Patent Publication Number: US-2006006702-A1

Title: Tailgate support assembly with push-button release

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention relates to a seat support mechanism and, more particularly, a seat support mechanism adapted for use with a rear or third row seat that is pivotable between a forward facing position and a rearward facing position.  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      Minivan and sport utility markets are extremely competitive. A growing focus of the competition is the overall utility and comfort of these vehicles. One important utility feature that is gaining much attention includes flexible vehicle interiors and, more particularly, flexible rear or third row seating assemblies. Flexibility, in this sense, refers to the ability to modify the configuration of a particular seating assembly. For example, when attending an outdoor function, a consumer may desire to utilize the cargo compartment of the vehicle as a seating area. This would allow the consumer to sit within the vehicle while maintaining a direct line of sight with, and being able to hear, individuals outside of the vehicle. Thus, automobile manufacturers have developed a rear or third-row seat that is pivotable about the vehicle body from a forward seating position to a rearward seating position. A problem that exists, however, is that the cargo space of the vehicle is typically not configured to support the vehicle seat in this rear seating position.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      A seating apparatus is provided including a seating member and a support mechanism. The seating member is pivotable between a first seating position and a second seating position. The support mechanism is attached to the seating member. The support mechanism is operable between a stored position and a supporting position. The support mechanism is adapted to engage a portion of a vehicle to support the seating member in the second seating position.  
      Another aspect of the present invention provides a vehicle seating apparatus including a seat and a support mechanism. The seat includes a first seating member and a second seating member. The seat is pivotable between a first seating position and a second seating position. The support mechanism is attached to the second seating member and is operable between a stored position and a supporting position. The support mechanism is adapted to engage a portion of a vehicle to support the seat in the second seating position.  
      Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a seating apparatus in accordance with the principles of the present invention in a forward seating position;  
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the seating apparatus of  FIG. 1  having a pair of support mechanisms in an extended position;  
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the seating apparatus of  FIG. 2  in a rearward seating position;  
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of one of the pair of support mechanisms of  FIGS. 1-3 ;  
       FIG. 5  is an exploded perspective view of the support mechanism of  FIG. 4 ;  
       FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional side view of the support mechanism taken through line VI-VI of  FIG. 5 ;  
       FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional side view of the support mechanism of  FIG. 4  in a retracted position;  
       FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional side view of the support mechanism of  FIG. 4  in an extended position;  
       FIGS. 9A and 9B  are partially hidden detail side views of the support mechanism of  FIG. 4  in the retracted position; and  
       FIG. 10  is a partially hidden detail side view of the support mechanism of  FIG. 4  in an extended position.  
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
      The following description of the preferred embodiment is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses.  
       FIGS. 1-3  depict a seating apparatus  10  having a pair of support mechanisms  12 . The seating apparatus  10  is pivotable between a forward seating position, shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , and a rearward seating position, shown in  FIG. 3 . The support mechanisms  12  are attached to a top portion of the seating apparatus  10  and are operable between a retracted position, shown in  FIG. 1 , and an extended position, shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . The support mechanisms  12  are adapted to engage a portion of a vehicle body  14 , such as a rear door sill, thereby supporting the seating apparatus  10  in its rearward seating position.  
      The seating apparatus  10  generally includes a seat bottom  16 , a seatback  18 , a headrest  20 , and a pivot mechanism  22 . As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the seat bottom  16  is generally horizontal and the seatback  18  is generally upright when the seating apparatus  10  is in its forward seating position. Alternatively, the seat bottom  16  is generally upright and the seatback  18  is generally horizontal when the seating apparatus  10  is in its rearward seating position.  
       FIGS. 4-10  depict the support mechanism  12  including a housing sleeve  24 , a cap  26 , a locking mechanism  28 , and a support arm subassembly  30 . The housing sleeve  24  and cap  26  contain the locking mechanism  28  and the support arm subassembly  30 .  
      The housing sleeve  24  generally includes an elongated tubular member having an external surface  32 , an internal surface  34 , a containing end  36 , and a receiving end  38 . A plurality of attachment flanges  40  append from the external surface  32  of the housing sleeve  24 . The attachment flanges  40  are adapted to receive fasteners (not shown), such as screws, to fasten the support mechanism  12  to the seating apparatus  10 . The internal surface  34  of the housing sleeve  24  defines an internal abutment collar  42  and a plurality of internal guide rails  44 , as best seen in  FIG. 6 . The internal abutment collar  42  extends radially inward from the internal surface  34  and is disposed proximate to the receiving end  38  of the housing sleeve  24 . The internal guide rails  44  also extend radially inward from the internal surface  34  of the housing sleeve  24 . The internal guide rails  44  each include an abutment end  46 , a chamfered end  48 , a locking edge  50 , and a guide edge  52 . The abutment ends  46  of the internal guide rails  44  are disposed adjacent to the internal abutment collar  42 . The chamfered ends  48  of the internal guide rails  44  extend at an angle of approximately 45 degrees between the locking edge  50  and guide edge  52 . The internal guide rails  44  define a plurality of blind guide slots  54  therebetween. The cap  26  includes a cylindrical body defining a blind bore  56 , which is best illustrated in  FIGS. 7 and 8 . The blind bore  56  receives the containing end  36  of the housing sleeve  24 . The cap  26  is fixed to the external surface  32  of the housing sleeve  24  via an adhesive, a set screw, by interference fit, or any other suitable means.  
      The locking mechanism  28  includes a nut  58  and a biasing member  60 . The nut  58  generally includes a cylindrical body defining a plurality of locking arms  62  and a blind bore  64 . As best illustrated in  FIG. 9B , the locking arms  62  include first and second longitudinal guide edges  66 ,  68  and a working edge  70 . The working edge  70  includes a locking longitudinal edge  72 , an inclined locking surface  74 , and an inclined unlocking surface  76 . The inclined locking surface  74  and inclined unlocking surface  76  are generally parallel to each other and extend at an angle of approximately 45 degrees relative to the locking longitudinal edge  72 . The locking arms  62  each have a semi-circumferential dimension that is slightly less than a semi-circumferential dimension of the blind guide slots  54  defined between the internal guide rails  44  of the housing sleeve  24 . This enables the locking arms  62  to freely slide within the blind guide slots  54  upon extension and retraction of the support mechanism  12 , as will be discussed in more detail below. The biasing member  60  includes a first end  78  and a second end  80 . The first end  78  is disposed within the blind bore  64  of the cylindrical body of the nut  58 . The second end  80  is disposed within the blind bore  56  of the cylindrical body of the cap  26 . The biasing member  60  biases the nut  58  away from the cap  26 . In an exemplary embodiment, the biasing member  60  includes a coil spring.  
      The support arm subassembly  30  is disposed within the housing sleeve  24  and includes a support arm  82  and a support arm sleeve  84 . The support arm  82  is a generally elongated cylindrical member constructed of a rigid material such as steel. The support arm sleeve  84  is a generally tubular member receiving the support arm  82 . The support arm sleeve  84  includes an external surface  86 , an open end  88 , and a closed end  90 . The open end  88  includes a saw-toothed circumferential edge  92 . The saw-toothed circumferential edge  92  includes a plurality of teeth  94 . As best illustrated in  FIG. 9B , the teeth  94  each include a primary edge  96  and secondary edge  98  intersecting through an apex  100  at an angle of approximately 90 degrees.  
      The external surface  86  of the support arm sleeve  84  defines a plurality of guide pads  102 . The plurality of guide pads  102  extend radially outward from the external surface  86  of the support arm sleeve  84 . The plurality of guide pads  102  each have a semi-circumferential dimension that is slightly smaller than the semi-circumferential dimensions of the blind guide slots  54  disposed between the internal guide rails  44  of the housing sleeve  24 . This allows the guide pads  102  to freely slide within the blind guide slides  54  during actuation of the support mechanism  12 . The plurality of guide pads  102  are disposed within the blind guide slots  54  to maintain the rotational disposition of the support arm subassembly  30  relative to the housing sleeve  24 .  
       FIGS. 9A and 9B  depict the support mechanism  12  in the retracted position. The plurality of internal guide rails  44  on the internal surface  34  of the housing sleeve  24  lockingly engage the working edge  70  of the locking arms  62  of the nut  58 . The chamfered ends  48  of each of the internal guide rails  44  engage the inclined locking surfaces  74  of the locking arms  62  of the nut  58 . The locking edges  50  of the plurality of guide rails  44  engage the locking longitudinal edges  72  of the working edges  70  of the locking arms  62  of the nut  58 . This locking engagement maintains the rotational, as well as the axial disposition, of the locking mechanism  28 , support arm subassembly  30 , and housing sleeve  24  in this retracted position.  
       FIG. 10  depicts the support mechanism  12  in the extended position. The guide pads  102  on the support arm sleeve  84  axially engage the abutment collar  42  on the internal surface  34  of the housing sleeve  24 . The locking arms  62  of the nut  58  are disposed within the guide slots  54  located between the internal guide rails  44  on the internal surface  34  of the housing sleeve  24 . The biasing member  60  biases the nut  58  and support arm subassembly  30  toward the receiving end  38  of the housing sleeve  24  to maintain this extended position.  
      The following steps provide the transition between the above-described retracted and extended positions. With the support mechanism  12  in the retracted position, as illustrated in  FIGS. 9A and 9B , a downward axial force is applied to the closed end  90  of the support arm subassembly  30 . This force axially displaces the support arm subassembly  30  such that the teeth  94  on the open end  88  of the support arm sleeve  84  engage the working edges  70  of the locking arms  62  of the nut  58 . More particularly, the teeth  94  engage the working edges  70  such that their apexes  100  initially contact the inclined locking and unlocking surfaces  74 ,  76  of the working edge  70  of the locking arms  62  of the nut  58 . Subsequently, the primary edges  96  of the teeth  94  slidably engage the respective inclined locking and unlocking surfaces  74 ,  76 . This causes the nut  58  to rotate relative to the support arm subassembly  30  in a clockwise direction, as viewed from the cap  26  of the support mechanism  12  shown in  FIGS. 9 and 10 .  
      Once this initial rotation is achieved, the force applied to the closed end  90  of the support arm subassembly  30  can be released. This enables the biasing member  60  to axially displace the nut  58  in the upward axial direction toward the support arm subassembly  30 . Upon such axial displacement, the inclined unlocking surface  74  of the working edge  70  of the locking arm  62  of the nut  58  slidably engages the chamfered ends  48  of the internal guide rails  44  of the housing sleeve  24 . This further causes the nut  58  to rotate in the clockwise direction, as viewed from the cap  26 . This further rotation continues until the second longitudinal edge  68  of the locking arms  62  of the nut  58  passes the guide edge  52  of the guide rails  44  of the housing sleeve  24 . At this point, the locking arms  62  of the nut  58  are substantially axially aligned with the plurality of blind guide slots  54  in the housing sleeve  24  disposed between the internal guide rails  44 . The biasing member  60  is then enabled to fully extend and axially displace the nut  58  and support arm subassembly  30  to the extended position shown in  FIG. 10 . It should be appreciated that while the support arm subassembly  30  and locking mechanism  28  have been disclosed herein as including a nut  58  having locking arms  62  with working edges  70  adapted to slidably engage and interlock with a plurality of internal guide rails  44  having chamfered ends  48 , it is envisioned that any type of manually or automatically actuable device capable of serving the principles of the present invention is intended to be included within the scope of the invention.  
      The description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and, thus, variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention.