U.S. patent number 3,669,398 [Application Number 05/057,692] was granted by the patent office on 1972-06-13 for adjustable seat supporting assembly.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Lear Siegler, Inc.. Invention is credited to David S. Robinson.
United States Patent |
3,669,398 |
Robinson |
June 13, 1972 |
ADJUSTABLE SEAT SUPPORTING ASSEMBLY
Abstract
An adjustable seat supporting assembly including a pair of
spaced seat support members and base means. The seat support
members are supported on the base means by elongated levers. Each
lever is pivotally connected to the base means and independently
pivotally connected to the seat support members. There are two sets
of levers on each side of the assembly. The levers on each side of
the assembly have ends facing one another with notches therein.
Control links and latching plates are secured to the seat support
members for selectively allowing the levers to pivot to adjust the
vertical position of the seat support members. The improvement
comprises the use of a torsion bar associated with the levers at
the rear of the assembly. The torsion bar is twisted to react
between the seat support members and the rear levers to urge the
rear levers to pivot in a manner to raise the rear portion of the
seat support members.
Inventors: |
Robinson; David S. (Detroit,
MI) |
Assignee: |
Lear Siegler, Inc. (Santa
Monica, CA)
|
Family
ID: |
22012174 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/057,692 |
Filed: |
July 23, 1970 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
248/592; 248/421;
248/608; 248/394 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60N
2/1803 (20130101); B60N 2/1892 (20130101); B60N
2/1885 (20130101); B60N 2/181 (20130101); B60N
2/1896 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B60N
2/16 (20060101); B60N 2/18 (20060101); F16m
011/24 (); F16m 013/00 (); B60n 001/02 () |
Field of
Search: |
;248/371,372,373,378,382,383,384,394,396,397,421,423 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Parsons, Jr.; Marion
Claims
The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or
privilege is claimed are as follows:
1. An adjustable seat supporting assembly comprising: at least one
seat support member having longitudinally opposite ends, base means
adapted for attachment to a support structure, positioning means
interconnecting at least one of said opposite ends of said seat
support member and said base means for allowing vertical movement
of said seat support member relative to said base means, pivot
means interconnecting said seat support member and said base means
at the other of said ends to accommodate said vertical movement,
said positioning means including a lever means pivotally connected
to said base means and independently pivotally connected to said
seat support member, a laterally extending torsion bar having a
preloaded, twisted position and reacting between said lever means
and one of said base means and said seat support member for
constantly biasing said lever means to pivot relative to said base
means and relative to said seat support member to move said seat
support member relative to said base means so as to displace said
seat support member vertically upwardly, and manually operable
latch means for locking said seat support member in each of several
vertically spaced positions against the bias of said torsion
bar.
2. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said positioning
means includes adjustment means for adjusting the amount of twist
in said torsion bar to adjust the amount of torque applied to said
lever means by said torsion bar.
3. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said torsion bar
comprises a plurality of strips disposed in side by side
relationship to define a four sided torsion bar.
4. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 including means for
non-rotatably attaching a first portion of said torsion bar to said
lever means and means for non-rotatably attaching a second portion
of said torsion bar to said seat support member.
5. An assembly as set forth in claim 4 including a second seat
support member disposed in spaced relationship to said first
mentioned seat support member, and wherein said lever means
includes a first lever interconnecting said first seat support
member and said base means and a second lever interconnecting said
second seat support member and said base means.
6. An assembly as set forth in claim 5 wherein said positioning
means includes connection means pivotally interconnecting said seat
support members and said base means at positions spaced from said
first and second levers.
7. An assembly as set forth in claim 6 wherein said torsion bar has
its opposite ends non-rotatably connected to said first and second
seat support members respectively.
8. An assembly as set forth in claim 7 including a torque member
interconnecting said first and second levers and restraint means
non-rotatably attaching the central portion of said torsion bar to
said torque member.
9. An assembly as set forth in claim 8 including adjustment means
interconnecting said torsion bar and said seat support members for
adjusting the amount of twist in said torsion bar to adjust the
amount of torque applied to said levers by said torsion bar.
10. An assembly as set forth in claim 8 wherein said torque member
comprises a tube secured at its ends to said first and second
levers, said torsion bar being disposed within said tube and
extending through said levers and said seat support members.
11. An assembly as set forth in claim 10 wherein said restraint
means comprises a restraint member non-rotatably attached to said
torsion bar midway between the ends thereof and extending radially
through a slot in said tube.
12. An assembly as set forth in claim 11 wherein said torsion bar
comprises a plurality of strips disposed in side by side
relationship to define a four sided torsion bar.
13. An assembly as set forth in claim 12 including adjustment means
interconnecting the ends of said torsion bar and said seat support
members for adjusting the amount of twist in said torsion bar to
adjust the amount of torque applied to said levers by said torsion
bar.
14. An assembly as set forth in claim 13 wherein said adjustment
means includes a circular member non-rotatably secured to each end
of said torsion bar, each circular member having a plurality of
slots about the circumference thereof, a fastener disposed in one
of said slots and removably connected to the adjacent seat
supporting member.
15. An assembly as set forth in claim 14 wherein said connection
means includes third and fourth levers and first and second links,
said links being pivotally connected at one end to said base means
and pivotally connected at the other end to said third and fourth
levers, said levers being pivotally connected to said seat support
members, a second torque tube interconnecting said third and fourth
levers, said first and third levers having spaced first ends
extending toward one another, said second and fourth levers having
spaced first ends extending toward one another, said control means
being supported by said seat support members for selectively
engaging said first ends of said levers to independently control
pivotal movement of said levers.
16. An assembly as claimed in claim 15 wherein said levers have
notches in said first ends thereof, said control means includes a
first latch plate rotatably connected to said first seat support
member for movement into and out of engagement with said notches in
said first lever, a second latch plate rotatably connected to said
first seat support member for movement into and out of engagement
with said notches in said third lever, a third latch plate
rotatably connected to said second seat support member for movement
into and out of engagement with said notches in said second lever,
a fourth latch plate rotatably connected to said second seat
support member for movement into and out of engagement with said
notches in said fourth lever, a first control link connejted to
said first seat support member between said first and second latch
plates and engageable therewith for selectively disengaging said
first and second latch plates from said first and third levers, a
second control link connected to said second seat support member
between said third and fourth latch plates and engageable therewith
for selectively disengaging said third and fourth latch plates from
said second and fourth levers, means interconnecting said control
links and actuator means for selectively moving said control links.
Description
This invention relates to a seat supporting assembly of the type
utilized in vehicles such as automobiles and trucks. More
specifically, the instant assembly is one wherein the rear of the
assembly is independently adjustable in elevation relative to the
base.
This application represents an improvement over seat assemblies
including a base with seat support members disposed above the base
and connected to the base by at least one pair of levers. Each
lever is pivotally connected to both the base and a seat support
member so that angular movement of each lever adjusts the elevation
of the rear portion of the seat assembly. A latch means engages the
ends of the levers to determine the angular positions of the levers
to thereby select a desired vertical position of the rear of the
seat support members. These prior art assemblies employ a torque
rod which extends between opposite sides of the assembly and is
secured to the levers on opposite sides of the assembly. Band-type
springs are disposed about the ends of the torque rod and react
between the torque rod and the seat supporting members so as to
urge the torque rods, and therefore the levers, to rotate in an
upward direction to bias the rear of the seat assembly upwardly
when the levers are unlatched.
Such prior art assemblies are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,460,793
and copending application Ser. No. 795,562 filed Jan. 31, 1969 and
now abandoned in the names of Robert I. Homier and Raymond C. Posh
and assigned to the assignee of the instant invention.
The instant invention represents an improvement over these prior
art assemblies. The band-type springs utilized in the prior art
assemblies have to be wound so tightly to provide sufficient torque
for raising the rear portion of the seat assembly that the adjacent
convolutions of the spring are in undesirably high frictional
contact with one another and therefore adversely affect the biasing
action of the springs.
Accordingly, it is an object and feature of this invention to
provide such a seat adjusting assembly but with improved means for
biasing the rear portion of the assembly to move upwardly.
In correlation with the foregoing object and feature, it is another
object and feature of this invention to provide such a seat
assembly which utilizes a torsion bar reacting between the levers
on opposite sides of the assembly and the seat support members or
the base means for urging the levers to rotate in a direction to
raise the rear of the seat support members.
Other objects and attendant advantages of the present invention
will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood
by reference to the following detailed description when considered
in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:
FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view partially broken away
and showing the seat support members in the extreme low
position;
FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but showing the rear of the seat
support members in the extreme elevated position;
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken substantially
along line 3--3 of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken substantially
along line 4--4 of FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken substantially
along line 5--5 of FIG. 3; and
FIG. 6 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken substantially
along line 6--6 of FIG. 1.
Referring now to the drawings wherein like numerals indicate like
or corresponding parts throughout the several views, an adjustable
seat supporting assembly constructed in accordance with the instant
invention is generally shown at 10.
The assembly includes first and second seat support members 12 and
14. The seat support members 12 and 14 are adapted to support a
seat, the cushion of which is shown at 16 in phantom in FIGS. 1 and
2.
Also included is a base means comprising the base members 18 and
20. The base means includes the tracks generally indicated at 22
for allowing horizontal fore and aft adjustment of the assembly.
The tracks 22 are adapted to be attached to a support structure
such as the floor of an automobile.
Positioning means, generally shown at 24, interconnect the seat
support members 12 and 14 and the base members 18 and 20 for
allowing movement of the seat support members l2 and 14 relative to
the base members 18 and 20. The positioning means 24 includes lever
means comprising the first and second levers 26 and 28. The levers
26 and 28 are pivotally connected to the base members 18 and 20 by
the rivets 30. The levers 26 and 28 are independently pivotally
connected to the seat support members 12 and 14 on the axis of a
torsion bar 32.
Torsion bar 32 has a twisted position as illustrated in FIG. 3 and
reacts between the levers 26 and 28 and either the base members 18
and 20 or the seat support members 12 and 14. In the illustrated
embodiment and as will become more clear hereinafter, the torsion
bar 32 reacts between the levers 26 and 28 and the seat support
members 12 and 14 for urging the levers 26 and 28 to pivot relative
to the base members 18 and 20 and relative to the seat support
members 12 and 14 to move the seat support members 12 and 14
vertically upwardly relative to the base members 18 and 20.
The first and second seat support members 12 and 14 are disposed in
spaced parallel relationship to one another. Actually the seat
support members 12 and 14 are spaced a distance which accommodates
a single bucket seat or are spaced sufficiently apart to
accommodate a bench seat which extends all of the way across a
vehicle.
There is also included means for non-rotatably attaching a first or
central portion of the torsion bar 32 to the levers 26 and 28 and
means for non-rotatably attaching a second or end portions of the
torsion bar 32 to the seat support members 12 and 14. More
specifically, a torque member comprising the torque tube 34
interconnects the first and second levers 26 and 28, as by being
welded thereto. The torsion bar 32 is disposed within the torque
tube 34 and extends through the levers 26 and 28 and through the
seat support members 12 and 14. A restraint means or member 36
non-rotatably attaches the central portion of the torsion bar 32 to
the torque tube 34. The restraint member 36 is non-rotatably
attached to the torsion bar 32 midway between the ends of the
torsion bar 32 and extends radially through a slot 38 in the torque
tube 34.
The opposite ends of the torsion bar 32 are non-rotatably connected
to the first and second seat support members 12 and 14 through
torque adjustment means. The adjustment means includes the circular
members 40 which are non-rotatably secured to the ends of the
torsion bar 32. The circular adjustment members 40 interconnect the
ends of the torsion bar 32 and the seat support members 12 and 14
for adjusting the amount of twist in the torsion bar 32 to adjust
the amount of torque applied to the levers 26 and 28 by the torsion
bar 32. Each circular member 40 has a plurality of slots or notches
about the circumference thereof and a fastener 42 is disposed in
one of the slots and is removably connected by threads to the
adjacent seat supporting member.
The torsion bar 32 comprises a plurality of strips disposed in
side-by-side relationship to define a four sided torsion bar; that
is, a torsion bar having a generally square cross section. Also the
strips defining the torsion bar 32 are preferably laminated
together. It will be noted that the levers 26 and 28 pivot relative
to the seat support members 12 and 14 about the axis of the torsion
bar 32. The ends of the torsion 32 extend through the levers 26 and
28 and the seat support members 12 and 14; however, the torsion bar
32 could have a circular cross section at the point where it passes
through the levers 26 and 28 and the adjacent seat support members
12 and 14. The torsion bar 32 is maintained in position because of
the connection of the circular adjustment members 40 to the seat
support members 12 and 14.
The amount of torque or twist provided by the torsion bar 32 may be
adjusted when the seat is in the lowered position illustrated in
FIG. 1 by removing the fasteners 42 and rotating the circular
members 40 so as to twist the torsion bar 32. The circular member
40 illustrated in FIG. 1 would be rotated in the counterclockwise
direction until the desired twist is effected in the torsion bar 32
whereby the fastener 42 would be reinserted through a slot
therein.
The positioning means 24 also includes control means generally
indicated at 44 for selectively allowing and preventing pivotal
movement of the levers relative to the seat support members 12 and
14 and the base members 18 and 20. The positioning means 24 also
includes connection means pivotally interconnecting the seat
support members 12 and 14 and the base members 18 and 20 at the
forward end of the assembly, i.e., at positions spaced from the
first and second levers 26 and 28. The connection means includes
third and fourth levers 46 and 48 and first and second links 50 and
52. The links 50 and 52 are pivotally connected at one end by the
rivets 54 to the base members 18 and 20 and are pivotally connected
at the other end by the rivets 56 to the third and fourth levers 46
and 48. The levers 46 and 48 are pivotally connected to the seat
support members 12 and 14 by the stud shafts 58. A second torque
tube 60 extends between and is connected to the third and fourth
levers 46 and 48. The first and third levers 26 and 46 have spaced
first ends extending toward one another and the second and fourth
levers 28 and 48 have spaced first ends extending toward one
another. These spaced first ends of the levers have notches
therein.
The control means 44 is supported by the seat support members 12
and 14 for selectively engaging the notches in the first ends of
the levers to independently control pivotal movement of the levers.
More specifically, the control means 44 includes a first latch
plate 62 rotatably connected by the rivet 64 to the first seat
support member 12. The latch plate 62 includes a finger portion for
movement into and out of engagement with the notches in the first
lever 26. A second latch plate 66 is rotatably connected by the
rivet 68 to the first seat support member 12 and includes a finger
portion for movement into and out of engagement with the notches in
the third lever 46. A third latch plate 70 is rotatably connected
to the second seat support member 14 and includes a finger for
movement into and out of engagement with the notches in the second
lever 28. A fourth latch plate 72 is rotatably connected to the
second seat support member 14 and includes a finger for movement
into and out of engagement with the notches in the fourth lever
48.
A first control link 74 is rotatably connected to the first seat
support member 12 between the first and second latch plates 62 and
66 and is engageable therewith for selectively disengaging the
first and second latch plates from the first and third levers 26
and 46. A second control link 76 is connected to the second seat
support member 14 between the third and fourth latch plates 70 and
72 and is engageable therewith for selectively disengaging the
third and fourth latch plates from the second and fourth levers 28
and 48. A means comprising a rod 78 interconnects the control links
74 and 76 and a manual actuator or handle 80 extends from the
control link 74 for selectively moving the control links.
Pins 82 extend from the latch plates and are engageable by the
control links 74 and 76.
It will be appreciated that instead of utilizing the front levers
46 and 48 and the links 50 and 52, the front portion of the seat
support members may be pivotally connected to the base means by
other means that does not provide for vertical adjustment of the
front portion of the seat support members.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, the rear portion of the seat support
members are in the lower position. When in this position, the
torsion bar 32 is twisted and is reacting between the levers 26 and
28 and the seat support members 12 and 14 to urge the rear portion
of the seat support members to move upwardly. Such upward movement
is, however, prevented because of the engagement of the latch
plates 62 and 70 with the first and second levers 26 and 28. If it
is desired to raise the rear portion of the seat support members,
the handle 80 is rotated about the axis of the rivets 81 in the
clockwise direction as shown in FIG. 1 to rotate the latch plates
62 and 70 to disengage the fingers thereof from the notches in the
first and second levers 26 and 28. Upon such disengagement of the
latch plates 62 and 70 from the ends of the levers 26 and 28, the
torsion bar 32 supplies sufficient torque to move the rear of the
seat supporting members 12 and 14 upwardly. As the rear portions of
the seat support members 12 and 14 are thusly moving upwardly, the
torsion bar 32 is unwinding.
If it is desirable to adjust the vertical position of the forward
portions of the seat support members 12 and 14 the handle 80 is
moved in the counterclockwise direction to disengage the latch
plates 66 and 72 from the third and fourth levers 46 and 48 and the
front portion of the seat assembly is manually raised by applying
an upward lifting force thereto.
The invention has been described in an illustrative manner, and it
is to be understood that the terminology which has been used is
intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than of
limitation.
Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present
invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is,
therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended
claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as
specifically described.
* * * * *