Seat for vehicle

• US 7,819,468 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2008
• Issued: 10/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Tsuda, Toshihiko, Hirose, Toshikazu, Tsukidate, Kanae
• Primary Examiner(s): Edell; Joseph F
• Application Number:
  US12/283,023
• Publication Number:
  US 20090072595A1
• Time in Patent Office: 777 Days
• Field of Search: 297/15, 297/188.13, 297/188.01, 297/188.08, 297/188.09, 297/188.1, 297/313, 297/331, 297/335, 297/337, 296/37.15
• US Class Current: 297/188.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/3047 the cushion being hinged at the back-rest
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/3065 in a longitudinal-vertical plane
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 7/043 mounted on or under a seat

Abstract

This seat for a vehicle is provided a seat cushion which is rotatable toward a seat back in an upright condition around an axis provided on the seat back side, the seat for a vehicle comprising: a storage recessed portion which is provided in a bottom face of the seat cushion; and a lid which opens and closes the storage recessed portion, the lid being rotatably attached with a rear end portion of the storage recessed portion as a supporting axis.

Claims

1. A seat for a vehicle having a vehicle body and a floor thereof, the seat comprising:

a seatback;

a seat cushion pivotally attached to the seatback along a first axis disposed adjacent to a rear portion of the seat cushion, the seat cushion comprising;

a storage recessed portion which is provided in a bottom face of the seat cushion; and

a lid which opens and closes the storage recessed portion, the lid being attached with a rear end portion of the storage recessed portion along a second axis;

a hinge connecting the seatback to the vehicle body along a third axis; and

at least one combined seat support and lid control member operatively attached to and extending outwardly from the bottom face of the seat cushion, the combined seat support and lid control member having a rotational axis which is substantially perpendicular to the bottom face of the seat cushion;

wherein the seat is selectively adjustable between a seating configuration in which the seat cushion is disposed in a substantially horizontal orientation, an upright configuration in which the seat cushion is rotated about the first axis such that it is substantially parallel to the seatback, and a dive-down configuration such that the seatback and the seat cushion are both disposed in a substantially horizontal orientation by rotating the seatback along the third axis in a rear-to-front movement;

wherein the storage recessed portion is accessible by opening the lid in a rear-to-front direction about the second axis when the seat is in the upright configuration;

and wherein the combined seat support and lid control member is configured and arranged to support the seat cushion against the vehicle body floor when the seat is in the dive-down configuration.

2. The seat for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the depth of the storage recessed portion becomes shallower toward the rear of the seat cushion.

3. The seat for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the storage recessed portion includes a plurality of integrally formed walls disposed within a hollow portion of the seat cushion.

4. The seat for a vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a seat frame operatively dividing the seat cushion into an upper seat pad portion and a lower hollow portion disposed between the seat frame and the bottom face.

5. The seat for a vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the seat frame comprises a divider extending between the seat pad and the hollow portion.

6. The seat for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the at least one combined seat support and lid control member includes an opening and closing plate configured to selectively cover or uncover a portion of the lid as the combined seat support and lid control member is rotated.

7. The seat for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a maximum depth of the storage recessed portion is more than twice a thickness of the lid.

8. The seat for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the storage recessed portion has a retaining step formed therein at a front end of the storage recessed portion, to receive a front edge portion of the lid therein when the lid is closed.

9. The seat for a vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a leg stand portion including:

left and right vertical shafts, each rotatably connected at the bottom face of the seat cushion on opposing sides of the lid, by upper ends of the left and right vertical shafts; and

a horizontal shaft connecting lower ends of the left and right vertical shafts such that the leg stand portion substantially forms a U shape,

wherein the leg stand switches between a standing orientation to support the seat cushion against the floor of the vehicle body when the seat is in the seating configuration and a laying orientation with the horizontal and vertical shafts in abutment with the seat cushion when the seat is in the upright configuration; and

wherein the length of the lid in the front-rear direction is shorter than the length of the left and right vertical shafts in the front-rear direction; and

wherein the second axis is positioned further rear than an upper portion of the vertical shafts and further front than the horizontal shaft such that the lid may freely rotate about the second axis without being obstructed by the leg stand portion.

10. A seat for a vehicle having a vehicle body and a floor thereof, said seat comprising:

a seatback,

a seat cushion having a top face, a bottom face opposing the top face, and a rear end adjacent to a lower portion of the seatback, wherein the seat cushion is connected to the seatback along a first axis disposed adjacent to the rear end of the seat cushion, the seat cushion comprising;

a storage recessed portion extending inwardly along the bottom face of the seat cushion; and

a lid which is operable to selectively open and close the storage recessed portion, the lid being rotatably attached with a rear end portion of the storage recessed portion via a supporting hinge,

a hinge connecting the seatback to the vehicle body along a second axis, and

at least one combined seat support and lid control member operatively attached to and extending outwardly from the bottom face of the seat cushion, the combined seat support and lid control member having a rotational axis which is substantially perpendicular to the bottom face of the seat cushion,

wherein the seat is selectively adjustable between a seating configuration in which the seat cushion is disposed in a substantially horizontal orientation, an upright configuration in which the seat cushion is rotated about the first axis such that it is substantially parallel to the seatback, and a dive-down configuration such that both the seatback and the seat cushion are disposed in a substantially horizontal orientation by rotating the seatback along the second axis in a rear-to-front movement,

wherein the storage recessed portion is accessible through the lid when the seat is in the upright configuration,

and wherein the combined seat support and lid control member is configured and arranged to support the seat cushion against the vehicle body floor when the seat is in the dive-down configuration.

11. The seat for a vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the depth of the storage recessed portion becomes shallower toward the rear of the seat cushion.

12. The seat for a vehicle according to claim 10, further comprising a substantially U-shaped leg stand portion including:

left and right vertical shafts, each rotatably connected at the bottom face of the seat cushion on opposing sides of the lid, by upper ends of the left and right vertical shafts; and

a horizontal shaft connecting lower ends of the left and right vertical shafts,

wherein the leg stand switches between a standing orientation to support the seat cushion against the floor of the vehicle body when the seat is in the seating configuration and a laying orientation with the horizontal and vertical shafts in abutment with the seat cushion when the seat is in the upright configuration; and

wherein the length of the lid in the front-rear direction is shorter than the length of the left and right vertical shafts in the front-rear direction; and

,

wherein a rotation axis of the lid is positioned further rear than an upper portion of the vertical shafts and further front than the horizontal shaft such that the lid may freely rotate about the second axis without being obstructed by the leg stand portion.

13. The seat for a vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the at least one combined seat support and lid control member includes an opening and closing plate configured to selectively cover or uncover a portion of the lid as the combined seat support and lid control member is rotated.

14. The seat for a vehicle according to claim 10, wherein a maximum depth of the storage recessed portion is more than twice a thickness of the lid.

15. The seat for a vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the storage recessed portion has a retaining step formed therein at a front end of the storage recessed portion, to receive a front edge portion of the lid therein when the lid is closed.

16. The seat for a vehicle according to claim 10, further comprising a seat frame operatively dividing the seat cushion into an upper seat pad portion and a lower hollow portion disposed between the seat frame and the bottom face.

17. The seat for a vehicle according to claim 16, wherein the seat frame comprises a divider extending between the seat pad and the hollow portion.