Seat lift mechanism for an automotive vehicle

摘要

A seat lift mechanism in an automotive vehicle incorporates a swivel base mounted on a stationary base secured to a compartment floor of the vehicle for rotation about a vertical axis so as to be moved between a forward-facing position where the front side of the swivel base is oriented to the front of the vehicle, and a sideways position where the front side of the swivel base is opposed to a side door opening of the vehicle. A frame is supported on the swivel base for rotation therewith and a lift rack provided thereon with a passenger seat is mounted on the frame. The lift rack is connected to the frame by means of a link mechanism in such a manner that when the swivel base is retained in the sideways position, the lift rack and seat are movable from a first position on the frame to a second position close to the ground where the seating surface of the seat is maintained at an inclined angle. An actuator is combined with the link mechanism to reciprocate the lift rack and seat between the first and second positions. With the seat lift mechanism, the seat can be moved out of the door opening and lowered to the position adjacent to the ground. Thus, an aged or handicapped person can easily sit on the seat or stand up therefrom, and get in or out of the vehicle without any difficulty.