Patent ID: 9108540
Filing Date: 2015-08-18
Classification: B60N

Abstract:
1. A vehicle seat comprising a seat base, a seat back coupled to the seat base for movement about a seat-back pivot axis from a locked upright position to a fold-flat position, and a seat mover configured to unlock the seat back while the seat back lies in the locked upright position and then move the seat back toward the fold flat position, wherein the seat mover includes a seat-back motion controller including a sector plate mounted for movement about the seat-back pivot axis and coupled to the seat back such that the seat back moves with the sector plate about the seat-back pivot axis, a seat-back lock including a blocker movable from a first position blocking the sector plate from movement about the seat-back pivot axis to a second position freeing the sector plate for movement about the seat-back pivot axis and a spring biasing the blocker toward the first position, and an actuation device for moving the blocker against the force of the spring from the first position to the second position before transmitting rotational drive motion provided by a motion-input unit to the sector plate so that the sector plate and the seat back are free to pivot as a unit about the seat-back pivot axis before the sector plate and the seat back are moved together by the motion-input unit about the seat-back pivot axis from an unlocked upright position to the fold-flat position, wherein the actuation device includes an actuator plate mounted for rotation about a drive axis extending parallel to the seat-back pivot axis to push the blocker from the first position to the second position and a pinion gear mounted for rotation about the drive axis to drive the sector plate about the seat-back pivot axis so that the seat back moves from the upright position to the fold-forward position, and wherein the pinion gear includes a gear body mounted for rotation about the drive axis and gear teeth extending outwardly in a radial direction from the gear body to mesh with gear teeth formed in the sector plate so that rotation of the pinion gear causes rotation of the sector plate and the seat back about the seat-back pivot axis.