Vehicle seat and support assembly therefor

Abstract

A vehicle seat support assembly including a fluid spring that supports an upper seat base on a lower floor base at a vertical height corresponding to the adjusted position of an adjustable control linkage which extends between the seat base and a time delay valve whose operation controls the amount of pressurized fluid within the fluid spring. The control linkage includes an adjustment link pivotally mounted on the seat base for adjusting movement and connected to one end of a connecting link whose other end is connected to an actuating link that controls the valve. The control linkage actuates the valve so that the seat base is positioned at the same vertical height for any adjusted position of the linkage regardless of the seat occupant's weight. The control linkage is adjustable to vary the height at which the seat base is positioned and is prevented from transiently actuating the valve during dynamic vertical movement of the seat base by the time delay operation of the valve. The tilted position of an upright seat back mounted on the seat base is controlled by a recliner mechanism. A pawl of the recliner mechanism has ends that are slidably supported by two spaced support portions of the upper base between which a toothed keeper on the seat back is received. The keeper teeth engage the pawl and transfer forces from the seat back to the support portions on the seat base in a balanced manner due to the positioning of the keeper and pawl between the support portions. A seat cushion is mounted on the seat base for forward and rearward adjusting movement with respect to the seat back by a mounting arrangement having latch members that also latch the seat cushion to the seat base.