Dumping and articulating seat

Details Dumping and articulating seat Dumping and articulating seat

1999-11-04

2001-01-16

Pape, Joseph D. (Department: 3612)

Land vehicles: bodies and tops

Bodies

Seats with body modifications

C296S065090, C296S065050, C297S340000, C297S331000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06174017

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an apparatus in a vehicle seat for articulating and dumping. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a linkage mechanism that allows articulation and dumping of a vehicle seat.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many vehicles, particularly minivans and sport utility vehicles, have seats which articulate so that the seatback frame rotates forwardly and downwardly toward the seat frame and vehicle floor. Articulation allows the vehicle seats to collapse down to the vehicle deck by the seatback frame rotating forwardly down to the seat frame. This articulation provides an increase in the interior space of a vehicle. For example, articulating downward the back seats in a minivan so that all of the back seats collapse, expands the cargo interior space of the minivan so that large objects can be placed inside of the vehicle. Another movement of vehicle seats is dumping. A vehicle seat dumps by rotating forwardly and upwardly relative to the vehicle deck. Dumping allows an increase in the space in front of seats located behind a dumped seat. Dumping of the vehicle seat also increases the cargo floor area within the vehicle. A forward dumped vehicle seat allows greater access space to rear seating located behind the dumped vehicle seat.
Other vehicle seats are designed to either articulate or dump. Traditional articulating vehicle seats, however, articulate the seatback frame to a position where the seatback does not completely collapse to a substantially horizontal position, or a position parallel to the vehicle deck. Consequently, the seatback is angled slightly upward because the seatback rests against the seat bottom. The angled seatback frame prevents a subsequent complete dumping of the vehicle seat to a substantially vertical position because the angled seatback prevents a full rotation of the seat to the vertical position. Additionally, these articulating seats do not have a dumping feature. In view of the disadvantages associated with currently available vehicle seats, it is desirable to provide a vehicle seat having a linkage mechanism which allows the seatback to articulate into a substantially horizontal position, and allows the vehicle seat to be dumped into a substantially vertical position.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, a vehicle seat that dumps and articulates is disclosed. The vehicle seat includes a bottom frame and a seatback frame that is pivotally supported on the bottom frame. The seatback frame is pivotally connected to a seat frame. Therefore, the seatback frame can rotate downward toward the seat frame. An articulating link is connected between a lower pivot formed on the bottom frame and an upper pivot formed on the seat frame. The articulation link permits the seatback frame to fold down so that the seatback frame is parallel to a vehicle deck. A dumping frame has a dumping pivot that supports the bottom frame. The dumping pivot allows the bottom frame to rotate about the dumping frame. The dumping of the entire vehicle seat results in the vehicle seat being oriented in a vertical upright position.


REFERENCES:
patent: 324232 (1885-08-01), Clarkson
patent: 3727976 (1973-04-01), Lystad
patent: 4227736 (1980-10-01), Lebault et al.
patent: 4368916 (1983-01-01), Blasin
patent: 4475769 (1984-10-01), Crawford et al.
patent: 4484776 (1984-11-01), Gokimoto et al.
patent: 4512609 (1985-04-01), Parsson
patent: 4627656 (1986-12-01), Gokimoto et al.
patent: 4636003 (1987-01-01), Siebler
patent: 4695094 (1987-09-01), Siebler
patent: 4699418 (1987-10-01), Plavetich
patent: 4767157 (1988-08-01), Kazaoka et al.
patent: 4869541 (1989-09-01), Wainwright
patent: 5044683 (1991-09-01), Parsson
patent: 5195795 (1993-03-01), Cannera et al.
patent: 5383699 (1995-01-01), Woziekonski et al.
patent: 5570931 (1996-11-01), Kargilis et al.
patent: 5593208 (1997-01-01), Mitschelen et al.
patent: 5626391 (1997-05-01), Miller et al.
patent: 5857746 (1999-01-01), Barrere et al.
patent: 5904404 (1999-05-01), McCulloch et al.
patent: 5918939 (1999-07-01), Magadanz
patent: 5979985 (1999-11-01), Bauer et al.
patent: 6010190 (2000-01-01), Downey

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Dumping and articulating seat does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Dumping and articulating seat, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Dumping and articulating seat will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2496493