GB2235372A

GB2235372A - Vehicular seat assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2235372A
Application number: GB9013014A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ichiro Matsuura
Original assignee: Ikeda Bussan Co Ltd
Current assignee: Ikeda Corp
Priority date: 1989-08-30
Filing date: 1990-06-11
Publication date: 1991-03-06
Anticipated expiration: 2010-06-11
Also published as: GB2235372B; GB9013014D0; JPH0515150Y2; JPH0342729U

Abstract

A triangular structure 4 is pivotally connected 10 a rear portion of a seat 3 and supports a seatback 5. A latching device 6 latches the triangular structure 4 to the seat. A stop 10 beside the seat has a sloped upper surface 10a facing the triangular structure 4. When, with the latching device 6 inoperative, the seatback is pivoted forward together with the triangular structure 4 by a certain angle, a part 4c of the triangular structure is brought into contact with the surface 10a of the stop, preventing further pivoting of the seatback. <IMAGE>

Description

VEHICULAR SEAT ASSEMBLY The present invention relates in general to a seat assembly, and more particularly to a vehicular seat assembly which has both a reclining device and a seat slide device.

In order to clarify the task of the present invention, one conventional vehicular seat assembly equipped with both a reclining device and a seat slide device will be outlined with reference to Figs. 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawings.

The vehicular seat assembly is used as a front seat of motor vehicles of a type having two or three doors.

The vehicular seat assembly includes a seat 1 essentially consisting of a seat cushion part 3 and a seatback part 5. The seat 1 is disposed on a seat slide device 2 which essentially consists of a pair of parallel stationary rails 2a and 2b (only one is shown) and a pair of parallel movable rails 2c and 2d (only one is shown) which mount thereon the seat cushion part 3 and slidably engage with the stationary rails 2a and 2b. A triangular structure 4 is connected to a side rear portion of the seat cushion part 3 in a manner to pivot about a pivot shaft 4a secured to the side portion. The triangular structure 4 is latched to the side portion by a latching means 6.The latching means 6 comprises a projection 6a secured to the side portion of the seat cushion part 3, a pawl 6b pivotally connected to the triangular structure 4 and latchingly engageable with the projection 6a, and a spring 6c for biasing the pawl 6b in a direction to achieve the latching engagement between the pawl 6b and the projection 6a. The spring 6c has one end fixed to the triangular structure 4, and the other end fixed to the pawl 6b. The triangular structure 4 is pivotally connected through a threaded pivot shaft (no numeral) to a lower bracket 11 of the seatback part 5. A control knob 4b is screwed to the pivot shaft for adjusting a pivot angle of the seatback part 5 relative to the seat cushion part 3.That is, with rotating the control knob 4b in one direction, the seatback part 5 becomes fixed to the triangular structure 4, while, with rotating the control knob 4b in the other direction, the fixed condition of the seatback part 5 to the triangular structure 4 becomes cancelled, permitting free pivoting of the seatback part 5 relative to the triangular structure 4.

As shown in Fig. 6, when a rearseat passenger intends to get out of the vehicle, the seatback part 5 must be inclined forward. For this inclination of the seatback part 5, the pawl 6b is pulled against the force of the spring 6c disengaging from the projection 6a, and then, the seatback part 5 is pushed forward.

With this, a seatback unit including the triangular structure 4 and the seatback part 5 is pivoted forward about the pivot shaft 4a.

However, the vehicular seat assembly as mentioned hereinabove has the following drawback.

As shown in Fig. 6, if, with the seat 1 assuming a frontmost position A, the forward pivoting of the seatback unit (4+5) exceeds a certain degree, an upper portion of the seatback part 5 is brought into abutment with a front windshield 7. This tends to break the front windshield 7.

What is desired is a vehicular seat assembly, which is free of the above-mentioned drawback.

According to the present invention, there is provided a vehicular seat assembly which comprise seat cushion part, a seatback part carried by the seat cushion part, a seat slide device including a stationary rail and a movable rail which mounts thereon the seat cushion part and slidably engages with the stationary rail, a triangular structure pivotally connected to the seat cushion part, latching means for latching the triangular structure to the seat cushion part, connecting means for connecting the triangular structure to the seatback part, and a stopper structure secured to a fixed member and having a sloped surface which faces toward the triangular structure, wherein when the triangular structure is pivoted in a given direction by a certain angle relative to the seat cushion part, a part of the triangular structure is brought into abutment with the sloped surface thereby to suppress further pivoting movement of the triangular structure.

Preferred features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a side view of a seat assembly according to the present invention; Fig. 2 is a partial and sectional view of the seat assembly, which view is taken along the line II-II of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a partial and side view of the seat assembly showing a condition in which the seat assumes a rearmost position; Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but showing a condition in which the seat assumes a frontmost position; Fig. 5 is a side view of a conventional seat assembly; and Fig. 6 is a view showing operating conditions of the conventional seat assembly.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4, particularly Fig. 1, there is shown a vehicular seat assembly of the present invention.

Since the seat assembly of the invention is similar in construction to the above-mentioned conventional seat assembly, the following description will be directed to only the parts and constructions which are different from those of the conventional seat assembly.

As is seen from Fig. 1, the triangular structure 4 employed in the invention is a strongly built metal member, and has a forwardly extending tongue portion 4c. As will become apparent hereinafter, when the seatback unit (viz., the unit including the triangular structure 4 and the seatback part 5) is pivoted forward by a given angle, the tongue portion 4c is brought into abutment with a so-called "stopper structure" 10 which is arranged beside the seat cushion part 3. With this, further pivoting movement of the seatback unit (4+5) is suppressed.

The stopper structure 10 is a strongly built metal member which comprises an elongate base portion lOc which is horizontal and secured to one stationary rail 2a, an elongate vertical portion lOb raised from one side edge of the base portion lOc, and an sloped upper portion lOa which extends from an upper edge of the vertical portion lOb in a direction opposite to the direction in which the base portion lOc extends, as is seen from Fig. 2. The elongate vertical portion lOb has thus a height which increases gradually with increase of distance from a rear end of the vertical portion lOb toward a front end of the same.

With the construction of the seat assembly of the invention now described, the following advantages are expected.

As will be understood from Fig. 4, even when the seat 1 is at the frontmost position, the forward pivoting of the seatback unit (4 + 5) does not induce the undesired collision of the seatback part 5 against the front windshield 7. This is because the forward pivoting of the seatback unit (4 + 5) is forced to stop when the tongue portion 4c of the triangular structure 4 abuts against the sloped upper portion lOa of the stopper structure 10. Although this smaller pivoting of the seatback unit (4 + 5) provides only a smaller folding angle "BS" of the seatback unit (more specifically, the angle of the triangular structure 4) relative to the horizontally extending seat slide device 2, the location of the seat 1 at the frontmost position does not interrupt smooth ingress and egress of rearseat passengers through the clearance defined behind the seat 1.

As will be understood from Fig. 3, as the seat 1 is moved rearward relative to the seat slide device 2, the folding angle "6L" of the seatback unit (4 + 5) (more specifically, the folding angle of the triangular structure 4) relative to the seat slide device 2 increases because of increase in vertical distance between the pivot shaft 4a for the triangular structure 4 and the sloped upper portion lOa of the stopper structure 10. Thus, even when the seat 1 assumes a rear position, smooth ingress and egress of rearseat passengers is obtained.

Accordingly, even when the seat 1 is at the frontmost position A, the seatback part 5 does not abut against the windshield 7 because of the decreased forward pivoting of the seatback part 5. While, when the seat 1 is at the rearmost position B causing a decreased distance between the seat 1 and the rears eat 8, passengers can easily get on and out of the rear seat 8 because of the increased forward pivoting of the seatback part 5.

Claims

Claims:

1. A seat assembly comprising: a seat cushion part; a seatback part; a seat slide device including a stationary rail and a movable rail which mounts thereon said seat cushion part and slidably engages with said stationary rail; a pivotal structure connected to said seat cushion part; latching means for latching said pivotal structure to said seat cushion part; connecting means for connecting said pivotal structure to said seatback part; and a stopper structure secured to a fixed member and having a sloped upper portion which faces toward said pivotal structure, wherein, when said pivotal structure is pivoted in a given direction by a certain angle relative to said seat cushion part, a part of said pivotal structure is brought into abutment with said sloped upper portion,thereby to suppress further pivoting movement of said pivotal structure.

2. A seat assembly as claimed in Claim 1, in which, when said pivotal structure is pivoted forwardly relative to said seat cushion part, said part of said pivotal structure is brought into abutment with said sloped upper portion.

3. A seat assembly as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, in which said pivotal structure is triangular in shape.

4. A seat assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, in which said part of said pivotal structure is shaped like a tongue.

5. A seat assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, in which said stopper structure comprises: an elongate base portion which is horizontal and secured to said stationary rail; and an elongate vertical portion raised from one side edge of said base portion, said elongate vertical portion having a height which increases gradually with increase of distance from a rear end of said vertical portion toward a front end of the same; and said sloped upper portion extends from an upper edge of said vertical portion in a direction opposite to the direction in which said base portion extends.

6. A seat assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, in which said latching means comprises: a projection secured to said seat cushion part; a pawl pivotally connected to said pivotal structure and latchingly engageable with said projection; and biasing means for biasing said pawl in a direction to achieve the latching engagement between said pawl and said projection.

7. A seat assembly as claimed in Claim 6, in which said biasing means is a spring.

8. A seat assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, in which said connecting means comprises a control knob through which an angle defined by said seatback part and said pivotal structure is adjustable.

9. A seat assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, in which said fixed member is said stationary rail.

10. A seat assembly substantially as described herein with reference to, and as shown in, Figures 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.