US3628831A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Seat back position control mechanism
Assignee: Ford Motor Co
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Filing: 1970-06-05
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Granted: 1971-12-21
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Expires: 1990-06-05
Abstract
Abstract A seat back position control mechanism for a vehicle seat assembly that has a generally horizontal seat structure and an upstanding backrest structure pivotally supported on support arms for tiltable movement forwardly over the seat structure. A latch pawl normally is maintained in latching attitude and its inertia is a factor in preventing backrest movement upon the occurrence of a predetermined maximum vehicle deceleration. Following such a deceleration, a secondary inertia means in the form of freeswinging pendulum means maintains the latch pawl in latching attitude and acts as a time delay release. Manual activation means are also provided to permit movement of the latch pawl from its latching attitude. Further, a shiftable pivot means cooperates with the pendulum means to prevent undesired forward tilting movement of the backrest and an attached occupied child seat upon normal braking of the vehicle.
Inventors
- 👤 Albert R Close
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 14:40
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60N; B60N2/00; B60N2/02; B60N2/20
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
305 words
A seat back position control mechanism for a vehicle seat assembly having a substantially horizontal seat structure and a normally upright backrest, the backrest being forwardly tiltable over the seat structure on support arms pivotally connected to the seat structure, the control mechanism comprising: a latch lug projecting from a support arm, a latch pawl pivotally supported on the backrest and having a camming abutment and a latching abutment, the camming abutment in normal upright position of the backrest having abutting engagement with the latch lug to hold the latch pawl and the latching abutment thereon in latch lug engaging attitude, means urging the latch pawl about its pivot in a direction tending to displace the latching abutment from latch lug engaging attitude upon initial movement of the backrest forwardly from its normal upright position, the inertia of the latch pawl upon an accelerating tilting force being applied to the backrest inhibiting movement of the latch pawl in the aforementioned direction to cause the latching abutment to engage the latch lug and prevent forward tilting of the backrest beyond a predetermined minimum degree of movement, pendulum means pivotally connected to the backrest for freeswinging movement, an abutment means positioned to coact with the pendulum means, the pendulum means having a neutral position relative to the abutment means in which position the latch pawl is shiftable about the latch pawl pivot without an interference from the abutment means, the pendulum means being displaceable from its neutral position upon the application to the backrest of an accelerated force less than the accelerated force which would cause the latch pawl of its own inertia to remain in latch lug engagement attitude, the pendulum means when so displaced coacting with the abutment means to block movement of the latch pawl about its pivot out of latch lug engagement attitude.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
305 words
A seat back position control mechanism for a vehicle seat assembly having a substantially horizontal seat structure and a normally upright backrest, the backrest being forwardly tiltable over the seat structure on support arms pivotally connected to the seat structure, the control mechanism comprising: a latch lug projecting from a support arm, a latch pawl pivotally supported on the backrest and having a camming abutment and a latching abutment, the camming abutment in normal upright position of the backrest having abutting engagement with the latch lug to hold the latch pawl and the latching abutment thereon in latch lug engaging attitude, means urging the latch pawl about its pivot in a direction tending to displace the latching abutment from latch lug engaging attitude upon initial movement of the backrest forwardly from its normal upright position, the inertia of the latch pawl upon an accelerating tilting force being applied to the backrest inhibiting movement of the latch pawl in the aforementioned direction to cause the latching abutment to engage the latch lug and prevent forward tilting of the backrest beyond a predetermined minimum degree of movement, pendulum means pivotally connected to the backrest for freeswinging movement, an abutment means positioned to coact with the pendulum means, the pendulum means having a neutral position relative to the abutment means in which position the latch pawl is shiftable about the latch pawl pivot without an interference from the abutment means, the pendulum means being displaceable from its neutral position upon the application to the backrest of an accelerated force less than the accelerated force which would cause the latch pawl of its own inertia to remain in latch lug engagement attitude, the pendulum means when so displaced coacting with the abutment means to block movement of the latch pawl about its pivot out of latch lug engagement attitude.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
58 words
A control mechanism according to claim 1 and including: a pair of slots formed in at least one support arm, a pair of pins connected to the backrest and slidably received within said slots, the instantaneous axes of rotation of the backrest relative to the support arm being determined by the relative positions of the pair of slots.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
23 words
A control mechanism according to claim 1, in which: the abutment means protrudes from the latch pawl for engagement with the pendulum means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
45 words
A control mechanism according to claim 1 and including: the pendulum means comprising a plurality of independent swingable weights having different natural frequencies of swinging movement to provide a time delay effect before all weigHts return to a neutral position after having been displaced therefrom.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
45 words
A control mechanism according to claim 3 and including: the pendulum means comprising a plurality of independent swingable weights having different natural frequencies of swinging movement to provide a time delay effect before all weights return to a neutral position after having been displaced therefrom.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
77 words
A control mechanism according to claim 1 and including: a latch plate supported on the backrest to pivot about the same point as the latch pawl, the latch pawl being freely pivotal out of latch lug engaging attitude without interference from the latch plate, the latch plate being pivotal relative to the backrest to cause the latch pawl to rotate out of latch lug engaging attitude, control means attached to the latch plate to cause movement thereof.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
21 words
A control latch mechanism according to claim 6 and including: the pendulum means mounted on the latch plate for free-swinging movement.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
104 words
A control mechanism according to claim 7 and including: biasing means urging the latch plate into a normal position, the pendulum means being formed with a peripheral recess positioned adjacent the abutment means when the latch pawl is in a latch lug engaging attitude, the latch plate is in its normal position and the pendulum means is freely depending without swinging, the abutment means being receivable within said recess to permit displacement of the latch pawl from latch lug engaging attitude, the abutment means being engageable with the pendulum means when swinging to prevent displacement of the latch pawl from latch lug engaging attitude.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
137 words
A seat back position control mechanism for a vehicle seat assembly having a substantially horizontal seat structure and a normally upright backrest supported thereon for forwardly tiltable movement over the seat structure, the mechanism comprising a first member and a second member, the first member movably connected to the second member for pivotal movement thereabout, first guide means formed on one of the first and second members, a first follower means attached to the other of the members movingly engageable with the first guide means, second guide means formed on one of the members, a second follower means attached to the other of the members movingly engageable with the second guide means, the instantaneous centers of relative rotation of the first and second members being determined by the relative positions of the first and second guide means.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
137 words
A seat back position control mechanism for a vehicle seat assembly having a substantially horizontal seat structure and a normally upright backrest supported thereon for forwardly tiltable movement over the seat structure, the mechanism comprising a first member and a second member, the first member movably connected to the second member for pivotal movement thereabout, first guide means formed on one of the first and second members, a first follower means attached to the other of the members movingly engageable with the first guide means, second guide means formed on one of the members, a second follower means attached to the other of the members movingly engageable with the second guide means, the instantaneous centers of relative rotation of the first and second members being determined by the relative positions of the first and second guide means.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
54 words
A control mechanism according to claim 9 and including: the guide means being so disposed that the instantaneous axes of rotation of the first member relative to the second member are more distantly spaced from said first and second guide means during initial backrest forwardly tilting movement than during later backrest forwardly tilting movement.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
124 words
A seat back position control mechanism for a vehicle seat assembly having a substantially horizontal seat structure and a normally upright backrest pivotally supported on support arms for forwardly tiltable movement over the seat structure, the mechanism comprising a first member and a second member pivotally connecting the seat structure and the backrest, the first member having a pair of slots formed therein, pin means secured to the second member being slidably received within the slots, the slots being relatively disposed so that the backrest upon initial forward movement away from its normal upright position has instantaneous pivot axes spaced more distant from the pin means in the direction of the forward tilt of the backrest than during later forward movement of the backrest.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
124 words
A seat back position control mechanism for a vehicle seat assembly having a substantially horizontal seat structure and a normally upright backrest pivotally supported on support arms for forwardly tiltable movement over the seat structure, the mechanism comprising a first member and a second member pivotally connecting the seat structure and the backrest, the first member having a pair of slots formed therein, pin means secured to the second member being slidably received within the slots, the slots being relatively disposed so that the backrest upon initial forward movement away from its normal upright position has instantaneous pivot axes spaced more distant from the pin means in the direction of the forward tilt of the backrest than during later forward movement of the backrest.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
73 words
A control mechanism according to claim 11 and including: one of the slots having an open end, one of the pin means traversing the extent of and exiting the open end slot during a first portion of forwardly tilting movement of the backrest, the instantaneous pivot centers of the backrest being located within the periphery of the other of the slots following exit of the one pin means from the open end slot.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
30 words
A control mechanism according to claim 11 wherein: the slots are relatively obliquely disposed thus imparting a rotational movement to the second member as the pin means transverse the slots.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
181 words
A control mechanism according to claim 1 in which: coating pairs of pin and slot means form the pivotal connection of the support arms to the seat structure, the pin and slot means defining an instantaneous center of rotation about which the backrest is movable from its normal upright position at first with a slight rising motion and then a forwardly tilting motion, the normal center of gravity of the backrest lying a predetermined distance from the instantaneous center of rotation and thereby requiring for forward movement of the backrest the application of a forwardly directed force sufficient to overcome the normal center of gravity force couple resisting movement of the backrest about the center of rotation, the construction and arrangement of the pin and slot means being such that a child seat attached to the backrest and occupied by a child substantially shifts the center of gravity of the backrest away from the instantaneous center of rotation thereby increasing the amount of force that must be applied before forward movement of the backrest from its normally upright position will occur.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
62 words
A control mechanism according to claim 1 and including: coating pair of pin and slot means forming the pivotal connection of the support arms to the seat structure, the pin and slot means defining an instantaneous axis of rotation about which the backrest is initially movable from its normal upright position with generally upwardly directed linear displacement and forwardly directed angular displacement.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-12-20 | 1975-06-21 | 1975-12-21 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-12-20 | 1979-06-21 | 1979-12-21 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-12-20 | 1983-06-21 | 1983-12-21 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |