Vehicle seat assembly with front seat pan height adjustment mechanism
AssigneeLear Corporation
InventorsMladen Humer, Mark R. Keyser
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A vehicle seat assembly and a method of controlling a vehicle seat assembly are provided. The vehicle seat assembly has a frame, and a seat pan extending from a forward region to a rearward region, with the rearward region of the seat pan rotatably connected to the frame. A torque tube is supported for rotation by the frame and extends transversely across the seat pan. At least one cam is supported by the torque tube for rotation therewith, and the at least one cam extends outwardly from the torque tube to an associated cam surface. The cam surface supports the forward region of the seat pan and is shaped such that the forward region of the seat pan is raised relative to the rearward region in response to rotation of the torque tube.
Claims18
A vehicle seat assembly comprising:
- a frame;
- a seat pan comprising a forward region and a rearward region, the rearward region of the seat pan rotatably connected to the frame about a fixed axis of rotation in a rearward half of the frame;
- a shaft supported by the frame for rotation and extending transversely to a fore and aft direction across the seat pan;
- at least one cam supported by the shaft for rotation therewith, the at least one cam extending outwardly from the shaft to an associated cam surface, the cam surface supporting the forward region of the seat pan and shaped such that the forward region of the seat pan is raised relative to the rearward region in response to rotation of the shaft;
- and
- at least one elongate rail connected to an underside of the seat pan and extending longitudinally therealong in the fore and aft direction, the cam surface of the at least one cam in contact with the at least one elongate rail.
A vehicle seat assembly comprising:
- a frame;
- a seat pan comprising a forward region and a rearward region, the rearward region of the seat pan rotatably connected to the frame about a fixed first transverse axis of rotation that is transverse to a fore and aft direction, first and second elongate rails connected to a lower surface of the forward region, the first and second elongate rails including first and second follower surfaces, and the first and second elongate rails extending longitudinally in the fore and aft direction;
- a torque tube supported by the frame for rotation about a second transverse axis of rotation that is transverse to the fore and aft direction, the torque tube extending transversely across the seat pan;
- first and second cams connected to the torque tube for rotation therewith and spaced apart from one another along the second transverse axis of rotation, the first and second cams extending outwardly to first and second cam surfaces, respectively, wherein the first and second cam surfaces support the forward region of the seat pan and are in contact with the first and second follower surfaces, respectively;
- and
- an electric motor connected to the torque tube via a gearset to rotate the torque tube between a first angular position and a second angular position, the first and second cam surfaces moving the first and second follower surfaces in a direction substantially perpendicular to the second axis of rotation, wherein the first and second cam surfaces are shaped to continuously raise the forward region of the seat pan as the torque tube moves from the first position to the second position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.