Chairs and seats – Movable bottom – Interconnected with back for relative concurrent movement
Reexamination Certificate
2001-09-17
2003-10-14
Cuomo, Peter M. (Department: 3636)
Chairs and seats
Movable bottom
Interconnected with back for relative concurrent movement
Reexamination Certificate
active
06631952
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application claims priority of International application number PCT/DE00/00843, filed Mar. 15, 2000, which in turn claims priority to German patent application number 199 11 358.0, filed Mar. 15, 1999.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to an automobile seat with a seat frame, a seat surface provided on the seat frame, and a backrest which is pivotally mounted on the seat frame and can be folded towards the seat surface.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Seats of this kind are used as front seats in automobiles so that by folding the backrest forwards it makes it easier for the passenger to climb into the back of the vehicle or to slide an object into the back of the vehicle. It becomes even easier to climb into the back of the vehicle, particularly in the case of two-door vehicles, if the seat can be pushed forwards after the backrest has been folded forward.
For this the automobile seat has the following features:
a longitudinal guide with which the seat frame can be moved in the longitudinal direction of the seat in order to adjust the longitudinal position of the seat;
a fixing device for locking the seat frame in a previously set seat longitudinal position;
an operating element for unlocking the fixing device so that the seat frame can be moved in the longitudinal direction of the seat;
a coupling mechanism for coupling the fixing device to the backrest which acts on the operating element and thereby unlocks the fixing device when the backrest is folded forwards towards the seat surface;
a memory device by means of which the seat frame during movement in the longitudinal direction of the seat can be stopped automatically in a predeterminable longitudinal seat position defined as the memory position, where a stop associated with the seat frame and movable in the longitudinal direction of the seat comes into engagement with a counter stop of the memory device;
regulating means for the memory device with which the memory position can be regulated in the longitudinal direction of the seat by adjusting the position of the counter stop;
a locking device for the memory device for locking a selected memory position; and
switching means with which the locking device can be unlocked in order to be able to regulate the memory position.
A seat of this kind offers on the one hand the possibility, after folding the backrest forwards towards the seat surface, of sliding the seat frame, and thus the entire vehicle seat, forwards in order to make it easier for a passenger to climb into the back (easy-entry function). Then at the same time the seat can be very easily moved back again into its original longitudinal position if this longitudinal position of the seat is stored as the memory position by means of the memory device which is provided for this purpose. In this case the seat frame is automatically stopped in the memory position as the seat is pushed back, with a stop associated with the seat frame interacting with a counter stop of the memory device.
In the case of a vehicle seat of this kind which is known from DE 42 01 829 A1 and which has a seat frame with a backrest which can be folded forwards, a longitudinal guide for regulating the longitudinal position of the seat, a fixing device associated with the longitudinal guide, and a coupling mechanism with which the fixing device can be unlocked when the backrest is folded forwards towards the seat surface, the fixing device can only be locked again after the seat has been moved with the backrest folded forwards, after the seat has been moved back into the original position which has been memorised by the memory device. This not only involves a reduction in operating comfort but can also result in a considerable risk of danger to a person seated on the seat if this person takes up their place on the seat before the seat has been moved completely back into its memory position, e.g. because luggage or packages behind the seat prevent the seat from moving back into the memory position. A person seated on a vehicle seat which has not been locked is exposed to a considerable risk of injury in the event of a crash.
From DE 196 47 447 A1, a vehicle seat is known having a fold-forward backrest, an easy-entry function with the backrest folded forward and memory function for relocating the original seat position which can also be locked outside of the memory position and can thus be brought into a safer useful position. With this seat, gearing is provided with which longitudinal movement of the vehicle seat can be converted into rotary movement of individual gear elements. The memory function is hereby provided by means of stops and spring elements which interact with the rotatable gear elements. This known vehicle seat has the drawback however that a comparatively high assembly expense is required in order to produce a sufficiently precise match between the different displaceable, swivelling and rotatable component parts which are provided to produce the combined easy-entry and memory functions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the invention is therefore to provide an automobile seat of the type mentioned at the beginning which has both a simple construction and a high functional reliability.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the coupling mechanism, which acts on the operating element of the fixing device and unlocks the fixing device when the backrest is folded forwards towards the seat surface, only acts on the operating element so long as the backrest is folded forwards. Thus, the seat frame can be locked at any time by locking the fixing device if the backrest is no longer folded forwards, thus, folded back again into its functioning position. In particular, when the backrest is folded up, the ability of the seat frame to be locked in an actual longitudinal position of the seat is independent of whether the relevant longitudinal position, at that time, of the seat corresponds to the memory position.
A solution according to an embodiment of the invention leads to an increase in operating comfort, since the variability is increased regarding the longitudinal positions of the seat which can be regulated and locked after implementing the easy-entry function. At the same time, the functional reliability is improved since the seat can also then be locked even if it is not located in the memory position so that no safety risk can arise as a result of an inadequately secured seat.
The seat frame includes all the constituent parts of the supporting seat structure which can be moved in the longitudinal direction of the seat, and also those constituent parts of the longitudinal guide of the seat, such as e.g. a seat rail (top rail) which is moved in the longitudinal direction when regulating the longitudinal position of the seat.
In an embodiment of the invention, locking means are provided which are coupled to the backrest and which, when the backrest is folded forwards, act on the switching means provided for unlocking the locking device of the memory device so that when the backrest is folded forwards, unlocking the locking device is prevented. Therefore, when the backrest is folded forwards, the locking device of the memory device is always locked so that no change can be made to the memory position.
The locking means can be coupled to the backrest, for example, through a push or pull means, more particularly in the form of a cable. However, a lever arrangement or other gearing can also be used for coupling. It is only necessary for the means which are used for coupling to be suitable for converting a swivel movement of the backrest into a movement of a locking element and to bring this into a position in which it blocks the unlocking of the locking device for the memory device.
The locking means can thereby be coupled to the backrest through the same coupling mechanism as the operating element which causes the unlocking of the fixing device of the seat longitudinal guide when the backrest is folded forwards.
In order to bring a locking element of the locking means into engagem
Baetz Harald
Liebetrau Matthias
B{grave over (r)}ose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co. KG, Coburg
Christie Parker & Hale LLP
Cuomo Peter M.
D'Adamo Stephen
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