Kinematic vehicle seat

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11299069-B2
Application number	US-202016918402-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 1, 2020
Priority date	Jul 1, 2020
Publication date	Apr 12, 2022
Grant date	Apr 12, 2022

Abstract

A vehicle seat comprises: a seat base; a first side member is affixed to a base at a first side of the base; a second side member is affixed to the base at a second side of the base, opposite the first side of the base; a slider slidably received in the base; a seat back assembly is rotatably coupled to the first side member and rotatably coupled to the second side member; a linkage rotatably coupled to the seat back assembly and rotatably coupled to the slider; a first lower seat lifting mechanism comprising a lifting bracket, wherein the lifting bracket is rotatably coupled to the first side member at a first end of the lifting bracket; and a second lower seat lifting mechanism comprising a bracket rotatably coupled to the base and a link arm rotatably coupled to the bracket and rotatably coupled to the slider.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A kinematic seat comprising:
a seat base configured to connect to a vehicle;
a first side member affixed to a base at a first side of the base;
a second side member affixed to the base at a second side of the base, opposite the first side of the base;
a slider slidably received in the base;
a seat back assembly, wherein the seat back assembly is rotatably coupled to the first side member and rotatably coupled to the second side member;
a linkage rotatably coupled to the seat back assembly and rotatably coupled to the slider, whereby sliding of the slider rotates the seat back assembly;
a first lower seat lifting mechanism comprising a lifting bracket, wherein the lifting bracket is rotatably coupled to the first side member at a first end of the lifting bracket, and wherein the lifting bracket is slidably received in a channel of the first side member at a second end of the lifting bracket; and
a second lower seat lifting mechanism, wherein the second lower seat lifting mechanism comprises:
a bracket rotatably coupled to the base; and
a link arm rotatably coupled to the bracket and rotatably coupled to the slider.

2. The kinematic seat of claim 1 , further comprising:
a riser affixed to the slider, whereby movement of the slider causes the riser to move across a side of the lifting bracket which causes the lifting bracket to change height.

3. The kinematic seat of claim 1 , further comprising:
an electric motor coupled to the slider, wherein the electric motor is configured to slide the slider relative to the base.

4. The kinematic seat of claim 1 , wherein the channel of the first side member is a first channel of the first side member, wherein the first side member further comprises a second channel of the first side member, and wherein the lifting bracket is slidably received in the second channel of the first side member.

5. The kinematic seat of claim 1 , further comprising:
a lower seat assembly coupled to the first lower seat lifting mechanism and the second lower seat lifting mechanism.

6. The kinematic seat of claim 5 , wherein the lower seat assembly comprises a spring mat, and wherein the spring mat is rotatably coupled to the first lower seat lifting mechanism and the second lower seat lifting mechanism.

7. The kinematic seat of claim 1 , further comprising:
a seat belt buckle assembly rotatably coupled to the first lower seat lifting mechanism.

8. A vehicle seat, comprising:
a seat base fixed to a vehicle, the seat base comprising a pair of parallel lower seat rails;
a first side member fixed to a first lower seat rail of the pair of parallel lower seat rails;
a second side member fixed to a second lower seat rail of the pair of parallel lower seat rails;
a first upper seat rail, slidably coupled to the first lower seat rail;
a second upper seat rail, slidably coupled to the second lower seat rail;
a seat back assembly, rotatably coupled to the first side member at a first side of the seat back assembly and rotatably coupled to the second side member at a second side of the seat back assembly;
a first linkage rotatably coupled to the seat back assembly and rotatably coupled to the first upper seat rail;
a second linkage rotatably coupled to the seat back assembly and rotatably coupled to the second upper seat rail;
a first lower seat lifting assembly, rotatably coupled to the first side member and rotatably coupled to the second side member, configured to concurrently adjust a height of a first side of a lower seat with an angular position of the seat back assembly; and
a second seat lifting assembly configured to concurrently adjust a height of a second side of the lower seat, opposite the first side of the lower seat, with the angular position of the seat back assembly, whereby the second side of the lower seat moves in a substantially vertical direction.

9. The vehicle seat of claim 8 , wherein the second seat lifting assembly comprises:
a first mounting bracket, rotatably attached at a first end of the first mounting bracket to the first lower seat rail;
a second mounting bracket, rotatably attached at a first end of the second mounting bracket to the second lower seat rail;
a third linkage, rotatably coupled at a first end of the third linkage to the first mounting bracket and rotatably coupled to the first upper seat rail at a second end of the third linkage;
a fourth linkage, rotatably coupled at a first end of the fourth linkage to the second mounting bracket and rotatably coupled to the second upper seat rail at a second end of the fourth linkage; and
a submarine tube, rotatably coupled to the first mounting bracket and the second mounting bracket.

10. The vehicle seat of claim 9 , further comprising:
a lower seat assembly, wherein the lower seat assembly comprises a spring mat and a seat pan, and wherein the spring mat contacts the seat pan and the submarine tube.

11. The vehicle seat of claim 8 , wherein:
the seat back assembly comprises a first pullback mount and a second pullback mount;
the first linkage is rotatably coupled to the first pullback mount; and
the second linkage is rotatably coupled to the second pullback mount.

12. The vehicle seat of claim 8 , wherein the first lower seat lifting assembly comprises:
a first inner arm;
a first outer arm coupled to the first inner arm by a first lifting assembly mount, wherein the first lifting assembly mount passes through the first side member;
a second inner arm;
a second outer arm coupled to the second inner arm by a second lifting assembly mount, wherein the second lifting assembly mount passes through the second side member; and
a connecting tube coupled to the first inner arm and the second inner arm.

13. The vehicle seat of claim 12 , wherein:
the first side member comprises a first pair of channels;
the first inner arm is coupled to the first outer arm through a first channel of the first pair of channels and through a second channel of the first pair of channels;
the second side member comprises a second pair of channels; and
the second inner arm is coupled to the second outer arm through a first channel of the second pair of channels and through a second channel of the second pair of channels.

14. The vehicle seat of claim 8 , further comprising:
a first riser disposed on the first upper seat rail; and
a second riser disposed on the second upper seat rail, whereby movement of the first riser and the second riser causes a height of the first lower seat lifting assembly to change.

15. The vehicle seat of claim 8 , wherein the first side member comprises a recline stop, whereby reclining of the seat back assembly is limited by the recline stop.

16. A method for making a collapsible seat, the method comprising:
slidably coupling a first upper seat rail to a first lower seat rail;
slidably coupling a second upper seat rail to a second lower seat rail;
attaching a first side member to the first lower seat rail;
attaching a second side member to the second lower seat rail;
pivotally attaching a seat back to the first side member and to the second side member;
pivotally attaching a first linkage to the seat back and to the first upper seat rail;
pivotally attaching a second linkage to the seat back and to the second upper seat rail;
pivotally attaching a seat lifting assembly to the first side member and to the second side member;
pivotally attaching a first submarine bracket to the first lower seat rail;
pivotally attaching a second submarine bracket to the second lower seat rail;
pivotally attaching a first

Assignees

• Volvo Car Corp

Inventors

• Setterberg Peter
• Modh Lars

Classifications

• B60N2/3013

  the back-rest being hinged on the vehicle frame · CPC title

• B60N2/1625

  Combination of rods and slides · CPC title

• B60N2/164

  Linear actuator, e.g. screw mechanism · CPC title

• B60N2/067

  by linear actuators, e.g. linear screw mechanisms · CPC title

• B60N2/309

  rods · CPC title