Recliner hold-open mechanism for a vehicle seat

摘要

A vehicle seat includes a seat back is coupled to a seat base for movement between an upright position and a folded-forward position when a vehicle seat recliner is in an open configuration. The vehicle seat includes a recliner hold-open mechanism that locks the recliner in the open configuration even after a user releases a handle or otherwise disengages an actuator of the recliner. The seat back is thus free to move between the upright and folded-forward positions without the user being required to hold the actuator in any particular position during the movement. The hold-open mechanism may be configured to cooperate with a seat-base motion controller to free the vehicle seat for movement along a foundation frame while the seat back is between the upright and folded-forward positions.

主权项

1. A vehicle seat, comprising:
a seat base; a seat back coupled to the seat base for movement between an upright position and a folded-forward position about a seat-back pivot axis; a recliner having an actuator configured to change the recliner from a closed configuration to an open configuration when the actuator is engaged, wherein seat back movement about the seat-back pivot axis is prevented in the closed configuration and allowed in the open configuration; and a recliner hold-open mechanism configured to hold the recliner in the open configuration when the actuator is disengaged during movement of the seat back between the upright position and the folded-forward position, wherein the recliner is in the closed configuration when the actuator is disengaged while the seat back is in the folded-forward position, wherein the recliner hold-open mechanism comprises a cam plate coupled to the seat back for movement therewith about the seat-back pivot axis and a cam follower coupled to the seat base for movement about a different pivot axis that passes through the cam follower and is in a fixed position relative to the seat base during movement of the seat back between the upright position and the folded-forward position.