GB2361634A

GB2361634A - Vehicle seat support

Info

Publication number: GB2361634A
Application number: GB0009821A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Richard Johnathan Howells; David John Southgate; Colin Ronald Curry; John David Richardson; Peter Kevin Cook; Peter John Thurgood
Original assignee: Johnson Controls GmbH
Current assignee: Johnson Controls GmbH
Priority date: 2000-04-25
Filing date: 2000-04-25
Publication date: 2001-10-31
Anticipated expiration: 2020-04-25
Also published as: GB0009821D0; GB2361634B

Abstract

A support 20 for mounting a vehicle seat 10 on a support structure 15 comprises a front mount 30 at the front of the seat and a rear mount 50 at the rear of the seat, wherein the front mount defines a pivotal connection between the seat front and the support structure. The rear mount is adapted to adjustably raise and lower the seat rear relative to the support structure, thereby causing the seat front to move about the pivotal connection. There is also disclosed another support 20, which comprises a front mount 30 adapted to enable a seat 10 to be moved between non-tilted and fully tilted positions. A rear mount 50 is also provided, which includes first and second assemblies attached to the seat and a support structure 15, respectively. The assemblies detachably co-operate with each other such that movement from non-tilted to tilted positions is prevented when the assemblies are engaged but allowed when disengaged.

Description

2361634 VEHICLE SEAT SUPPORT The present invention relates to a support

for mounting a seat on a support structure, in particular but not exclusively a support for a vehicle seat.

One general aim of the present invention is to provide a support for a seat which enables the height of the seat to be adjusted relative to the support structure.

Another general aim of the present invention is to provide a support for a seat which enables the seat to be tipped relative to the support structure in order to provide access to an area of the support structure which is located directly beneath the seat.

Preferably, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a support is provided which is able to meet both general aims recited above.

Various aspects of the present invention are hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic side view of a vehicle seat supported on a support structure by a support according to a first embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a more detailed side view of a rear mount forming part of the support shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a similar view to Figure 2 showing the rear mount in a different height adjusted position; Figure 4 is a schematic perspective view of part of a front mount forming part of the support shown in Figure 1; Figures 5 to 7 are diagrammatic views of the front mount shown in different tipping positions; 1 Figure 8 is a perspective view of a support according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

In Figure 1 there is shown a vehicle seat 10 having a seat cushion 11 and 5 a seat back 12.

The seat cushion 11 includes a framework (not shown) which is connected to a support 20 according to a first embodiment of the present invention, the support serving to mount the vehicle seat 10 on a support structure 15.

The support structure 15 may, for example, be the floor of a vehicle.

The support 20 includes a front mount 30 and a rear mount 50. The front mount 30 connects a front part of the framework of the seat cushion 11 to a support structure 15 and the rear mount 50 connects a rear part of the seat cushion framework to the support structure 15. The front mount 30 is operable to enable the seat 10 to be tipped forwardly relative to the support structure 15 to a fully tipped position FT (indica ted in broken lines in Figure 1) to thereby enable unobstructed access to an area 16 of the support structure 15 located directly beneath the seat 10.

In a vehicle, area 16 may conveniently comprise a storage area.

The rear mount 50 is operable to adjust the height of the seat 10 relative to the support structure between a maximum high position MH and a minimum low position ML.

The rear mount 50 is also adapted to disengage from the support structure 15 to enable the seat 10 to be tipped forwardly to its fully tipped position FT.

2 As seen more clearly in Figures 4 to 7, the front mount 30 includes a cross-member 31 which is fixed to the support structure 15. The crossmember 31 is formed from a suitable rigid material such as steel tube. Adjacent each side of the seat cushion 11 the cross-member 3 1 is provided with a radially projecting support bracket 32 (only one being shown) which is fixedly attached to the cross-member 31.

A pair of seat frame support brackets 35 are provided (only one being shown). Each support bracket 35 is attached to the framework of the seat cushion 11 and is connected to a respective support bracket 32 via a pivotal link arm 34. Each pivotal link arm 34 is pivotally connected to associated bracket 32 via a pivot 36 and is pivotally connected to associated bracket 35 via pivot 37.

Preferably both link arms 34 are joined together by a cross-member 38 which ensures that link arms 34 move in unison and also conveniently defines a handle bar for enabling an operative to move the link arms 34 about pivots 36.

Preferably the cross-member 38 is joined to link arms 34 at a position on the side of pivot 36 opposite to pivot 37. This enables the cross-member 38 and link arms 34 to be conveniently formed from a single length of suitable rigid material such as a steel tube which is bent at each end to define the cross-member 38 and arms 34.

It will however be appreciated that the cross-member 38 may be joined to the link arms 34 at a position inbetween the pivots 36, 37.

3 Alternatively, cross-member 38 may be omitted so that movement of link arms 34 in unison is reliant on the brackets 35 being secured to the seat cushion frame.

Preferably when the seat 10 is in its normal, non-tipped position (as shown in Figure 5) the brackets 35 are arranged to depend downwardly behind the cross-member 31. The brackets 35 are each provided with an abutment face 39 which serves to abut against the cross-member 31 whilst the brackets 35 are located behind the cross-member 31.

The rear mount 50 prevents the seat 10 from being pivoted forwards about pivots 37 and so retain abutment faces 39 in abutment with the cross member 3 1.

The co-operation between brackets 35 and cross-member 31 serves to prevent the seat 10 being moved forwardly about pivots 36 by an operative pushing the seat 10 in a forwards direction.

To operate the mount 30 for tipping the seat 10, the cross-member 38 is moved by an operative to cause the link arms 34 to pivot in an anti clockwise direction (arrow a in Figure 6) about pivots 36. Alternatively, the same motion can be achieved by the operative lifting the front portion of the seat cushion.

Initially the brackets 35 are raised relative to support structure 15 as the link arms 34 are angularly displaced through the angular range 0 (Figure 5).

During this angular range, the rear part of the seat 10 pivots on the mount 50 and forward movement of the seat 10 is restricted by brackets 35 4 abutting cross-member 31. Preferably in order to provide ease of pivotal movement through the angular range 0, the abutment faces 39 are curved.

Once the link arms 34 have moved the brackets 35 beyond angular range 0, the seat 10 is free to move forward and, as described below, this movement is utilised to enable the seat 10 to disengage from the rear mount 50.

After the seat 10 has been disengaged from the rear mount, link arms 34 10 are able to continue pivotal movement in the anti-clockwise direction to reach a fully tipped position as shown in Figure 6.

In addition, brackets 35 are able to pivot about pivots 37 in the anticlockwise direction (Arrow B in Figure 7) and enable the seat 10 to be tipped forwardly to its fully tipped position FT (Figures 1 and 7).

As more clearly seen in Figures 2 and 3, the rear mount 50 includes a cross-member 51 which is fixedly connected to the support structure 15.

The cross-member 51 (as more clearly seen in Figure 8) is preferably in the form of a crank having a central crank portion 60 and crank arms 53. The cross-member is preferably formed from a suitable rigid material such as steel tube.

The crank arms 53 are rotatably mounted to the support structure for rotation about a pivotal axis 54.

A pair of slide members 55 (see Figure 8) which act as crank followers are fixedly attached to the framework of the seat cushion 11. More than two slide members 55 may be provided. As an alternative, a single 5 elongate slide member 55, of constant cross-section which extends across the width of the seat 10 inbetween crank arms 53 may be provided.

As seen in Figures 2 and 3, the slide members 55 have a hollow interior 61 defined by upper and lower abutment walls 57, 58 and opposed end walls 62, 63. End wall 63 is optional and may be omitted as shown in Figure 8.

Located within the hollow interior of slide member 55 and extending along its length is the crank portion 60 which is preferably located inbetween walls 57, 58 with minimum clearance. Accordingly crank portion 60 is preferably in sliding contact with both the upper and lower walls 57, 58.

The crank portion 60 is fixedly connected at both ends to respective link arms 53. Accordingly, in use, the cross-member 51 is rotatably driven so as to pivot about pivotal axis 54 and so cause the crank portion 60 to move within the hollow interior 61 of slide member 55 toward one end 62 or the other end 63 over a range of movement RM (Figure 2).

As seen in Figures 2 and 3, the lower wall 58 is provided with a slot 65 through which crank portion 60 may pass for entry into and out of the hollow interior 61.

The range of movement RM is chosen to exclude the slot 65 such that during movement within range RM, the crank portion 60 is held captive within the interior 61. Thus during range of movement RM, the crank portion 60 positively raises or lowers the seat 10 between its high and low positions MH, MI, via the sliding contact between the crank portion 60 and walls 57, 58.

6 During the raising/lowering movement caused by drive member 60, the seat 10 pivots about pivot 37 of the front mount 30 and so causes a corresponding height adjustment to occur at the front of the seat cushion.

Preferably cross-member 51 is rotatably driven by a drive arm 70 which is pivotally attached at one end via pivot 80 to an arm 74 secured to the cross-member 51. The drive arm 70 is displaced along its longitudinal axis by a drive mechanism 72.

The drive mechanism 72 is provided with a pinion gear 73 which is located within a slot 74 formed in the drive arm 70. The upper inner wall 75 of the slot 74 is provided with a rack of gear teeth which mesh with the pinion gear 73.

Biasing means (not shown) acts to resiliently bias the link arm 70 in the direction of Arrow C in order to maintain meshing engagement between the pinion gear 73 and gear teeth on the upper inner wall 75.

The drive mechanism 72 may be motor driven or may be manually driven.

A second embodiment 120 is illustrated in Figure 8. In Figure 8, parts similar to those described in relation to Figures 1 to 7 have been 25 designated by the same reference numerals.

The second embodiment 120 is similar to the first embodiment with the exception that the support is not adapted to permit tilting of the seat to the fully tilted position FT.

7 Accordingly brackets 35 are directly pivotally connected to brackets 32 via pivots 37, ie. link arms 34 are omitted in the second embodiment.

The operation of the second embodiment 120 for causing height 5 adjustment of the seat is the same as that for the first embodiment.

Optional 1 ly, resilient means 90 preferably in the form of a spring 91 is provided. The spring 91 is attached at one end to an arm 92 fixedly secured to the cross-member 51 and is anchored at its opposite end to the support structure. The spring 91 is arranged to resiliently urge the crossmember 51 to rotate in a clock-wise direction as viewed in Figure 8 and thereby reduces the load required for operating the drive mechanism 73 to cause raising of the seat.

8

Claims

1. A support for mounting a vehicle seat on a support structure, the support including a front mount located at the front of the seat and a rear mount located at the rear of the seat, the front mount being adapted to define a pivotal connection between the front of the seat and the support structure, the rear mount being adopted to adjustably raise and lower the rear of the seat relative to the support structure and thereby cause the front of the seat to move about said pivotal connection and thereby cause the front of the seat to raise or lower simultaneously with raising or lowering of the rear of the seat.

2. A support according to Claim 1 wherein the rear mount includes a first assembly intended to be fixedly attached to the seat and a second is assembly intended to be movably secured to the support structure, the second assembly co-operating with the first assembly such that movement of the second assembly causes the height of the first assembly relative to the support structure to be adjusted.

3. A support according to Claim 2 wherein the first assembly and second assembly are detachable to enable the seat to be tilted between a normal non-tilted position and a fully tilted position.

4. A support according to Claim 2 or 3 wherein the second assembly includes a crank and the first assembly includes a crank follower slidably received on the crank.

5. A support for mounting a vehicle seat on a support structure, the support including a front mount located at the front of the seat and a rear mount located at the rear of the seat, the front mount being adapted to 9 enable the seat to be tilted between a normal non-tilted position and a fully tilted position, the rear mount including a first assembly intended to be fixedly attached to the seat and a second assembly intended to be fixedly attached to the support structure, the first and second assemblies detachably co-operating with each other such that when in an attached condition tilting of the seat from its normal non-tilted position to its fully tilted position is prevented and when in a detached condition tilting of the seat from its normal non-tilted position to its fully tilted position is permitted.

6. A support according to Claim 5 wherein the first and second assemblies co-operate such that said attached condition or detached condition is determined by relative displacement of the first and second assemblies by a predetermined distance in the front-rear direction of the seat.

7. A support according to Claim 6 wherein when the seat is in its normal, non-tilted position, the front mount is movable from a seat tilt lock position to a seat tilt release position in order to cause said relative displacement of the first and second assemblies and thereby cause the first and second assemblies to assume said detached condition.

8. A support according to Claim 5, 6 or 7 wherein the rear mount is adapted to adjust the height of the seat relative to said support structure.

9. A support for mounting a vehicle seat on a support structure substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.