Vehicle seat having a flat floor position

• US 7,300,107 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2005
• Issued: 11/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Graphic Packaging International Incorporated, Keiper GmbH & Company KG (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Keiper GmbH & Company KG (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Kämmerer, Joachim
• Primary Examiner(s): MCPARTLIN, SARAH BURNHAM
• Application Number:
  US11/195,169
• Publication Number:
  US 20060033373A1
• Time in Patent Office: 847 Days
• Field of Search: 297/334, 297/335, 297/336, 296/69.05, 296/65.09, 296/65.01
• US Class Current: 297/336
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0292 Multiple configuration seats, e.g. for spacious vehicles or mini-buses
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/10 tiltable B60N2/12 , B60N2/2875 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/206 to a position in which it can be used as a support for objects, e.g. as a tray
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/22 the back-rest being adjustable B60N2/2878 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/3031 in a longitudinal-vertical plane
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/3065 in a longitudinal-vertical plane
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/309 rods

Abstract

In the case of a vehicle seat (1), in particular a motor vehicle seat, having at least one front foot (11), at least one rear foot (21) coupled to the front foot (11), a seat cushion (3) coupled at least to the front foot (11), a backrest (5) coupled to the rear foot (21), and a coupling between the seat cushion (3) and the backrest (5), it is possible for the vehicle seat (1) to be transferred at least from at least one use position suitable for conveying people into a folded-up flat floor position, the coupling between the seat cushion (3) and the backrest (5) is provided by at least two members (41, 45) which are movably connected to each other and of which at least one is coupled to the rear foot (21) by means of a central joint (43).

Claims

1. A vehicle seat, comprising:

at least one front foot;

at least one rear foot coupled to the front foot;

a seat cushion coupled at least to the front foot;

a backrest coupled to the rear foot; and

a coupling between the seat cushion and the backrest, wherein

the coupling between the seat cushion and the backrest is operative for allowing the vehicle seat to be transferred at least from at least one use position, in which the vehicle seat is suitable for being sat in, to a folded-up flat floor position,

the coupling between the seat cushion and the backrest includes at least two members that are movably connected to each other for transmitting force,

a first of the two members is

(a) coupled to the rear foot by a first joint,

(b) coupled to the seat cushion by a second joint, and

(c) coupled to a second of the two members by a third joint,

the first of the two members is a pivotably mounted bar,

the bar is part of a cushion four-bar linkage,

the second of the two members is a connecting rod,

the connecting rod is part of a connecting-rod four-bar linkage,

the connecting-rod four-bar linkage is driven by the backrest during the transfer from the use position into the flat floor position,

the connecting-rod four-bar linkage, which is driven by the backrest, drives the cushion four-bar linkage, which lowers the seat cushion, the bar is a multi-armed lever, the multi-armed lever includes a first arm and a second arm, the first arm is part of the cushion four-bar linkage, and the second arm is part of the connecting-rod four-bar linkage.

2. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 1, wherein the third joint is an at least substantially central joint that is positioned between the first arm and the second arm.

3. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

the vehicle seat is operative for being transferred from the use position into an entry position;

the rear foot is pivoted forward during the transfer of the vehicle seat from the use position to the entry position; and

the rear foot causes, by way of the bar, the seat cushion'"'"'s rear end to pivot upward while the rear foot is pivoted forward during the transfer of the vehicle seat from the use position to the entry position.

4. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vehicle seat is operative for being transferred from the use position into an entry position.

5. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 4, wherein the rear foot is pivoted forward during the transfer of the vehicle seat from the use position to the entry position.

6. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rear foot being coupled to the front foot comprises the rear foot being coupled to the front foot by way of a rear-foot four-bar linkage.

7. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

during the use position

(a) the seat cushion extends at least about generally horizontally, and

(b) the backrest extends upright from proximate a rear of the seat cushion; and

during the folded-up flat floor position

(a) each of the seat cushion and the backrest extends at least about generally horizontally, and

(b) the backrest overlies the seat cushion.

8. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

the bar includes opposite ends, and

the at least substantially central joint is positioned between, and distant from, each of the opposite ends.

9. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 8, wherein the at least substantially central joint is not equidistant between the opposite ends.

10. A vehicle seat, comprising:

at least one front foot;

at least one rear foot coupled to the front foot;

a seat cushion coupled at least to the front foot;

a backrest coupled to the rear foot; and

a coupling between the seat cushion and the backrest, wherein

the coupling between the seat cushion and the backrest is operative for allowing the vehicle seat to be transferred at least from at least one use position, in which the vehicle seat is suitable for being sat in, to a folded-up flat floor position,

the coupling between the seat cushion and the backrest includes at least two members that are movably connected to each other for transmitting force,

at least one of the two members is coupled to the rear foot by way of an at least substantially central joint,

at least one of the two members is a pivotably mounted bar,

the bar is coupled to the seat cushion and forms part of a cushion four-bar linkage

the bar is a multi-armed lever,

the multi-armed lever includes a first arm and a second arm,

the first arm is part of the cushion four-bar linkage,

the second arm is part of a connecting-rod four-bar linkage,

the connecting-rod four-bar linkage is driven by the backrest during the transfer from the use position into the flat floor position, and

the at least substantially central joint is positioned between the first arm and the second arm.

11. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 10, wherein:

during the use position

(a) the seat cushion extends at least about generally horizontally, and

(b) the backrest extends upright from proximate a rear of the seat cushion; and

during the folded-up flat floor position

(a) each of the seat cushion and the backrest extends at least about generally horizontally, and

(b) the backrest overlies the seat cushion.

12. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 10, wherein the vehicle seat is operative for being transferred from the use position into an entry position.

13. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 12, wherein the rear foot is pivoted forward during the transfer of the vehicle seat from the use position to the entry position.

14. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 12, wherein during the entry position:

the seat cushion is inclined so that a rear of the seat cushion is at a higher elevation than a front of the seat cushion, and

the backrest extends upright from proximate the rear of the seat cushion.

15. A vehicle seat, comprising:

at least one front foot;

at least one rear foot coupled to the front foot;

a seat cushion coupled at least to the front foot;

a backrest coupled to the rear foot; and

a coupling between the seat cushion and the backrest, wherein

the coupling between the seat cushion and the backrest is operative for allowing the vehicle seat to be transferred at least from at least one use position, in which the vehicle seat is suitable for being sat in, to

(a) a folded-up flat floor position, and

(b) an entry position,

the coupling between the seat cushion and the backrest includes at least two members that are movably connected to each other for transmitting force,

a first of the two members is

(a) coupled to the rear foot by a first joint,

(b) coupled to the seat cushion by a second joint, and

(c) coupled to a second of the two members by a third joint,

the first of the two members is a pivotably mounted bar,

the bar is part of a cushion four-bar linkage,

the second of the two members is a connecting rod,

the connecting rod is part of a connecting-rod four-bar linkage,

the connecting-rod four-bar linkage is driven by the backrest during the transfer from the use position into the flat floor position,

the connecting-rod four-bar linkage, which is driven by the backrest, drives the cushion four-bar linkage, which lowers the seat cushion during the transfer from the use position into the flat floor position, and

the rear foot is pivoted forward during the transfer of the vehicle seat from the use position to the entry position.

16. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 15, wherein during the use position:

the seat cushion extends at least about generally horizontally, and

the backrest extends upright from proximate a rear of the seat cushion.

17. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 15, wherein:

the bar is a multi-armed lever,

the multi-armed lever includes a first arm and a second arm,

the first arm is part of the cushion four-bar linkage, and

the second arm is part of the connecting-rod four-bar linkage.

18. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 15, wherein the rear foot being coupled to the front foot comprises the rear foot being coupled to the front foot by way of a rear-foot four-bar linkage.

19. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 15, wherein:

the rear foot causes, by way of the bar, the seat cushion'"'"'s rear end to pivot upward while the rear foot is pivoted forward during the transfer of the vehicle seat from the use position to the entry position.

20. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 15, wherein during the entry position:

the seat cushion is inclined so that a rear of the seat cushion is at a higher elevation than a front of the seat cushion, and

the backrest extends upright from proximate the rear of the seat cushion.

21. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 20, wherein the rear foot being coupled to the front foot comprises the rear foot being coupled to the front foot by way of a rear-foot four-bar linkage.