Abstract:
A tumble seat for use in a vehicle including a seat cushion supported on a frame and a seat back connected to the seat cushion. First supports depend from the frame and have a first pivot connection for pivotally attaching the frame to the vehicle. The seat may be rotated about the first pivot connection between an operative position in which the seat cushion is generally horizontal so that an occupant may be seated on the seat and a nonoperative position in which the seat is rotated from the operative position about the first pivot connection. Second supports depend from the frame in spaced relation from the first supports and include ends for attaching to the vehicle when the seat is in the operative position. A latch mechanism is operatively attached to the frame for securing and unsecuring the ends to and from the vehicle when the seat is in the operative position. A lockout mechanism prevents the seat from rotating about the first pivot connection from the operative position to the nonoperative position.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
     This patent application claims priority to all the benefits of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/074,306, filed on Feb. 11, 1998 and entitled “Easy Access Tumble Seat With Integrated Child Seat and Tumble Lockout When Child Seat is Deployed”. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The subject invention relates to an automotive seat assembly having an integrated child seat. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Tumble seats for automotive vehicles are well known in the art and permit the seat to be rotated forward to facilitate easier access to the cargo or passenger area of the vehicle. A latch mechanism may be actuated to lock the seat down to the vehicle or to permit the tumble seat to rotate forward. Tumble seats without a safety mechanism are capable of being inadvertently actuated thereby rotating forward. Integrated child seats are also well known in the art. Integrated child seats are integral with typical passenger seats and permit the elimination of a separate child car seat which must be installed and removed from the vehicle. The integrated child seat may be positioned flush within a seat back so that an adult occupant may use the seat and then the child seat may be folded down so that it is generally parallel with a lower seat portion, or seat cushion, for suitable use by a child. Combining an integrated child seat with a tumble seat poses a potentially serious safety hazard in that it possible that the tumble seat may be inadvertently actuated thereby rotating forward while a child is seated on the child seat. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a tumble seat for use in a vehicle which has a frame with a seat attached thereto. The seat includes a seat cushion supported on the frame and a seat back connected to the seat cushion. An integrated child seat is pivotally connected to the seat back and is rotatable between an adult position at least partially abutting the seat back and a child position substantially parallel with the seat cushion. First supports depend from the frame and have a first pivot connection for pivotally attaching the frame to the vehicle. The seat may be rotated about the first pivot connection between an operative position in which the seat cushion is generally horizontal so that an occupant may be seated on the seat and a nonoperative position in which the seat is rotated from the operative position about the first pivot connection. Second supports depend from the frame in spaced relation from the first supports and include ends for attaching to the vehicle when the seat is in the operative position. A latch mechanism is operatively attached to the frame for securing and unsecuring the ends to and from the vehicle when the seat is in the operative position. A lockout mechanism prevents the seat from rotating about the first pivot connection from the operative position to the nonoperative position when the child seat is in the child position. 
     Accordingly, the tumble seat and integrated child seat of the present invention provides a lockout mechanism that improves the safety of the child by preventing the tumble seat from rotating forward in undesirable situations. The lockout mechanism prevents the tumble seat from inadvertently rotating while the child is seated on the child seat. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1A is a side elevational view, partly in cross-section, of a tumble seat with an integrated child seat tumble lockout assembly embodying the principles of the present invention and showing the seat in its operative position and the integrated child seat in its adult position; 
     FIG. 1B is a side elevational view similar to FIG. 1A, showing the tumble seat in its nonoperative or tumble position; 
     FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1A, showing the integrated child seat in its child position; 
     FIG. 3 is a rear elevational view of the tumble seat shown in FIG. 1A; 
     FIG. 4 is a fragmentary detailed view of a first end of the Bowden wire assembly connected to the child seat in its deployed child position; 
     FIG. 5 is a fragmentary detailed view of a second end of the Bowden wire assembly shown in FIG. 4 connected to a lockout assembly, showing a lockout pin in solid lines in its locked position and in dotted lines in its unlocked position; 
     FIG. 6 is a fragmentary detailed view similar to FIG. 4 of an alternative embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 7 is a fragmentary detailed view similar to FIG. 5 of an alternative embodiment of the present invention showing the other end of the Bowden wire assembly shown in FIG.  6 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring now more particularly to the drawings, a tumble seat with an integrated child seat tumble lockout is generally indicated at  10  in FIGS. 1A,  1 B,  2  and  3 . The seat  10  is specifically constructed and arranged to serve as one of the quad which are mounted two by two seats in a van-type vehicle. More specifically, the seat  10  would be the forward seat closest to the side door of the four quad seats. The tumble function is provided to gain easy access to the cargo or passenger area located to the rear of the tumble seat from the door side of the van. The seat  10  shown is for a single sliding door van although the tumble seat is also useful for vans having two rear doors, sliding or otherwise. 
     As shown in FIG. 1A, the seat  10  includes a seat cushion assembly, or lower portion,  12  supported by a pair of transversely spaced front legs, or first supports,  14  which depend from a forward portion of a frame  16 . A pair of transversely spaced rear legs, or second supports,  18  depend from a rearward portion of the frame  16 . The front  14  and rear  18  legs at each side of the seat cushion assembly  12  may constitute a side riser assembly which could be formed of a single structure rather than a structure embodying two spaced members. 
     The seat  10  also includes a seat back assembly, or back portion,  24  which is operatively connected to the seat cushion assembly  12  by a seat back mounting assembly  26 . The seat back assembly  24  includes an integrated child seat assembly  28  which is normally retained in an adult position, as showing in FIG. 1A, and is deployable from the adult position into a child position, as shown in FIG.  2 . 
     The seat cushion assembly  12  is of any conventional construction and includes the usual trim covered foam cushion  32  suitably mounted on the frame  16 . 
     The supports  14 ,  18  are connected to the vehicle floor  20  by a floor-mounting assembly  22 . The floor-mounting assembly  22  serves to selectively retain the seat  10  in a normal operative position, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 2. Further, the floor mounting assembly  22  provides attaching points and supports to enable the seat  10  to be moved between an operative position (FIG. 1A) and a non-operative or tumble position (FIG. 1B) thereby providing access to the seats rearwardly thereof. Alternatively, the seat  10  may be removably attached directly to the vehicle floor  20 . 
     In accordance with the principles of the present invention, the seat  10  also includes a lock out mechanism  30  for preventing the seat  10  from being moved from its operative position into its tumble position when the child seat assembly  28  is deployed to its child position, as discussed in more detail below. 
     The floor-mounting assemblies  22  are of the type capable of releasably securing the seat  10  to a pair of fore and aft dog elements, or pins,  34  extending across a pair of wells  36  formed as an integral part of the floor  20 . Each floor-mounting assembly  22  includes an elongated fore and aft extending mounting member  38  interposed between the wells. Each mounting member  38  includes a rear hook portion  40  for hooking around the rearward pin  34  and a downwardly opening U-shaped forward portion  42  for attachment to the forward pin  34 . A spring-biased manually movable locking member  44  is pivotally mounted on the forward portion  42  for locking and unlocking the floor mounting assembly  22  to the floor  20 . 
     Each mounting member  38  has a forward recessed portion  45  to which the front leg  14  is pivotally attached by a transversely extending pivot pin  46 . Referring to FIGS. 1A,  2  and  3 , the rearward portion  47  of each mounting member  38  has a latch-engaging pin  48  extending transversely from the inner side  49  thereof. Each rear leg  18  rests on the upper surface  51  of the associated mounting member  38  when the seat  10  is in the operative position. A releasable latch member  50  is pivotally attached to the inner side  49  of each leg  18  for securing to the latch pin  48 . The two latch members  50  are fixedly interconnected by a cross bar  52  to move together from the latched position (FIG. 2) to a released position (FIG. 1A) in which the latch members  50  are clear of the latch pin  48 . 
     In order to move the latch members  50  together, there is provided a single manually operable handle  54 . The handle  54  is pivotally connected to the inside  49  of the right rear leg  18  above the latch member  50 . A linkage  56  interconnects the handle  54  and the latch member  50  so that when the handle  54  is raised, the latch member  50  is pivoted out of engagement with the latch pin  48 . A coil spring  58  is connected to the handle  54  and the leg  18  to bias the handle  54  and latch member  50  to the latched position. 
     The handle  54  includes an outer portion  60  which extends transversely from the handle  54 . The outer portion  60  may be grasped manually and moved upwardly to move the latch members  50  from the latched position to the released position. When the latch members  50  have cleared the pins  48 , the outer portion  60  and handle  54  are in a released position. 
     Returning now to FIG. 2, the seat back assembly  24 , with the integrated child seat assembly  28 , may embody any of the well-known constructions presently known in the art. In general, the seat back assembly  24  includes a frame  62  covered by a pair of transversely spaced trim covered cushions  64  and a rear cover member  66 . The seat back cushior assembly  24  also includes a recessed pocket  67  within which the child seat assembly  28  is received and stowed. 
     The child seat assembly  28  includes a panel  68  suitably fixed to the frame  62 . Extending forwardly from the lower end of the panel  68  are a pair of transversely spaced pivot portions  70 . Pivotally mounted in the pivot portions  70  is a shaft, or second pivot connections,  72  about which the child seat  28  pivots. The child seat  28  includes a frame  74  covered by a cushion  76 . As mentioned above, the child seat  28  is rotatable about the second pivot connection  72  between the adult position (FIG. 1A) and the child position (FIG.  2 ). 
     The child seat assembly  28  also includes a hingeable pad  78  which is removably mounted on the forward surface of the panel  68  and the frame  74 . When the child seat assembly  28  is deployed into its child position, the portion of the pad  78  attached to the frame  74  defines a cushioned seat for a child, while the portion of the pad  78  attached to the panel  68  defines a cushioned seat back. 
     Preferably, the back panel of the pad  78  is formed of loop material and strips of hook material are fixed to the panel  68  and frame  74  to effect the removable securement of the pad  78  thereto. It will also be understood that the child seat assembly  28  may include a five-point harness assembly and may include other components such as a movable child&#39;s head rest. 
     The seat back mounting assembly  26  may assume any well-known construction. The seat back mounting assembly  26  is of the type that provides both for a range of reclining movements as well as a forward dumping movement. These movements of the seat back assembly  24  with respect to the seat cushion assembly  12  are independent of the tumble movement. When moved from the operative to the tumble position, the seat cushion  12  and seat back  24  rotate together. Since the manner in which the seat back cushion assembly  24  is mounted with respect to the seat cushion assembly  12  is independent of the tumble movement, the mounting assembly  26  could be simply a fixed connection. Likewise, the mounting assembly  26  could provide only for reclining movements or only for a dumping movement. In the embodiment shown, seat cushion  12  and seat back  24  are pivotally connected by spaced pivot pins  80  enabling the seat back assembly  24  to both recline and dump about a single pivotal axis, however, a dual axis may also be used. 
     To provide the reclining and dumping features, the frame structure of the seat back assembly  24  has a rigid arm  82  extending downwardly from the pivot pin  80  at one side. The lower end of the arm  82  is pivotally connected to one end of a linear adjusting mechanism  84  of any suitable type. The adjusting mechanism  84  includes a control lever  86  which extends outwardly with respect to a cover member  88  provided on both sides of the seat cushion assembly  12 . It may also be desirable to provide for a lockout device to disable the recline and dump features when the child seat is deployed. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5, a lockout mechanism  30  is deployed to ensure that the seat will not tumble forward while a child is seated in the child seat  28 . The lockout mechanism  30  is interconnected with the child seat  28  such that the position of the child seat  28  is communicated to the lockout mechanism  30 . The lockout mechanism  30  includes a conventional Bowden wire assembly  90  that interconnects the lockout mechanism  30  and child seat  28 , however, any suitable linkage may be used. The wire assembly  90  includes a flexible sheath or tube  92  which slidably receives a wire or cable  94 . 
     As best shown in FIG. 4, a first end  93  of the flexible sheath  92  is fixed to a bracket  96  suitably fixed to the frame  62  of the seat back assembly  24 . The flexible sheath  92  loop upwardly within the seat back assembly  24  and is fed downwardly so as to pass under the frame  16  of the seat cushion assembly  12 . At the forward portion of the seat cushion assembly  12 , the flexible sheath  92  is looped around and extends rearwardly where it is fixed to the righthand cover  88  by a bracket  98 . The rearwardly extending extremity or second end of the flexible sheath  92  is fixed to the forward end of a lockout pin housing  100 . 
     As best shown in FIG. 5, the lockout pin housing  100  is fixed to the exterior surface of the righthand rear leg  18  and may be reinforced by a brace  102 . Slidably mounted within the lockout pin housing  100  is a lockout pin  104  which moves from a locked position overlying the handle  60  when the child seat  28  is in the child position to an unlocked position when the child seat is in the adult position. The forward end of the lockout pin  104  is connected to the second end  95  of the cable  94  extending outwardly from the adjacent end of the flexible sheath  92 . 
     The first end  93  of the cable or wire  94  extends outwardly from the flexible sheath  92  and is trained under first semicircular portion  103  of a grooved roller  106  which is fixed to the shaft  72  so as to be moved with the frame structure  74 . It is also possible to pivot the frame structure  74  of the child seat assembly  28  about the pivot  72  and to have the roller  106  also pivoted thereon. After passing under the grooved surface of the roller  106 , the first end of the cable or wire  94  is fixed to a pin  109  extending radially outwardly from the frame structure  74  of the movable cushioned seat of the child seat assembly  28 . 
     It can be seen that, when the movable cushioned seat of child seat assembly  28  is moved into its folded-up adult position as shown in FIG. 1, the wire or cable  94  will be moved so that the first end  93  extends from the sheath  92  and the second end  95  moves into the sheath  92  so that the lockout pin  104  will be retracted and retained in the dotted line position as shown in FIG.  5 . 
     When the movable cushioned seat of the child seat assembly  28  is deployed into its child position, the cable  94  is moved in the opposite direction which has the effect of moving the lockout pin  104  in a locked position to prevent upward movement of the handle member  60  It will be understood that a biasing spring  108  can be used between the lockout pin  104  and the flexible sheath  92  within the housing  100  to assist in this movement. 
     FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate a lockout mechanism  30  according to an alternative embodiment. Where applicable, structures and components in the second embodiment which are similar to structures and components in the first embodiment will be labeled with the same reference numerals. 
     The first end  93  of the flexible sheath  92  is fixed to the frame  62  of the seat back assembly  24  by a bracket  96 . The flexible sheath  92  loops upwardly within the seat back assembly  24  and is passed downwardly to a bracket  110 . The bracket  110  supports the sheath  92 , and second end  95  of the wire  94  is fixed to an attaching member  112  extending radially from the lockout pin  104 . 
     As best shown in FIG. 7, the lockout pin housing  100  is fixed to the exterior surface of the right hand rear leg  18  as by welding or other suitable attaching means. The lockout pin  104  is slidably mounted within the lockout pin housing  100 . The lockout pin  104  moves from a locked position overlying the handle portion  60  when the child seat  28  is in the child position and is in an unlocked position when the child seat  28  is in the adult position. 
     The first end  93  of the wire  94  extends outwardly from the sheath and is trained over a second semicircular portion  105  of the grooved roller  106  which is fixed to the shaft  72  so as to move with the frame  74 . After passing over the grooved surface of the roller  106 , the opposite end of the wire  94  is fixed to a pin  109  extending radially outwardly from the frame  74  of the movable cushioned seat of the child seat assembly  28 . 
     It can be seen that, when the movable cushioned seat of the child seat assembly  28  is moved into its folded-up adult position, as shown in FIG. 1, the first end  93  of the wire  94  attached to the frame  74  will be moved into the sheath  92  and the second end  95  will extend outwardly with respect to the sheath  92 , thereby moving the lockout pin  104  forwardly to the unlocked position shown by dotted lines in FIG.  7 . 
     When the moveable cushioned seat of the child seat assembly  28  is deployed into its child position, the wire  94  is moved in the opposite direction, thereby moving the lockout pin  104  rearwardly from its unlocked position to its locked position wherein the lockout pin  104  prevents upward movement of the handle member  60 . It is also contemplated that a biasing spring  108  may be used between the attaching member  112  of the lockout pin  104  and an attaching member  114  extending radially with respect to the lockout pin mounting member  100 . 
     The lockout mechanism  30  ensures that the control handle portion  60  cannot be actuated unless the child seat has been folded up into its adult position. It will also be understood that the present invention contemplates disabling the releasing mechanism for the tumble seat other than by positively preventing the movement of the control handle, as, for example, by allowing the control handle to be moved but selectively preventing movement of the latch members  50  in response to the handle movement. 
     The invention has been described in an illustrative manner, and it is to be understood that the terminology which has been used is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than of limitation. Many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than a specifically described.