Inertial latch system for a vehicle seat

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9352672-B2
Application number	US-201414231861-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 1, 2014
Priority date	Apr 1, 2014
Publication date	May 31, 2016
Grant date	May 31, 2016

Abstract

An inertial latch system includes a floor bracket, a seat cushion bracket, an inertial weight and an inertial weight damper assembly. The seat cushion bracket is rotatable between a down position, an up position and an intermediate position between the down and up positions. The inertial weight damper assembly is selectively coupled to the inertial weight and includes a detent plunger and a contact plug coupled to the detent plunger. The detent plunger is movable between an extended condition and a retracted condition. In each of the up and down positions, the detent plunger is in the extended condition and inhibits movement of the seat cushion bracket from the up and down positions, respectively, and the contact plug inhibits movement of the inertial weight. In the intermediate position, the detent plunger is in the retracted condition, and the contact plug does not inhibit movement of the inertial weight.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An inertial latch system for a vehicle seat, comprising:
a floor bracket;
a seat cushion bracket rotatably coupled to the floor bracket, the seat cushion bracket being rotatable between a down position, an up position and an intermediate position between the down and up positions;
an inertial weight coupled to the floor bracket; and
an inertial weight damper assembly selectively coupled to the inertial weight, the inertial weight damper assembly including:
a detent plunger movable between an extended condition and a retracted condition, and
a contact plug coupled to the detent plunger,

wherein in each of the up and down positions, the detent plunger is in the extended condition and inhibits movement of the seat cushion bracket from the up and down positions, respectively, and the contact plug inhibits movement of the inertial weight,
wherein in the intermediate position, the detent plunger is in the retracted condition, and the contact plug does not inhibit movement of the inertial weight, and
wherein, in each of the up and down positions, the contact plug contacts the inertial weight.

2. The inertial latch system of claim 1 , wherein, in the intermediate position, the contact plug is separated from the inertial weight.

3. The inertial latch system of claim 1 , wherein the inertial weight damper assembly further includes a biasing member that biases the detent plunger to the extended condition and that biases the contact plug to inhibit movement of the inertial weight.

4. The inertial latch system of claim 3 , wherein, in the intermediate position, the seat cushion bracket contacts the detent plunger such that the biasing member is compressed, the detent plunger is in the retracted position, and the contact plug does not inhibit movement of the inertial weight.

5. The inertial latch system of claim 1 , wherein the contact plug is formed of a plastic or rubber material.

6. The inertial latch system of claim 1 , wherein the seat cushion bracket defines at least two indentations, the detent plunger mating with one of the indentations in each of the up and down positions.

7. The inertial latch system of claim 1 , wherein:
the floor bracket has an interior side and an opposed exterior side;
the inertial weight damper assembly is arranged on one of the interior and exterior side; and
the inertial weight is arranged on the other one of the interior and exterior side.

8. The inertial latch system of claim 7 , wherein the contact plug extends from the one of the interior and exterior side to the other one of the interior and exterior side.

9. The inertial latch system of claim 8 , wherein, in each of the up and down positions, the contact plug extends through a contact plug opening defined by the floor bracket.

10. A vehicle seat, comprising:
a floor bracket defining a plunger aperture;
a seat cushion bracket rotatably coupled to the floor bracket, the seat cushion bracket being rotatable between a down position, an up position and an intermediate position between the down and up positions, the seat cushion bracket defining at least two indentations;
an inertial weight coupled to the floor bracket; and
an inertial weight damper assembly including:
a damper assembly bracket coupled to the floor bracket,
a detent plunger arranged within the plunger aperture, the detent plunger being movable between an extended condition and a retracted condition,
a connecting member having a top end portion and a bottom end portion, the top end portion being coupled to the detent plunger,
a biasing member arranged between the damper assembly bracket and the top end portion of the connecting member, the biasing member biasing the detent plunger to the extended condition, and
a contact plug coupled to the bottom end portion of the connecting member,

wherein:
in each of the up and down positions, the detent plunger is in the extended condition and mates with one of the indentations, and the contact plug contacts the inertial weight, and
in the intermediate position, the detent plunger is in the retracted condition by the seat cushion bracket, and the contact plug is separated from the inertial weight.

11. The vehicle seat of claim 10 , wherein the floor bracket further defines a contact plug aperture, the contact plug extending through the contact plug aperture when the contact plug contacts the inertial weight.

12. The vehicle seat of claim 10 , wherein the top end portion of the connecting member defines an opening in which the detent plunger is arranged.

13. The vehicle seat of claim 10 , wherein movement of the inertial weight is inhibited by the inertial weight damper assembly in each of the up and down positions.

14. The vehicle seat of claim 10 , wherein movement of the inertial weight is not inhibited by the inertial weight damper assembly in the intermediate position.

15. The vehicle seat of claim 10 , wherein the damper assembly bracket is separate from and fixedly secured to the floor bracket.

16. The vehicle seat of claim 10 , wherein the damper assembly bracket is integrally formed by the floor bracket.

17. The vehicle seat of claim 10 , wherein:
the floor bracket has an interior side and an opposed exterior side;
the inertial weight damper assembly is arranged on one of the interior and exterior side; and
the inertial weight is arranged on the other one of the interior and exterior side,
wherein, in each of the up and down positions, the contact plug extends from the one of the interior and exterior side to the other one of the interior and exterior side through a contact plug opening defined by the floor bracket.

18. The vehicle seat of claim 10 , wherein, in each of the up and down positions, the contact plug extends through a contact plug opening defined by the floor bracket.

Assignees

• Elton Robert
• Fca Us Llc

Inventors

• Elton Robert

Classifications

• B60N2/43 Primary

  Safety locks (for back-rests B60N2/433) · CPC title

• B60N2/305

  the cushion being hinged on the vehicle frame · CPC title