Seat structure for an automotive vehicle

Claim 2

A structure for adjusting the height of a cushion of a seat of an automotive vehicle comprising: a pair of parallel base members, spaced apart and extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle; four supporting members pivotally mounted on said base members, a pair of said supporting members being pivoted to each base member for supporting the cushion of said seat approximately at the corners thereof, said supporting members being mechanically coupled together for raising or lowering said cushion relative to said base members upon the pivoting of a predetermined one of said supporting members positioned at one of said forward corners; handle-operated coupler means rotatably mounted in one of said base members behind said predetermined one of said supporting members, said coupler means including: rotatable driving means connected to said handle; a fixed housing having an opening therethrough for receiving said driving means; a driven member coaxially positioned with respect to said driving means; a first pin securely fixed to said predetermined one of said supporting members for pivoting the latter supporting member upon application of force to said first pin; a second pin fixedly secured to said driven member and radially spaced from the axis thereof; a link interconnecting said pins for pivoting said predetermined one of said supporting members upon rotation of said handle in a first direction to rotate said driving means and driven member in said first direction to raise the seat; and a spring means interposed between said housing and said driven member, said spring means having an end engaged by said driven member, when a load is placed on said cushion, to pivot and to rotate said second pin and said driven member in a second direction opposite to said first direction to cause said spring means to lock said driven member relative to said housing and hold said seat from further downward movement.

Claim 3

A structure for adjusting the height of the seat of an automotive vehicle comprising: a pair of parallel, spaced base members extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle; four supporting members pivotally mounted on said base members, a pair of said supporting members being pivoted to each base member for supporting the cushion of said seat approximately at the corners thereof, said supporting members being mechanically coupled together for raising or lowering said cushion upon the pivoting of a predetermined one of said supporting members positioned at a front corner of said cushion; handle-operated coupler means rotatably mounted in one of said base members behind said predetermined one of said supporting members, said coupler means including rotatable driving means operatively connected to said handle, a pin securely fixed to said predetermined one of said supporting members for pivoting the latter supporting member upon application of force to said pin, a pin fixedly secured to said rotatable driving means and radially spaced from the axis thereof and, a link interconnecting said pins for pivoting said predetermined one of said supporting members upon rotation of said handle; said driving means having a driving device and a driven device and a spring operatively coupled between said devices; said spring being coiled about at least a portion of said driving device and said driven device and wherein said coupler means includes a housing for said driving means, said housing including a shell closely fitted about said coiled spring whereby a load on said cushion applied a force to said link tending to expand said coiled spring radially against the shell of said housing; said driving device also having a shaft extending outside said housing for mounting a handle thereon and said driving device further includes at the end opposite said shaft a circular portion of greater diameter than said shaft, but of less than 360° of arc, leaving a sector-shaped open area, and wherein said driven device is co-axial with said driving device and includes a sector-shaped engaging portion extending into said sector-shaped open area of said driving device and substantially complementary thereto.

Claim 4

A structure for adjusting the height of the seat of an automotive vehicle comprising: a pair of parallel, spaced base members extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle; four supporting members pivotally mounted on said base members, a pair of said supporting members being pivoted to each base member for supporting the cushion of said seat approximately at the corners thereof, said supporting members being mechanically coupled together for raising or lowering said cushion upon the pivoting of a predetermined one of said supporting members positioned at a front corner of said cushion; handle-operated coupler means rotatably mounted in one of said base members behind said predetermined one of said supporting members, said coupler means including rotatable driving means operatively connected to said handle, a pin securely fixed to said predetermined one of said supporting members for pivoting the latter supporting member upon application of force to said pin, a pin fixedly secured to said rotatable driving means and radially spaced from the axis thereof and, a link interconnecting said pins for pivoting said predetermined one of said supporting members upon rotation of said handle; said driving means having a driving device and a driven device and a spring operatively coupled between said devices; said spring being coiled about at least a portion of said driving device and said driven device and wherein said coupler means includes a housing for said driving means, said housing including a shell closely fitted about said coiled spring whereby a load on said cushion applied a force to said link tending to expand said coiled spring radially against the shell of said housing; said driving device also having a shaft extending outside said housing for mounting a handle thereon and said driving device further includes at the end opposite said shaft a circular portion of greater diameter than said shaft, but of less than 360° of arc, leaving a sector-shaped open area, and wherein said driven device is co-axial with said driving device and includes a sector-shaped engaging portion extending into said sector-shaped open area of said driving device and substantially complementary thereto.

Claim 5

The structure of claim 2 wherein the surface of said driving device opposite said coaxial driven device includes an arcuate channel and wherein said driven device includes a circular projection received in said channel, said sector-shaped area and sector-shaped engaging portion being dimensioned to provide small amounts of clearance therebetween, and wherein said spring includes inwardly turned tangs at the ends thereof engaged in individual ones of said clearances on each side of said sector-shaped engaging portion.

Claim 6

A structure for adjusting the height of a cushion of a seat of an automotive vehicle comprising: a pair of parallel base members, spaced apart and extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle; four supporting members pivotally mounted on said base members, a pair of said supporting members being pivoted to each base member for supporting the cushion of said seat approximately at the corners thereof, said supporting members being mechanically coupled together for raising or lowering said cushion relative to said base members upon the pivoting of a predetermined one of said supporting members positioned at one of said forward corners; handle-operated coupler means rotatably mounted in one of said base members behind said predetermined one of said supporting members, said coupler means including: rotatable driving means connected to said handle; a fixed housing having an opening therethrough for receiving said driving means; a driven member coaxially positioned with respect to said driving means, said driven member being rotatable in response to the rotation of said driving means; a first pin securely fixed to said predetermined one of said supporting members for pivoting the latter supporting member upon application of force to said first pin; a second pin fixedly secured to said driven member and radially spaced from the axis thereof; a link interconnecting said pins for pivoting said predetermined one of said supporting members upon rotation of said handle to rotate said driving means and driven member to adjust the height of the seat; and a spring means interposed between said housing and said driven member, said spring means being engaged by said driven member and said driving means, when a load is placed on said cushion, to pivot and to rotate said second pin and said driven member to cause said spring means to lock said driven member and said driving means relative to said housing and hold said seat from further downward movement, said driving means being turned by rotation of said handle, to unlock said driving means and driven member relative to said housing and further adjust the height of said seat.

Claim 7

A structure for adjusting the height of a cushion of a seat of an automotive vehicle comprising: a pair of parallel base members, spaced apart and extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle; four supporting members pivotally mounted on said base members, a pair of said supporting members being pivoted to each base member for supporting the cushion of said seat approximately at the corners thereof, said supporting members being mechanically coupled together for raising or lowering said cushion relative to said base members upon the pivoting of a predetermined one of said supporting members positioned at one of said forward corners; handle-operated coupler means rotatably mounted in one of said base members behind said predetermined one of said supporting members, said coupler means including: rotatable driving means connected to said handle; a fixed housing having an opening therethrough for receiving said driving means; a driven member coaxially positioned with respect to said driving means, said driven member being rotatable in response to the rotation of said driving means; a first pin securely fixed to said predetermined one of said supporting members for pivoting the latter supporting member upon application of force to said first pin; a second pin fixedly secured to said driven member and radially spaced from the axis thereof; a link interconnecting said pins for pivoting said predetermined one of said supporting members upon rotation of said handle to rotate said driving means and driven member to adjust the height of the seat; and a spring means interposed between said housing and said driven member, said spring means being engaged by said driven member and said driving means, when a load is placed on said cushion, to pivot and to rotate said second pin and said driven member to cause said spring means to lock said driven member and said driving means relative to said housing and hold said seat from further downward movement, said driving means being turned by rotation of said handle, to unlock said driving means and driven member relative to said housing and further adjust the height of said seat.