Memory seat track assembly for vehicle seat

• US 4,881,774 A
• Filed: 11/07/1988
• Issued: 11/21/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bertrand Faure Automobile
• Original Assignee: Bertrand Faure Automobile
• Inventors: Bradley, David W., Lecere, Oliver, Bonnici, Gerald P., Melotti, Angelo R.
• Primary Examiner(s): McCall, James T.
• Application Number:
  US07/268,131
• Time in Patent Office: 379 Days
• Field of Search: 297/341, 297/346, 248/429, 248/430
• US Class Current: 297/341
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/123 and provided with memory locks

Abstract

A vehicle seat track assembly for allowing a seat to be selectively moved rearwardly and forwardly. The seat track assembly allows the vehicle seat to be secured at a desired selected position. The seat track assembly further allows the seat to be moved forwardly to provide access to the area behind the seat. When the seat is moved forwardly, the seat track assembly has a memory that will remain in place and stop the seat upon its return to the selected position.

Claims

1. A vehicle seat positioning assembly that comprises:

a seat;

a first channel fixed to the vehicle;

a second channel being slidably mounted on said first channel;

a latch means that secures the second channel to the first channel at a selected position;

a memory means that engages a third channel at the selected position;

a first release that unlatches the latch means and unlocks the memory means and allows said seat and said memory means to be moved to another position;

a second release that unlatches the latch means and allows said seat to be moved forwardly while leaving the memory means at the selected position; and

upon actuation of the second release, the assembly allowing the seat to be moved forwardly and, upon returning rearwardly, stopping the seat at the selected position;

2. A vehicle seat positioning assembly as recited in claim 1, in which a follower member is attached to the seat and is normally disposed so as to move the memory means forwardly when the seat moves forwardly;

said follower member being operably connected to said second release;

said follower member being actuated by said second release so as to not move the memory means forwardly when the seat moves forwardly.

3. A vehicle seat positioning assembly as recited in claim 2, in which said follower member, after having been actuated by said second release, is biased to return to its normal position when the seat is returned rearwardly to its selected position.

4. A seat positioning assembly as recited in claim 1, in which said latch means includes a latch bar that is biased so as to engage the first channel;

and wherein said first handle, when actuated, actuates a main cam against which is attached to the latch bar for disengaging said latch bar from said first channel; and

further wherein said second release, when actuated, actuates a cam which operates against the bias on the latch bar to unlatch it from the first channel.

5. A seat positioning assembly as recited in claim 4, in which said memory means includes a lock cam which is biased to engage said third channel;

and

said first handle, when actuated, also actuates said main cam against the bias on said lock cam to unlock it from said third channel.

6. A vehicle seat positioning assembly comprising:

a seat;

a first channel fixed to the vehicle;

a second channel fixed to the seat, said second channel sliding on said first channel, a latching means to latch said second channel to said first channel, said latching means being biased into a latched position and movable into an unlatched position, said latching means being normally biased into a latched position;

a memory means comprising a third channel fixed to the vehicle and a fourth channel slidably disposed on said third channel, a locking means to lock said fourth channel to said third channel, said locking means being biased into a locked position and movable into an unlocked position, said locking means being normally biased into said locked position;

a first release that allows positioning of the seat in a selected position, said first release being biased towards a non-actuating position, said first release, when moved against the bias to its actuated position, actuating a main cam member, said main cam member abutting both the latching means and the locking means;

and wherein actuation of the main cam by the first release acts against the bias on both the latching means and the locking means, forcing them to their unlatched and unlocked positions, respectively;

the actuation of said first release thus allowing movement of the seat to any of several selected positions and said memory means being moved with the seat to the selected position;

release movement of the first release at the selected position biasing the first release back to a non-actuating position, allowing the bias on the latching means to relatch the second channel and allowing the bias on the lock means to relock the fourth channel;

a second release that allows release of the seat for movement forwardly, said second release being biased towards a non-actuating position, said second release, when moved against the bias to its actuated position, actuating a unlatching cam, said unlatching cam abutting said latching means, actuation of said second release also actuating a follower member, said follower member abutting the memory means, said follower member normally forcing the memory means forwardly with the seat when the first handle is actuated;

and wherein actuation of the unlatching cam by the second release acts against the bias on the latching means to force it to its unlatched position and causes actuation of said follower member for moving the follower member into a position where it will not force the memory means forwardly with the seat, and actuation of said second release thus allowing the movement of said seat forwardly while retaining the memory means locked at the selected position;

and wherein, upon the release movement of the second release and return of the seat, the seat return being halted by the memory means at the selected position, the bias on the latching means returning the latching means to its latched position and said follower member being biased back into its normal position.

7. A vehicle seat positioning assembly as recited in claim 6, wherein said second release actuates said unlatching cam and said follower member.

8. A vehicle seat positioning assembly that comprises:

a seat;

an elongated lower channel stationary with the vehicle frame;

an elongated upper channel fixed to the seat and slidable on the lower channel to move the seat axially along the lower channel;

a first mechanism that allows the seat to be moved to any one of several selected positions along the lower channel and secured there;

a second mechanism that moves the seat forwardly;

a memory device that stops and locks the seat at the selected position when it is returned rearwardly after having been moved by the second mechanism; and

said memory device includes a memory channel that is stationary with the vehicle frame and a lock channel that is slidable on the memory channel.

9. A vehicle seat positioning assembly as recited in claim 8 in which:

said first mechanism can actuate and move both said upper channel and said lock channel and allows both channels to be secured at said selected position and said second mechanism will actuate and move said upper channel but not said lock channel.

10. A vehicle seat positioning assembly as recited in claim 11 in which:

a follower member is attached to said seat and disposed rearwardly of said lock channel and in which said follower member can move said lock channel forwardly when said first mechanism is actuated, and said second mechanism also actuates said follower member, forcing said follower member to move relative to said lock channel and allowing the follower member to be moved forwardly with the seat, leaving the lock channel at the selected position, said follower member, upon being moved rearwardly with the seat, returning to its position behind the lock channel when the seat returns to the selected position.