Abstract:
The invention relates to a vehicle seat, comprising a seat underframe and a backrest which tips forwards, these being interconnected by an adjustment and tipping axle ( 4 ); and which preferably has a backrest inclination adjustment device on both sides, said adjustment device(s) containing an adjustment gear and a part ( 9 ) whose angle is adjustable in relation to a side part of the seat underframe. In the use position of the backrest, a stop ( 25 ) of said part ( 9 ) with an adjustable angle rests on a first stop ( 24 ) of a fitting ( 8 ) which is fixed in relation to the backrest, while in the tipped-forward position of the backrest, a stop ( 23 ) that is provided on a fitting ( 7 ) on the seat side rests on a second stop ( 26 ) of the fitting ( 8 ) that is fixed in relation to the backrest and/or the backrest upholstery rests on the seat cushion.

Description:
DESCRIPTION  
         [0001]    The invention relates to a vehicle seat according to the preamble of claim  1 .  
           [0002]    In order to optimise the posture of the vehicle passenger, more particularly the vehicle driver of a motor vehicle, it is known to make the vehicle seat longitudinally adjustable and the underframe of the seat vertically and incline adjustable and to make the incline of the backrest of the vehicle seat adjustable relative to the seat underframe or seat cushion. For a two or three door vehicle it is further known in order to facilitate entry for a rear seat passenger to make the backrest capable of tipping forwards or over so that the backrest cushion comes to rest on the seat cushion to provide the largest possible entry opening.  
           [0003]    In the in use position of the vehicle seat, i.e. in the optimum inclined position of the backrest for the vehicle passenger relative to the seat underframe the incline adjustment of the backrest can be locked in order to prevent rattling noises and in the event of a crash to prevent the backrest from folding forwards. In order to further improve comfort when climbing into the back of the vehicle it is also known to lock the forward-folded backrest in a predetermined position in order to prevent the backrest which is resting with its seat back cushion on the seat cushion from springing back and thus reducing the access opening.  
           [0004]    [0004]FIG. 1 shows in a perspective view a vehicle seat  1  without seat cushion and backrest cushion. The seat underframe  2  has on either side of the vehicle seat  1  seat side parts  21 ,  22  which are connected to a backrest  3  through a common adjusting and tilting axle  4 . In order to adjust the backrest incline a hand wheel  5  connected to an adjusting gear  6  is provided on one side of the vehicle seat  1 .  
           [0005]    The vehicle seat  1  which is shown in a in use position GS in FIG. 1, i.e. in a certain inclined position, can be released from the locked in use position GS by means of an operating handle  30  preferably on the side or top edge of the backrest  3  next to the vehicle door, preferably an operating handle  30  mounted at the back of the backrest and which can be swivelled about the adjusting and tipping axle  4  into a forward folded position VS in which the backrest  3  can be locked.  
           [0006]    [0006]FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of an adjusting mechanism according to the prior art for a backrest which can be adjusted in incline and folded over.  
           [0007]    The adjusting mechanism consists of a fitting  7  on the seat side part and a fitting  8  fixed on the backrest which can be adjusted in angle relative to the fitting  7  on the seat side part about the adjusting and tipping axle  4 . In order to adjust the incline of the fitting  8  fixed on the backrest relative to the fitting  7  on the seat side part there is an adjusting gear  6  which is connected to an angularly displaceable part  9  which has two stops  10 ,  12  aligned relative to each other of which the stop  12  on the angular adjustable part  9  serves in interaction with a stop  11  mounted on the fitting  8  fixed on the backrest to re-find a set in use position of the backrest  3  (FIG. 1) whilst the stop  10  of the angularly adjustable part  9  secures the in use position GS according to FIG. 1 in connection with a bolt  13  which is sprung in the locking position. Unlocking the in use position GS of the vehicle seat is through an operating element  14  which is guided in a slide guide  15  whereby the bolt  13  can be lifted against spring force.  
           [0008]    After releasing the stop  10  of the angular adjustable part  9  by lifting the bolt  13  the fitting  8  fixed on the backrest and thus the backrest  3  itself can be tipped so far forwards into the forward folded position until the stop  11  of the fitting  8  fixed on the backrest strikes against the stop  10  of the angular adjustable part  9 . Thus the backrest can only be tipped over in the narrow area which lies between the in use position in which the stop  11  of the fitting  8  fixed on the backrest bears against the stop  12  of the angular adjustable part  9  and the position in which the stop  11  of the fitting  8  fixed on the backrest stops against the stop  10  of the angular adjustable part  9 .  
           [0009]    If in the in use position GS according to FIG. 1 the incline angle formed between the backrest  3  and seat underframe  2  is very large then it is apparent from the aforesaid illustration that as a result of the restricted tipping angle when folding the backrest  3  forwards into the forward folded position VS there is still a considerable angle of the backrest  3  remaining relative to the seat underframe  2  and thus the backrest  3  does not reach the desired forward folded position for an optimum easy entry opening for rear seat passengers and where necessary a locking mechanism provided for locking the backrest  3  in the forward folded position VS cannot be activated.  
           [0010]    The object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle seat with a backrest which can be adjusted in incline and which can be tipped over whereby folding the backrest over into a predetermined and preferably lockable position is guaranteed independently of the inclined position of the seat backrest in the in use position.  
           [0011]    This is achieved according to the invention through the features of claim  1 .  
           [0012]    The solution according to the invention enables the backrest to be tipped forwards into one and the same predetermined and in particular lockable forward folded position independently of the incline angle of the backrest which has been set in the relevant in use position.  
           [0013]    The solution according to the invention is based on the knowledge that the desired forward folded position of a backrest of a vehicle seat can be provided independently of the relevant set backrest incline in the in use position through stops provided independently of each other on the fittings fixed on the backrest and on the seat side part as well as on the angular-adjustable part of the adjusting mechanism. Separating the dependence of the forward folded position on the in use position makes it possible, even with a wide set back backrest incline, i.e. with a wide angle set between the backrest and the seat underframe, to set a predetermined forward folded position in which the position of the backrest can be locked so that the backrest is prevented from springing back.  
           [0014]    Advantageous developments of the solution according to the invention can be drawn from the features of the sub-claims. 
       
    
    
       [0015]    The idea on which the invention is based will now be described in further detail with reference to an embodiment illustrated in the drawings in which:  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a vehicle seat with a backrest which can be adjusted in incline and tipped over;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 2 shows an adjusting mechanism according to the prior art;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIGS. 3 and 4 each show a perspective view of the adjusting mechanism according to the invention with the backrest of a vehicle seat located in the in use position; and  
         [0019]    [0019]FIGS. 5 and 6 each show a perspective view of the adjusting mechanism according to the invention with the backrest tipped forwards and locked. 
     
    
       [0020]    [0020]FIGS. 3 and 4 on the one hand and  5  and  6  on the other each show the alternate sides of the adjusting mechanism attached to the vehicle seat for adjusting the backrest incline in the in use position and for tipping the backrest forwards into the forward-folded position.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIGS. 3 and 4 show the angular adjustable connection of a fitting  8  fixed on the backrest through an adjusting and tipping axle  4  to a fitting  7  on each seat side part which are connected to the seat side parts  21 ,  22  of the seat underframe  2  according to FIG. 1 and are part of the seat side parts  21 ,  22  respectively. Adjusting the backrest incline is carried out by a hand wheel  5  which acts through an adjusting gear  6  on an angle-adjustable part  9  which has a stop  25  which can be adjusted in the directions of the double arrow entered on the stop  25  and in interaction with a first stop  24  on the fitting  8  fixed on the backrest sets the relevant incline of the backrest.  
         [0022]    As opposed to the prior art the stops  23 ,  26  on the fitting  7  on the seat side part and on the fitting  8  fixed on the backrest and which define the forward tipping of the backrest are separated from the stops  24 ,  25  which define the backrest incline in the in use position so that any angle can be provided between the backrest incline in the in use position according to FIGS. 3 and 4 and the backrest incline in the forward-tipped position according to FIGS. 5 and 6.  
         [0023]    Since the stop  25  of the angular adjustable part  9  can only enter into engagement with the associated first stop  24  on the fitting  8  fixed on the backrest in one direction, namely when tipping the backrest back into the in use position whilst when tipping the backrest forwards the stop  23  provided on the seat side part  7  enters into engagement with the second stop  26  on the fitting  8  fixed on the backrest, and both pairs of stops  24 ,  25  and  23 ,  26  are provided on different sides relative to the adjusting and tipping axle  4 , tipping the backrest forwards is guaranteed independently of the in use position.  
         [0024]    Alternatively the stop  23  provided on the fitting  7  on the seat side part can however also be replaced by the seat cushion connected to the seat underframe  2  onto which the backrest upholstery of the backrest is pressed. In this forward folded position shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 in which according to FIG. 6 the stop  23  mounted on the fitting  7  on the seat side part bears against the second stop  26  of the fitting  8  on the backrest side, the position of the fitting  8  on the backrest side and thus of the backrest is fixed by means of a locking mechanism and can only be released by operating the operating handle  30  according to FIG. 1 in order to swivel the backrest  3  back again into the in use position.  
         [0025]    The locking mechanism contains a locking lever  16  which is able to swivel on an axle  20  connected to the fitting  8  fixed on the backrest in the direction of the double arrow entered in FIG. 5. The one lever arm  17  of the locking lever  16  is connected to a Bowden able  29  and to a spring  22  which is mounted and fixed between a pin  21  located at the end of the lever arm  17  and the axle of the adjusting gear  6  whilst the other lever arm  18  can be locked with a bolt  19  which is fixed on the fitting  7  on the seat side part. On reaching the predetermined forward folded or tipped position of the backrest the lever arm  18  of the locking lever  16  engages round the bolt  19  with positive engagement so that the backrest is secured by means of the spring elastically pretensioned locking lever  16 .  
         [0026]    Releasing this locked position is achieved by operating the operating handle  30  according to FIG. 1 which acts through the Bowden cable  29  on the lever arm  17  of the locking lever  16  and which lifts against the action of the spring  22  the positive engagement between the end of the lever arm  18  and the bolt  19 .  
         [0027]    In general the in use position of a forward folded backrest is released through an operating handle  30  mounted in the upper area of the backrest whereby Bowden cables  27 ,  28  or operating rods for locking mechanisms on the operating handle  30  are fitted on both sides of the vehicle seat. The Bowden cable  29  which is provided for the locking lever  16  is likewise fitted on the designated operating handle  30  which according to FIG. 1 is mounted preferably concealed on the back of the backrest  3 .  
         [0028]    Securing the backrest incline in the in use position is undertaken by a bolt (not shown in further detail in FIGS.  3  to  6 ) corresponding to the bolt  13  shown in FIG. 2 which can be operated through an operating element  14  guided in a slide guide  15 .  
         [0029]    As opposed to the prior art the inwardly pointing stop  12  of the angular adjustable part  9  according to FIG. 2 has thus been replaced by an outward pointing stop  24  on the fitting  8  fixed on the backrest according to FIG. 3, and the stop  11  on the fitting  8  fixed on the backrest according to FIG. 2 has been replaced by the stop  25  on the angular adjustable part  9  according to FIG. 3 and the stops  24 ,  25  defining the incline angle of the backrest in the in use position are separated and are mounted on different sides of the adjusting and tipping axle  4  through which the backrest is attached to the seat underframe.