Device for vehicle seat

• US 7,661,760 B2
• Filed: 09/06/2006
• Issued: 02/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Muramatsu, Kenji, Nakaya, Kouichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn; David
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALEX, JAMES S
• Application Number:
  US11/515,937
• Publication Number:
  US 20070063567A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,259 Days
• Field of Search: 297/362.11, 297/362, 297/364.13, 297/378.1, 297/353, 297/354.1, 297/331, 297/378.12
• US Class Current: 297/321
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/02246 Electric motors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/20 the back-rest being tiltable, e.g. to permit easy access B60N2/04, B60N2/22 , B60N2/3002 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/236 linearly movable
• 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

Abstract

When a seat back in a forwardly folded state is raised to a predetermined raised state by activating an electric motor by turning on a switch, the electric motor is immediately stopped even if the switch is still turned on, and the seat back is retained in the raised state. There are provided a locking member which operates to retain the seat back in the raised state when the seat back is in the predetermined raised state and a lever which turns in association with the operation of the locking member. The lever turns on another switch to open a drive circuit for the electric motor.

Claims

1. A device for a vehicle seat that includes a seat cushion and a seat back that turns around a part in the vicinity of a rear end of the seat cushion so as to be changeable between a predetermined raised state and a forwardly folded state where it is inclined and folded toward the seat cushion or it is laid over the seat cushion and that is arranged adjacently to and on a vehicle front side of a luggage compartment, comprising:

a forwardly biasing member configured to apply a force to turn the seat back in a direction in which the seat back changes to the forwardly folded state;

an engaging device including a first engaging member provided at the seat back and a second engaging member provided at the seat cushion or a vehicle and being engageable with and releasable from the first engaging member, the engaging device being in a first state in which the first engaging member engages the second engaging member to retain a raised posture of the seat back when the seat back is raised from the forwardly folded state to the predetermined raised state, the engaging device being in a second state in which the engagement of the first engaging member with the second engaging member is released so that the seat back changes to the forwardly folded state by the force of the forwardly biasing member when the seat back is to be folded forwardly;

an electric motor configured to turn the seat back around the part in the vicinity of the rear end of the seat cushion; and

a drive circuit configured to activate the electric motor,

wherein the drive circuit includes;

a manipulation switch that is arranged at a predetermined part of a vehicle apart from the vehicle seat, and that activates, when manipulated to be in an ON state, the electric motor so that the seat back is raised from the forwardly folded state; and

a compulsory cutting mechanism cutting, when the seat back is raised from the forwardly folded state to the predetermined raised state by manipulation of turning the manipulation switch to the ON state, electric conduction by the drive circuit to the electric motor so that the seat back is stopped in the predetermined raised state,

wherein the compulsory cutting mechanism includes an interlocking switch that works with operation of the engaging device, and

wherein the interlocking switch is in an ON state, for allowing the electric conduction by the drive circuit to the electric motor, when the engaging device is in the second state, thereby causing the seat back to be the forwardly folded state, and is an OFF state, for cutting electric conduction by the drive circuit to the electric motor, when the seat back is raised from the forwardly folded state to the predetermined raised state and the engaging device is in the first state.

2. The device for the vehicle seat of claim 1, wherein the seat back is changeable to a backwardly reclined state where the seat back is reclined or falls more backward than that in the predetermined raised state.

3. The device for the vehicle seat of claim 1, wherein the engaging device includes:

an operation member which moves between an operation point where it is in contact with one of the first and second engaging members to allow the one engaging member to engage with the other engaging member and a release point where the engagement is released;

a biasing member for applying force to the operation member to allow the operation member to move to the operation point; and

release manipulation member, which is provided apart from the operation member and is connected to the operation member through operation force transmission member for moving the operation member to the release point against the force of the biasing member so as to release the engagement of the first engaging member with the second engaging member,

wherein when the operation member moves to the operation point, the interlocking switch is in an OFF state by the movement thereof, and the interlocking switch is in an ON state when the operation member moves to the releasing point.

4. The device for the vehicle seat of claim 3,

wherein the first engaging member is provided coaxially with a turning center of the seat back so as to turn together with the seat back,

the operation member is in contact with the second engaging member, and

turning of the first engaging member together with the seat back selectively changes an engaging point of the second engaging member relative to the first engaging member to change a backward reclined angle of the seat back.

5. The device for the vehicle seat of claim 1, further comprising:

a manipulation member that releases the seat back retained by the engaging device for allowing the seat back to be in the forwardly folded state by the force of the forwardly biasing member,

wherein the electric motor is provided at one of members of the seat cushion or the vehicle as a member and the seat back as a member for turning and raising the seat back with the part in the vicinity of the rear end of the seat cushion as the center by transmitting torque to the other member, and

a transmission releasing mechanism is provided for inhibiting transmission of counter torque from the seat back to the electric motor while the seat back is folded from the predetermined raised state to be in the forwardly folded state.

6. The device for the vehicle seat of claim 5, further comprising:

a drive gear provided at the one member and rotated by an output shaft of the electric motor;

a driven gear provided rotatably and coaxially with a turning center of the seat back and meshing with the drive gear; and

a clutch provided at the other member for inhibiting relative rotation of the driven gear with respect to the other member so that the seat back is raised by rotation of the drive gear by the electric motor,

wherein the transmission releasing mechanism releases the driven gear from the clutch'"'"'s rotation inhibition.

7. The device for the vehicle seat of claim 6, wherein the clutch includes an engaging gear which rotates integrally with the driven gear, a hooking member which engages with the engaging gear, and a biasing member for applying force in a direction where the hooking member engages with the engaging gear, and

a plurality of engaging teeth for engaging with the hooking member so as to allow the hooking member to inhibit the relative rotation of the driven gear are formed in the engaging gear in a peripheral direction of the engaging gear at a pitch larger than a forwardly foldable angle range of the seat back from an angle at the predetermined raised state to an angle at the forwardly folded state where it is inclined and folded toward the seat cushion.

8. The device for the vehicle seat of claim 7, wherein cam face in contact with the hooking member is formed between engaging teeth adjacent to each other in the peripheral direction of the engaging gear, the cam face causing the relative rotation of the driven gear with respect to the other member upon receipt of force of the biasing member.

9. The device for the vehicle seat of claim 5, wherein the transmission releasing mechanism works with a releasing manipulation of the manipulation member for releasing the seat back retained by the engaging device so as not to transmit counter torque from the seat back to the electric motor.

10. The device for the vehicle seat of claim 5, wherein the seat cushion is connected to the seat back and is supported upwardly and downwardly movably to the vehicle so as to be lowered with forward folding of the seat back and so as to be raised with raising of the seat back.

11. The device for the vehicle seat of claim 1, further comprising:

a manipulation member for releasing the seat back retained by the engaging device,

wherein the electric motor is provided at one of members of the seat cushion or the vehicle as a member and the seat back as a member for turning and raising the seat back with the part in the vicinity of the rear end of the seat cushion as the center by transmitting torque to the other member until the seat back in the forwardly folded state is in the predetermined raised state.

12. The device for the vehicle seat of claim 11, wherein when the engaging device releases the seat back, the seat back becomes capable of being reclined or falling more backward than the predetermined raised state by being pushed against the force of the biasing member, and

the engaging device retains the seat back in a backwardly reclined state as well as the seat back in the predetermined raised state.

13. The device for the vehicle seat of claim 12, wherein the forwardly folded state is a state where the seat back is laid over the seat cushion, and

the electric motor is set so that time required for changing the seat back from the forwardly folded state where it is laid over the seat cushion to the predetermined raised state is within seven seconds.

14. The device for the vehicle seat of claim 11, wherein the forwardly folded state is a state where the seat back is laid over the seat cushion, and

the biasing member and the electric motor are set so that time required for changing the seat back from the predetermined raised state to the forwardly folded state where it is laid over the seat cushion is shorter than time required for changing the seat back from the forwardly folded state where it is laid over the seat cushion to the predetermined raised state.

15. The device for the vehicle seat of claim 1,

wherein the electric motor is provided at one of members of the seat cushion or the vehicle as a member and the seat back as a member for raising the seat back in the forwardly folded state to the predetermined raised state by transmitting torque to the other member, and

when the retention mechanism releases the seat back in the predetermined raised state retained by the engaging device, the seat back becomes capable of being reclined or falling more backward than the predetermined raised state against the force of the biasing member.

16. The device for vehicle seat of claim 15, further comprising:

a transmission control mechanism for controlling transmission of torque of the electric motor to the other member when the seat back is in the backwardly reclined state.

17. The device for the vehicle seat of claim 5, wherein the transmission releasing mechanism substantially eliminates rotation of an output shaft of the electric motor.

18. A device for a vehicle seat that includes a seat cushion and a seat back that turns around a part in the vicinity of a rear end of the seat cushion so as to be changeable among a predetermined raised state, a forwardly folded state in which the seat back is inclined and folded toward the seat cushion or is laid over the seat cushion, and a backwardly reclined state in which the seat back is reclined or falls further backward than the predetermined raised state, and that is arranged adjacently to and on a vehicle front side of a luggage compartment, comprising:

a biasing member configured to apply a force to turn the seat back in a direction in which the seat back changes to the forwardly folded state;

a retention mechanism configured to retain the seat back in the predetermined raised state;

a manipulation member that releases the seat back retained by the retention mechanism for allowing the seat back to be in the forwardly folded state by the force of the biasing member;

an electric motor provided at one of members of the seat cushion or the vehicle as a member and the seat back as a member for turning and raising the seat back with the part in the vicinity of the rear end of the seat cushion as the center by transmitting torque to the other member;

a drive gear provided at the one member and rotated by an output shaft of the electric motor;

a driven gear provided rotatably and coaxially with a turning center of the seat back and meshing with the drive gear;

a clutch provided at the other member for inhibiting relative rotation of the driven gear with respect to the other member so that the seat back is raised by rotation of the drive gear by the electric motor;

a transmission releasing mechanism inhibiting transmission of counter torque from the seat back to the electric motor when the seat back is folded to be in the forwardly folded state by releasing the driven gear from the rotation inhibition of the clutch; and

a drive circuit configured to activate the electric motor,

wherein the drive circuit includes;

a momentary type manipulation switch that is arranged at a predetermined part of a vehicle apart from the vehicle seat, which is set in an OFF state normally, and that activates, when manipulated to be in an ON state, the electric motor so that the seat back is raised from the forwardly folded state; and

a compulsory cutting mechanism cutting, when the seat back is raised to the predetermined raised state by manipulation of turning the manipulation switch to the ON state, electric conduction by the drive circuit to the electric motor so that the seat back is stopped in the predetermined raised state regardless of whether the manipulation of turning the manipulation switch to the ON state is continued, and

wherein the clutch includes an engaging gear that rotates integrally with the driven gear, a hooking member that engages with the engaging gear, and a biasing member applying a force in a direction in which the hooking member engages with the engaging gear, and

a plurality of engaging teeth, for engaging the hooking member so as to allow the hooking member to inhibit the relative rotation of the driven gear, are formed in the engaging gear in a peripheral direction of the engaging gear at a pitch larger than a forwardly foldable angle range of the seat back from an angle at the predetermined raised state to an angle at the forwardly folded state in which it is inclined and folded toward the seat cushion.

19. The device for the vehicle seat of claim 18, wherein a cam face in contact with the hooking member is formed between engaging teeth adjacent to each other in the peripheral direction of the engaging gear, the cam face causing the relative rotation of the driven gear with respect to the other member upon receipt of force of the biasing member.