GB2374001A - Folding car seat with space for headrest - Google Patents

Folding car seat with space for headrest Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2374001A
GB2374001A GB0108460A GB0108460A GB2374001A GB 2374001 A GB2374001 A GB 2374001A GB 0108460 A GB0108460 A GB 0108460A GB 0108460 A GB0108460 A GB 0108460A GB 2374001 A GB2374001 A GB 2374001A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
seat
seating
backrest
automotive
cooperate
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
GB0108460A
Other versions
GB0108460D0 (en
Inventor
Aubrey Smith
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Lear Corp
Original Assignee
Lear Corp
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Lear Corp filed Critical Lear Corp
Priority to GB0108460A priority Critical patent/GB2374001A/en
Publication of GB0108460D0 publication Critical patent/GB0108460D0/en
Publication of GB2374001A publication Critical patent/GB2374001A/en
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60N—SEATS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES; VEHICLE PASSENGER ACCOMMODATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B60N2/00—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles
    • B60N2/24—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles for particular purposes or particular vehicles
    • B60N2/30—Non-dismountable or dismountable seats storable in a non-use position, e.g. foldable spare seats
    • B60N2/3088—Non-dismountable or dismountable seats storable in a non-use position, e.g. foldable spare seats characterised by the mechanical link
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60N—SEATS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES; VEHICLE PASSENGER ACCOMMODATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B60N2/00—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles
    • B60N2/24—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles for particular purposes or particular vehicles
    • B60N2/30—Non-dismountable or dismountable seats storable in a non-use position, e.g. foldable spare seats
    • B60N2/3002—Non-dismountable or dismountable seats storable in a non-use position, e.g. foldable spare seats back-rest movements
    • B60N2/3029—Non-dismountable or dismountable seats storable in a non-use position, e.g. foldable spare seats back-rest movements by composed movement
    • B60N2/3031—Non-dismountable or dismountable seats storable in a non-use position, e.g. foldable spare seats back-rest movements by composed movement in a longitudinal-vertical plane
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60N—SEATS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES; VEHICLE PASSENGER ACCOMMODATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B60N2/00—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles
    • B60N2/24—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles for particular purposes or particular vehicles
    • B60N2/30—Non-dismountable or dismountable seats storable in a non-use position, e.g. foldable spare seats
    • B60N2/3038—Cushion movements
    • B60N2/304—Cushion movements by rotation only
    • B60N2/3045—Cushion movements by rotation only about transversal axis
    • B60N2/305—Cushion movements by rotation only about transversal axis the cushion being hinged on the vehicle frame
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60N—SEATS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES; VEHICLE PASSENGER ACCOMMODATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B60N2/00—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles
    • B60N2/24—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles for particular purposes or particular vehicles
    • B60N2/30—Non-dismountable or dismountable seats storable in a non-use position, e.g. foldable spare seats
    • B60N2/3072—Non-dismountable or dismountable seats storable in a non-use position, e.g. foldable spare seats on a lower level of a multi-level vehicle floor
    • B60N2/3075—Non-dismountable or dismountable seats storable in a non-use position, e.g. foldable spare seats on a lower level of a multi-level vehicle floor stowed in recess
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60N—SEATS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES; VEHICLE PASSENGER ACCOMMODATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B60N2/00—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles
    • B60N2/80—Head-rests

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Aviation & Aerospace Engineering (AREA)
  • Transportation (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Seats For Vehicles (AREA)

Abstract

When folded to give maximum storage, the head rest 16 is accommodated within a recess 14 in the inverted seat 12. A seat 12 forms a linkage that interconnects back rests 18 and seating portions 12, to ease conversion between seating and laid flat, load carrying configurations.

Description

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AUTOMOTIVE SEAT FOLDING
This invention relates to a method and apparatus for automotive seat folding and is particularly but not exclusively concerned with the provision of an automotive rear seat construction in which a facility to provide the usual rear seat folding capability is provided without inconvenience arising from the provision of rear seat head rests.
An aspect of the construction of automotive rear seats for many models of automobile concerns the provision of enhanced storage space for the accommodation of significant volumes of luggage and other goods, particularly where access to the rear storage space is via a tailgate or other wide access facility.
Various arrangements are adopted for enabling the generally horizontal floor portion of the vehicle's rear luggage space to be effectively extended forwards by means of folded portions of the rear seat structures. In some designs the seat portion of the rear seat or seats has to be folded to a forward and somewhat upstanding folded position so as to allow the seat back to adopt a generally horizontal or nearly horizontal attitude for extending the storage space.
In other arrangements the back portion and the seat portion of the rear seat can adopt other attitudes in their folded positions. However, generally speaking the presence of rear seat head rests represents a problem for the provision of a convenient and easily operated rear seat folding mechanism of this kind.
A desirable aspect of the operation of such a seat mechanism is to provide means whereby the folding of the rear seat is simplified so that the number of separate folding operations is reduced if possible to one.
An object of the present invention is to provide an
automotive seat mechanism and a method operating same offering improvements in relation to one or more aspects of the technical issues discussed above and/or improvements generally in relation thereto.
According to the invention there is provided an automotive seat mechanism and a method of operating same as defined in the accompanying claims.
In an embodiment of the invention an automotive seat folding mechanism is adapted to cause simultaneous pivoting movement of the seat back and the seat base or cushion portion so as to produce, in the folded assembly, a generally horizontal structures providing successive and generally contiguous extensions of a load-carrying platform portion at the rear of the vehicle.
This movement is achieved utilising a linkage mechanism of which at least one of the seat portions (or structure associated with that portion) forms a part of the linkage.
In this way, the action required to move the seat assembly from its seating position to a stowed position is achieved with a minimum of actuating steps.
A further feature of the described embodiment relates to the provision of means for accommodating at least one headrest, or related structure, in the folded or stowed configuration of the seat assembly. In the embodiment, this is achieved by providing recess means in the obverse or rear side of the seat portion with which the headrest cooperates in its folded configuration. This arrangement is achieved in the embodiment by adoption of a linkage mechanism interconnecting the seat portions and having a geometry such that folding movement of the seat assembly from its generally upright seating configuration towards its generally horizontal stowed configuration causes inversion of the lower or seating or cushion portion of the seat so as to bring into an upwardly-facing disposition the previously (in the cushion's seating attitude) downwardly-facing recess
or the like. By adoption of linkage dimensions and angular geometry appropriate to the precise spacial layout, the seat assembly folds to a lay-flat configuration in which all portions of the folded assembly are snugly interfitting with a minimum of edge-to-edge spacing, whereby the possibilities of stowed goods catching the edges during the stowage operation is minimised.
The provision of a linkage mechanism interconnecting the seat portions to cause adoption of the required attitudes in the stowed configuration has implications for the provision of seat back and seat cushion angular adjustability to meet user comfort and body dimensional requirements. These might be though to be not easily met, due to the inherent function of the linkage mechanism whereby it causes angular adjustment of the seat backrest (for example) to be accompanied by corresponding angular motion of the seat cushion. However, this feature can be accommodated, in the embodiment, by judicious choice of seat geometry so that limited available adjustment can accommodate the reasonable requirements of a substantial majority of vehicle users.
Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig 1 shows an automotive seat assembly in a first seating position; Fig 2 shows the seat assembly in an angularly-adjusted seating position; Fig 3 shows the seat assembly in a stowed or storage position in which the seat backrest and the seat seating portion cooperate in providing generally horizontal extensions of a vehicle's storage space with headrest means accommodated in recess means.
As shown in the drawings, an automotive seat construction 10 comprises a pivotable seat seating or
cushion portion 12 which is formed with recess means 14 on or in its side which is its lower side during seating use as shown in Figs 1 and 2.
The seat seating portion 12 is adapted to cooperate with or with part of seat headrest means 16 when the seat seating portion 12 is moved to its stowed position as shown in Fig 3, and is inverted, so as to enable a backrest portion 18 of the seat construction to cooperate with the seating portion 12 in providing a generally horizontal extension of a vehicle's storage space without the need for the removal of the headrest means 16.
As shown in Figs 1 to 3, seat construction 10 provides seat seating portion 12 and seat backrest portion 18 interconnected for such movement by a linkage mechanism 22 of which at least one of the seat portions (or structure associated therewith) forms part of the linkage mechanism. In this way, the seat construction is able to move between the seating positions shown in Fig 2 and the stowed or storage position shown in Fig 3 without requiring the user to carry out a multiplicity of operations. Details of this construction will now be further described.
As shown, seat construction 10 comprises a pivotable seat floor mounting 24 on which is mounted a pivotable seat fold link 26 which is movable between its three positions shown in Figs 1,2 and 3. This link forms one link of linkage mechanism 22. This other links comprise a compensating link 28 and a front link 30 and an upper link 32 which is provided by the seat seating portion 12. Figs 1, 2 and 3 show the details of the geometry of these links in their various positions.
In addition, seat construction 10 comprises a release mechanism 34 for seat seating portion 12 and (see Fig 1) a seat folding facility 36 permitting locking of the seat in its three positions of Figs 1,2 and 3.
Turning now to use of the seat construction, the seat
seating portion 12 is released from its Fig 1 or Fig 2 position by means of release mechanism or latch 34, and the seat backrest portion 18 is released at 36 by the user operating a control knob 38. Seat fold link 26 moves angularly rearwards and the seat backrest 18 moves angularly forwards to lie over the seat fold link 26 in the position shown in Fig 2. Simultaneously, the compensating link 28 causes front link 30 to pivot rearwards and to cause the seat seating portion or cushion 12 to adopt its inverted position shown in Fig 3 in which the seat headrest means 16 nestles in the recess means 14 which is shaped to match it so that the two together present a flat load platform without any gaps or recesses.
As shown in fig 3, the latch or seat folding facility 36 is released by a front control 40 and is setable in the Fig 1 position or the Fig 2 position, of which the Fig 1 position is suitable for about 5% of users and the Fig 2 position for about 95% of typical users.
Compensating link 28 is free to move within slots (not shown) provided in front link 30 and seat folding link 26. As the seat is moved between the positions shown in Figs 1 and 2, the angle of the seat backrest 18 is set by means of control 38.

Claims (8)

1. A method of automotive and other seat construction wherein a pivotal seat seating portion is formed with recess means on or in its side which is its lower side during seating use and which seating portion is adapted to cooperate with or with part of seat headrest means when said seating portion is moved to its stowed position and inverted, so as to enable a backrest portion of the seat to cooperate with said seating portion in providing storage space without the need for removal of said headrest means.
2. A method of automotive and other seat construction wherein headrest means associated with a pivotable seat backrest portion is adapted to be accommodated in recess means provided on or in the side of a seating portion of said seat construction, which side is the lower side during seating use.
3. A method of automotive and other seat construction wherein a pivotable seat seating portion is adapted to cooperate with or with part of pivotable seat backrest means when said seating and said backrest portions are moved to their stowed positions and said seating portion is inverted, so as to enable said backrest portion of the seat to cooperate with said seating portion in providing storage space.
4. A method of automotive and other seat construction wherein pivotable seat seating and backrest portions cooperate in their stowed positions to provide generally non-vertical storage space.
5. A method of automotive and other seat construction wherein a pivotable seat seating portion is adapted to cooperate with or with part of pivotable seat backrest means when said seating and said backrest portions are moved to their stowed positions so as to enable said backrest portion of the seat to cooperate with said seating portion in
providing storage space, said seat portions being interconnected for such movement by a linkage mechanism of which at least one of said seat portions (or structure associated therewith) forms part of the linkage mechanism.
6. A method of automotive and other seat construction wherein seat seating and backrest portions are interconnected for movement between seating and stowed positions by a linkage mechanism of which at least one of said seat portions (or structure associated therewith) forms part of the linkage mechanism.
7. An automotive or other seat construction adapted to provide seating functions as defined in any one of claims 1 to 6.
8. An automotive or other seat construction substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.
GB0108460A 2001-04-04 2001-04-04 Folding car seat with space for headrest Withdrawn GB2374001A (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB0108460A GB2374001A (en) 2001-04-04 2001-04-04 Folding car seat with space for headrest

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB0108460A GB2374001A (en) 2001-04-04 2001-04-04 Folding car seat with space for headrest

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB0108460D0 GB0108460D0 (en) 2001-05-23
GB2374001A true GB2374001A (en) 2002-10-09

Family

ID=9912245

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB0108460A Withdrawn GB2374001A (en) 2001-04-04 2001-04-04 Folding car seat with space for headrest

Country Status (1)

Country Link
GB (1) GB2374001A (en)

Cited By (14)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2380933A (en) * 2001-08-21 2003-04-23 Ford Global Tech Inc A foldable seating assembly for a motor vehicle
DE10301234C1 (en) * 2003-01-15 2003-11-13 Faurecia Autositze Gmbh & Co Flip-over automobile passenger seat pivoted through 180 degrees about transverse pivot axis defined by fixings for side levers
DE20215321U1 (en) * 2002-09-27 2004-02-19 Brose Fahrzeugteile Gmbh & Co. Kommanditgesellschaft, Coburg Seat arrangement for motor vehicle seat has backrest adjustable by means of lever device relative to seat mounting frame
EP1407925A1 (en) * 2002-10-09 2004-04-14 Adam Opel Ag Transformable rear seat for a vehicle
DE10336307A1 (en) * 2003-08-01 2005-03-03 Hymer Idc Gmbh & Co Kg Vehicle seat has back of backrest and underneath of seat surface designed as bed sections and moving up to form common plane when associated actuating kinematics between backrest and seat is actuated
FR2859672A1 (en) * 2003-09-17 2005-03-18 Peugeot Citroen Automobiles Sa Motor vehicle for transporting objects, has articulations positioning axis in upper position when backrest is unfolded and in lower position to be shifted towards rear of vehicle when backrest is folded
DE10348085A1 (en) * 2003-10-13 2005-05-19 Johnson Controls Gmbh Seat with swivel seat cushion part
DE10348412A1 (en) * 2003-10-14 2005-05-25 Kochendörfer & Kiep Metallverarbeitung GmbH Pivoting arrangement for seat backrest in road vehicle has toothed gear segment bolted to seat frame engaging pinion on bearing on swing link in plate with pinion fastened to backrest
DE10358720A1 (en) * 2003-12-10 2005-07-14 Volkswagen Ag Motor vehicle seat with separate folding of seat part and backrest part
WO2005108156A3 (en) * 2004-05-11 2006-05-04 Range 7 Ltd Seating device
US7252337B2 (en) 2002-09-27 2007-08-07 Brose Fahrzeugteile Gmbh & Co Kg, Coburg Seat arrangement for a motor vehicle seat
US7300109B2 (en) 2002-09-27 2007-11-27 Brose Fahrzeugteile Gmbh & Co. Kg, Coburg Seat assembly for a motor vehicle seat
WO2012007676A1 (en) * 2010-07-12 2012-01-19 Peugeot Citroën Automobiles SA Vehicle including a seat that is foldable in two stages
DE102004017140B4 (en) * 2004-04-01 2016-11-10 Volkswagen Ag Seat arrangement with a reversible seat part

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE3325927C1 (en) * 1983-07-19 1985-01-10 Daimler-Benz Ag, 7000 Stuttgart Rear-seat arrangement which can be folded in order to increase the loading space of a vehicle and has headrests
WO1997030865A2 (en) * 1996-02-26 1997-08-28 Lear Corporation Seat back automatic height adjuster and recliner mechanism
EP0937605A1 (en) * 1998-02-20 1999-08-25 Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft, Patentabteilung AJ-3 Seat for an automotive vehicle
GB2350057A (en) * 1999-05-08 2000-11-22 Daimler Chrysler Ag Rear seat arrangement for vehicles

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE3325927C1 (en) * 1983-07-19 1985-01-10 Daimler-Benz Ag, 7000 Stuttgart Rear-seat arrangement which can be folded in order to increase the loading space of a vehicle and has headrests
WO1997030865A2 (en) * 1996-02-26 1997-08-28 Lear Corporation Seat back automatic height adjuster and recliner mechanism
EP0937605A1 (en) * 1998-02-20 1999-08-25 Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft, Patentabteilung AJ-3 Seat for an automotive vehicle
GB2350057A (en) * 1999-05-08 2000-11-22 Daimler Chrysler Ag Rear seat arrangement for vehicles

Cited By (19)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2380933B (en) * 2001-08-21 2005-06-15 Ford Global Tech Inc Motor vehicle seating
GB2380933A (en) * 2001-08-21 2003-04-23 Ford Global Tech Inc A foldable seating assembly for a motor vehicle
US6997500B2 (en) 2001-08-21 2006-02-14 Ford Global Technologies, Llc Motor vehicle seating
DE20215321U1 (en) * 2002-09-27 2004-02-19 Brose Fahrzeugteile Gmbh & Co. Kommanditgesellschaft, Coburg Seat arrangement for motor vehicle seat has backrest adjustable by means of lever device relative to seat mounting frame
US7300109B2 (en) 2002-09-27 2007-11-27 Brose Fahrzeugteile Gmbh & Co. Kg, Coburg Seat assembly for a motor vehicle seat
US7252337B2 (en) 2002-09-27 2007-08-07 Brose Fahrzeugteile Gmbh & Co Kg, Coburg Seat arrangement for a motor vehicle seat
EP1407925A1 (en) * 2002-10-09 2004-04-14 Adam Opel Ag Transformable rear seat for a vehicle
DE10301234C1 (en) * 2003-01-15 2003-11-13 Faurecia Autositze Gmbh & Co Flip-over automobile passenger seat pivoted through 180 degrees about transverse pivot axis defined by fixings for side levers
DE10336307A1 (en) * 2003-08-01 2005-03-03 Hymer Idc Gmbh & Co Kg Vehicle seat has back of backrest and underneath of seat surface designed as bed sections and moving up to form common plane when associated actuating kinematics between backrest and seat is actuated
FR2859672A1 (en) * 2003-09-17 2005-03-18 Peugeot Citroen Automobiles Sa Motor vehicle for transporting objects, has articulations positioning axis in upper position when backrest is unfolded and in lower position to be shifted towards rear of vehicle when backrest is folded
DE10348085B4 (en) * 2003-10-13 2005-10-13 Johnson Controls Gmbh Seat with swivel seat cushion part
DE10348085A1 (en) * 2003-10-13 2005-05-19 Johnson Controls Gmbh Seat with swivel seat cushion part
DE10348412A1 (en) * 2003-10-14 2005-05-25 Kochendörfer & Kiep Metallverarbeitung GmbH Pivoting arrangement for seat backrest in road vehicle has toothed gear segment bolted to seat frame engaging pinion on bearing on swing link in plate with pinion fastened to backrest
DE10348412B4 (en) * 2003-10-14 2006-05-11 Kochendörfer & Kiep Metallverarbeitung GmbH vehicle seat
DE10358720A1 (en) * 2003-12-10 2005-07-14 Volkswagen Ag Motor vehicle seat with separate folding of seat part and backrest part
DE10358720B4 (en) * 2003-12-10 2013-06-06 Volkswagen Ag Motor vehicle seat with separate folding of seat part and backrest part
DE102004017140B4 (en) * 2004-04-01 2016-11-10 Volkswagen Ag Seat arrangement with a reversible seat part
WO2005108156A3 (en) * 2004-05-11 2006-05-04 Range 7 Ltd Seating device
WO2012007676A1 (en) * 2010-07-12 2012-01-19 Peugeot Citroën Automobiles SA Vehicle including a seat that is foldable in two stages

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB0108460D0 (en) 2001-05-23

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WAP Application withdrawn, taken to be withdrawn or refused ** after publication under section 16(1)