The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 24, 1997
Filed:
Jan. 16, 1996
Liviu Rus, Troy, MI (US);
Lear Seating Corporation, Southfield, MI (US);
Abstract
A passenger seat assembly (10) for a motor vehicle which can be folded to a stowed position for increasing cargo capacity includes a seat cushion (12) and a backrest cushion (14). The seat cushion (12) can move between horizontal use and vertical stowed positions, and the backrest cushion (14) can similarly move between vertical use and horizontal stowed positions. A displacement cam (64) is connected to the seat cushion (12). A pawl (46) locks the backrest cushion (14) in its vertical use position. A flexible motion transmitting core element (52) is attached at one end to the pawl (46) and at the other end to a slug (70). The slug (70) rides in an arcuate receiver slot (68) of the displacement cam (64). When the seat cushion (12) is manually pulled from its horizontal use position, the displacement cam (64) is rotated, causing the receiver slot (68) to slide over the slug (70). This lost motion continues for approximately 30.degree. of movement until the slug (70) bottoms in the receiver slot (68), at which point the core element (52) is tensioned and begins pulling the pawl (46) toward an unlocked condition. At approximately 45.degree. rotation of the seat cushion (12) away from its horizontal use position, the pawl (46) fully unlocks the backrest cushion (14). Conversely, when the seat assembly (10) is returned to the normal use condition from the stowed condition, the pawl (46) relocks the backrest cushion (14) in its vertical use position as soon as the seat cushion (12) reaches approximately 45.degree. rotation away from its horizontal use position. This arrangement eases operation and manipulation of the seat assembly (10) to the stowed position, ensures occupant safety, and also eliminates the need to precisely control tolerances.