US5593208A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Vehicle seat
Assignee: Mercedes Benz Group AG
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Filing: 1994-12-13
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Granted: 1997-01-14
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Expires: 2014-12-13
Abstract
Abstract A vehicle seat has a seat frame and a backrest retained pivotally thereon. Pairs of front and rear legs are articulated on the seat frame and are intended for fastening the seat frame on the vehicle floor. The rear legs are locked releasably on the vehicle floor for the purpose of pivoting the seat cushion upwards and are coupled so as to be forced to move with the pivoting movement of the seat cushion, such that they fold onto the seat frame during the pivoting operation. For the purpose of achieving a cost-effective, rattle-free pivoting mechanism for the rear legs, the front legs are assigned a first belt pulley and the rear legs are assigned a second belt pulley, and the two belt pulleys are connected to one another via a drive belt. Each belt pulley is arranged, on the associated legs, coaxially with respect to the articulation point of the legs on the seat frame and is connected in a rotationally mixed manner to at least one leg.
Inventors
- 👤 Rolf Mitschelen
- 👤 Werner Hauser
- 👤 Thomas Geisel
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 17:29
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60N; B60N2/00; B60N2/005; B60N2/015; B60N2/01508; B60N2/01516; B60N2/01583; B60N2/02; B60N2/20; B60N2/206; B60N2/24; B60N2/30; B60N2/3002; B60N2/3004; B60N2/3009; B60N2/3011; B60N2/3038; B60N2/304; B60N2/3045; B60N2/305; B60N2/32; B60N2/36
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
183 words
A vehicle seat comprising: a seat cushion including a seat frame and seat upholstery, a backrest pivotally supported on the seat frame to be foldable over onto the seat upholstery when the seat is in a stowed position, pairs of downwardly projecting front and rear legs pivotally connected to the seat frame and serving to fasten the seat frame on a vehicle floor, said rear legs being releasably lockable on the floor to accommodate upward pivoting movement of the seat cushion, a first belt pulley arranged coaxially with respect to a pivot connection of the front legs on the seat frame and connected in a rotationally fixed manner to at least one front leg, a second belt pulley arranged coaxially with respect to a pivot connection of the rear legs on the seat frame and connected in a rotationally fixed manner to at least one rear leg, and a drive belt connecting the first and second belt pulleys such that the rear legs are forced to move to a stowed position when the seat cushion is pivoted upwardly to a seat stowed position.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
183 words
A vehicle seat comprising: a seat cushion including a seat frame and seat upholstery, a backrest pivotally supported on the seat frame to be foldable over onto the seat upholstery when the seat is in a stowed position, pairs of downwardly projecting front and rear legs pivotally connected to the seat frame and serving to fasten the seat frame on a vehicle floor, said rear legs being releasably lockable on the floor to accommodate upward pivoting movement of the seat cushion, a first belt pulley arranged coaxially with respect to a pivot connection of the front legs on the seat frame and connected in a rotationally fixed manner to at least one front leg, a second belt pulley arranged coaxially with respect to a pivot connection of the rear legs on the seat frame and connected in a rotationally fixed manner to at least one rear leg, and a drive belt connecting the first and second belt pulleys such that the rear legs are forced to move to a stowed position when the seat cushion is pivoted upwardly to a seat stowed position.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
32 words
Seat according to claim 1, wherein the drive belt is of an endless design and loops around the two belt pulleys over an angle at circumference of in each case approximately 180°.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
22 words
Seat according to claim 2, wherein the drive belt is fixed on the circumference of the two belt pulleys by fastening elements.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
26 words
Seat according to claim 3, wherein the drive belt is produced as an injection-molded plastic part, and the fastening elements are molded on the drive belt.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
22 words
Seat according to claim 2, wherein the drive belt is designed as a flat belt consisting of a tension-resistant, flexurally soft material.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
17 words
Seat according to claim 2, wherein the drive belt is designed as a toothed belt or V-belt.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
31 words
Seat according to claim 1, wherein the drive belt is of an open-ended design and is fastened by means of its ends on the circumference of respective of the belt pulleys.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
66 words
Seat according to claim 4, wherein a first line tangential to said first and second pulleys defines a first pulling side, and wherein a second line tangential to said first and second pulleys and opposite said first tangential line defines a second pulling side, and wherein said drive belt is arranged on said first pulling side, and a spring is arranged on said second pulling side.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
36 words
Seat according to claim 8, wherein the spring is designed as a tension spring which acts, on the one hand, on the drive belt and, on the other hand, on the circumference of one belt pulley.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
51 words
Seat according to claim 8, wherein the spring is designed as a torsion spring which is arranged coaxially with respect to the pivot connection of the rear legs, said spring having a spring leg which bears on the circumference of the belt pulley and is fastened there on the drive belt.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
107 words
Seat according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the belt pulleys has a contour having a circumference line which is spaced at a distance from a center point which is coaxial with the pivot connection of the associated legs, said distance changing at least over a range of angles at the circumference, and wherein said at least one of the belt pulleys is arranged such that the maximum spacing of the circumference line from the center point approximately coincides with a line of connection which passes through the pivot connections of the front and rear legs, locked on the vehicle floor, on the seat frame.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
25 words
Seat according to claim 11, wherein said contour is in the form of an ellipse, the larger ellipse axis coinciding with the line of connection.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
29 words
Seat according to claim 11, wherein said contour is in the form of a segment of a circle with two diametrically opposite circle-arc portions having different radii of curvature.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
22 words
Seat according to claim 11, wherein the drive belt is designed as a flat belt consisting of a tension-resistant, flexurally soft material.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
26 words
Seat according to claim 11, wherein the drive belt is produced as an injection-molded plastic part, and the fastening elements are molded on the drive belt.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
17 words
Seat according to claim 11, wherein the drive belt is designed as a toothed belt or V-belt.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
57 words
Seat according to claim 1, wherein the first belt pulley is seated in a rotationally fixed manner on a front shaft which is connected rigidly to said pair of front legs, and the second belt pulley is seated in a rotationally fixed manner on a rear shaft which is connected rigidly to said pair of rear legs.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
69 words
Seat according to claim 1, wherein each of said front legs is connected in a rotationally fixed manner to a respective said first belt pulley and each of said rear legs is connected in a rotationally fixed manner to a respective said second belt pulley, and wherein each respective said first belt pulley is connected to a respective of said second belt pulleys by a respective said drive belt.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2000-01-14 | 2000-07-15 | 2001-01-14 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2004-01-14 | 2004-07-15 | 2005-01-14 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2008-01-14 | 2008-07-15 | 2009-01-14 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |