Over-travel mechanism for easy-entry system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016016486-A1
Application number	US-201414332908-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 16, 2014
Priority date	Jul 16, 2014
Publication date	Jan 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A seat assembly includes an easy-entry system with a seat frame having a seatback pivotally coupled to a seat member. An external lever is operably coupled to an engagement lever disposed on the seat frame and is configured to activate the engagement lever to move the seatback into an engaged position with a sector pivotally coupled to the seat frame. A disengagement rod flexibly is coupled to a spring member disposed on the sector at a first end and further coupled to a track release lever at a second end. As such, rotation of the seatback to a release position rotates the track release lever to unlock the seat assembly from a seat track. Further rotation of the seatback from the release position to an over-travel position loads the spring member but does not further rotate the track release lever.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A seat assembly, comprising:
a seatback pivotally coupled to a seat member between use, release and over-travel positions; a sector and a track release lever pivotally coupled to the seat member for rotation with the seatback; and a disengagement rod flexibly coupled to the sector and the track release lever, wherein rotation of the seatback to the release and over-travel positions causes the track release lever to unlock the seat assembly from a seat track.

2 . The seat assembly of claim 1 , wherein the rotation of the seatback to the release position rotates the track release lever to a fully rotated unlocked position.

3 . The seat assembly of claim 2 , wherein the disengagement rod is coupled to a spring member mounted on a body portion of the sector.

4 . The seat assembly of claim 3 , wherein the spring member is a clock spring.

5 . The seat assembly of claim 4 , wherein rotation of the seatback from the release position to the over-travel position loads the clock spring.

6 . The seat assembly of claim 1 , wherein the track release lever is coupled to a track latch piston that is moveable between locked and unlocked positions relative to the seat track.

7 . The seat assembly of claim 6 , including:
a crank operably coupled to the seatback for rotation therewith, the crank including a pin; an engagement lever operably coupled to the seat member and configured to move the crank into an engaged position as activated by an external lever, wherein the pin engages an engagement slot disposed on the sector when the crank is in the engaged position.

8 . A seat assembly having an easy-entry system, the easy-entry system comprising:
a seat frame having a seatback pivotally coupled to a seat member; an external lever operably coupled to an engagement lever disposed on the seat frame, wherein the external lever is configured to activate the engagement lever to move the seatback into an engaged position with a sector pivotally coupled to the seat frame; a disengagement rod flexibly coupled to a spring member disposed on the sector at a first end and further coupled to a track release lever at a second end, wherein rotation of the seatback to a release position rotates the track release lever to unlock the seat assembly from a seat track, and further wherein rotation of the seatback from the release position to an over-travel position loads the spring member.

9 . The seat assembly of claim 8 , wherein the rotation of the seatback to the release position rotates the track release lever to a fully rotated unlocked position.

10 . The seat assembly of claim 9 , wherein the track release lever remains in the fully rotated unlocked position as the seatback is rotated from the release position to the over-travel position.

11 . The seat assembly of claim 10 , wherein the seatback is in a forward leaning position relative to the seat member in the over-travel position.

12 . The seat assembly of claim 11 , wherein the sector is configured for rotation with the seatback and includes an engagement slot.

13 . The seat assembly of claim 12 , including:
a crank operably coupled to the seatback for rotation therewith, the crank including a pin, wherein the pin is engaged with the engagement slot of the sector when the seatback is in the engaged position.

14 . The seat assembly of claim 13 , wherein the track release lever is coupled to a track latch piston that is moveable between locked and unlocked positions relative to the seat track.

15 . The seat assembly of claim 8 , wherein a forward rotation of the seatback drives a forward rotation of the sector which further drives the disengagement rod in a rearward direction to rotate the track release lever in a rearward direction.

16 . A seat assembly, comprising:
a seat frame including a pivoting seatback and a seat member; a disengagement rod and spring member coupled between a sector and a track release lever, wherein pivoting the seatback to a release position rotates the sector and the track release lever to unlock the seat assembly from a seat track; and wherein the seatback is moveable to an over-travel position wherein the spring member loads as the sector rotates.

17 . The seat assembly of claim 16 , wherein pivoting the seatback to the release position rotates the track release lever to a fully rotated unlocked position.

18 . The seat assembly of claim 17 , wherein the track release lever is fixed in the fully rotated unlocked position as the seatback travels to the over-travel position.

19 . The seat assembly of claim 18 , wherein the track release lever is coupled to a track latch piston that is moveable between locked and unlocked positions relative to the seat track.

20 . The seat assembly of claim 19 , wherein the spring member is a clock spring.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Aktas Macit

Classifications

• B60N2/309

  rods · CPC title

• B60N2/22

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

• B60N2/366 Primary

  characterised by the locking device · CPC title

• B60N2/12 Primary

  slidable and tiltable · CPC title

• B60N2/20 Primary

  the back-rest being tiltable, e.g. to permit easy access (B60N2/04, B60N2/22 {, B60N2/3002} take precedence) · CPC title