Patent ID: 6736461
Filing Date: 2004-05-18
Classification: B60N

Abstract:
An improved vehicle seat assembly for use in a vehicle of the type having a front end, a rear end, a longitudinal axis extending between the front end and the rear end, a lateral axis arranged transverse to the longitudinal axis and a floor, said vehicle seat assembly being of the type having a seat, said seat including:a seat cushion having a seat cushion mounting bracket, said seat cushion, in use, being operatively mounted on said floor; a seat back having a seat back mounting bracket; a rotary recliner comprising: a first portion securely attached to said seat cushion mounting bracket and defining a pivot axis, said pivot axis, in use, extending in a substantially lateral manner and being disposed adjacent the rear end of the seat cushion; and a second portion mounted to the first portion for selective relative pivotal movement about said pivot axis and having the seat back mounting bracket securely attached thereto so as to provide, in use, for selective pivotal movement of the seat back with respect to the seat cushion about said pivot axis within a first range of angular positions including a second range of positions whereat the seat is occupiable, said second range including a design position, a dumped position relatively frontwardly pivotally displaced from the second range; and a frontmost position, relatively frontwardly pivotally displaced from the dumped position, wherein the improvement comprises:a tip activation handle mounted on the seat back for movement between a design position, a tipping position and an intermediate position therebetween; a control member; mounting means for mounting the control member on the seat back mounting bracket for pivotal movement therewith about the pivot axis and for constrained substantially radial relative movement between a first position and a second position; abutment means for selectively, when the control member is at its second position and the seat back is at its dumped position, engaging the control member to arrest frontward pivotal movement of the control member, thereby to arrest frontward pivotal movement of the seat back about the pivot axis at the dumped position thereof when the control member is at its second position; and first linkage means for selectively effecting movement of the control member between its first position and its second position upon movement of the tip activation handle between its design position and its intermediate position; and controlling the rotary recliner to permit said relative pivotal movement of the first portion and the second portion upon movement of the tip activation handle to its tipping position, thereby to provide, when the seat back is within the second range and upon manual manipulation of the tip activation handle from its design position to its tipping position, for said first linkage means to control said rotary recliner to permit said relative pivotal movement of the first portion and the second portion only after the control member has reached its second position, so as to ensure that frontward pivotal movement of the seat back about the pivot axis beyond the dumped position thereof is arrested by the abutment means.