WALK-IN DEVICE FOR VEHICLE SEAT

A walk-in device for a vehicle seat includes a rear link having one end connected to a seat cushion frame by a first hinge shaft, and the other end connected to an upper rail by a second hinge shaft, the rear link being capable of rotating in an unlocking direction about the second hinge shaft, and an unlocking device configured such that at least one bracket, which operates in conjunction with a rotational operation of the rear link, presses a locking pin in a state in which the bracket is elastically supported by an elastic member, such that an unlocked state is implemented.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to and the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0122412 filed in the Korean Intellectual Property Office on Sep. 14, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a walk-in device for a vehicle seat.

BACKGROUND ART

In general, a walk-in device for a vehicle seat, which is capable of performing a walk-in function, may be mounted in a front seat of a recreational vehicle (RV) or a three-door vehicle to allow a rear seat passenger to get in or out of the vehicle.

The walk-in function refers to a function of folding a seatback of the front seat forward at a predetermined angle and simultaneously sliding the front seat forward by a predetermined distance when the rear seat passenger operates a walk-in switch of the front seat. A space may be ensured between the front seat and the rear seat by the walk-in function, and a passenger may get in or out of the vehicle through the ensured space.

In the case of the walk-in device for a vehicle seat in the related art, a rear link may be unrestrained when the passenger operates the walk-in switch. When the rear link is unrestrained, the rear link elastically supported by an elastic member may be rotated by an elastic restoring force of the elastic member. A locking pin may be pressed and unlocked by the operation of the rear link. Therefore, an upper rail may move along a lower rail.

However, in the case of the walk-in device for a vehicle seat in the related art, the locking pin is not completely unlocked by being pressed by a pressing bracket when the rear link operates. For this reason, the upper rail cannot smoothly move along the lower rail, or frictional noise is caused by friction between components.

DOCUMENTS OF RELATED ART

Patent Documents

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been made in an effort to solve the above-mentioned problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a walk-in device for a vehicle seat, in which an unlocking device, which operates in conjunction with a rear link, presses a locking pin to implement a completely unlocked state.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a walk-in device for a vehicle seat, the walk-in device including: a rear link having one end connected to a seat cushion frame by a first hinge shaft, and the other end connected to an upper rail by a second hinge shaft, the rear link being capable of rotating in an unlocking direction about the second hinge shaft; and an unlocking device configured such that at least one bracket, which operates in conjunction with a rotational operation of the rear link, presses a locking pin in a state in which the bracket is elastically supported by an elastic member, such that an unlocked state is implemented.

In addition, the unlocking device may include: a first bracket having one end rotatable in the unlocking direction by being pressed by the rear link, and the other end elastically supported by a first elastic member; a second bracket having one end connected to the other end of the first bracket, the second bracket being rotatable in the unlocking direction together with the first bracket; and a third bracket elastically supported by a second elastic member and configured to press the locking pin while rotating in the unlocking direction by being pressed by the second bracket.

In addition, a pressing part may be provided on the rear link, and one end of the first bracket may rotate in the unlocking direction by being pressed by the pressing part.

In addition, an upper end of the locking pin may penetrate an upper portion of the upper rail and be exposed, and when the upper end of the locking pin is pressed downward by the third bracket, a locking plate provided below the locking pin may depart from a locking groove of a lower rail, such that a locked state is released.

In addition, a maximally pressed state of the locking pin may be implemented by the third bracket, which operates in conjunction with the rear link when the rear link stands uprightly, such that the locking plate completely departs from the locking groove of the lower rail.

In addition, the first bracket and the first elastic member may be coupled to a third hinge shaft connected to the upper rail.

In addition, an external contact groove may be provided at one end of the third bracket, the external contact groove may be assembled to be externally in contact with an outer-diameter portion of a fourth hinge shaft connected to the upper rail, and the second elastic member may be coupled to the fourth hinge shaft.

In addition, a gear portion may be provided on an outer-diameter portion of one end of the rear link, a restrained state of the rear link may be implemented when a restraining gear of a restraining device engages with the gear portion, and the gear portion and the restraining gear may be disengaged when the restraining device performs a release operation, such that the rear link is rotated about the second hinge shaft in the unlocking direction by a rotation device that elastically supports the rear link.

In addition, a front link may be provided at an interval from the rear link, one end of the front link may be connected to the seat cushion frame, and the other end of the front link may be connected to the upper rail.

In addition, a portion of the locking pin, which is positioned in the upper rail, may be elastically supported by a fourth elastic member, the fourth elastic member may be compressed when the locking pin moves downward, and the fourth elastic member may be stretched and return the locking pin to an original position when a pressing force of the third bracket is eliminated from the locking pin.

According to the present invention, the unlocking device, which operates in conjunction with the rear link, presses the locking pin to implement the completely unlocked state.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. First, in assigning reference numerals to constituent elements of the respective drawings, it should be noted that the same constituent elements will be designated by the same reference numerals, if possible, even though the constituent elements are illustrated in different drawings. In addition, in the description of the present invention, the specific descriptions of publicly known related configurations or functions will be omitted when it is determined that the specific descriptions may obscure the subject matter of the present invention. Further, the exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described below, but the technical spirit of the present invention is not limited thereto and may of course be modified and variously carried out by those skilled in the art.

FIG.1is a perspective view of a walk-in device for a vehicle seat according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention,FIG.2is a view illustrating a restrained state of a rear link according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, andFIG.3is a view illustrating an operation of an unlocking device when the rear link according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention is unrestrained.

As illustrated inFIGS.1to3, the walk-in device for a vehicle seat of the present invention may include a rear link10configured to be restrained or unrestrained by an operation of a restraining device70, an unlocking device20configured to operate in conjunction with the rear link10, and a locking pin30configured to be pressed by an unlocking device20.

One end of the rear link10may be connected to a seat cushion frame SC by a first hinge shaft H1. The other end of the rear link10may be connected to an upper rail40by a second hinge shaft H2.

The rear link10may be elastically supported by a rotation device80such as a spiral spring. When the rear link10is unrestrained, the rear link10may stand uprightly by being rotated in an unlocking direction about the second hinge shaft H2by an elastic force of the rotation device80.

The unlocking device20may press a locking pin30while operating in conjunction with a rotational operation of the rear link10, such that a locked state of the upper rail40and a lower rail50locked by the locking pin30may be released.

The unlocking device20may be configured such that at least one bracket is elastically supported by an elastic member. The unlocking device20may include a first bracket21, a second bracket22, and a third bracket23.

One end of the first bracket21may be rotated in an unlocking direction by being pressed by the rear link10. The other end of the first bracket21may be elastically supported by a first elastic member S1such as a torsion spring.

A pressing part11may be provided on the rear link10. The pressing part11may protrude in a direction of the first bracket21. One end of the first bracket21may be rotated in the unlocking direction by being pressed by the pressing part11.

The first bracket21may be coupled to a third hinge shaft H3. The third hinge shaft H3may be assembled to be supported by the upper rail40. The first elastic member S1may be coupled to the third hinge shaft H3.

One end of the second bracket22may be connected to the other end of the first bracket21. The second bracket22may be coupled to the third hinge shaft H3. The second bracket22may rotate together with the first bracket21in the unlocking direction.

The third bracket23may be elastically supported by a second elastic member S2such as a torsion spring. The third bracket23may press an upper end of the locking pin30while rotating in the unlocking direction by being pressed by the second bracket22.

A semi-circular external contact groove231may be provided at one end of the third bracket23. The external contact groove231may be assembled to be externally in contact with an outer-diameter portion of a fourth hinge shaft H4. The fourth hinge shaft H4may be assembled to be supported by the upper rail40. The second elastic member S2may be coupled to the fourth hinge shaft H4.

The second bracket22may be connected to the upper rail40by a third elastic member S3.

A maximally pressed (PR) state of the locking pin30may be implemented when the third bracket23presses the locking pin30in the state in which the rear link10stands uprightly by the rotational operation. In the maximally pressed (PR) state of the locking pin30, a locking plate31provided below the locking pin30may completely depart from a locking groove51of the lower rail50.

A front link60may be provided at an interval from the rear link10. One end of the front link60may be connected to the seat cushion frame SC. The other end of the front link60may be connected to the upper rail40.

FIG.4is a view illustrating the restraining device according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

As illustrated inFIG.4, the restraining device70may include a restraining gear71configured to engage with a gear portion12provided at one end of the rear link10, and a locking lever73having a locking portion731configured to press the restraining gear71, when the rear link10is restrained, and configured to be inserted into an unrestraining groove711of the restraining gear71when the rear link10is unrestrained.

The locking lever73may be connected to a cable72. The cable72may be connected to a drive device (not illustrated) such as an actuator.

For example, when a passenger operates a walk-in switch (not illustrated), the cable72may be pulled by an operation of a drive device (not illustrated) such as an actuator, and the locking lever73connected to the cable72may rotate in an unrestraining direction.

FIG.5is a view illustrating an unlocked state of the locking plate provided below the locking pin according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

As illustrated inFIG.5, an upper end of the locking pin30may penetrate an upper portion of the upper rail40and be exposed. An upper end of the locking pin30may be pressed downward by the third bracket23.

When the locking pin30is pressed, the locking plate31provided below the locking pin30may depart from the locking groove51of the lower rail50. Therefore, the locked state may be released.

A portion of the locking pin30, which is positioned in the upper rail40, may be elastically supported by a fourth elastic member S4.

The fourth elastic member S4may be compressed by being pressed by the locking pin30when the locking pin30moves downward. When a pressing force of the third bracket23, which presses the locking pin30, is eliminated in the compressed state of the fourth elastic member S4, the fourth elastic member S4may push the locking pin30upward while being stretched, thereby returning the locking pin30to an original position.

The lower rail50may be connected to a floor panel FP in the vehicle.

Next, an operation of the unlocking device when the rear link rotates will be specifically described.

As illustrated inFIGS.1to3, when the passenger operates the walk-in switch (not illustrated), the rear link10may be unrestrained by an unrestraining operation of the restraining device70. The unrestrained rear link10may rotate about the other end by the elastic force of the rotation device80such as a spiral spring.

As the rear link10rotates, the pressing part11of the rear link10may press the first bracket21. The first bracket21may be rotated in the unlocking direction by the pressing part11of the rear link10.

The first bracket21may press the first elastic member S1while rotating in the unlocking direction. At the same time, the second bracket22connected to the first bracket21may press the third bracket23while rotating together with the first bracket21in the unlocking direction.

As the pressing force of the second bracket22is transmitted to the third bracket23, the third bracket23may press the upper end of the locking pin30. The locked state may be released as the locking pin30is pressed. The third bracket23may simultaneously press the second elastic member S2while pressing the locking pin30.

Next, an operation of the restraining device will be described specifically.

As illustrated inFIG.4, the locking portion731of the locking lever73presses a restraining protrusion712of the restraining gear71, such that the restraining gear71may engage with the gear portion12of the rear link10. Therefore, the rear link10may be restrained.

The drive device (not illustrated), such as an actuator, may pull the cable72when the passenger operates the walk-in switch (not illustrated) in the state in which the restraining gear71engages with the gear portion12of the rear link10.

As the cable72is pulled, the locking lever73connected to the cable72may rotate in the unlocking direction.

As the locking lever73rotates in an unrestraining direction, the locking portion731of the locking lever73, which has pressed the restraining protrusion712, may be inserted into the unrestraining groove711of the restraining gear71.

When the locking portion731, which has pressed the restraining gear71, is inserted into the unrestraining groove711of the restraining gear71, the restraining gear71, which has engaged with the gear portion12, may be disengaged.

As the restraining gear71and the gear portion12of the rear link10are disengaged, an unrestrained state may be implemented in which the rear link10may freely rotate.

Next, an operation of the locking pin will be specifically described.

As illustrated inFIG.5, the third bracket23may press the upper end of the locking pin30as the unlocking device20operates in conjunction with the rotational operation of the rear link10. Therefore, the locking pin30may move downward while pressing the fourth elastic member S4.

As the locking pin30moves downward, the locking plate31, which is provided below the locking pin30inserted into the locking groove51of the lower rail50, may depart from the locking groove51, such that the completely unlocked state of the locking pin30may be implemented.

In the unlocked state, the upper rail40may freely move along the lower rail50.

The above description is simply given for illustratively describing the technical spirit of the present invention, and those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains will appreciate that various modifications, changes, and substitutions are possible without departing from the essential characteristic of the present invention. Accordingly, the embodiments disclosed in the present invention and the accompanying drawings are intended not to limit but to describe the technical spirit of the present invention, and the scope of the technical spirit of the present invention is not limited by the embodiments and the accompanying drawings. The protective scope of the present invention should be construed based on the following claims, and all the technical spirit in the equivalent scope thereto should be construed as falling within the scope of the present invention.