Chairs and seats – Movable bottom – Tiltable
Reexamination Certificate
2002-01-04
2004-09-21
White, Rodney B. (Department: 3636)
Chairs and seats
Movable bottom
Tiltable
C297S378120, C297S378130, C296S065010, C296S065050, C296S065090
Reexamination Certificate
active
06793285
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a fold and tumble seat assembly, and more particularly, to a safety mechanism for controlling the folding and tumbling of a seat back and seat cushion of the seat assembly.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Seat assemblies for automotive vehicles typically include a generally horizontal seat cushion and generally upright seat back for supporting a seat occupant in an upright seating position. The seat cushion is commonly mounted to a planar floor within the vehicle by front and rear seat cushion risers and the seat back is commonly pivotally attached to a seat cushion for pivotal movement between the upright seating position to a forward folded position resting against the generally horizontal sea cushion. The forward folding movement of the seat back accommodates increase storage capacity in automotive vehicles, such as sport utility vehicle, mini-vans, and the like. The seat assembly may also be pivotal about the front seat cushion risers from the seating position to a forward tumble position wherein the seat back is pivoted to the folded position and then the seat cushion and seat back are pivoted about the front seat cushion riser to an upright tumble position. These type of seat assemblies, commonly referred to as fold and tumble seat assemblies, are exemplified in U.S. Pat. No. 5,393,116 to Bolsworth et al., issued Feb. 28, 1995 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,775,763 to Glinter et al., issued Jul. 7, 1998.
Preferably, the seat back is pivoted to the folded position prior to the seat cushion and seat back being pivoted to the tumbled position. Additionally, the seat back is preferably pivoted from the folded position to the upright seating position after the seat cushion has been fully pivoted and returned from the tumbled position to the seating position.
It remains desirable, however, to provide a safety mechanism to ensure and insist that the seat assembly may not be pivoted from the seating position to the tumble position until the seat back has been pivoted to the folded position. It also remains desirable to provide a safety mechanism to ensure and insist that the seat assembly is fully returned to from the tumble position the seating position and secured to the vehicle floor prior to the seat back being pivoted from the folded position to the upright seating position for seat occupant use.
Attempts have been made to provide such safety mechanisms. For example, European Patent 780259 discloses a seat assembly having a frame with a seat cushion, seat back and support foot. The seat back is able to pivot relative to the seat cushion between an upright position and a forwardly folded position. The support foot has a ball lock for releaseably fastening it to the floor of the vehicle. The seat back and seat cushion are interconnected by a mobile mechanism which allows the relative position to be remotely adjusted. A catch locks the seat back in position were the seat cannot be occupied. The mechanism incorporates a pivot pin which slides in a guide fixed to the seat frame. The catch has a hook which can be moved between locked and released positions to move the pin and lock the catch prevent seat back movement.
Another example is shown in PCT application PCT/GB95/03046, published Jul. 11, 1996. The PCT application discloses a locking mechanism for a folding vehicle seat which ensures that the seat cannot be unfolded to a position suitable for use as a seat unless it is correctly engaged with latching points on the vehicle floor. The mechanism provides an actuating control including a blocking member and a lever for moving the blocking member into and out of engagement with the seat back to facilitate movement of the seat back from a folded position to an upright position once the seat is correctly engaged with the latching points. The lever of the actuating control is manipulated by a separate mechanism associated with the latching points.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention includes a seat assembly for use in an automotive vehicle comprising a seat cushion for supporting a seat occupant on the seat assembly and a seat back operatively coupled to the seat cushion for pivotal movement between a generally upright seating position and a forwardly folded position pivoted against the seat cushion. The seat assembly includes a front seat riser adapted to secure the seat assembly to the vehicle. The front seat riser is pivotally coupled to the seat cushion for pivoting the seat cushion between a generally horizontal seating position and a generally upright tumbled position. The seat assembly also includes a rear seat riser adapted to releasably secure the seat assembly to the vehicle. The rear seat riser includes a locking latch operable between a latched position for releasably latching the rear seat riser to the vehicle with the seat cushion in the seating position and an unlatched position for releasing the rear seat riser from the vehicle to allow the seat cushion to pivot from the seating position to the tumble position. The seat assembly further includes a seat back pivot mechanism coupled to the seat back and operable between a locked position, locking the seat back in the upright seating position, and an unlocked position, providing pivotal movement of the seat back between the upright seating position and the folded position. The seat assembly additionally includes a blocking member coupled between the seat back and the locking latch and operable in a first blocking position for engaging the seat back in the upright seating position and preventing the locking latch from releasing from the latched position to the unlatched position when the seat back is locked by the seat back pivot mechanism in the upright seating position.
The blocking member is also operable in a second blocking position for engaging the seat back in the folded position when the locking latch is in the unlatched position and preventing pivotal movement of the seat back from the folded position to the seating position until the locking latch is returned to the latched position latching the rear seat riser to the vehicle with the seat cushion in the seating position.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4484776 (1984-11-01), Gokimoto et al.
patent: 4627656 (1986-12-01), Gokimoto et al.
patent: 4636003 (1987-01-01), Siebler
patent: 4700989 (1987-10-01), Ercilla
patent: 4781354 (1988-11-01), Nihei et al.
patent: 5248178 (1993-09-01), Brambilla
patent: 5282662 (1994-02-01), Bolsworth et al.
patent: 5368355 (1994-11-01), Hayden et al.
patent: 5393116 (1995-02-01), Bolsworth et al.
patent: 5454624 (1995-10-01), Anglade et al.
patent: 5577805 (1996-11-01), Glinter et al.
patent: 5626392 (1997-05-01), Bauer et al.
patent: 5700055 (1997-12-01), Davidson et al.
patent: 5707103 (1998-01-01), Balk
patent: 5765894 (1998-06-01), Okazaki et al.
patent: 5775763 (1998-07-01), Glinter et al.
patent: 6024411 (2000-02-01), Pesta et al.
patent: 6135555 (2000-10-01), Liu et al.
patent: 6345867 (2002-02-01), Hellrung et al.
patent: 6523899 (2003-02-01), Tame
patent: 0 780 259 (1999-11-01), None
patent: 2 770 811 (1997-11-01), None
patent: WO 96/20848 (1996-07-01), None
Clark Hill PLC
Magna Seating Systems Inc.
White Rodney B.
LandOfFree
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