Swivel mounting for vehicle front seats

A tilt-away system for a front seat of a vehicle for permitting the front seat to be displaced forward axially of the vehicle from a use position to an intermediate position and then to be tilted forwardly from the intermediate position to an access position for providing improved access to a rear seat of the vehicle, wherein the front seat includes a seat frame having a forward end and a rearward end, said tilt-away system comprising:

• front support means including means for supporting the forward end of the seat frame;
• mounting means including travellers displaceably mounted in adjusting rails at each side of the front seat for mounting the front seat so as to be displaceable axially of the vehicle from said position of use to said intermediate position, said adjusting rails having a forward end and a rearward end, means for connecting the rearward end of the seat frame to said travellers and including a pivot assembly for each of the travellers, each pivot assembly including a link arm having a front region and a rear region, a pivot axle connecting said front region of said link arm to one of said travellers, pivot means including a pivot member pivotally connecting said rear region of said link arm to said seat frame, said link arm extending generally horizontally with its rear region located rearwardly of its front region when the front seat is in said use position, said travellers being moved to a position near the forward end of said adjusting rails, locating said pivot axis near the forward end of said adjusting rails when said front seat is moved forward axially of the vehicle to said intermediate position;
• first stop means cooperating with at least one of the travellers when said front seat is moved to said intermediate position to cause said link arm to pivot about a pivot axis defined by said pivot axle to an end position, tilting said front seat forwardly relative to said adjusting rails to said access position;
• and second stop means cooperating with said link arm for limiting the travel of said link arm in such a way that, at its end position, said pivot member lies forward of a vertical axis which extends through the pivot axis defined by said pivot axle.

A tilt-away system for a front seat of a vehicle for permitting the front seat to be displaced forward axially of the vehicle from a use position to an intermediate position and then to be tilted forwardly from the intermediate position to an access position for providing improved access to a rear seat of the vehicle, said front seat including a seat frame having a forward end and a rearward end, said system comprising:

• front support means including means for supporting the forward end of the seat frame;
• mounting means including travellers displaceably mounted in rails at each side of the front seat for mounting the front seat so as to be displaceable axially of the vehicle from said position of use to said intermediate position;
• rear support means for connecting the rearward end of the seat frame to said travellers, said rear support means including a pivot assembly for each of the travellers, each pivot assembly including a link arm having a front region and a rear region, a first pivot axle connecting said link arm to one of said travellers in said front region of said link arm and a pivot pin pivotally connecting said link arm to said seat frame in said rear region of said link arm, said link arm extending horizontally with the rear region of the link arm being located rearwardly of the forward end of the link arm when the front seat is in said use position, said front seat being movable forward axially of the vehicle to a position that is intermediate said use and access positions;
• first stop means cooperating with one of the travellers when said front seat is moved to said intermediate position for causing said link arm to pivot about a pivot axis defined by said pivot axle to an end position whereby the front seat is tilted forward relative to said adjustment rails from said intermediate position to said access position;
• second stop means cooperating with said link arm for limiting the travel of said link arm in such a way that, at its end position, said pivot pin lies forward of a vertical plane that extends through the pivot axis of said link arm defined by said pivot axle;
• and locking means including a hook pivotally mounted to the frame and adapted to engage said traveller for locking the seat frame to said traveller when said front seat is in the use position.