Folding seat assembly

A vehicle seat is provided having a track assembly to allow a seat bottom to slide in a fore-aft direction. A lock assembly is connected to the track assembly and moveable between a locked status and an unlocked status, wherein in the locked status the seat bottom is prevented from sliding, and in the unlocked status, the seat bottom is allowed to slide. A seatback is pivotally connected to the seat bottom. When the seatback is pivoted forward to a first inclined position, the seatback engages and moves the lock assembly to the unlocked status. In the unlocked status, the seat bottom is biased to slide rearward to a rear storage position. In the rear storage position, the lock assembly is moved to the locked status.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims foreign priority benefits under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d) to CN 2020104149241 filed May 15, 2020, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a foldable vehicle seat.

BACKGROUND

A vehicle seat assembly may have a seatback that pivots for entry or storage, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,585,145 by Lear Corporation.

SUMMARY

According to one embodiment, a vehicle seat is provided having a track assembly to allow a seat bottom to slide in a fore-aft direction. A lock assembly is connected to the track assembly and moveable between a locked status and an unlocked status, wherein in the locked status the seat bottom is prevented from sliding, and in the unlocked status, the seat bottom is allowed to slide. A seatback is pivotally connected to the seat bottom. When the seatback is pivoted forward to a first inclined position, the seatback engages and moves the lock assembly to the unlocked status. In the unlocked status, the seat bottom is biased to slide rearward to a rear storage position. In the rear storage position, the lock assembly is moved to the locked status.

According to one other embodiment, a seat assembly is provided having a track assembly to be mounted in a vehicle. A seat bottom is mounted to the track assembly to slide in a fore-aft direction between a seating position and a rearward storage position. A seatback is coupled to the seat bottom and operable to pivot relative to the seat bottom between at least an upright position and a flat storage position. A lock assembly is connected between the track assembly and the seatback. A handle is in communication with the seatback and operation of the handle causes the seatback to rotate forward to a first storage position. A first cam is attached to the seatback, and at the first inclined storage position the first cam engages and moves the lock assembly to an unlocked status, thereby unlocking the track assembly and allowing the seat bottom to slide in the track assembly. A biasing member is coupled to and biases the seat bottom rearward to a rear storage position when the lock assembly is in the unlocked status. A bracket is fixed relative to the track assembly. As the seat bottom is moved to the rear storage position, the lock assembly contacts the bracket, thereby moving the lock assembly to a locked status and locking the seat bottom in the rear storage position.

According to another embodiment, a method of adjusting a seat assembly is provided. A seatback is pivoted from an upright use position to a first inclined position. A lock assembly connected between the seatback and a track assembly is moved to an unlocked status when the seatback is in the first inclined position. The seat assembly slides rearward along the track assembly. The lock assembly to a locked status when the seat assembly reaches a rear storage position. The seatback pivots from the first inclined position to a storage position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now toFIG.1, a vehicle seat assembly is illustrated according to an embodiment and is referenced generally by numeral10. The vehicle seat assembly10is adapted to be mounted to a vehicle. The seat assembly includes a seat bottom14that is adapted to be adjustably mounted in the vehicle along a track assembly16that allows the seat assembly10to move in a fore/aft direction A.

A seatback20which is adapted to be pivotally connected to the vehicle body adjacent to the seat bottom14. The seatback20may be pivotally connected to the seat bottom14by a recline mechanism that can be actuated to pivot the seatback20relative to the seat bottom14. For example, the seatback20may be pivoted in the direction of arrow B to recline the seatback20rearward at a reclined angle that is a comfort seating position. Of course, the seatback20may be positioned in multiple reclined positions at various reclined angles rearward based on the occupant's preferred seated position.

The seatback20may also be pivoted forward in a direction C to an upright position or to an inclined position where the seatback20is inclined forward. The seatback20may be pivoted forward to a non-use position, or stowed position, as shown inFIG.5. An actuator18, such as a handle, is provided for actuating the seatback20to pivot to the reclined/rearward angles or inclined/forward storage positions. The actuator18may be located on the seatback20, or the seat bottom14, or any suitable location to actuate the pivoting of the seatback20.

When the seatback20is inclined forward, the seatback20may not have enough room to fully fold flat. For example, a seat in front of the seat assembly10may interfere with the seatback20or head restraint22as the seat assembly10is being folded forward. To enable the seat assembly10to be folded forward, it is advantageous if the seat assembly10concurrently slides rearward along the track assembly16, so the seatback20and/or head restraint22do not interfere with the forward seat and allow the seatback20to be folded into a compact storage position. In the compact storage position, the seatback20may be pivoted forward so the forward seating surface24of the seatback20contacts the upward seating surface26of the seat bottom14.

The seat assembly10may be a rear seat assembly, such a second row, or third row that is adapted to be moved to a storage position to allow additional cargo space in the vehicle. The seatback20may be pivoted forward, or inclined, in a direction C opposite of the comfort seating position where the seatback20is reclined. Operation of the recliner handle18causes the seatback20to rotate forward to a first inclined storage position32. As shown inFIG.1, the first inclined position32may be only an initial minimal rotation angle D. For example, the initial rotation angle D may be approximately 15-degrees, or any suitable initial forward rotation angle. At the first inclined position32, a lock assembly30is actuated.

As shown inFIG.2, the lock assembly30is connected between the track assembly16and a frame28of the seatback20. When the seatback20rotates forward to the first inclined position32, the lock assembly30is caused to move to an unlocked status to allow the seat bottom14to slide in the track assembly16.

FIGS.3-4show the lock assembly30in more detail. InFIG.3, the lock assembly30is shown in a locked status.FIG.4illustrates the lock assembly30in an unlocked status that allows the track assembly16to slide. A first cam34is attached to the seatback20. When the seatback20rotates forward to the first inclined position32, the first cam34engages the lock assembly30and moves the lock assembly30to the unlocked status.

The first cam34engages the first linkage38of the lock assembly30when the seatback20rotates forward to the first inclined position32. The first linkage38is mounted to the seatback20at a pivot point48. As the first cam34continues to rotate in counterclockwise with the rotation of the seatback20, the first cam34engages a pin36on the first linkage38and forces the first linkage38to pivot and rotate clockwise. The clockwise rotation of the first linkage38causes a front edge40to move upward which pulls a cable42connected to the first linkage38.

The lock assembly30includes a second linkage, or rachet linkage44, to which the other end of the cable42is connected. The rachet linkage44is mounted to pivot and rotate at pivot point50. The cable42pulls a lower tab52of the rachet linkage44in the counter-clockwise direction. The rachet linkage44is normally biased in the clockwise direction by a rachet spring46connected to a rachet pawl54mounted to pivot at pawl pivot point56.

The lock assembly30also includes the release mechanism60. The release mechanism60is connected to the track assembly16and prevents the track assembly16from sliding when in a locked position, as shown inFIG.3. The release mechanism60is biased up to a locked position, as shown inFIG.3. The release mechanism60is moved down to the unlocked position when the rachet linkage44rotates in a counter-clockwise direction. As shown inFIG.4, as the rachet linkage44rotates counterclockwise, a rachet arm58of the rachet linkage44contacts a pin62, forcing the release mechanism60to the unlocked status.

The seat assembly10is able to slide in the track assembly16as long as the release mechanism60and rachet linkage44are held in the unlocked status. The rachet pawl54maintains the rachet linkage44in the unlocked status. The rachet pawl54is constantly pushed counterclockwise by the spring46so the rachet pawl54is held against rachet linkage44. Counterclockwise rotation of the rachet linkage44also pivots the rachet pawl54in the counterclockwise direction. As the rachet44linkage and rachet pawl54rotate counterclockwise, a pawl finger64is moved from a first rachet tooth66on the rachet linkage44, to a second rachet tooth68. When the pawl finger64engages the second rachet tooth68, the rachet linkage44is held in the unlocked status, allowing the seat assembly10to slide.

The pawl finger64on rachet pawl54is retained in the second rachet tooth68to keep the track assembly16in the unlocked status since the rachet spring46is forcing the rachet linkage44clockwise and forcing the rachet pawl54counterclockwise.

With track assembly16in the unlocked status, the entire seat assembly10is biased rearward. The seat assembly10may be biased rearward by a return spring72or other biasing member, or may be moved rearward manually by the operator. The return spring72may be connected between the seat bottom14and a rear location along the track assembly16so that the spring force of the return spring72moves the seat assembly10to the rear storage assembly when the lock assembly30is in the unlocked status.

The seat assembly10is adapted to slide rearward along the track assembly16. As shown in more detail inFIGS.7-10, the track assembly16may include a first track rail76and a second track rail78. The first track rail76is adapted to be connected to the seat frame28such as the frame of the seat bottom14. The first track rail76is connected to slide relative to the second track rail78. The second track rail78may be mounted to the vehicle and is stationary. The first and second track rails76,78are adapted to slide relative to each other. A person of ordinary skill in the art understands that the track assembly16may include other components or configurations that facilitate sliding the seat assembly10within the vehicle.

The lock assembly30is connected to the seat assembly10and moves rearward with the seat assembly10. A bracket80is fixed relative to the second track rail78along a rear position. As the seat assembly10and lock assembly30move rearward, a bottom tab84on rachet pawl54contacts the bracket80. As shown in detail inFIG.6, the tab84and rachet pawl54are forced clockwise by the bracket80and the pawl finger64is moved out of second rachet tooth68on rachet linkage44. The rachet linkage44is then biased clockwise by the spring46which frees the release mechanism60to move up to the lock status inFIG.6. The release mechanism60locks the track assembly16to keep the seat assembly10in a rear storage position, as shown inFIG.10. With the seat assembly10locked in the rear storage position, the seatback20can be pivoted and inclined forward to a fully folded storage position.

The seat assembly10may be moved back to a seating position where the seatback20is reclined in direction B and the seat assembly10is moved forward. The first cam34rotates with the seatback20as the seatback20rotates clockwise in direction B. The first cam34engages the pin36and pivots the first linkage38clockwise. The first linkage38pulls the cable42, operating the rachet linkage44and release mechanism60in the same way shown inFIGS.3-4to unlock the track assembly16. The first linkage38may be biased in the counterclockwise direction by a spring70to bias the front edge40of the first linkage38downward when the cam34does not engage the first linkage38.

The rachet pawl54is held clockwise by bracket80, countering the biasing force until the entire seat assembly10is slid forward. When the entire seat assembly10, including the rachet pawl54is slid forward, the tab84on rachet pawl54moves forward of bracket80, then the ratchet spring46forces the rachet pawl54and tab84counterclockwise which moves the pawl finger64into the second rachet tooth68on the rachet linkage44and sets the track assembly16into the unlocked status to allow the seat assembly10to be repositioned in the fore-aft direction A.

FIGS.7-10show the seat assembly10as it dives down from the comfort seating position to the fully folded storage position and how the track assembly16and lock assembly30move to corresponding locked or unlocked statuses in each of these positions.

For example, inFIG.7, the seat assembly10is in the comfort seating position. When the seat assembly10is in the comfort seating position, the track assembly16and the lock assembly30are in the forward locked status.

As the seat assembly10moves to the first inclined position32inFIG.8, the lock assembly30is moved to the unlocked status thereby unlocking the track assembly16.FIG.9shows the seat assembly10continuing to fold to a second inclined position. The track assembly16is unlocked and the lock assembly30is able to slide rearward. InFIGS.8-9, while the lock assembly30is in an unlocked status, the seat assembly10is able to slide.

Finally, inFIG.10, the seat assembly10reaches the fully folded storage position and the lock assembly30slides rearward and is forced to the rear locked status, thereby locking the track assembly16and preventing the seat assembly10from sliding.