Double articulation for the folding backrest of a rear seat for motor vehicles

Abstract: A rear seat for a motor vehicle includes a squab (2), the front of which is articulated to the motor-vehicle body, and a backrest (5) connected to the body. The backrest (5) can adopt a vertical position of normal use, a first lowered position in which it bears on the squab (2), and a second lowered position in which it bears directly on the floor (3) after the squab (2) has been pivoted forwards. A double articulation which enables the backrest (5) to be put into these positions includes two articulation pins (8, 9) connected rigidly to the backrest (5) and an S-shaped body (10) which is carried by the vehicle body and whose two sides define two guide tracks (14, 15) with arcuate profiles which are engaged by the two pins (8, 9).

Description: Field of the invention The present invention relates to articulations for the folding backrests of rear seats for motor vehicles. Prior art A double articulation for the folding backrest of a motor-vehicle rear seat is already known in the art, the seat including a seat element or squab the front of which is articulated to the body of the vehicle about a transverse axis so as to be movable between a position of normal use adjacent the floor and a substantially vertical position into which it is pivoted forwardly, and the articulation being intended to connect the lower portion of the backrest to the motor-vehicle body and including a first transverse articulation pin and a second articulation pin parallel to and spaced downwardly of the first so that the backrest can selectively adopt: a substantially vertical position of normal use, a first lowered position in which the backrest bears on the squab and which can be attained as a result of the forward pivoting of the backrest about the first articulation pin, and a second lowered position in which the backrest bears directly on the floor and which can be attained by arranging the squab in its substantially vertical position and then pivoting the backrest forwardly about the second articulation pin. The movement of the backrest to one of the lowered positions increases the volume of the luggage compartment of the motor vehicle, the volume being greatest when the backrest is in its second lowered position in which its rear surface constitutes a substantially coplanar extension of the load platform. A double articulation of the type indicated above is described in French patent application FR-A-2 605 565. In this known solution, the backrest is connected to the body with the interposition of a connecting member articulated both to the backrest and to the body by means of the first and second articulation pins respectively. This solution is quite complex since it also includes resilient means which oppose the pivoting of the articulation between the backrest and the connecting member, as well as remotely-releasable means for locking the articulation between the connecting member and the body. Somewhat similar arrangements are also known from FR-A-1 182 761 and JP-A-57 118 938. Object of the invention The object of the present invention is to provide an articulation of the type indicated above which has a simple structure and is constituted by fewer parts, to the benefit of its manufacturing costs and reliability in operation. The invention According to the invention, this object is achieved by means of an articulation having the features set forth in claim 1. The advantages which can be achieved by the present invention consist essentially of the fact that an articulation thus formed includes a limited number of mechanical components, to the benefit of its reliability in use; this results in a considerable reduction in the time and materials needed for the assembly of the seat with a consequent reduction in costs. The invention also relates to a motor-vehicle rear seat including an articulation having the characteristics specified above. Brief description of the drawings The invention is explained in detail below with reference to the appended drawings provided purely by way of non-limiting example, in which: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a motor-vehicle rear seat in its position of normal use and having a double articulation according to the invention, Figure 2 is a side elevation of the seat of Figure 1 with the backrest in its first lowered position, Figure 3 is a side elevation of the seat of Figure 1 with the backrest in the second lowered position, Figure 4 is a schematic side elevation of the double articulation according to the invention, Figure 5 is a perspective view of the device of Figure 4, Figure 6 is a section taken on the line VI-VI of Figure 5, Figures 7, 8 and 9 are partially-sectioned perspective views showing the seat in the positions of Figures 1, 2 and 3, Figure 10 shows a variant of Figure 7, Figure 11 is an exploded perspective view of a detail of Figure 10, and Figure 12 is a section taken on the line XII-XII of Figure 11. Description of a first embodiment of the invention With reference initially to Figures 1 and 7, a rear seat for a motor vehicle, generally indicated 1, includes a squab 2 and a backrest 5. The squab 2 bears on the floor 3 of the body and, near its front end 2a, includes a transverse articulation pin 4 for enabling the squab 2 to pivot until it reaches a vertical position (Figures 2 and 9). In Figures 1 and 7, the backrest 5 is in a substantially vertical position of normal use and its lower end 5a is connected to the motor-vehicle body on each side by an articulation, generally indicated 6. The articulation 6 includes two parallel transverse pins, an upper pin 8 and lower pin 9, fixed to the structure of the backrest 5 and a body 10 fixed to the body of the vehicle for guiding the pins 8 and 9, as will be described in greater detail below. The backrest 5 is kept in its position of normal use by a fixing device 7 of known type arranged near its upper end 5b and comprising, for example, a hook 7a adapted to grip a pin 7b projecting inwardly from the side of the motor-vehicle body. The structure of the device 7 is not shown in detail since, as already indicated, this device may be of any known type and does not fall within the scope of the present invention. Moreover, the fact that these details are left out of the drawings makes the latter more readily and easily understood. The device 6 enables the backrest 5 to be pivoted so as to rest either on top of the squab 2 (Figures 2 and 7) or, after the squab 2 has been pivoted forwards about the pin 4, directly on the floor 3 of the body so as to constitute an extension of the rear load platform 3a (Figures 3 and 8). As shown in greater detail in Figures 4, 5 and 6, the guide body 10 is shaped substantially like a reversed S and includes a metal core 10a incorporated in a plastics body 10b including a support plate 11 with holes 18 (only one of which is shown) for the engagement of screws, not shown, for fixing it to a vertical portion 20 of the body beside the backrest 5 (Fig. 7). The two sides of the S-shaped body define two guide tracks 14 and 15 the ends of which have respective stop surfaces in the form of circular seats 12 and 13 having axes 12a and 13a lying in a transverse plane substantially perpendicular to the floor 3 of the motor vehicle. The guide tracks 14 and 15 have circular profiles whose centres of curvature coincide with the axes 13a and 12a respectively (see in particular Figure 4). The end of the upper pin 8 has an enlarged head forming an annular projection 16 which is partially engaged in a groove 17 (Figure 5) adjacent the track 14 so as to prevent the backrest 5 from moving sideways relative to the motor-vehicle body. When the backrest 5 is in its position of normal use, the pins 8 and 9 are in their base positions engaged in the seat 12 and the seat 13 respectively (see Figure 4). The squab 2 has a stop member 2b which is in contact with the upper pin 8 when the squab is in its normal position, so as to prevent the pin 8 from moving away from its base position. Moreover, the body 10 has a resilient blade 130 which is resiliently deformed by the lower pin 9 when it moves from its base position. By virtue of the shape of the element 10, when the upper pin 8 is in its base position, the lower pin 9 can move along the track 15 following an arcuate path; similarly, when the lower pin 9 is in its base position, the upper pin 8 can move along the track 14 following an arcuate path about the lower pin 9. In operation, in order to move the backrest 5 to its first lowered position, the hook 7a is released from the pin 7b and the top 5b of the seat is pushed forwards. Since the squab is in its normal position with the stop member holding the upper pin 8 in the seat 12, the backrest 5 can pivot only about that pin, overcoming the opposition of the blade 130. The backrest 5 stops when it bears on the squab 2 (Figures 2 and 8). During the movement of the backrest, the lower pin 9 slides along the guide track 15. The backrest can be returned to its erect position in a similar manner. In order to move the backrest 5 to its second lowered position, the squab 2 is first pivoted about the pin 4 until it is arranged vertically as shown in Figures 3 and 9. In this configuration, the backrest no longer meets any resistance from the stop member 2b of the squab 2 and, if its top is pushed after the fixing device 7 has been released, it pivots about the lower pin 9 which is restrained by the resilient blade 130. The articulation 6 described specifically in this description and illustrated in the appended drawings includes a flat, reversed-S-shaped element 10 for association with the right-hand side of a seat backrest and of a motor car body, a similar S-shaped body for use on the left-hand side of the seat and the body, however, will have a shape symmetrical to that described. Description of a second embodiment Figure 10 relates to a variant for a seat with a single squab and a backrest including two separate portions 5d which can be folded independently (only one of the portions 5d is visible in Figure 10). In this embodiment, each of the outer sides of the backrest is connected to the body by means of an articulation 6. The facing sides of the backrest portions 5d, however, are connected to the body by a connecting device 60 which is indicated by the arrow XI in Figure 10 and is shown on an enlarged scale in Figures 11 and 12. The device 60 comprises a bracket 61 fixed to the floor of the body and a connecting member 62 which is articulated to the bracket 61 and to the structures of both the right-hand and left-hand portions 5d of the backrest. With reference to Figures 11 and 12, the connecting member 62 has a U-shaped body 63 including a U-shaped, bent metal plate 64 covered in plastics material. The two arms 65 of the U-shaped body 63 have opposed pins 66 which engage respective holes 67 in the facing sides of the structures of the two backrest portions 5d (see Fig. 10, in which one of the holes is visible). The holes 67 are aligned on the axis 12a of the two side articulations 6. As already stated, the body 63 is also articulated to the bracket 61 by a pin 68. Finally, the body 63 also has two lateral guide tracks 69 which correspond to the tracks 15 of the articulations 6 and which are engaged by two pins 90 (only one of which is visible in the drawings) carried by the two adjacent sides of the backrest portions 5d and aligned on the axis of the lower pin 9 of each articulation 6. If both of the backrest portions 5d are to be folded, the operation is similar to that described above with reference to Figures 8 and 9. If the squab is kept in its normal position, the connecting member 62 cannot move since the pins 66 are restrained by the backrest because the upper pins 8 are stopped by the squab. The backrest can thus be folded by being pivoted about the axis 12a. The lower pins 9 slide along the tracks 15 and the pins 90 slide along the tracks 69 of the body 63. When the squab 2 is tipped up, both the backrest portions can be pivoted about the axis 13a. In this case, the connecting member 62 pivots relative to the bracket 61. If only one portion 5d, for example, the right-hand portion, that is, the one shown in Figure 10, is to be folded, the squab 2 has to be kept in its normal position. The portion 5d can thus pivot about the axis 13a, overcoming the opposition of the resilient blades 130 of the two lateral articulations 6. The pins 9 slide along the guides 15 whilst the pin 90 of the portion 5d which is lowered slides along its track 69. Naturally, the principle of the invention remaining the same, the forms of embodiment and details of construction may be varied widely, provided that they do not thereby depart from the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims: A double articulation for the folding backrest (5) of a rear seat (1) for motor vehicles, the seat including: a seat element or squab (2) the front of which is articulated to the body of the vehicle about a transverse axis (4) so as to be movable between a position of normal use adjacent the floor (3) and a substantially vertical position into which it is pivoted forwardly, and the articulation (6) being intended to connect the lower portion (5a) of the backrest (5) to the motor-vehicle body and including a first transverse articulation pin (8) and a second articulation pin (9) parallel to and spaced downwardly of the first (8), so that the backrest (5) can selectively adopt: a substantially vertical position of normal use, a first lowered position in which the backrest (5) bears on the squab (2) and which can be attained as a result of the forward pivoting of the backrest (5) about the first articulation pin (8), and a second lowered position in which the backrest (5) bears directly on the floor (3), and which can be attained by arranging the squab (2) in its substantially vertical position and then pivoting the backrest (5) forwardly about the second articulation pin (9), the double articulation being such that: the first and second articulation pins (8, 9) are both fixed to the backrest (5) of the seat (1) and are both free to move relative to guide means which are intended to be fixed to the body, the guide means are constituted by a substantially flat, S-shaped body (10) having two sides (14, 15) which define first and second guide tracks (14, 15) for the first and second articulation pins (8, 9) respectively, the first and second guide tracks (14, 15) being shaped as arcs of circles centred on the axes of the second and first articulation pins (8, 9) respectively, with reference to the base positions of the pins (8, 9) when the backrest (5) is in the vertical position, the guide tracks (14, 15) also have respective ends with stop surfaces (12, 13) which define the base positions of the two articulation pins (8, 9) when the backrest (5) is in the vertical position, whereby the backrest (5) can pivot about the first articulation pin (8) to move to its first lowered position, in which case the first articulation pin (8) remains in its base position and the second articulation pin (9) moves away from its base position along the second guide track (15), or about the second articulation pin (9) to move to its second lowered position, in which case the second articulation pin (9) remains in its base position and the first articulation pin (8) moves away from its base position along the first guide track (14), means (2b, 12) being provided for restraining the first articulation pin (8) in its base position when the squab (2) is in its position of normal use, and when the backrest (5) is in the vertical position, the axes of the two pins (8, 9) are in a substantially vertical plane defined by the axes (12a, 13a) of the circular profiles of the stop surfaces (12, 13). An articulation according to Claim 1, characterized in that it has resilient means (130) for restraining the second articulation pin (9) in its base position, the means (130) enabling the second articulation pin (9) to move away from its base position only as a result of the application of a predetermined force. An articulation according to Claim 1, characterized in that the flat, S-shaped body (10) comprises a metal core (10a) incorporated in a plastics body including a support plate (11) which can be fixed to the motor-vehicle body. An articulation according to Claim 1, characterized in that the means for restraining the first articulation pin (8) in its base position when the squab (2) is in its position of normal use comprise a stop element (2b) carried by the squab (2). An articulation according to Claim 1, characterized in that the two stop surfaces (12, 13) have circular profiles. An articulation according to Claim 1, characterized in that the first and second pins (8, 9) have circular cross-sections corresponding to the stop surfaces (12, 13), and in that one of the pins (8) has an enlarged head (16) for engaging a corresponding groove (17) adjacent to the respective track (14) of the flat S-shaped element (10). A rear seat for a motor vehicle, characterized in that it includes an articulation according to any one of Claims 1 to 6. A seat according to Claim 7, of the type having a backrest constituted by two separate portions which can be folded independently, characterized in that the adjacent sides of the portions (5d) are connected to the body by a connecting member (62) having two axes of articulation coinciding with those of the articulation pins (8, 9).

Inventors: BRAMBILLA SILVIO, BRAMBILLA, SILVIO
Applicants: LEAR SEATING ITALIA SPA, LEAR SEATING ITALIA S.P.A.
Application year: 1992
Main classification: B60N2
IPC codes: B60N2