Power assisted seat folding mechanism

Details Power assisted seat folding mechanism Power assisted seat folding mechanism

1999-11-22

2001-08-07

Dayoan, D. Glenn (Department: 3612)

Land vehicles: bodies and tops

Bodies

Seats with body modifications

C296S065080, C297S378100

Reexamination Certificate

active

06270141

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a vehicle seat assembly including a motor operative to adjust the reclined position of a seat back and also operative to fold the seat back forward to a load floor position.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Many modern vehicle designs include foldable and collapsible rear seat assemblies to improve cargo capacity of vehicles, particularly minivans and SUVs. Some vehicles provide seat assemblies which are collapsible to a substantially flat position in the vehicle to create a cargo load floor wherein vehicle cargo is supported on top of the flattened seat assemblies. However, such assemblies are typically complex, bulky, and cumbersome for the average user to operate. Generally, the seat assemblies are heavy and require actuation of release levers, which may cause difficulty in collapsing the seat assembly within the confined space of a vehicle interior.
It is, therefore, desirable to provide a vehicle seat assembly which does not require manual operation for collapsing the assembly to a load floor position.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
The present invention overcomes the above-referenced shortcomings of prior art collapsible vehicle seat assemblies by providing a vehicle seat assembly including a drive motor connected to a seat back and operative both to adjust the reclined position of the seat back and to flatten the seat back to a horizontal, load floor position.
More specifically, the present invention provides a vehicle seat assembly for a vehicle floor, including a seat back frame pivotally connected with respect to the vehicle floor for movement between a fully reclined position for seating and a horizontal position for forming a load floor. A drive motor is connected to the seat back and operative to adjust the reclined position of the seat back frame with respect to the vehicle floor and further operative to pivot the seat back frame between the fully reclined and horizontal positions.
In this manner, the vehicle seat assembly may be collapsed to a load floor position by the push of a button, rather than manually collapsing the seat assembly.
Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide a vehicle seat assembly including a drive motor which is operative both to adjust the reclined position of the seat back and to collapse the seat assembly to a horizontal, load floor position.
The above object and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention are readily apparent from the following detailed description of the best mode for carrying out the invention when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.


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