Folding seat assembly
AssigneeLear Corporation
InventorsZhiqiang Hu, Suhua Zhou, Tao Yin, Jianliang Ma
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle seat is provided having a track assembly to allow a seat bottom to slide in a fore-aft direction. A lock assembly is connected to the track assembly and moveable between a locked status and an unlocked status, wherein in the locked status the seat bottom is prevented from sliding, and in the unlocked status, the seat bottom is allowed to slide. A seatback is pivotally connected to the seat bottom. When the seatback is pivoted forward to a first inclined position, the seatback engages and moves the lock assembly to the unlocked status. In the unlocked status, the seat bottom is biased to slide rearward to a rear storage position. In the rear storage position, the lock assembly is moved to the locked status.
Claims20
A vehicle seat comprising:
- a track assembly to allow a seat bottom to slide in a fore-aft direction;
- a lock assembly connected to the track assembly and moveable between a locked status and an unlocked status, wherein in the locked status the seat bottom is prevented from sliding, and in the unlocked status, the seat bottom is allowed to slide;
- and
- a seatback pivotally connected to the seat bottom,
- wherein when the seatback is pivoted forward to a first inclined position, the seatback engages and moves the lock assembly to the unlocked status,
- wherein in the unlocked status, the seat bottom is biased to slide rearward to a rear storage position,
- wherein in the rear storage position, the lock assembly is moved to the locked status,
- further comprising a bracket mounted relative to the track assembly, wherein as the seat bottom slides along the track assembly to the rear storage position, the lock assembly contacts the bracket, thereby moving the lock assembly to the locked status and locking the seat bottom in the rear storage position.
A seat assembly comprising:
- track assembly to be mounted in a vehicle;
- a seat bottom mounted to the track assembly to slide in a fore-aft direction between a seating position and a rearward storage position;
- a seatback coupled to the seat bottom and operable to pivot relative to the seat bottom between at least an upright position and a flat storage position;
- a lock assembly connected between the track assembly and the seatback;
- a handle in communication with the seatback, wherein operation of the handle causes the seatback to rotate forward to a first storage position;
- a first cam attached to the seatback, wherein at the first inclined storage position the first cam engages and moves the lock assembly to an unlocked status, thereby unlocking the track assembly and allowing the seat bottom to slide in the track assembly;
- a biasing member coupled to and biasing the seat bottom rearward to a rear storage position when the lock assembly is in the unlocked status;
- and
- a bracket fixed relative to the track assembly,
- wherein as the seat bottom is moved to the rear storage position, the lock assembly contacts the bracket, thereby moving the lock assembly to a locked status and locking the seat bottom in the rear storage position.
A method of adjusting a seat assembly comprising:
- pivoting a seatback from an upright use position to a first inclined position;
- moving a lock assembly connected between the seatback and a track assembly to an unlocked status when the seatback is in the first inclined position;
- sliding the seat assembly rearward along the track assembly;
- moving the lock assembly to a locked status by moving a linkage assembly connected between the seat back and the track assembly when the seat assembly reaches a rear storage position;
- and
- pivoting the seatback from the first inclined position to a storage position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.