Armrest inertial latch having anti-reverse lock for absorbing dynamic oscillation during vehicle impact

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11440447-B2
Application number	US-202017068254-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 12, 2020
Priority date	Oct 12, 2020
Publication date	Sep 13, 2022
Grant date	Sep 13, 2022

Abstract

A vehicle seat assembly includes a seatback rotationally coupled to a base at a seat pivot. A securing pin is coupled with the seatback. An inertial latch is operable about a latch pivot to define an idle position defined by the inertial latch biased distal from the securing pin, and a deployed position defined by an opposing directional force biasing the inertial latch into selective engagement with the securing pin wherein the seatback is maintained in a predetermined rotational position. A guide latch is biased against the inertial latch and having an idle notch and a deployed notch. The idle notch selectively maintains the inertial latch in the idle position. The deployed notch secures the inertial latch in the deployed position in response to the opposing directional biasing force.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle seat assembly comprising:
a seatback rotationally coupled to a base at a seat pivot;
a securing pin coupled with the seatback;
an inertial latch operable about a latch pivot to define an idle position defined by the inertial latch biased distal from the securing pin, and a deployed position defined by an opposing directional force biasing the inertial latch into selective engagement with the securing pin wherein the seatback is maintained in a predetermined rotational position; and
a guide latch biased against the inertial latch and having an idle notch and a deployed notch, wherein the idle notch selectively maintains the inertial latch in the idle position, and wherein the deployed notch secures the inertial latch in the deployed position in response to the opposing directional biasing force.

2. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 1 , wherein the guide latch is in continual sliding engagement with the inertial latch.

3. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 2 , wherein the inertial latch slides along a notch surface of the guide latch from the idle notch to the deployed notch in response to the opposing directional biasing force.

4. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 2 , wherein the guide latch rotationally operates about a guide pivot that is distal from each of the seat pivot and the latch pivot.

5. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 2 , wherein a biasing mechanism extends between the guide latch and the inertial latch and maintains the guide latch in the continual sliding engagement with the inertial latch.

6. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 5 , wherein the biasing mechanism biases the inertial latch toward the idle position and biases the guide latch toward the inertial latch.

7. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 1 , wherein the inertial latch in the deployed position engages a top portion of the securing pin and prevents forward rotation of the seatback.

8. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 7 , wherein the inertial latch in the idle position defines an offset between the inertial latch and the securing pin, wherein the securing pin is rotationally operable with the seatback and within the offset between a plurality of rotational positions.

9. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 8 , wherein the securing pin is rearward of the seat pivot, and wherein rotational operation of the seatback from an upright position to a downward position defines an initial upward rotation of the securing pin relative to the inertial latch.

10. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 1 , wherein the inertial latch includes a downwardly extending weighted member that is acted on by the opposing directional biasing force toward the deployed position.

11. A vehicle seat comprising:
a base having a seat pivot, a latch pivot and a guide pivot;
a seatback rotationally operable about the seat pivot between a plurality of rotational positions;
a securing pin attached to the seatback and operable about the seat pivot; and
a latching assembly that includes an inertial latch that operates about the latch pivot and a guide latch that operates about the guide pivot, wherein the inertial latch and the guide latch are biased toward one another and slidably operate against one another between an idle position and a deployed position, wherein the guide latch includes a notch surface that selectively retains the inertial latch in the idle position distal from the securing pin and, in response to an opposing directional biasing force, secures the inertial latch in the deployed position that places the inertial latch into selective engagement with a top portion of the securing pin and holding the seatback in a selected position of the plurality of rotational positions, wherein the notch surface includes an idle notch and a deployed notch, wherein the inertial latch slidably operates in response to the opposing directional biasing force from the idle notch to the deployed notch.

12. The vehicle seat of claim 11 , wherein the deployed notch secures the inertial latch in the deployed position and resists residual oscillating forces subsequently resulting from the opposing directional biasing force.

13. The vehicle seat of claim 11 , wherein the inertial latch is in continual sliding engagement with the notch surface of the guide latch.

14. The vehicle seat of claim 13 , wherein a biasing mechanism extends between the guide latch and the inertial latch and maintains the guide latch in the continual sliding engagement with the inertial latch.

15. The vehicle seat of claim 14 , wherein the biasing mechanism biases the inertial latch toward the idle position and biases the guide latch toward the inertial latch.

16. The vehicle seat of claim 11 , wherein the inertial latch in the idle position defines an offset between the inertial latch and the securing pin and the securing pin is rotationally operable with the seatback and within the offset between the plurality of rotational positions.

17. The vehicle seat of claim 11 , wherein the inertial latch includes a downwardly extending weighted member that is acted on by the opposing directional biasing force toward the deployed position.

18. A method for operating a seatback for a seat assembly of a vehicle comprising steps of:
placing an inertial latch within an idle position relative to a guide latch;
positioning the seatback in a selected position of a plurality of rotational positions that locates a securing pin within an offset;
applying an opposing directional force that biases the inertial latch to a deployed position;
rotating the inertial latch to the deployed position wherein the inertial latch slides along a notch surface of the guide latch to a deployed notch;
retaining the inertial latch in the deployed notch to maintain the inertial latch in the deployed position;
applying residual oscillating forces subsequently resulting from the opposing directional biasing force, wherein the inertial latch remains within the deployed position.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising a step of:
preventing forward rotation of the seatback away from the selected position when the inertial latch is in the deployed position.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Pabalate Nathan

Classifications

• B60N2/757

  in a recess of the back-rest · CPC title

• B60N2/793

  for use as storage compartments · CPC title

• B60N2/206

  to a position in which it can be used as a support for objects, e.g. as a tray · CPC title

• B60N3/102

  storable or foldable in a non-use position · CPC title

• B60N2/433 Primary

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