Apparatus for tilting seat cushion of vehicle rear seat

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11345263-B2
Application number	US-202117182503-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 23, 2021
Priority date	Oct 16, 2020
Publication date	May 31, 2022
Grant date	May 31, 2022

Abstract

An apparatus of tilting a seat cushion of a rear seat may include a tilting function additionally provided to a seat cushion of a rear seat, so when a seatback reclines, it is possible to tilt up the front end portion of the seat cushion and sufficiently support the thighs of a passenger sitting in the rear seat using the front end portion of the seat cushion tilted upwards.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus of tilting a seat cushion of a vehicle rear seat, the apparatus comprising:
a cushion tilting frame coupled to a cushion base frame and configured to tilt by moving upwards and downwards with respect to the cushion base frame coupled to seat rails;
a tilting motor mounted to the cushion tilting frame; and
a power transmission mechanism connecting the tilting motor, the cushion base frame, and the cushion tilting frame to tilt the cushion tilting frame when the tilting motor is operated,
wherein the tilting motor and the power transmission mechanism are disposed in parallel with each other along a front and rear straight line to reduce a package of a driving mechanism.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further including:
a rear cross pipe disposed in a predetermined direction through a rear end portion of the cushion base frame and coupled to a rear end portion of the cushion tilting frame,
wherein when power from the tilting motor is transmitted to the cushion tilting frame through the power transmission mechanism, the cushion tilting frame tilts by rotating up and down around the rear cross pipe, which is configured as a hinge point, with respect to the cushion base frame.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the tilting motor is coupled to be positioned outside a side of the cushion tilting frame.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the power transmission mechanism includes:
a pinion gear connected to the tilting motor and rotatably coupled to the cushion tilting frame, wherein the pinion gear is configured to rotate with respect to the cushion tilting frame when the tilting motor is operated;
a rack gear engaged with the pinion gear and configured to move straight when the pinion gear is rotated;
a connection shaft coupled to an end of the rack gear, disposed through a guide slot formed at the cushion tilting frame, and movable along the guide slot when the rack gear is moved;
a front cross pipe disposed in a predetermined direction through a front end portion of the cushion tilting frame to be rotatable with respect to the cushion tilting frame; and
a link assembly coupled to connect the connection shaft, the front cross pipe, and the cushion base frame.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the guide slot is formed to be elongated in the cushion tilting frame in a longitudinal direction of the cushion tilting frame ahead of the pinion gear so that the connection shaft moves in the longitudinal direction along the guide slot.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the link assembly includes:
a fixed bracket integrally fixed to the front cross pipe;
a first link pivotally coupled to the connection shaft and the fixed bracket so that first and second end portions of the first link is configured to rotate; and
a second link pivotally coupled to the fixed bracket and the cushion base frame so that first and second end portions of the second link is configured to rotate.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 ,
wherein the tilting motor, the pinion gear, the rack gear, the connection shaft, and the first link are each one piece and positioned on only one side of a seat cushion frame; and
wherein the fixed bracket and the second link are each two pieces and positioned on left and right sides of the seat cushion frame.

8. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the pinion gear is positioned inside a side of the cushion tilting frame to be rotatable with respect to the cushion tilting frame by power received from the tilting motor.

9. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the rack gear is mounted in a longitudinal direction of the cushion tilting frame with a rear end portion of the rack gear engaged with the pinion gear.

10. The apparatus of claim 4 ,
wherein the connection shaft is disposed in the predetermined direction through a front end portion of the rack gear; and
wherein an external portion of the connection shaft passes through the guide slot and an internal portion thereof is coupled to the link assembly.

11. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein rotational motion of the tilting motor changes into straight motion through the pinion gear, the rack gear, and the connection shaft, the straight motion changes back into rotational motion through the link assembly and is then transmitted to the cushion tilting frame, and a sitting surface of the cushion tilting frame is tilted up and down by the transmitted rotational motion.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Motors Corp
• Daewon Prec Industrial Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Ji Hwan
• Lee Tae Hoon
• Son Byeong Seon
• Park Sang Hoon
• Na Seon Chae
• Kim Sang Ho
• Seo Byoung Tae

Classifications

• B60N2/22

  the back-rest being adjustable {(B60N2/2878 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B60N2/1864 Primary

  Gear wheel driven mechanism · CPC title

• B60N2/10 Primary

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

• B60N2/2209 Primary

  by longitudinal displacement of the cushion, e.g. back-rest hinged on the bottom to the cushion and linked on the top to the vehicle frame · CPC title

• B60N2/3047

  the cushion being hinged at the back-rest · CPC title