Patent ID: 7000990
Filing Date: 2006-02-21
Classification: B60N

Abstract:
1. A recliner for a vehicle foldable seat utilized with an associated vehicle, the recliner comprising: a seat bottom member for mounting on a seat bottom of the foldable seat; a seat back member for mounting a seat back of the foldable seat and having a pivotal connection for providing pivotal support of the seat back member on the seat bottom member for pivotal movement about a pivotal axis between an upright seating position and a folded storage position where the seat back extends generally parallel to the seat bottom; a recliner latch mechanism having a latched position for holding the seat back member on the seat bottom member in the upright seating position and having a released position for permitting pivotal movement of the seat back member from the upright seating position to the folded storage position; a recliner latch actuator for moving the recliner latch mechanism from the latched position to the released position to permit pivoting of the seat back member from its upright seating position to its folded storage position; and a secondary latch actuator having a release lever including a connector for connecting to a rear latch associated with a rear portion of the seat bottom to selectively release the rear latch from a latched condition to the associated vehicle to a released condition to permit pivoting of the seat bottom about a front portion thereof from a horizontal position to an upwardly extending position, the secondary latch actuator including a connection lever having a connected position for connecting the release lever to the seat back member for pivoting therewith upon actuation of the recliner latch actuator for movement from the upright seating position toward the folded storage position to move the connector thereof to release the rear latch so as to permit the pivoting of the seat bottom about the front portion thereof to the upwardly extending position as the seat back pivots to the folded storage position in an upright direction alongside the seat bottom, an uncoupling member for moving the connection lever from its connected position to an unconnected position with respect to the release lever after the rear latch is released so the seat back member can continue to pivot to the folded storage position without any connection to the rear latch, the connection lever having a connector to a seat back actuator that is actuatable when the seat back is in the upright seating position to move the connection lever from its connected position to its unconnected position with respect to the release lever so the rear latch remains latched, and the connection lever having a connection to the recliner latch actuator so the actuation of the seat back actuator also actuates the recliner latch actuator to move the recliner latch mechanism from its latched position to its released position so the seat back can pivot to the folded storage position while the seat bottom remains in a generally horizontal position with the seat back folded horizontally over the seat bottom.