Vehicle seat assembly for theft prevention

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9914431-B2
Application number	US-201514928912-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 30, 2015
Priority date	Oct 30, 2015
Publication date	Mar 13, 2018
Grant date	Mar 13, 2018

Abstract

A vehicle seat assembly comprising a seat bottom, a seat bottom release, a seat back, a seat back release, and a locking assembly. Upon activation of the seat bottom release, the seat bottom can move along a seat bottom travel path in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle to a forward position close to an instrument panel of the vehicle. Upon activation of the seat back release, the seat back can pivot to a forward position close to the seat bottom. The locking assembly can operate to lock the seat bottom, the seat back, or both, in their respective forward positions such that the seat bottom, the seat back, or both, obstruct operational access to a user operational component, such as the steering wheel or glove box door, on the instrument panel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle seat assembly comprising:
a seat bottom having an upper seat bottom surface facing toward an interior roof of a vehicle and movably coupled to an interior floor of the vehicle to move along a seat bottom travel path in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle between a forward position and a rearward position, the forward position being closer to an instrument panel of the vehicle than the rearward position;
a seat bottom release configured to change between a released condition that enables the seat bottom to move along the seat bottom travel path and a set condition that releasably sets the seat bottom at a location along the seat bottom travel path;
a seat back having a forward seat back surface and pivotally coupled with respect to the seat bottom to pivot along a seat back pivot path between a first position at which the seat back extends at a first angle with respect to the seat bottom with the forward seat back surface being proximate to and facing the upper seat bottom surface and a second position at which the seat back extends an a second angle, greater than the first angle, with respect to the seat bottom with the forward seat back surface facing the instrument panel;
a seat back release configured to change between a released condition that enables the seat back to move along the seat back pivot path and a set condition that releasably sets the seat back at a location along the seat back pivot path; and
a locking assembly configured to lock at least one of the seat bottom while the seat bottom is in the forward position and the seat back while the seat back is in the first position such that at least one of the seat bottom and the seat back obstructs operational access to a user operational component on the instrument panel, the locking assembly being configured to prevent at least one of changing of the seat bottom release from the set condition to the released condition to prevent the seat bottom from moving out of the forward position and prevent changing of the seat back release from the set condition to the released condition to prevent the seat back from pivoting out of the first position.

2. The vehicle seat assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the locking assembly is configured to lock the seat bottom while the seat bottom is in the forward position such that the seat bottom obstructs operational access to the user operational component on the instrument panel.

3. The vehicle seat assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the locking assembly configured to lock the seat back while the seat back is in the first position such that the seat back obstructs operational access to the user operational component on the instrument panel.

4. The vehicle seat assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the locking assembly is configured to lock the seat bottom while the seat bottom is in the forward position and the seat back while the seat back is in the first position such that the seat bottom and the seat back cooperatively obstruct operational access to the user operational component on the instrument panel.

5. The vehicle seat assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the user operational component is a steering wheel; and
the locking assembly is configured to lock at least one of the seat bottom while the seat bottom is in the forward position and the seat back while the seat back is in the first position such that at least one of the seat bottom and the seat back obstructs operational access to the steering wheel.

6. The vehicle seat assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the user operational component is a glove box; and
the locking assembly is configured to lock at least one of the seat bottom while the seat bottom is in the forward position and the seat back while the seat back is in the first position such that at least one of the seat bottom and the seat back obstructs the glove box from opening to a position which enables access to an interior of the glove box.

7. The vehicle seat assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the locking assembly is further configured to unlock at least one of the seat bottom to enable the seat bottom to move along the seat bottom travel path upon the seat bottom release being operated to the released condition and the seat back to enable the seat back to pivot along the seat back pivot path upon the seat back release being operated to the released condition.

8. The vehicle seat assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the locking assembly is configured to perform a manual locking operation to lock at least one of the seat bottom while the seat bottom is in the forward position and the seat back while the seat back is in the first position.

9. The vehicle seat assembly according to claim 8 , wherein
the locking assembly includes a key assembly that is configured to operate the locking assembly to perform the manual locking operation.

10. The vehicle seat assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the locking assembly is configured to perform an automatic locking operation to lock at least one of the seat bottom while the seat bottom is in the forward position and the seat back while the seat back is in the first position.

11. The vehicle seat assembly according to claim 10 , wherein
the locking assembly is configured to perform the automatic locking operation in response to closing of a door of the vehicle.

12. The vehicle seat assembly according to claim 10 , wherein
the locking assembly is configured to perform the automatic locking operation in response to operation of a control switch.

13. The vehicle seat assembly according to claim 10 , wherein
the locking assembly is configured to perform the automatic locking operation in response to operation of a control switch on a wireless key.

14. The vehicle seat assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the locking assembly includes an obstruction portion configured to obstruct movement of the seat bottom from the forward position along the seat bottom travel path while the locking assembly locks the seat bottom in the forward position.

15. The vehicle seat assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising
an alarm configured to convey an alarm condition upon application of a force to at least one of the seat bottom and the seat back while the locking assembly locks the at least one of the seat bottom and the seat back.

16. The vehicle seat assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the locking assembly includes an obstruction portion configured to obstruct pivoting of the seat back from the first position along the seat back pivot path while the locking assembly locks the seat back in the first position.

17. A vehicle seat assembly comprising:
a seat bottom having an upper seat bottom surface facing toward an interior roof of a vehicle and movably coupled to an interior floor of the vehicle to move along a seat bottom travel path in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle between a forward position and a rearward position, the forward position being closer to an instrument panel of the vehicle than the rearward position;
a seat bottom release configured to change between a released condition that enables the seat bottom to move along the seat bottom travel path and a set condition that releasably sets the seat bottom at a location along the seat bottom travel path; and
a locking assembly configured to lock the seat bottom while the seat bottom is in the forward position such that the seat bottom obstructs operational access to a user operational component on the instrument panel, and configured to prevent changing of the sea

Assignees

• Nissan North America Inc

Inventors

• Tsunoda Hiroyasu

Classifications

• B60R25/2036

  by using the door logic and door and engine unlock means · CPC title

• B60R25/10

  actuating a signalling device · CPC title

• B60R25/014 Primary

  comprising means for locking the seat or parts thereof in a driving prevention position · CPC title

• B60R25/20

  Means to switch the anti-theft system on or off · 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