Vehicle seat connection assembly

The present disclosure involves a vehicle seat connection assembly having a seat back frame connecting to a seat bottom frame by a hinge member. The seat back frame has a leg which extends to an end portion wherein the end portion is hollow and has an aperture transversely formed therethrough. The end portion has an indented wall formed about the aperture and terminates at an opening. A securing member is disposed at the end portion through the aperture. The hinge member has a pivotal end attached to the seat bottom frame and a prong end having first and second spaced apart prongs which are disposed through the opening of the end portion. The prongs flank the securing member and engage the indented wall of the end portion of the seat back frame. The indented wall of the end portion is formed to complement the shape of the prongs to provide sufficient surface area support.

TECHNICAL FIELD
 The present invention relates to a vehicle seat connection assembly having
 a hinge member for pivotally connecting a seat back frame and a seat
 bottom frame of the vehicle seat.
 BACKGROUND ART
 A vehicle seat is a significant component in the manufacture of vehicles.
 Although many vehicle seats have industrial potential, there is a need to
 improve vehicle seat assemblies. Typically, a vehicle seat assembly
 includes a seat back frame pivotally connected to a seat bottom frame with
 relatively little surface area contact. In many situations, a large
 portion of the weight of the seat back frame is supported merely by the
 surface area of contact of connection between the seat back and seat
 bottom frames. Thus, a relatively large amount of stress is directed onto
 a relatively small surface area at which the seat back frame connects to
 the seat bottom.
 Moreover, many seat assemblies have connecting components requiring a
 relatively close fit during assembly thereof. In many situations, if the
 seat is assembled imprecisely, then the weight placed thereon constantly
 shifts during vehicle travel, resulting in seat flutter. Furthermore, such
 seat assemblies have connecting components that are difficult to assemble
 during the manufacturing of the vehicle seat. For example, in many
 situations, it may take the manufacturing technician or technicians
 several times to connect the seat back frame to the seat bottom frame, due
 to the relatively close connection required. Moreover, the manufacturing
 technician is required to retract the seat back trim in order to properly
 secure the seat back to the seat bottom. This difficulty increases
 manufacturing time and, in turn, increases costs.
 Thus, what is needed is a vehicle seat assembly having a relatively large
 surface area of contact at which the seat back frame connects to the seat
 bottom frame to provide sufficient surface area support.
 What is also needed is a vehicle seat assembly having a fit which connects
 the seat back frame to the seat bottom frame and uniformly absorbs weight
 placed thereon.
 What is also needed is a vehicle seat assembly having connecting components
 requiring less manufacturing time.
 DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
 It is an object of the present invention to provide for an improved vehicle
 seat. The vehicle seat comprises a seat back frame and a seat bottom frame
 pivotally attached thereto by a hinge member. The seat back frame has a
 leg which extends to an end portion wherein the end portion is hollow and
 has an indented wall formed inwardly. The end portion terminates at an
 opening. The hinge member has a pivotal end attached to the seat bottom
 frame and a prong end having first and second spaced apart prongs disposed
 through the opening of the end portion. The prongs flank and engage the
 indented wall of the end portion of the seat back frame. The indented wall
 of the end portion is formed to complement the shape of the prongs to
 provide sufficient surface area support.
 It is another object of the present invention to provide for an improved
 vehicle seat connection assembly for connecting a seat back frame to a
 seat bottom frame. The assembly includes a leg integral to the seat back
 frame extending to an end portion wherein the end portion is hollow and
 has an aperture transversely formed therethrough. The end portion has an
 indented wall formed about the aperture and terminates at an opening. The
 assembly further includes a securing member disposed at the end portion
 through the aperture. The assembly further includes a hinge member having
 a pivotal end pivotally attached to the seat bottom frame and a prong end
 engaging the end portion. The prong end has first and second spaced apart
 prongs disposed through the opening of the end portion wherein the prongs
 flank the securing member and engage the indented wall of the end portion
 of the seat back frame. The indented wall of the end portion is formed to
 complement the shape of the prongs to provide sufficient surface area
 support.
 It is yet another object of the present invention to provide for an
 improved hinge member for pivotally connecting a seat back frame to a seat
 bottom frame to define a vehicle seat assembly. The hinge member comprises
 a pivotal end and a prong end. The pivotal end pivotally attaches to the
 seat bottom frame. The prong end engages the seat back frame. The prong
 end has first and second spaced apart prongs to define a void between the
 inner surface of the first and second prongs. The inner surface engages
 the seat back frame to fill the void.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
 FIG. 1 illustrates vehicle seat 10 having seat back 16 connected to seat
 bottom 22 by hinge members 28. Seat back frame 18, shown in phantom, is
 covered by a conventional seat back trim to define seat back 16. Seat
 bottom frame 24, shown in phantom, is covered by a conventional seat
 bottom trim to define seat bottom 22.
 FIG. 2 illustrates seat connection assembly 30 which comprises seat back
 frame 18, seat bottom frame 24, and hinge members 28 which connect seat
 back frame 18 to seat bottom frame 24. Seat back frame 18 includes lateral
 member 34 which arcuately extends to legs 40, 42. Legs 40, 42 further
 respectively extend to end portions 44, 46 which terminate at respective
 openings 48, 50. End portions 44, 46 are hollow and respectively have
 indented walls 52, 56 and opposing walls 54, 58.
 FIGS. 2-4 illustrate leg 40, a portion of lateral member 34, and a portion
 of seat bottom frame 24. As shown in FIG. 3, indented wall 52 of end
 portion 44 is formed to be indented towards opposing wall 54 to define
 indentation 60. FIGS. 2-4 further illustrate end portion 44 of leg 40,
 wherein indentation 60 is formed. As shown, indentation 60 defines contact
 area 62 tapering towards opening 48. Thus, indentation 60 includes contact
 area 62 at which indented wall 52 and opposing wall 54 are preferably in
 contact. As shown, contact area 62 provides an area through which contact
 aperture 64 is transversely formed. Securing member or roll pin 66 may be
 disposed in contact aperture 64. Adjacent to opening 48, securing aperture
 70 is formed through indented wall 52. It is to be noted that, as shown in
 FIG. 2, leg 42 includes components and formations similar as to components
 and formations of leg 40 above. Particularly, end portion 46, aperture 65,
 indented wall 56, opposing wall 58, indentation 61, opening 50, contact
 area 63, securing aperture 72, and securing member 68 are respectively
 similar to end portion 44, aperture 64, indented wall 52, opposing wall
 54, indentation 60, opening 48, contact area 62, securing aperture 70, and
 securing member 66 of leg 40.
 FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate hinge member 28 having pivotal end 82 and prong
 end 86. Pivotal end 82 includes pivot hole 84 formed transversely thereon.
 Prong end 86 has two prongs formed thereon. As shown, prong end 86 is
 insertable through opening 48 to engage end portion 44. Prong end 86 has
 first and second prongs 88, 90 which flare outwardly to define void 92
 between inner surface 94 of prongs 88, 90. Inner surface 94 is generally
 U-shaped and receives tapered contact area 62 which fits to substantially
 fill void 92. Moreover, first and second prongs 88, 90 are configured to
 fit around area 62 and flank securing member 66. Indentation 60 is formed
 to complement the shape of prong end 86 for increased surface area contact
 to provide sufficient surface area support. As shown, prongs 88, 90 also
 include outer surface 96 which engages walls 52, 54 forming indentation
 60.
 The hinge member 28 has a securing hole 98 which aligns with securing
 aperture 70 of indented wall 52 such that bolt 74 may be disposed
 therethrough and secured by nut 75 to provide further securement of seat
 back frame 18 to seat bottom frame. Additional apertures and holes may
 also be aligned with each other for further securement as desired.
 As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, pivotal end 82 of hinge member 28 pivotally
 attaches to seat bottom frame 24 in order to pivotally connect seat back
 frame 18 thereto. More specifically, pivotal end 82 pivotally attaches to
 seat bottom frame 24 by aligning pivot hole 84 with attaching hole 32 of
 frame 24, as shown in FIG. 2. A rivet or bolt extends through pivot hole
 84 and attaching hole 32 to define a pivotal attaching point, thereby
 allowing conventional pivotal connection of seat back frame 18 to seat
 bottom frame 24. Serrations formed on pivotal end 82 engage with
 complementing serrations of a conventional pawl of seat bottom frame 24 to
 provide camming for conventional operation of a vehicle seat recliner
 mechanism of seat bottom frame 24. The seat back frame 18, seat bottom
 frame 24, and hinge member 28 may be formed from steel, aluminum, or any
 other suitable material or composite thereof.
 To assemble vehicle seat connection assembly 30, pivotal attaching holes 32
 align with holes 84 of hinge members 28 and are pivotally connected by
 bolts and nuts 74, 75. Once fastened to seat bottom frame 24, hinge
 members 28 are inserted through openings 48, 50 of seat back frame 18 and
 engage the respective contact areas 62, 63 as described above. Upon
 engagement with contact areas 62, 63, the first and second prongs fit
 around the contact areas to flank the respective securing member. Because
 securing members 66, 68 are respectively disposed in contact areas 62, 63
 prior to attachment of a conventional seat back trim to seat back frame
 18, a manufacturing technician need not retract the trim to insert the
 securing members therein.
 Assembly 30 provides for less manufacturing time required for assembling
 the vehicle seat. The resulting less manufacturing time, in turn, reduces
 manufacturing costs. Moreover, the connection between the hinge members
 and the contact areas provide an improved fit which sufficiently
 distributes the weight placed thereon to lessen seat flutter. Thus, the
 weight of the seat back is substantially evenly distributed at areas of
 engagement between the hinge members and end portions. The seat connection
 assembly provides sufficient surface area support of the weight placed
 thereon.
 While embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it
 is not intended that these embodiments illustrate and describe all
 possible forms of the invention. Rather, the words used in the
 specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is
 understood that various changes may be made without departing from the
 spirit and scope of the invention.