position in which the head rest is frontwardly tilted down,

wherein the actuator mechanism comprises:

a biasing member including a seat back biasing part configured to bias the seat back from the use position toward the retracted position, and a head rest biasing part configured to bias the head rest from the use position toward the retracted position;

a lock member including a seat back lock part configured to lock the seat back in the use position, and a head rest lock part configured to lock the head rest in the use position; and

a unlock cable having one end connected to the seat cushion and another end branching off to be connected to the seat back lock part and to the head rest lock part, and

wherein the unlock cable is configured to release the seat back lock part and the head rest lock part applied to the seat back and the head rest respectively, at a time when the seat cushion passes the predetermined intermediate position that is on the way from its use position toward its retracted position.

8. The vehicle seat according to claim 7, wherein the predetermined intermediate position includes a first intermediate position in which the seat cushion is located when the seat back is caused to start moving and a second intermediate position in which the seat cushion is located when the head rest is caused to start moving, the first intermediate position being identical with the second intermediate position.

9. The vehicle seat according to claim 7, wherein the predetermined intermediate position includes a first intermediate position in which the seat cushion is located when the seat back is caused to start moving and a second intermediate position in which the seat cushion is located when the head rest is caused to start moving, the second intermediate position being closer to the use position of the seat cushion than the first intermediate position.

10. The vehicle seat according to claim 9, wherein the first intermediate position and the second intermediate position are set such that the seat back is caused to start moving before the head rest reaches its retracted position.

11. A vehicle seat having a first seat portion, a second seat portion and a third seat portion, which are movable between use positions in which the seat is ready for use and retracted positions in which the seat not in use is to be located, the vehicle seat comprising:

at least one biasing member configured to bias the second seat portion and the third seat portion toward their respective retracted positions;

at least one lock member configured to lock the second seat portion and the third seat portion in their respective use positions; and

an unlock device configured to release the at least one lock member to cause the second seat portion and the third seat portion to start moving from the use positions toward the retracted positions at the same time when the first seat portion passes a predetermined intermediate position that is on the way from its use position toward its retracted position.

12. The vehicle seat according to claim 11, wherein the first seat portion located in the predetermined intermediate position is out of a movable region of the second seat portion and the third seat portion.

13. The vehicle seat according to claim 11, wherein the first seat portion located in the predetermined intermediate position is within a movable region of the second seat portion or the third seat potion.