Seat assembly with power easy entry having concentric motion

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12090895-B2
Application number	US-202117799773-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 15, 2021
Priority date	Feb 14, 2020
Publication date	Sep 17, 2024
Grant date	Sep 17, 2024

Abstract

A seat assembly includes a cushion motor linked to a pinion gear for providing concentric rotation of a linkage through rotational engagement of the pinion gear with a sector gear. The seat assembly includes a seat back pivotally coupled to a seat cushion and a seat base adapted for mounting the seat assembly within an automotive vehicle. The linkage includes a front link and a rear link extending between the seat cushion and the seat base, wherein pivoting of the linkage moves the seat assembly between a plurality of positions. A recliner mechanism is operatively coupled to the front link for selectively allowing pivoting thereof, and the sector gear is fixed to the front link. Actuation of the cushion motor when the recliner mechanism is unlocked rotates the pinion gear, causing the sector gear to rotate for pivoting the linkage to move the seat assembly between the plurality of positions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A seat assembly adapted to be mounted to a floor of an automotive vehicle for movement between a plurality of positions, the seat assembly comprising:
a seat cushion for supporting an occupant in the automotive vehicle and a seat back pivotally coupled to the seat cushion;
a seat base adapted for mounting the seat assembly within the automotive vehicle;
at least one link extending longitudinally between a first end pivotally coupled to the seat cushion and a second end pivotally coupled to the seat base, wherein pivoting of the at least one link moves the seat assembly between a first position and a second position;
a recliner mechanism operatively coupled to the at least one link, the recliner mechanism operable between a locked condition for preventing pivoting of the at least one link and an unlocked condition for allowing pivoting of the at least one link;
a sector gear fixedly coupled to the at least one link;
a pinion gear meshingly engaged with the sector gear;
a strap extending between the sector gear and the pinion gear to keep the sector gear fully meshed with the pinion gear; and
a motor rotatably driving the pinion gear,
wherein actuating the motor when the recliner mechanism is in the unlocked condition rotates the pinion gear, causing the sector gear to rotate for pivoting the at least one link to move the seat assembly between the first position and the second position.

2. The seat assembly of claim 1 wherein the first position of the seat assembly includes one of a design position in which the seat assembly is spaced from the floor of the automotive vehicle to support an occupant, an easy entry position in which the seat assembly tilts forwardly and downwardly toward the floor of the automotive vehicle for increased ingress and egress behind the seat assembly, and a stow position in which the seat assembly lowers toward the floor of the automotive vehicle for increased cargo room therein.

3. The seat assembly of claim 2 wherein the second position of the seat assembly includes one of the design position, the easy entry position, and the stow position.

4. The seat assembly of claim 3 wherein the at least one link is further pivotable to move the seat assembly to a third position, wherein the third position includes one of the design position, the easy entry position, and the stow position.

5. The seat assembly of claim 4 wherein pivoting of the at least one link moves the seat assembly between any of the first position, the second position, and the third position.

6. The seat assembly of claim 5 wherein the sector gear has a plurality of teeth extending radially outward therefrom for engagement with the pinion gear.

7. The seat assembly of claim 6 further comprising a drive rod operatively extending from the motor and fixedly coupled to the pinion gear for rotatably driving the pinion gear.

8. The seat assembly of claim 7 wherein the motor is fixedly coupled to the seat base.

9. The seat assembly of claim 8 wherein the at least one link includes an outward-facing lateral side and an opposite, inward-facing medial side, and the sector gear is fixedly coupled to the lateral side at the second end thereof.

10. The seat assembly of claim 9 wherein the recliner mechanism is operatively coupled between the seat base and the medial side of the at least one link at the second end thereof.

11. The seat assembly of claim 10 wherein the sector gear defines a first rotational axis (A 1 ) and the pinion gear defines a second rotational axis (A 2 ), the strap extending therebetween to keep the sector gear fully meshed with the pinion gear.

12. The seat assembly of claim 11 further comprising an actuation assembly operatively coupled to the recliner mechanism for selectively actuating the recliner mechanism between the locked condition and the unlocked condition to allow pivoting of the at least one link.

13. The seat assembly of claim 12 further comprising a seat track assembly fixedly coupled to the seat base for providing fore and aft movement of the seat assembly within the automotive vehicle.

14. The seat assembly of claim 13 further comprising a motor assembly operatively coupled to the seat track assembly for moving the seat assembly fore and aft within the automotive vehicle.

15. The seat assembly of claim 14 further comprising a seat back pivot mechanism operatively coupled between the seat back and the seat cushion for pivoting the seat back relative to the seat cushion between a plurality of reclined positions and a folded position in which the seat back overlaps the seat cushion.

16. The seat assembly of claim 15 wherein the at least one link includes a front link and a rear link to form a four-bar linkage, the front and rear links each pivotally coupled between the seat cushion and the seat base to move the seat assembly between the first, second, and third positions.

17. The seat assembly of claim 16 wherein the sector gear is fixedly coupled to the front link of the four-bar linkage and the recliner mechanism is operatively coupled between the front link of the four-bar linkage and the seat base.

Assignees

• Magna Seating Inc

Inventors

• Kapusky Michael
• Runde David M
• Zimmerman Ii Ronald A

Classifications

• B60N2/02253

  characterised by the transmission between the electric motor and the seat or seat parts · 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

• B60N2/12

  slidable and tiltable · CPC title

• B60N2/06

  slidable (B60N2/12 {, B60N2/2209} take precedence) · CPC title

• B60N2/3065

  in a longitudinal-vertical plane · CPC title