# US 10,479,232 B2 · Passenger support and methods of use > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,479,232 B2 - Document ID: US10479232B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/449,148 - Filed: 2017-03-03 - Published: 2017-09-07 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2016-03-03 - Assignees: Faurecia Automotive Seating, LLC - Applicants: Faurecia Automotive Seating, LLC - Inventors: Thomas J. Cooley - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10479232B2 ## CPC - B60N 2/12: slidable and tiltable - B60N 2/123: {and provided with memory locks} - B60N 2002/126: {the backrest being maintained in its tilted position until the seat has slided to its memorised position} - B60N 2002/957: {the locking system prevents an abnormal or wrong mounting situation, i.e. deployment or functioning of a seat part being prevented if the seat or seat part is not properly mounted} - B60N: SEATS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES; VEHICLE PASSENGER ACCOMMODATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract A passenger support includes vehicle seat having a seat base mounted to a track for sliding the seat base longitudinally. A sliding motion controller is provided. The seat base is movable from a slid-back configuration to a forward-seating configuration when the sliding motion controller is activated. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A passenger support comprising a foundation frame configured to be coupled to a vehicle, a vehicle seat including a seat base mounted to the foundation frame for sliding movement between a slid-back configuration and a slid-forward configuration, the seat base configured to move from a horizontal-use configuration to a tilted configuration, a sliding motion controller configured to block the seat base from moving to the slid-forward configuration when the sliding motion controller is deactivated and to allow the seat base to move toward the slid-forward configuration when the sliding motion controller is activated, a pivoting motion controller configured to block the seat base from moving from the horizontal-use configuration to the tilted configuration when the pivoting motion controller is deactivated and to allow the seat base to move to the tilted configuration when the pivoting motion controller is activated, a locking mechanism configured to lock the seat base in the tilted configuration as the seat base is moved to the slid-forward configuration, and a longitudinal motion controller including a forward tab and a rear tab, wherein the sliding motion controller comprises a handle that engages the longitudinal motion controller when the sliding motion controller is activated to cause the rear tab to tilt downwardly and engage a stopper when the seat base is moved from the slid-back configuration to a forward-seating configuration between the slid-back configuration and the slid-forward configuration. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The passenger support of claim 1, wherein the forward tab of the longitudinal motion controller is tilted away from the stopper when the handle engages the longitudinal motion controller so that the seat base is moveable to the forward-seating configuration. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The passenger support of claim 2, wherein the rear tab of the longitudinal motion controller engages the stopper at the forward-seating configuration when the sliding motion controller is activated. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The passenger support of claim 3, wherein the pivoting motion controller is activated when the seat base is in the forward-seating configuration to move the seat base to the tilted configuration. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The passenger support of claim 4, wherein activating the pivoting motion controller to move the seat base into the tilted configuration disengages the rear tab of the longitudinal motion controller from the stopper so that the seat base is moveable to the slid-forward configuration. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The passenger support of claim 1, wherein the locking mechanism further comprises a locking hook and a pin and the locking hook is rotated into engagement with the pin in the tilted configuration to retain the seat base in the tilted configuration. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The passenger support of claim 6, wherein the locking mechanism further comprises a cam that locks the locking hook into engagement with the pin. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The passenger support of claim 7, further comprising a roller coupled to the cam, the roller engaging a forward ramp of the foundation frame when the seat base is moved from the slid-forward configuration to the forward-seating configuration, the roller rotating the cam to unlock the locking hook so that the seat base is movable from the tilted configuration to the horizontal-use configuration. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The passenger support of claim 1, wherein the seat base further comprises a slide that longitudinally moves along a track of the foundation frame. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The passenger support of claim 9, further comprising a slide latch to lock the slide to the track of the foundation frame. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The passenger support of claim 10, wherein the sliding motion controller engages the slide latch to unlock the slide from the track of the foundation frame. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The passenger support of claim 11, wherein the sliding motion controller engages the longitudinal motion controller concurrently with the lock lever to cause the rear tab to tilt downwardly and to engage the stopper when the seat base is in a forward-seating configuration. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The passenger support of claim 1, wherein the forward tab and the rearward tab are each mounted to the foundation frame for pivotable movement about a longitudinal motion controller axis relative to one another. ### Claim 14 A method of moving a passenger support between a passenger-use configuration and an easy entry configuration comprising the steps of activating a sliding motion controller to move a seat base relative to a foundation frame from a slid-back configuration to a forward-seating configuration, activating a pivoting motion controller to move the seat base from a horizontal-use configuration to a tilted configuration when the seat base is in the slid-back seating configuration, locking the seat base in the tilted configuration, and sliding the seat base to a slid-forward configuration when the seat base is locked in the tilted configuration, wherein the seat base further comprises a slide that longitudinally moves along a track of the foundation frame when the seat base is in the horizontal-use configuration and a slide latch to lock the slide to the track of the foundation frame when the sliding motion controller is deactivated and wherein, when activated, the sliding motion controller engages concurrently: (i) the slide latch to unlock the slide from the track of the foundation frame, and (ii) a longitudinal motion controller so that the seat base is blocked from sliding forward past the forward-seating configuration until the pivoting motion controller is activated.