Chairs and seats – Movable back – Tiltable
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-08
2001-12-11
Cuomo, Peter M. (Department: 3624)
Chairs and seats
Movable back
Tiltable
C297S36700R, C297S378120
Reexamination Certificate
active
06328381
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to release mechanisms for use with vehicle seat hinges having two pivot axes to permit a seatback to recline and to forwardly fold to a horizontal forwardly dumped position, and more particularly to single control handle release mechanisms for use with such vehicle seat hinges.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Passenger vehicles, especially combined passenger and utility type vehicles, commonly have front and rear seats that both recline and fold forwardly to a substantially horizontally disposed forwardly dumped position, as selected by a user, in order to accommodate increasing demand for more functional vehicle interiors. Placing a vehicle seat in its forwardly folded dumped position allows for carrying of large or lengthy objects inside the vehicle and provides a convenient substantially horizontal flat surface for articles that might be used in a vehicle, such as briefcases, laptop computers, and also food and drinks.
Various prior art vehicle seats exist, which vehicle seats fold forwardly to a substantially horizontally disposed forwardly dumped position. Such vehicle seats typically include a pair of vehicle seat hinges, with each hinge having a mounting plate securely attached to a vehicle seat cushion. A sector plate associated with the seatback is pivotally mounted on the mounting plate for pivotal movement about a lower pivot axis. A rotational control plate is pivotally mounted on the sector plate for pivotal movement about an upper pivot axis and is securely attached to a vehicle seatback.
In such prior art vehicle seats, the seatback is selectively pivotally movable about the lower pivot axis between a plurality of angular positions, typically including a plurality of reclining positions and also a plurality of partially forwardly (of vertical) inclined positions. The seatback is also forwardly foldable about the upper pivot axis between a design position and a forwardly dumped position, whereat the rear surface of the seatback is substantially horizontally disposed.
In the prior art, in order to permit selection and control of the reclining and forward folding of the vehicle seatback about two substantially parallel pivot axes, one or more manually manipulable handle release mechanisms are used.
One single release mechanism for this purpose is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,052,748 (Fourrey et al). As taught therein, when the seatback is in a rearwardly reclined position, a pawl mechanism locks out a portion of the seatback pivot mechanism, thus precluding forward dumping of the seatback over the seat cushion. When the seatback is in an upright design position, in order to forwardly fold the seatback over the seat cushion, a single manually actuatable lever arm is lifted, thus immediately and concurrently releasing the seatback for rotation, either forwardly about both the lower and upper pivot axes, or for reclining about the lower pivot axis. Such immediate and concurrent releasing is highly undesirable, as it precludes separate control of the reclining function.
Another such release mechanism is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,484,779 (Suzuki), wherein a conventional release mechanism is used to selectively release a seatback for reclining or initial forward folding with respect to a vehicle seat cushion. After initial forward folding of the seatback, an isolated pin on the the seat cushion is engaged by a separate latch rotatably mounted on the seatback.
In both of these prior art patents, there is no direct link or connection between the seat cushion and the upper pivot axis of the seatback, which is highly undesirable. Further, it is necessary to perform initial forwardly folded movement of the seatback forwardly of the design position in order to permit the seatback to be moved to the fully forwardly dumped position.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a single control handle release mechanism for use with a vehicle seat hinge, which release mechanism is actuatable through manual manipulation of single control handle.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a single control handle release mechanism for use with a vehicle seat hinge, which release mechanism is actuatable through manual manipulation of a single control handle without requiring significant initial forward folding of the seatback, forward of the design position.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a single control handle release mechanism for use with a vehicle seat hinge, which release mechanism is simple and inexpensive to manufacture.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a single control handle release mechanism for use with a vehicle seat hinge, which release mechanism is intuitive to operate.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention there is disclosed a single control handle release mechanism for use with a vehicle seat hinge having a mounting plate securely attachable to a vehicle seat cushion, a sector plate pivotally mounted on the mounting plate for selective pivotal movement about a first lower pivot axis, and a rotational control plate pivotally mounted on the sector plate for selective pivotal movement about a second upper pivot axis and securely attachable to a vehicle seatback. When the vehicle seat hinge is installed in a vehicle seat, the vehicle seatback is pivotally movable with respect to the vehicle seat cushion about the first lower pivot axis between a plurality of angular positions and forwardly foldable with respect to the vehicle seat cushion about the second upper pivot axis between a design position and a forwardly dumped position. The single control handle release mechanism comprises a primary latch means operatively interconnected between the mounting plate and the sector plate so as to be selectively movable between a latched configuration whereat the mounting plate and the sector plate are pivotally fixed one with respect to the other, and an unlatched configuration whereat the mounting plate and the sector plate are free to pivot about the first lower pivot axis such that the vehicle seatback is pivotally movable, as aforesaid, between the plurality of angular positions. A secondary latch means is operatively interconnected between the sector plate and the rotational control plate so as to be selectively movable between a latched configuration whereat the sector plate and the rotational control plate are pivotally fixed one with respect to the other, and an unlatched configuration whereat the sector plate and the rotational control plate are free to forwardly fold, as aforesaid, between the design position and the forwardly dumped position. A manually grippable handle means is rotatably mounted on the seat cushion and operatively connected to the primary latch means, for movement from an initial position, corresponding to the latched configuration of the primary latch means and the latched configuration of the secondary latch means, to a first release position, at which first release position the manually grippable handle means effects the unlatched configuration of the primary latch means, thereby permitting pivotal folding, as aforesaid, of the vehicle seatback about the first lower pivot axis between the plurality of angular positions. A link arm means is operatively interconnected between the secondary latch means and the vehicle seat cushion for movement of the secondary latch means from the latched configuration to the unlatched configuration upon relative movement of the link arm means and the secondary latch means with respect to each other beyond a threshold position, thereby to release the vehicle seatback to be forwardly foldable over the vehicle seat cushion about the second upper pivot axis, as aforesaid. The first end of the link arm is pivotally mounted, as aforesaid, on the mounting plate and the relative movement of the link arm and the secondary latch means with respect to each other occurs upon forwardly folded pivotal movement of the vehicle seatback about the first lower pivot axis following the m
Bertrand Faure Components Ltd.
Cuomo Peter M.
Hofbauer Patrick J.
Vu Stephen
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