Granted Patent B2

US 7,658,430 · App. 11/751,794 · Granted Feb 9, 2010

Abstract

Claims (52)

1. A seat assembly for a motor vehicle having a floor and a structural pillar, the seat assembly comprising:

a seat bottom frame attached to said floor of said motor vehicle;

a seat back frame pivotally attached to said seat bottom frame, said seat back frame capable of pivoting between a stowed position wherein said seat back frame is generally parallel to said seat bottom frame and an upright position wherein said seat back frame is generally perpendicular to said seat bottom frame;

a striker mechanism positioned on said seat back frame, said striker mechanism arranged to be moveable between a normal position wherein the striker mechanism engages a latch located on said structural pillar of said vehicle when said seat assembly is in an upright position, and a retracted position wherein said striker mechanism is pivoted toward said seat back frame as said seat assembly is pivoted from said upright position to said stowed position.

2. The seat assembly of claim 1 , wherein said structural pillar is a d-pillar of said vehicle.

3. The seat assembly of claim 1 , said seat assembly further comprising:

a striker bracket pivotally connected to said seat back frame, said striker bracket farther including a striker pivot pin;

a striker member connected to said striker bracket;

a striker receptacle attached to said seat back frame and arranged to receive said striker member; and

wherein when said striker mechanism is in said normal position, said striker member is arranged to engage said latch located in said structural pillar of said vehicle when said seat assembly is in said upright position.

4. The seat assembly of claim 3 , said seat assembly further comprising:

an upper spring connected to said striker bracket, said upper spring arranged to bias said striker member into said normal position of said striker mechanism.

5. The seat assembly of claim 3 , wherein said striker mechanism in said retracted position is located within said striker receptacle flush with an outer edge of said seat back frame.

6. The seat assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a push rod assembly connected to the striker mechanism and arranged to pivot said striker mechanism towards said seat back frame.

7. The seat assembly of claim 6 , wherein said seat assembly further comprising: a striker bracket pivotally connected to said seat back frame, said striker bracket further including a striker pivot pin and said push rod assembly further comprises:

a push rod having an integrally formed upper slot and lower slot located at respective ends of said push rod;

a lower pivot spring attached to a lower end of said push rod;

said lower slot of said push rod slidably attached to an actuation bracket about an

actuation pivot pin, said actuation bracket further pivotally attached to said seat back frame; and

said upper slot of said push rod slidably connected to said striker pivot pin.

8. The seat assembly of claim 7 , wherein in said normal position said lower pivot spring is arranged to bias said push rod to locate said actuation pivot pin at the bottom of said lower slot and to locate said strike pivot pin at the top of said upper slot.

9. The seat assembly of claim 8 , said seat assembly further comprises a striker member connected to said striker bracket and wherein as said seat assembly is pivoted into said stowed position:

said actuation bracket rotates relative to said seat back frame, moving said push rod upwardly and said strike pivot pin to move to said bottom of said upper slot;

said push rod biases said striker member into said retracted position while said lower pivot spring continues to bias said actuation pivot pin at said bottom of said lower slot; and

the weight of said seat back frame overcomes the bias of said lower pivot spring and said actuation pivot pin moves to the top of said lower slot.

10. A motor vehicle, the motor vehicle comprising:

a floor;

a structural pillar;

a seat assembly attached to said floor, said seat assembly further including a seat bottom and a seat back;

said seat back pivotally attached to said seat bottom, wherein said seat back is arranged to pivot between a stowed position wherein said seat back is generally parallel to said seat bottom and an upright position wherein said seat back is generally perpendicular to said seat bottom;

a striker mechanism positioned on said seat back frame, said striker mechanism arranged to engage a latch located in said structural pillar of said vehicle when the seat assembly is in an upright position; and

retract toward said seat back frame as said seat assembly is pivoted from said uptight position to said stowed position.

11. The motor vehicle of claim 10 , wherein said structural pillar is a d-pillar of said vehicle.

12. The motor vehicle of claim 10 , said motor vehicle further comprising:

a striker bracket pivotally connected to said seat back frame, said striker bracket further including a striker pivot pin;

a striker member connected to said striker bracket;

a striker receptacle attached, to said seat back frame and arranged to receive said striker member; and

wherein when said striker mechanism is in said normal position, said striker member is arranged to engage said latch located in said structural pillar of said vehicle when said seat, assembly is in said upright position.

13. The motor vehicle of claim 12 , said motor vehicle further comprising:

an upper spring connected to said striker bracket, said upper spring arranged to bias said striker member into said normal position of said striker mechanism.

14. The motor vehicle of claim 12 , wherein said striker mechanism in said retracted, position is located within said striker receptacle flush with an outer edge of said seat, back frame.

15. The motor vehicle of claim 10 , wherein a push rod assembly pivots said striker mechanism towards said seat back frame.

16. The motor vehicle of claim 15 , wherein said seat assembly further comprising: a striker bracket pivotally connected to said seat back frame, said striker bracket further including a striker pivot pin and said push rod assembly further comprises:

a push rod having an integrally formed upper slot and lower slot located at respective ends of said push rod:

a lower pivot spring attached to a lower end of said push rod;

said lower slot of said push rod slidably attached to an actuation bracket about an actuation pivot pin, said actuation bracket further pivotally attached to said seat back frame; and

said upper slot of said push rod slidably connected to said striker pivot pin.

17. The motor vehicle of claim 16 , wherein said lower pivot spring is arranged to bias said push rod to locate, said actuation pivot pin at the bottom of said lower slot and to locate said striker pivot pin at the top of said upper slot.

18. The motor vehicle of claim 17 , said seat assembly further comprises a striker member connected to said striker bracket and wherein as said seat assembly is pivoted into said stowed position:

said actuation bracket rotates relative to said seat back frame, moving said push rod upwardly and said striker pivot pin to move to said bottom of said upper slot;

said push rod biases said striker member into said retracted position while said lower pivot spring continues to bias said actuation pivot pin at said bottom of said lower slot; and

the weight of said seat back frame overcomes the bias of said lower pivot spring and said actuation pivot pin moves to the top of said lower slot.

Assignments (20)