US 7,726,742 B2Granted

Vehicle seat having a recliner mechanism

AssigneeLear Corporation

InventorsMark R. Keyser, H. Winston Maue, John F. Nathan, Karl Kennedy

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A vehicle seat assembly includes a seat back that is pivotally connected to a seat bottom, a lock mechanism that is configured to inhibit the seat back from pivoting when locked and to permit the seat back to pivot when unlocked, and a release and drive mechanism. The release and drive mechanism includes a mounting member, a drive gear that is rotatable with respect to the mounting member and that is connected to the lock mechanism, and a motor that is connected to the drive gear. The drive gear is rotationally limited to a defined angular range. The motor rotates the drive gear through the defined angular range which moves the lock mechanism to an unlocked state and thereafter causes the seat back to pivot.

Claims28

Dependent claims

A vehicle seat assembly comprising:

a seat body having a seat bottom and a seat back configured to pivot with respect to the seat bottom about a pivot axis;
a lock mechanism connected to the seat body, the lock mechanism being configured to inhibit the seat back from pivoting when in a locked state and to permit the seat back to pivot when in an unlocked state;
and
a release and drive mechanism connected to the seat body for controlling pivotal movement of the seat back, the release and drive mechanism including:
a mounting member attached to the seat body;
a hub disposed on the mounting member, the hub having an opening that has a first end and a second end disposed opposite the first end;
a drive gear member having a mounting opening, wherein the mounting opening receives the hub;
a pawl fixedly disposed on the hub and extending radially toward the pivot axis;
and
a motor configured to rotate the drive gear member;
wherein the pawl engages the first end and is spaced apart from the second end when the lock mechanism is in the locked state.

8 more elements

A seat assembly comprising:

a seat body having a seat bottom and a seat back configured to pivot with respect to the seat bottom about a pivot axis between a design position and a folded position;
a lock mechanism connected to the seat body, the lock mechanism being configured to inhibit the seat back from pivoting about the pivot axis when locked and to permit the seat back to pivot about the pivot axis when unlocked;
and
a release and drive mechanism for controlling pivotal movement of the seat back, the release and drive mechanism including:
a mounting member disposed proximate the seat body;
a drive gear member substantially immovably mounted to the mounting member wherein a periphery of the drive gear member defines a relief portion;
a release gear member disposed adjacent the drive gear member and rotatable therewith, the release gear member being connected to the lock mechanism;
and
a motor having a pinion gear member configured to engage the drive gear member and the release gear member, wherein the pinion gear member engages the release gear member and is aligned with the relief portion such that the pinion gear member is disengaged from the drive gear member when the seat back is in the design position.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 12/211,166Filed 16 Sep 2008
Published: US 2009/0079248 A126 Mar 2009
Granted: 1 Jun 2010
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

B60N 2/2213
The back-rest being adjustable: gear wheel driven mechanism
B60N 2/02246
Non-manual adjustments, e.g. with electrical operation: electric motors therefor
B60N 2/206
The back-rest being tiltable, e.g. to permit easy access: to a position in which it can be used as a support for objects, e.g. as a tray
B60N 2/0272
With logic circuits: using sensors or detectors for detecting the position of seat parts