Inertia stop link for stadium style seat cushion stowed positioning

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10315540-B2
Application number	US-201615370332-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 6, 2016
Priority date	Dec 6, 2016
Publication date	Jun 11, 2019
Grant date	Jun 11, 2019

Abstract

A motor vehicle seating assembly comprises a seat support bracket, a lower seat cushion mounted to the seat support bracket, and a latch pivotally mounted to the lower seat cushion. An inertia link is pivotally and operatively coupled with the lower seat cushion and operatively coupled with the latch, the inertia link having a first rotational position corresponding to an unlocked condition of the latch, allowing movement of the lower seat cushion between a raised stowed position and a lowered deployed position, and a second rotational position corresponding to a locked condition of the latch, preventing movement of the lower seat cushion from the raised stowed position to the lowered deployed position. The inertia link moves from the first rotational position to the second rotational position upon a predetermined deceleration of the motor vehicle.

First claim

We claim:

1. A seating assembly for a motor vehicle comprising:
a seat support bracket;
a lower seat cushion assembly comprising a lower seat cushion and a frame assembly pivotally and operatively coupled at a rear portion thereof to the seat support bracket and pivotable between a lowered deployed position and a raised stowed position;
a stop surface provided on the seat support bracket;
a latch pivotally and operatively coupled to the frame assembly of the lower seat cushion assembly, the latch having a bearing surface adapted for engagement against the stop surface and having an unlocked condition, wherein the bearing surface of the latch may move relative to the stop surface, and a locked condition, wherein the bearing surface of the latch is retained in engagement against the stop surface when the lower seat cushion assembly is in the raised stowed position; and
an inertia link pivotally and operatively coupled with the frame assembly of the lower seat cushion assembly and operatively coupled with the latch, the inertia link having a first rotational position corresponding to the unlocked condition of the latch allowing movement of the lower seat cushion assembly from the raised stowed position to the lowered deployed position and a second rotational position corresponding to the locked condition of the latch preventing movement of the lower seat cushion assembly from the raised stowed position to the lowered deployed position, the inertia link moving from the first position to the second position upon a predetermined deceleration of the motor vehicle.

2. The motor vehicle seating assembly of claim 1 , wherein the latch has an upper extending arm and a lower descending arm, the lower descending arm having a curvilinear lower portion that defines the bearing surface, and the seat support bracket comprises a curvilinear upper portion that defines the stop surface.

3. The motor vehicle seating assembly of claim 2 , wherein the upper extending arm of the latch comprises a latch pin and the inertia link comprises a slot within which the latch pin is slidably received.

4. The motor vehicle seating assembly of claim 3 , wherein the slot comprises an L-shaped slot having a displacement slot portion orientated substantially in line with a pivot of the inertia link and a stop slot portion orientated substantially orthogonally to the displacement slot portion.

5. The motor vehicle seating assembly of claim 4 , wherein the latch pin translates within the displacement slot portion of the L-shaped slot when the lower seat cushion is pivoted between the lowered deployed position and the raised stowed position as the bearing surface of the latch moves relative to the stop surface.

6. The motor vehicle seating assembly of claim 5 , wherein the latch further comprises a resilient member urging the lower descending arm of the latch against the stop surface to resiliently maintain the lower seat cushion assembly in the raised stowed position.

7. The motor vehicle seating assembly of claim 6 , wherein the resilient member comprises a latch torsion spring mounted about a pivot of the latch mounted to the lower seat cushion, the latch torsion spring having a first leg operably coupled to the upper extending arm of the latch and a second leg operably coupled with the lower seat cushion assembly.

8. The motor vehicle seating assembly of claim 1 , wherein the inertia link further comprises a resilient member urging the inertia link to the first rotational position when the lower seat cushion assembly is in the raised stowed position.

9. The motor vehicle seating assembly of claim 8 , wherein the resilient member comprises an inertia link torsion spring mounted about a pivot of the inertia link mounted to the lower seat cushion, the inertia link torsion spring having a first leg operably coupled to the inertia link and a second leg operably coupled with the lower seat cushion assembly.

10. The motor vehicle seating assembly of claim 1 , wherein the inertia link moves from the first position to the second position upon the predetermined deceleration of the motor vehicle exceeding 2 Gs.

11. A seating assembly comprising:
a support bracket comprising a stop surface;
a seat cushion assembly comprising a frame assembly pivotally mounted at a rear portion thereof to the support bracket;
a latch pivotally mounted to the frame assembly of the seat cushion assembly in a raised stowed position having a locked condition retaining a bearing surface of the latch against the stop surface; and
a pivotal inertia link placing the latch in the locked condition upon a predetermined deceleration.

12. The seating assembly of claim 11 , wherein the seat cushion assembly comprises a frame assembly and a cushion joined with the frame assembly, wherein the frame assembly is pivotally mounted to the support bracket and the cushion of the seat cushion assembly is pivotable between a lowered deployed position and a raised stowed position.

13. The seating assembly of claim 12 , further comprising a stop plate operably coupled to the support bracket, the stop plate comprising a curvilinear upper portion that defines the stop surface,
wherein the latch comprises an upper extending arm and a lower descending arm, the upper extending arm of the latch comprising a latch pin and the lower descending arm comprising a curvilinear lower portion that defines the bearing surface, and
the inertia link comprises an L-shaped slot within which the latch pin is slidably received, the L-shaped slot further comprising a displacement slot portion oriented substantially in line with a pivot of the inertia link, and a stop slot portion orientated substantially orthogonally to the displacement slot portion such that the latch pin translates within the displacement slot portion of the slot when the lower seat cushion assembly is pivoted between the lowered deployed position and the raised stowed position as the bearing surface of the latch moves relative to the stop surface of the stop plate, and the latch pin translates within the stop slot portion upon the predetermined deceleration.

14. The seating assembly of claim 13 , wherein the latch further comprises a latch torsion spring mounted about a pivot of the latch, the latch torsion spring having a first leg operably coupled to the extending arm portion of the latch urging the lower descending arm of the latch against the stop surface of the stop plate to resiliently maintain the lower seat cushion assembly in the raised stowed position and a second leg operably coupled with the lower seat cushion assembly.

15. The seating assembly of claim 14 , wherein the inertia link further comprises an inertia link torsion spring mounted about a pivot of the inertia link, the inertia link torsion spring having a first leg operably coupled to the inertia link urging the inertia link to an unlocked condition when the lower seat cushion assembly is in the raised stowed position and a second leg operably coupled with the lower seat cushion assembly.

16. A method of retaining a lower seat cushion assembly of a motor vehicle in a raised stowed position upon a predetermined sudden deceleration of the motor vehicle, the lower seat cushion assembly comprising a frame assembly and a lower seat cushion joined with the frame assembly, wherein the frame assembly is pivotally mounted at a rear portion thereof to a seat support bracket and the lower seat cushion assembly is pivotable between a lowered deployed position and the raised stowed position, the method comprising the steps of:
pivotally mounting a latch to the frame assembly of the lower se

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Caye Mark
• Scott Glenn

Classifications

• B60N2/919

  Positioning and locking mechanisms (B60N2/16, B60N2/18, B60N2/22, B60N2/225 take precedence) · CPC title

• B60N2/3045 Primary

  about transversal axis · CPC title

• B60N2/433

  Safety locks for back-rests, e.g. with locking bars activated by inertia · CPC title

• B60N2/4221

  due to impact coming from the front · CPC title