Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Bodies – Seats with body modifications
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-15
2001-03-06
Gordon, Stephen T. (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Bodies
Seats with body modifications
C296S065090, C296S069000, C297S334000, C297S335000, C297S378120
Reexamination Certificate
active
06196613
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a flattable seat structure of an automobile.
2. Description of Relevant Art
In general, some seats of an automobile have a flat structure which enables a seat cushion and a seat back to be substantially level with each other horizontally for a rest and a good sleep and for wide utilization of a space in an automobile.
As known in Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 7-27239, in such a flat structure, a seat cushion pivots on its front-end fulcrum to a front side so as to be in a horizontally inverted state, and a seat back pivots on the lower-end fulcrum to the front side so as to be in a horizontally front-folded state. As a result, a rear surface of the seat cushion and a back surface of the seat back are substantially level with each other to form a flat surface.
However, in such a conventional art, since the seat cushion is constituted so as to be inverted to the front side on its front-end fulcrum, the flat seat is projected front by a whole length of the seat cushion. Therefore, it is difficult to apply this conventional structure to an automobile which does not have an enough space in a front side of the seat.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been achieved with such points of the conventional art in view. It therefore is an object of the present invention to provide a flattable seat structure of an automobile which enables a seat to be flat even if the automobile does not have an enough space in a front side of the seat.
To achieve the object, according to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a flattable seat structure of an automobile, comprising: a slide rail fixed to a floor of the automobile; a seat cushion composing a seat, the seat cushion having a front roller at its front side projected to a vehicle transverse direction outer side, the front roller being engaged with the slide rail in a front-and-rear direction slidably; a first lock mechanism for maintaining the seat cushion in a seated state; a seat back composing the seat, the seat back having a lower-end roller at its lower end projected to the vehicle transverse direction outer side, the lower-end roller being engaged with the slide rail in the front-and-rear direction slidably; a second lock mechanism for maintaining the seat back in a seated state; a cushion link whose one end is connected with a middle fulcrum of the seat cushion positioned in a rear side further than the front roller, the other end of the cushion link being connected with a middle portion of the slide rail; and a back link whose one end is connected with a middle fulcrum of the seat back positioned in an upper side further than the lower-end roller, the other end of the back link being connected with the middle portion of the slide rail, wherein after the first lock mechanism is released, the front roller is slid to the rear side so that the seat cushion is turned over in a forward-rotational direction: and wherein after the second lock mechanism is released, the lower-end roller is slid to the rear side so that the seat back is folded in a forward-rotational direction, thereby a back surface of the seat cushion, which faces upward and is in a horizontal state, is substantially level with a rear surface of the seat back which faces upward and is in the horizontal state.
According to the first aspect of the present invention, when the seat cushion and the seat back are pivoted to the front side, since the respective front movements are restricted by the cushion link and the back link, while the seat cushion and the seat back slide the front roller and the lower-end roller along the slide rail, they pivot on the spot and thus in the inverted and front-folded state. Therefore, the invention of the first aspect is applicable to an automobile which does not have an enough space in a front side of the seat. Moreover, in the state that the seat cushion and the seat back are flattened, since their front-and-rear movements are restricted by the cushion link and the back link, there arises no problem even if the respective lock mechanisms are released.
A second aspect of the invention depending from the first aspect provides the flattable seat structure of the automobile further comprising: a fixing link fixed to a side surface of the seat cushion, the front roller being provided to a front end of the fixing link, the middle fulcrum being provided at a rear end of the fixing link.
According to the second aspect of the invention, since the front roller and the middle fulcrum are set to both the ends of the fixing link attached to the side surface of the seat cushion, their setting is easy and an interval between them becomes constant.
A third aspect of the invention depending from the first or the second aspect provides the flattable seat structure of the automobile further comprising: a bracket provided to a vicinity of the middle portion of the slide rail, the bracket supporting the cushion link and the back link so that they are capable of pivoting.
According to the third aspect, since the end portions of the cushion link and back link are supported to the bracket standing in the vicinity of a midway portion of the slide rail via a shaft, it is not necessary to execute a process for supporting their end portions to the slide rail via a shaft, and thus manufacture of the slide rail becomes easy, and deterioration of rigidity of the slide rail can be prevented.
A fourth aspect of the invention depending from the third aspect provides the flattable seat structure of the automobile wherein the bracket is formed with a stepped section for upwardly supporting the middle portion of the slide rail from a lower side of the slide rail.
According to the fourth aspect, since the stepped section for supporting the midway portion of the slide rail to the bracket from its lower side is formed, deterioration of the midway portion of the slide rail is prevented.
A fifth aspect of the invention depending from the first aspect provides the flattable seat structure of the automobile wherein a notched section where the lower-end roller is taken in and out is formed on an upper portion of the slide rail.
According to the fifth aspect, since the notched section where the lower-end roller of the back link can be taken in and out is formed on the upper portion of the slide rail, the seat back can be moved sufficiently front with it standing by taking the lower-end roller out of the notched section towards the upper side, and thus a spare tire or a luggage can be easily taken in and out of a concave section in case the concave section is mounted to be located below the seat.
A sixth aspect of the invention depending from the first aspect provides the flattable seat structure of the automobile wherein, portions of the slide rail, which correspond to a position where the front roller is located when the seat cushion is in the seated state, to a position where the front roller is located when the seat cushion is in the horizontal state, to a position where the lower-end roller is located when the seat back is in the seated state and to a position where the lower-end roller is located when the seat back is in the horizontal state, are provided so that their dimensions in the up-and-down direction substantially coincide with diameters of the front roller and the lower-end roller; and a dimension of the slide rail in the up-and-down direction other than the four positions is set so as to be larger than the diameters of the front roller and the lower-end roller.
According to the sixth aspect, as for the up-and-down dimension of the slide rail, since only the portions corresponding to each rollers in the seated position and in the flat position are made to substantially coincide with the diameters of the rollers, the manufacture and installation adjustment of the slide rail become easier than the case where the up-and-down dimension of the whole slide rail is set accurately. Since the up-and-down dimensions in the seated position and in t
Engle Patricia
Gordon Stephen T.
Ikeda Bussan Co., Ltd
Nath Gary M.
Nath & Associates
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