GB2103475A

GB2103475A - Adjustable vehicle seat

Info

Publication number: GB2103475A
Application number: GB08125516A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Trevor Charles Holdsworth
Original assignee: Talbot Motor Co Ltd
Current assignee: Peugeot Motor Co PLC
Priority date: 1981-08-20
Filing date: 1981-08-20
Publication date: 1983-02-23
Also published as: GB2103475B

Abstract

A vehicle seat (10) is mounted at its forward end on upright pivoting links (13) and at its rearward end on members (17) provided with rollers (19) which engage in fore and aft channels (20) to enable the seat position to be adjusted. A bar (24) extends between the member (17) and link (16). The bar is releasably connected in a number of positions of adjustment along the bar to the link (13) for normal fore and aft adjustment of the seat and has a releasable connection with the rear support member to permit movement of the member lengthwise of the bar to provide a further forward travel of the seat without significantly tilting the seat and permitting the seat to be returned to its rearward position in the original position of adjustment as determined by the position of engagement of the bar with the forward links (13). The arrangement is particularly suitable for a front seat of a two door vehicle having a rear seat to provide improved access to the rear seat when required. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Adjustable vehicle seats This invention relates to adjustable vehicle seats.

According to the present invention, there is provided an adjustable vehicle seat having a mounting arrangement for mounting the seat on the vehicle for bodily movement in a generally fore-and-aft direction, locking means for locking the mounting arrangement in any of a plurality of positions to provide a plurality of positions of normal fore-and-aft adjustment of the seat, first release means operable to release the locking means to permit the seat to be moved bodily fore-and-aft to select a different one of said normal positions of adjustment of the seat, and second release means operable to release the locking means to permit the seat to be moved bodily forward and to be returned without reselection of the selected normal position of adjustment of the seat.

Such an adjustable vehicle seat is of particular use in a two-door motor vehicle where, upon release of the second locking device, the seat can be moved bodily forward to increase access to the space behind the seat, whilst the seat occupant can remain seated if space permits. The seat can then be returned to the previously selected position of adjustment.

A specific embodiment of an adjustable vehicle seat according to the present invention will now be described by way of example, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure lisa diagrammatic view in side elevation of the vehicle seat; Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view in side elevation of the vehicle seat shown in Figure 1 but in a different position; and Figure 3 is a part sectional view in large scale on line 3-3 in Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, an adjustable vehicle front seat 10 providing increased access to rear seats on a two door vehicle comprises a seat back 11 and a seat base 12 which is pivotably supported adjacent the front end thereof by a U-shaped tubular member 13, the base of which is pivotably connected to the vehicle floor 14 by a pairofspaced-apartbracket 15 to provide pivotable movement of the member 13 about an axis extending transversely of the vehicle.

The top end of each limb 16 of member 13 is pivotably connected to the sides of the seat base frame (not shown).

The rear of the seat base at each side thereof is supported by a substantially vee-shaped tubular support member 17, the ends ofthe limbs of which are welded to the respective sides of the seat base frame. One end of a shouldered pin 18 passes through holes in the curved apex of the rear support member 17, is welded thereto and extends laterally outwardlyofthe member and rotatably supports a roller 19 engaged within a fore-and-aft extending guideway comprising an inwardly facing U-section channel 20, as shown.The edge ofthe upper limb of the channel is flanged inwardly to hold the roller captive in the channel whilst the lower limb of the channel is secured at each end thereof by a suitable bolt or screw 21 to respective spaced-apart upstanding transversely extending cross-member elements 22, 23 attached to the vehicle floor. The heads of the rearmost screws 21 may conveniently form a back stop for the roller 19.

Means to provide normal fore-and-aft adjustment of the seat as well as independent fore-and-aft displacement of the seat to provide increased access to the rear seats comprises a longitudinally extending rectangular section bar 24. An axially extending slot 25 is formed in the bar near the front end thereof, the upper edge of the slot being further formed with a number of upwardly extending spaced-apart notches 26 each one of which is selectively engaged by a pin 27 extending transversely outwards from a limb 16 of the front support member 13 intermediate its ends. The other end of pin 27 passes through holes in the limb 16 and is secured thereto by welding.

The rear portion of the bar 24 is of greater width than the forward portion and is formed with two axially extending vertically-spaced parallel slots 28, 29.

The rear end of the lower slot 29 is formed with an upwardly extending notch 30 into which engages the smaller diameter end of a transversely and inwardly extending shouldered pin 31 having a head 32. The larger diameter shank of the pin 31 passes through holes in the forward limb of the rear support member 17 such that the underside of the head 32 abuts a locally flattened portion 33 of the forward limb of rear support member 17 and is secured thereto by welding. The shoulder on pin 31 protrudes a short distance from the forward limb of the rear support member to provide clearance for a lever arm 34 overlaying part of the outer face of bar 24 which is held captive on a plain portion of the reduced diameter of the pin by a nut and washer 35, 36 on the screw-threaded end thereof.

A plain pin 37 is secured to the lower end of the lever arm 34, e.g. by welding, and extends inwardly from the lever arm to engage freely into the upper slot 28. The other end of the arm 34 is held fast for rotation with one end of a rod 38 by means of a D-shaped hole in the lever arm engaging over a suitable flat on the screw-threaded end of the rod and retained thereon by a nut and washer 39,40, a further washer 41 being interposed between the lever arm and the forward limb of the rear support member to provide clearance therebetween. The rod 38 is rotatably mounted in a tube 42 located in holes in the forward limb of the rear support member 17 above pin 31 and secured to the limb by welding or brazing, and a washer 43 welded to the rod 38 abuts the other side of the limb.Immediately outwards of the washer 43 the rod 38 is formed at an angle extending rearwardly and outwardly to provide a lever 44 terminating in a handle 45. Spring means (not shown) are provided to bias the bell-crank lever, Formed by elements 34, 38, 44 and 45, in an anti The drawing(s) originally filed wasiwere informal and the print here reproduced is taken from a later filed formal copy.

clockwise direction. S-ri, g means (not shx Vt/n) are also provided to bias as a.- 2S; do/n wardl, against pin 27 on the limb 16 of the support member 13. To facilitate disengagnment of the notches 26 from pin 27 against the spring bias, some five centimetres of ihe forward end of the bar 24 is bent inward y to an angle of 90 degrees and the iower edge of th s ward portion is formed with an arcuate section flange 46 to provide a rounded edge which can be comfortably grasped.Figure 1 shows the seat in the rearmost position of adjustment. normal forward adjustment from this position 5 simply obtained by lifting the forward end of arm 24 against the spring bias to pivot the arm about pin 31 and disengage notch 26 from the pin 27. The seat can then be moved forwardly to the required position and the arm 24 released so that the appropriate notch 26 engages pin 27 to secure the seat in the selected position. Any fractional relative movement between the arm 24 and pin 37 due to the small pivotable movement of arm 24 about pin 31 is adequately provided for by the clearance of pin 37 in slot 28.

When it is required to provide improved access to the rear seats, the handle 45 is rotated downwardly in a clockwise direction against the spring bias to rotate lever arm 34 such that pin 37 moves forwardly in slot 28 to lift the rear end of arm 24 by pivoting about pin 27 in the front support member and disengage the pin 31 from notch 30 and piace the pin 31 in register with slot 29. Pressure is maintained on handle 45 and the seat moved forwardly until pin 31 is past notch 30 and engaged into slot 29, the handle 45 can then be released and the seat moved further forwardly as required and independently of any operation ofthe normal fore-and-aft adjustment means.

From the normal rearmost adjusted position shown in chain-dotted line in Figure 2, the arrangement provides a maximum forward displacement of the seat as shown in full line in Figure 2. For practical purposes it is not considered that such a large degree of forward displacement would normally be required and that sufficient access to the rear seat is provided by moving the seat forwardly between a half to three quarters of the total available travel as shown in dotted line in Figure 2.

During the first half of the total available forward displacement the seat moves substantially horizontally forwardly, and throughout the range of movement which would normally be used in practice, the movement is bodily in a generally fore-and-aft direction, that is, without substantial rotation of the seat as a whole and without movement of the seat back relative to the seat base. In view of this, a particular advantage of this arrangement is that the seat occupant can remain seated when increased access to the rear seats is required. A further advantage is that as the means to permit the seat to be displaced forwardly to provide improved access to the rear seats is independent of the normal fore-and-aft adjustment means, the seat can be returned to the original position it was in priorto forward displacement.

Suitable stop means (not shown) may be provided to iimit the total '-Jr yard c;;sUiacement of the seat and ma7 conveniei-,.7 co comprises any suitable projec- tion e.g. a bolt or screw secured o the upstanding base of the channel 20) located art a required distance forward ofthe roller 19 to prevent movement of the roller beyond it.

Various modifications can be made to the particu ar embodirnent described hereinbefore. For example, the normal fore-and-aft adjustment means as weil as the displacement means can be duplicated on me other side of the seat and can be operated in unison respectively by a bar or web connecting the front ends of the arms 24 together and a suitable connection between the lever arms 34 for operation by a single handle 45 on the one side of the seat.

Additionally, instead of the seat back frame being rigidly secured to the seat base frame, it may be pivotally connected to the seat base frame by means for permitting angular adjustment of the seat back relative to the seat base in a manner know per se.

Claims

1. An adjustable vehicle seat having a mounting arrangement for mounting the seat on the vehicle for bodily movement in a generally fore-and-aft direction, locking means tor locking the mounting arrangement in any of a plurality of positions to provide a plurality of positions of normal fore-and-aft adjustment of the seat, first release means operable to release the locking means to permit the seat to be moved bodily fore-and-aft to select a different one of said normal positions of adjustment of the seat, and second release means operable to release the locking means to permit the seat to be moved bodily forward and to be returned without reselection of the selected normal position of adjustment of the seat.

2. A seat as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the mounting arrangement includes two parts which move relative to each other upon said bodily movement of the seat, the locking means comprising a locking member extending between said two parts of the mounting arrangement and which is lockable to one of said two parts in any of a plurality of positions and is lockable to the other of said two parts.

3. A seat as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the locking member adjacent said other of the two parts is provided with an elongate slot having a transverse notch, said other part having a projection which engages in the notch to lock the locking member to said other part, and the second release means being operable to move the locking member so that the projection registers with the slot and can slide therealong to release the locking means.

4. A seat as claimed in Claim 3, wherein the second release means includes a device manually operable to move the locking member so that the projection registers with the slot.

5. A seat as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the manually operable device comprises a handled crank pivotably mounted on the mounting arrangement adjacent the projection and engaging a further elongate slot in the locking member alongside the first-mentioned slot.

6. A seat as claimed in any of Claims 3 to 5, wherein biasing means is provided to tend to hold the projection in the notch.

7. A seat as claimed in any of Claims 2 to 6, wherein the locking member adjacent said one of the two parts of the mounting arrangement is provided with an elongate slot having a plurality oftransverse notches, said one part having a projection which engages in any of the notches to lock the locking member to said one part, the first release means being operable to move the locking member so that the projection registers with the slot and can slide therealong to engage the other notch or another one of the notches.

8. A seat as claimed in Claim 7, wherein the first release means includes a manually movable extension of the locking member.

9. A seat as claimed in Claim 7 or Claim 8, wherein biasing means is provided to tend to hold the projection in the engaged notch.

10. A seat as claimed in any of Claims 2 to 9, wherein the mounting arrangement comprises a linkage pivotally connected adjacent the front of a base of the seat and for being pivota l Iv connected to the vehicle floor and a roller rotatably mounted on a support member provided towards the rear of the seat base and slidable along a slideway for mounting on the vehicle floor, said two parts of the mounting arrangement being provided by respective portions of the linkage and the support member.

11. A seat as claimed in Claim 10, wherein stops are provided on the slidewayto limit said bodily movement of the seat.

12. An adjustable vehicle seat substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

13. A two-door motor vehicle having a front seat provided by a seat as claimed in any of the preceding claims.