Chairs and seats – Crash seat – Force-absorbing means incorporated into back
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-10
2001-09-18
Brown, Peter R. (Department: 3636)
Chairs and seats
Crash seat
Force-absorbing means incorporated into back
C297S378120
Reexamination Certificate
active
06290292
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a seat back structure of a vehicle seat having a pair of hinged points each being de fined on the respective right and left sides thereof, with a locking mechanism equipped therewith, wherein the seat back of the seat is rotatable or foldable about those hinged points relative to a seat cushion thereof. Particularly, the invent ion is directed to the seat back structure of this kind of hinged vehicle seat, wherein the seat back, when in a normal upright state, serves as a partition wall between a driver and passenger cabin section and a luggage loading section in a cabin space of a vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A vehicle with one interior space only, or a minivan or van type of automobile, is provided with one continuous spacing in its interior by combining together a cabin space where a driver and passengers can sit on their own seats and a load-carrying spaces where luggage and articles can be loaded. In this sort of vehicle or automobile, a seat back of a seat nearest to the load-carrying space (i.e. a seat back of a rear seat nearest thereto) functions as a partition wall between the cabin and load-carrying spaces.
In most cases, such seat (rear seat), whose seat back may serve as the partition wall, is of such a hinged-seat type that allows its seat back to be foldable about a hinge point relative to its seat cushion, so that a driver or passenger can fold the seat back downwardly onto the seat cushion to thereby enlarge the load-carrying space of vehicle or automobile for accommodation of a large size of luggage or article that can not be placed only in the load-carrying space limited by the seat back.
Typically, as understandable from
FIG. 1
, the hinged seat has a pair of hinged points (as at
16
L and
16
R), each being defined on the respective right and left lateral sides of seat at a juncture between the seat back and seat cushion, and is also equipped with a pair of locking mechanisms (at M and M), each being operatively coupled with those two hinged points, respectively. As known typically, a connecting rod (at
12
) is connected between the pair of locking mechanisms, so that the two locking mechanisms may be operated in a synchronized manner for locking and unlocking of the seat back by applying one operative force thereto. The connecting rod is normally formed with a generally crank-like portion (at
12
a
). This connecting rod crank-like portion is oriented rearwardly of the seat cushion frame (
26
) in a relatively upward direction so as to avoid contact with a buttocks or waist portion of an occupant sitting on the seat, which can be seen from FIG.
1
.
In such conventional seat back construction, however, when a great external force or load is applied to the above-stated van type of vehicle or automobile, a luggage or articles loaded in the load-carrying space will strongly clash against the rear side of seat back under the inertia, exerting an impact load upon the crank-like portion of connecting rod, with the result that the connecting rod will be rotated in an undesired unlocking direction to actuate the locking mechanism to unlock the seat back. Hitherto, to solve this problem, it has been proposed to provide a rigid cover and a reinforcing tubular member over the connecting rod to protect the same against the great impact load given from the luggage or articles. But, such cover and reinforcing members require a rigidity sufficient to withstand the great impact load, and thus will lead to a large increase of their thickness, sizes, and costs involved. Additionally, to insure the attachment of those rigid members over the connecting rod will make much complicated the peripheral fittings and seat arrangements, which might possibly impair the cushiony effect of foam padding surrounding them all, resulting in a poor seating touch thereof.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the above-stated drawbacks, it is a primary purpose of the present invention to provide an improved seat back structure of hinged seat which is of a simplified and low-costed structure to prevent a connecting rod against rotation in an unlocking direction.
In order to achieve such purpose, in accordance with the present invention, a structure of seat back of hinged seat equipped with a locking mechanism, in which a connecting rod having a generally crank-like portion is operatively connected to the locking mechanism, is basically of such a construction wherein
the seat back has a frontal side to support a back of an occupant sitting on the hinged seat and a rear side, in relation to a pair of lateral sides of the seat back;
wherein a seat back frame is provided within the seat back, the seat back frame having:
forward and rearward sides, each corresponding to the respective frontal and rear sides of seat back;
an upper frame section;
and a lower frame section;
wherein the generally crank-like portion of the connecting rod is positioned adjacent to the rearward side of seat back frame; and
wherein a stopper means is provided at the rearward side of seat back frame adjacent to the generally crank-like portion of connecting rod and extended between the upper and lower frame sections of seat back frame, said stopper means including an engagement means, with such an arrangement that the stopper means is deformable in a direction to the generally crank-like portion by an external load applied to the rear side of seat back, to thereby bring the stopper means to an engagement relation with the crank-like portion via the engagement means, whereby the connecting rod is prevented against rotation in an unlocking direction to effect unlocking operation of the locking mechanism.
With the above-described structure, the stopper means and engagement means can easily be mounted on the seat back frame, without use of any other separate cover or reinforcing member, so as to positively prevent the undesired rotation of the connecting rod in the unlocking direction when a great external load is applied to the rear side of seat back.
In one aspect of the invention, said stopper means may be formed by joining together a first section and a second section at a predetermined point in the stopper means, the predetermined point being disposed adjacent to said crank-like portion of said connecting rod, with such an arrangement that the first section is fixed to the upper frame section of seat back frame, while the second section fixed to the lower frame section of the same, with the engagement means being defined between the predetermined point and generally crank-like portion, and that both first and second sections are deformable relative to said predetermined point in the direction to said generally crank-like portion by the external load is applied thereto. In this mode, an offset point or difference in level may preferably be defined at that predetermined point between the first and second sections in such a manner that the offset point or difference in level is brought to engagement with the generally crank-like portion of connecting rod upon deformation of the first and second sections towards the generally crank-like portion relative to the predetermined point. Preferably, the first section may be small in rigidity relative to the second section in order to positively bring the predetermined point of stopper means to engagement with the connecting rod crank-like portion via the engagement means.
All other advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent from reading of the description hereinafter, with reference to the annexed drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5370440 (1994-12-01), Regala
patent: 5509716 (1996-04-01), Kolena et al.
patent: 5673971 (1997-10-01), Wieclawshi
patent: 5749624 (1998-05-01), Yoshida
patent: 5884972 (1999-03-01), Deptolla
patent: 1-128639 (1989-09-01), None
patent: 3-100530 (1991-10-01), None
Browdy and Neimark
Brown Peter R.
Tachi-S Co. Ltd.
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