Multi-load floor smartfold hybrid

Abstract

A seat support system for supporting a seat in a manner that ameliorates or eliminates load applied to a driving mechanism. The system may be configured to support a seat back when the seat back in pivoted upwardly and downwardly relative to a seat bottom. The support system may create a load-bearing link between a non-driven component on the seat back and an anchor.

1 . A seating system comprising:
 an electrically driven motor that controllably folds a seat back about a rearward portion of a seat bottom;   a pawl configured to engage and disengage a recess in the seat back, wherein the pawl engages the recess when the seat back is in a first position to create a load-bearing linkage between the seat back and a pawl pivot;   a shutter covering an entrance to the recess to prevent the pawl from pivoting into the recess until the seat back, when started from a design position, is folded to a second position; and   a controller configured to control folding of the seat back performed by the motor, wherein the controller controls the motor to engage the pawl within the recess in a manner that eliminates torque on the motor when the seat back is in the first position.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the controller controls the motor to fold the seat back upwardly and downwardly, such that when started from the design position, the seatback must be folded downwardly pass the first position in order to be folded to the second position. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the recess, shutter, and pawl are configured such that the controller must sequentially control folding of the seat back in the following order in order for a leading edge of the pawl to engage the recess in the first position when folding from a design position:
 (i) downward pivot of the seat back until the pin overtakes a forward end of the shutter; 
 (ii) upward pivot of the pawl until a top side of the leading edge of the pawl contacts an outer surface of the seat back forward of the recess; 
 (iii) rearward pivot of the shutter until a pin on the pawl is positioned in front of the forward end of the shutter; 
 (iv) upward pivot of the seat back until the pin pulls the shutter rearwardly and the leading edge of the pawl is rearward of a forward end of the recess; and 
 (v) upward pivot of the pawl until the top side of the pawl contacts a bottom of the recess; and 
 (vi) downward pivot of the back until the forward end of the recess engages the leading edge of the pawl. 
 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3  wherein the pawl cannot be returned to the position of step (ii) until the pawl pivots downwardly a distance that allows the forward end of the shutter to move forwardly of the pin. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4  wherein upward pivot of the back causes a portion of the outer surface rearward of the recess to downward pivot the pawl the distance that allows the forward end of the shutter to move forwardly of the pin. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5  wherein the seat back has a first radius at the outer surface forward of the recess and a second radius at the outer surface rearward of the recess and the shutter has a third radius, wherein the second radius is greater than the third radius and the third radius is greater than the first radius. 
     
     
         7 . A controller configured to control an electrically driven motor to position a seat back between a plurality of seat back angles, the motor having at least one set of gears operable to lock the seat back in position at each of the plurality of seat back angles, the seat back including a support bracket having an engagement surface covered with a movable shutter, the movable shutter being moveable between a covered and an uncovered position to respectively cover the engagement surface to prevent a pawl from engaging the engagement surface and to uncover the engagement surface to permit the pawl to engage the engagement surface, the pawl having a pin that contacts an bottom side of the shutter when the shutter is in the covered positioned to prevent the pawl from engaging the engagement surface and that is positioned forwardly of the shutter when the shutter is in the uncovered position to allow the pawl to engage the engagement surface, the pawl creating a load-bearing linkage between the seat back and a pawl pivot when engaging the engagement surface, the controller operable to control the motor to:
 pivot the seat back from a first one of the plurality of seat back angles to a second one of the plurality of seat back angles, the first one of the plurality of seat back angles being greater than the second one of the plurality of angels, the first one of the plurality of seat back angles corresponding with the shutter being in the covered position, the second one of the plurality of seat back angles corresponding with the shutter being in the uncovered position and the pawl contacting a surface of the seat back forward of the engagement surface such that the pawl is blocked from engaging the engagement surface; and   pivot the seat back from the second one of the plurality of seat back angles to a third one of the plurality of seat back angles, the third one of the plurality of seat back angles being greater than the second one of the plurality of seat back angles, the third one of the plurality of seat back angles corresponding with the pin rising above the bottom side of the shutter to block the shutter from returning to the covered position and the pawl engaging the engagement surface to create the load-bearing linkage.   
     
     
         8 . The controller of  claim 7  operable to control the motor to pivot the seat back from the third one of the plurality of seat back angles to a fourth one of the plurality of angles prior to pivoting the seat back back to the first one of the plurality of seat back angles, the fourth one of the plurality of seat back angles being less than the second one of the plurality of seat back angles. 
     
     
         9 . The controller of  claim 8  operable to control the motor to lock the first set of gears while the seat back is positioned at each of the first, second, third, and fourth one of the plurality of seat back angles. 
     
     
         10 . The controller of  claim 7  operable to control the motor to position the seatback to create the load-bearing linkage in order to eliminate torque on the motor. 
     
     
         11 . A seat back support system operable with a support bracket configured to be fixed to a seat back support, the seat back support being rotatable about an axis to a desired seat back angle, the support bracket including a recess, the system comprising:
 a pawl configured to pivotably engage and disengage the recess in the support bracket, wherein the pawl engages the recess when the support bracket is in a first seat back angle to create a linkage between the support bracket and a pawl pivot; and   a shutter positioned between the pawl and recess to pivotally cover and uncover at least a portion of the recess, the shutter covering the recess to prevent the pawl from pivoting into engagement with the recess until the seat back, when started from a design seat back angle, is folded past the first seat back angle.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11  wherein the first seat back angle is corresponds with a folded-forward position. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11  wherein the support bracket cannot again be folded past the folded-forward position, after the pawl engages the recess, until the support bracket is folded upwardly past an unlocking position. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13  wherein the unlocking position corresponds with a partially folded position of the support bracket that is downward relative to the design position. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 11  wherein the pawl includes a head and a pin, the head being a portion of the pawl positioned forwardly and inwardly of the pin, the head engaging the forward end of the recess when the pawl pivots into the recess. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15  wherein the pin engages an underside of the shutter when the shutter prevents the pawl from pivoting upwardly into the recess and wherein the pin engages a side of the shutter above the underside of the shutter after the pawl pivots upwardly into the recess. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16  wherein a pin on the support bracket moves the shutter rearwardly once the seat back is folded past the folded-forward position. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17  wherein the pin on the support bracket engages the side of the shutter and the head engages a portion of the seat back in front of the recess only after the tab moves the shutter rearwardly. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 11  wherein the support bracket and shutter pivot about a first axis and the pawl pivots about a second axis. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 11  further comprising at least one tooth-shaped gear that operates independently of the recess to lock the seat back in position, the load-bearing linkage ameliorating loading on the at least one tooth-shaped gear when the pawl engages the recess.