Vehicle seat with inclinable seat bottom and seatbacks to improve access to the rear places

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11850974-B2
Application number	US-202117536469-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 29, 2021
Priority date	Nov 30, 2020
Publication date	Dec 26, 2023
Grant date	Dec 26, 2023

Abstract

A vehicle seat comprising: seatback; a seat bottom mounted pivoting relative to the seatback and a track comprising a fixed element and a mobile element moveable relative to the fixed element. The seat bottom pivots relative to the mobile element of the track. The seatback slides relative to the fixed element of the track. The seatback pivots relative to the fixed element of the track, around the mobile transverse axis. A stop limits the movement of the seatback. The seat bottom is shaped for pulling on the seatback and causing the rotation of the seatback, in case of movement of the mobile element of the track relative to the fixed part once the stop blocks the movement of the seatback.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle seat comprising
a seatback,
a seat bottom mounted pivoting relative to the seatback around a first transverse axis,
at least one track, where the at least one track comprises a fixed element and a mobile element moveable relative to the fixed element along a longitudinal direction,
wherein the seat bottom pivots relative to the mobile element of the at least one track, around a second transverse axis, near one end, the seatback is mounted sliding along the longitudinal direction relative to the fixed element of the at least one track,
near the one end, the seatback is further mounted pivoting relative to the fixed element of the at least one track around a third transverse axis, where the third transverse axis is mobile along the longitudinal direction,
a stop limits the longitudinal movement of the one end of the seatback; and
the seat bottom is shaped for pulling on the seatback and causing the rotation of the seatback around the third transverse axis, in case of movement of the mobile element of the at least one track relative to the fixed element, tending to increase the distance between the second transverse axis and the third transverse axis, while the stop blocks the movement of the end of the seatback.

2. The vehicle seat of claim 1 , further comprising two tracks, the two tracks being parallel, separated along the transverse direction, each of the two tracks comprising a fixed element and a mobile element moveable relative to the fixed element along a longitudinal direction.

3. The vehicle seat of claim 2 , wherein the seat bottom pivots relative to the mobile element of each of the two tracks, around the second transverse axis; one end of the seatback is mounted sliding along the longitudinal direction relative to the fixed element of each of the two tracks; each one end of the seatback is further mounted pivoting relative to the fixed element of a respective track among the two tracks around the third transverse axis, where the third transverse axis is mobile along the longitudinal direction; the stop limits the longitudinal movement of each one end of the seatback, where the stops for each of the one end of the seatback are aligned along a transverse direction; and the seat bottom is shaped for pulling on the seatback and causing the rotation of the seatback around the third transverse axis, in case of movement of the mobile element of each of the two tracks relative to the fixed element, aiming to increase the distance between the second transverse axis and the third transverse axis, while the stops block the movement of the ends of the seatback.

4. The vehicle seat of claim 1 , further comprising an actuator for commanding the movement of the mobile element of the at least one track, relative to the respective fixed element.

5. The vehicle seat of claim 1 , wherein the seatback is further fixed to the mobile element of the at least one track by a lock.

6. The vehicle seat of claim 1 , wherein the seatback comprises a seatback framework, a base, and at least one hinge mechanism with which to change the relative position of the seatback framework relative to the base, around a fourth transverse axis.

7. The vehicle seat of claim 6 , wherein the seat bottom is mounted pivoting on the base.

8. The vehicle seat of claim 6 , wherein the seat bottom is mounted pivoting on the seatback framework.

9. The vehicle seat of claim 1 , wherein a first spring elastically forces the seat bottom to rotate relative to the mobile element of the at least one track, around the second transverse axis, towards a position in which the rear of the seat bottom is raised relative to the front of the seat bottom.

10. The vehicle seat of claim 1 , wherein the seat bottom comprises a seat bottom framework, mounted pivoting relative to the seatback around the first transverse axis, and a connecting rod joining the seat bottom framework to the mobile element of the at least one track, where each connecting rod pivots relative to the mobile element of the respective track around the second transverse axis.

11. The vehicle seat of claim 10 , wherein each connecting rod and the seat bottom framework are rigidly connected in movement.

12. The vehicle seat of claim 10 , wherein each connecting rod pivots relative to the seat bottom framework, around a fifth transverse axis.

13. The vehicle seat of claim 12 , further comprising a second spring elastically constraining each connecting rod in rotation relative to the seat bottom framework around the fifth transverse axis, towards a folded back position under the seat bottom framework.

14. The vehicle seat of claim 1 , wherein, near each end, the seatback is fixed to a slider longitudinally moveable relative to the fixed element of a respective slider.

15. The vehicle seat of claim 14 , wherein the slider is received sliding in a slit in the fixed element of the respective track.

16. The vehicle seat of claim 15 , wherein the seatback is mounted on each slider pivoting around the third transverse axis.

17. The vehicle seat of claim 15 , wherein the stop is formed by a longitudinal end of the slit.

18. A process for using a seat according to claim 1 , and for allowing changing from a position suited to receiving an occupant to an easy entry position, wherein the process comprises the step i) consisting of moving the mobile element of the at least one track relative to the associated fixed element in the direction tending to increase the distance between the second transverse axis and the third transverse axis while each stop prevents the movement of a respective end of the seatback.

19. The process of claim 18 , further comprising a step ii), preceding the step i), consisting of moving the mobile element of the at least one track relative to the fixed element, until each stop prevents the movement of a respective end of the seatback.

20. The process of claim 18 , wherein the seatback is further fixed to the mobile element of the at least one track by at least one lock, wherein the process further comprises a step iii), prior to step i), consisting of unlocking the at least one lock.

21. A process for using a seat according to claim 12 , wherein the seatback is fixed to the mobile element of the at least one track by at least one lock, wherein the process allows changing from a position suited to receiving an occupant, and an emergency exit position, wherein the process comprises the step a) consisting of unlocking the at least one lock, and step b), subsequent to step a), consisting of exerting a force on the seatback along a substantially longitudinal direction, in particular by pushing or pulling, in order to cause the rotation of the seatback around the third transverse axis.

22. A process for using a seat according to claim 8 , wherein the process allows changing the seat from a position suited for receiving an occupant into a position called “flat floor” in which the seatback extends facing the seat bottom, wherein the process comprises the step consisting of pivoting the seatback relative to the base, around the fourth transverse axis, in order to reach a position in which the seatback is substantially horizontal, the pivoting of the seatback causing a pivoting of the seat bottom relative to the seatback framework accompanying a lowering of at least a part of the seat bottom relative to the position for receiving an occupant.

Assignees

• Faurecia Sieges Dautomobile

Inventors

• Roche Sylvain
• Epaud David
• Bouzid Farouk

Classifications

• B60N2/12 Primary

  slidable and tiltable · 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

• B60N2/2209

  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

• B60N2/309

  rods · CPC title

• B60N2/3011

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