Fold and tumble mechanism for a vehicle seat

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10052983-B2
Application number	US-201615212723-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 18, 2016
Priority date	Jul 18, 2016
Publication date	Aug 21, 2018
Grant date	Aug 21, 2018

Abstract

A vehicle seat includes a seat bottom, a seat back and a floor latch associated with the seat bottom. The seat further includes a recliner arrangement including a recliner bracket connected to the seat bottom, a back side bracket connected to the seat back, and a recliner connected to the recliner bracket and the back side bracket and configured to allow the seat back to pivot. The seat also includes a fold and tumble mechanism having a support bracket fixedly connected to the back side bracket, an actuating member pivotally connected to the support bracket, and a rocker member pivotally connected to the recliner bracket and connected to a latch cable associated with the floor latch. The actuating member is engageable with the rocker member when the seat back is pivoted forwardly to cause the rocker member to pivot and pull on the latch cable, which releases the floor latch.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle seat comprising:
a seat bottom;
a seat back that is pivotable with respect to the seat bottom;
a recliner arrangement including a recliner bracket connected to the seat bottom, a back side bracket connected to the seat back, and a recliner connected to the recliner bracket and the back side bracket and configured to allow the seat back to pivot with respect to the seat bottom;
a floor latch associated with the seat bottom; and
a fold and tumble mechanism including a support bracket fixedly connected to the back side bracket, an actuating member pivotally connected to the support bracket, and a rocker member pivotally connected to the recliner bracket and connected to a latch cable associated with the floor latch, wherein the actuating member is engageable with the rocker member when the seat back is pivoted forwardly to cause the rocker member to pivot and pull on the latch cable, which releases the floor latch so that the seat bottom may pivot upwardly;
wherein the recliner is disposed between the recliner bracket and the back side bracket, and the recliner bracket is disposed between the recliner and the support bracket.

2. The vehicle seat of claim 1 wherein the recliner arrangement further includes a spring for urging the seat back forwardly, and wherein the back side bracket is disposed between the recliner and the spring.

3. The vehicle seat of claim 1 wherein the recliner is disposed on a first side of the vehicle seat, and wherein the recliner arrangement further includes an additional recliner disposed on a second side of the vehicle seat, and a recliner lever connected to the additional recliner for actuating both recliners.

4. The vehicle seat of claim 3 wherein the additional recliner includes a recliner hub having a tubular portion, and the recliner lever has a sleeve portion that mates with the tubular portion such that the recliner lever is inhibited from rotating with respect to the recliner hub, and wherein the recliner arrangement further includes a clip received in a groove formed in the sleeve portion of the recliner lever as well as a groove formed in the tubular portion of the recliner hub such that the clip secures the recliner lever to the recliner hub.

5. The vehicle seat of claim 3 wherein the recliner lever includes a lower handle, which may be grasped by an occupant of the vehicle seat for reclining the seat back or by someone desiring to execute a fold and tumble operation in order to gain access behind the vehicle seat, and an upper handle that may be grasped by a vehicle occupant located behind the vehicle seat in order to perform a fold and tumble operation.

6. The vehicle seat of claim 1 wherein the fold and tumble mechanism further includes a stop on the support bracket for inhibiting pivotal movement of the actuating member, and a coil spring having a first end connected to the support bracket and a second end connected to the actuating member, wherein the coil spring is configured to urge the actuating member toward the stop.

7. The vehicle seat of claim 6 wherein the stop includes a pin connected to the support bracket and a damping cover disposed over the pin for reducing noise when the actuating member contacts the stop.

8. The vehicle seat of claim 1 wherein the fold and tumble mechanism further includes a stop on the recliner bracket for inhibiting pivotal movement of the rocker member, and a coil spring having a first end connected to the recliner bracket and a second end connected to the rocker member, wherein the coil spring is configured to urge the rocker member toward the stop.

9. The vehicle seat of claim 8 wherein the stop includes a pin connected to the recliner bracket and a damping cover disposed over the pin for reducing noise when the rocker member contacts the stop.

10. The vehicle seat of claim 8 wherein the recliner bracket includes a main body and a projecting portion that projects outwardly from the main body, and wherein the projecting portion receives the latch cable and is connected to the first end of the coil spring.

11. The vehicle seat of claim 1 wherein the rocker member includes an engagement member that is engageable with the actuating member, and wherein the engagement member includes a pin and a cover disposed over the pin and that is rotatable with respect to the pin for providing a movable contact surface for the actuating member.

12. The vehicle seat of claim 1 wherein the actuating member is pivotally connected to the support bracket at a location below a rotational axis of the recliner when the seatback is in an upright use position.

13. The vehicle seat of claim 1 wherein the support bracket extends over an upper end of the recliner when the seat back is in an upright use position.

14. The vehicle seat of claim 1 wherein the support bracket extends over an upper end of the recliner bracket when the seat back is in an upright use position.

15. The vehicle seat of claim 1 wherein a rotational axis of the recliner extends through the support bracket.

16. The vehicle seat of claim 1 wherein the support bracket is a single piece part that is fixedly connected to the back side bracket, wherein the fold and tumble mechanism further includes a stop on the support bracket for inhibiting pivotal movement of the actuating member, and a biasing member having a first end connected to the support bracket and a second end connected to the actuating member, and wherein the biasing member is configured to urge the actuating member toward the stop.

17. The vehicle seat of claim 16 wherein the actuating member is pivotally connected to the support bracket at a location below a rotational axis of the recliner when the seatback is in an upright use position.

18. The vehicle seat of claim 16 wherein the support bracket extends over an upper end of the recliner when the seat back is in an upright use position.

19. The vehicle seat of claim 16 wherein the support bracket extends over an upper end of the recliner bracket when the seat back is in an upright use position.

20. The vehicle seat of claim 16 wherein a rotational axis of the recliner extends through the support bracket.

Assignees

• Lear Corp

Inventors

• Mahadik Mangesh
• Mahajan Nilesh
• Kumar Rajiv
• Surwase Sharad
• Ferrari Michael

Classifications

• B60N2/30

  Non-dismountable {or dismountable} seats storable in a non-use position, e.g. foldable spare seats · CPC title

• B60N2/10

  tiltable (B60N2/12 {, B60N2/2875} take precedence) · CPC title

• B60N2/305 Primary

  the cushion being hinged on the vehicle frame · CPC title

• B60N2/3011

  the back-rest being hinged on the cushion, e.g. "portefeuille movement" · CPC title

• B60N2/20

  the back-rest being tiltable, e.g. to permit easy access (B60N2/04, B60N2/22 {, B60N2/3002} take precedence) · CPC title