Vehicle seating assembly with lockout cam

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12384279-B2
Application number	US-202218075719-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 6, 2022
Priority date	Dec 6, 2022
Publication date	Aug 12, 2025
Grant date	Aug 12, 2025

Abstract

A vehicle seating assembly includes a mounting bracket, a seat, a seatback, and a cam assembly. The seat is rotatably coupled to the mounting bracket. The seatback is rotatably coupled to the mounting bracket. The seatback includes a protrusion. The cam assembly is rotatably coupled to the mounting bracket. The cam assembly includes a lockout cam having a first end and a second end. The first end of the lockout cam engages with the protrusion of the seatback such that movement of the seatback relative to the mounting bracket is restricted in a first non-use state. The second end of the lockout cam engages with the seat such that movement of the seat relative to the mounting bracket is restricted in a second non-use state.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle seating assembly, comprising:
a mounting bracket;
a seat that is rotatably coupled to the mounting bracket;
a seatback that is rotatably coupled to the mounting bracket, wherein the seatback comprises a protrusion;
a cam assembly rotatably coupled to the mounting bracket, wherein the cam assembly comprises a lockout cam having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of the lockout cam engages with the protrusion of the seatback such that movement of the seatback relative to the mounting bracket is restricted in a first non-use state, and wherein the second end of the lockout cam engages with the seat such that movement of the seat relative to the mounting bracket is restricted in a second non-use state, wherein the lockout cam is biased toward an engaged position;
an actuation cam that is configured to engage with a stationary structure below the vehicle seating assembly, wherein a position of the vehicle seating assembly relative to the stationary structure dictates a position of the actuation cam; and
a cable that extends between the actuation cam and the lockout cam such that the position of the actuation cam influences whether the lockout cam is in the engaged position or a disengaged position, wherein disengagement of the actuation cam with a top surface of the stationary structure causes a slackening of the cable that extends between the actuation cam and the lockout cam, and wherein such slackening of the cable allows the biasing of the lockout cam to place the lockout cam in the engaged position.

2. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1 , wherein the engaged position of the lockout cam is defined as physical contact between the first end of the lockout cam and the protrusion of the seatback in the first non-use state.

3. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1 , wherein the engaged position of the lockout cam is defined as physical contact between the second end of the lockout cam and the seat in the second non-use state.

4. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1 , wherein the stationary structure is at least a portion of a track assembly to which the vehicle seating assembly is configured to be mounted.

5. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1 , wherein the actuation cam is configured to disengage with a top surface of the stationary structure when the vehicle seating assembly is in at least one of the first non-use state and the second non-use state.

6. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1 , wherein engagement between the actuation cam and the top surface of the stationary structure places the actuation cam in a position that provides a force to the cable that counter-acts the biasing of the lockout cam to the engaged position.

7. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first non-use state results in actuation of a track release button and an interlock release button of a track assembly to which the vehicle seating assembly is configured to be mounted.

8. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 7 , wherein the second non-use state results in actuation of the interlock release button.

9. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first non-use state places the seatback in a position that prevents occupancy of the vehicle seating assembly.

10. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 7 , wherein the second non-use state places the seat in a position that prevents occupancy of the vehicle seating assembly.

11. A vehicle seating assembly, comprising:
a mounting bracket;
a seat that is rotatably coupled to the mounting bracket;
a seatback that is rotatably coupled to the mounting bracket, wherein the seatback comprises a protrusion;
a cam assembly rotatably coupled to the mounting bracket, wherein the cam assembly comprises a lockout cam that is biased toward an engaged position, wherein the lockout cam comprises a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of the lockout cam engages with the protrusion of the seatback such that movement of the seatback relative to the mounting bracket is restricted in a first non-use state, wherein the engaged position of the lockout cam is defined as physical contact between the first end of the lockout cam and the protrusion of the seatback in the first non-use state, wherein the second end of the lockout cam engages with the seat such that movement of the seat relative to the mounting bracket is restricted in a second non-use state, and wherein the engaged position of the lockout cam is defined as physical contact between the second end of the lockout cam and the seat in the second non-use state;
an actuation cam that engages with a stationary structure below the vehicle seating assembly, wherein a position of the vehicle seating assembly relative to the stationary structure dictates a position of the actuation cam, wherein the actuation cam disengages with a top surface of the stationary structure when the vehicle seating assembly is in at least one of the first non-use state and the second non-use state, wherein engagement between the actuation cam and the top surface of the stationary structure places the actuation cam in a position that provides a force to the cable that counter-acts the biasing of the lockout cam to the engaged position; and
a cable that extends between the actuation cam and the lockout cam such that the position of the actuation cam influences whether the lockout cam is in the engaged position or a disengaged position, wherein disengagement of the actuation cam with the top surface of the stationary structure causes a slackening of the cable that extends between the actuation cam and the lockout cam, and wherein such slackening of the cable allows the biasing of the lockout cam to place the lockout cam in the engaged position.

12. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 11 , wherein the stationary structure is at least a portion of a track assembly to which the vehicle seating assembly is mounted.

13. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 11 , wherein the first non-use state results in actuation of a track release button and an interlock release button of a track assembly to which the vehicle seating assembly is mounted.

14. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 13 , wherein the second non-use state results in actuation of the interlock release button.

15. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 11 , wherein the first non-use state places the seatback in a position that prevents occupancy of the vehicle seating assembly, and wherein the second non-use state places the seat in a position that prevents occupancy of the vehicle seating assembly.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Aktas Macit
• Gauthier Joshua

Classifications

• B60N2/12

  slidable and tiltable · CPC title

• B60N2/3009

  about transversal axis · CPC title

• B60N2/3065 Primary

  in a longitudinal-vertical plane · 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

• B60N2/2358 Primary

  and provided with memory locks · CPC title