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Vehicle seat

  • US 5,697,670 A
  • Filed: 11/12/1996
  • Issued: 12/16/1997
  • Est. Priority Date: 11/12/1996
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A vehicle seat assembly comprising:

  • a lower generally horizontal seat part and a back rest extending generally upwardly from the seat part;

    a frame having a generally horizontal base portion and a back portion extending generally upwardly from the frame base portion within the back rest and being rotatably mounted to the frame base portion for rotation about a transverse axis to adjust the angular position of the frame back portion relative to the frame base portion;

    recliner means for adjustably locking the frame back portion in position relative to the frame base portion;

    a shoulder belt operatively associated with the frame back portion above the transverse axis and extending forward therefrom whereby tension in the shoulder belt urges the frame back portion to rotate forward about the transverse axis;

    a tensile load carrying member having a lower end adjacent to the frame base portion rearward of the transverse axis and an upper end adjacent the frame back portion above the transverse axis, one of the upper and lower ends of the tensile load carrying member being attached to the frame and the other of the upper and lower ends being detached from the frame; and

    gripping means carried by the frame for gripping the detached end of the tensile load carrying member at least when the shoulder belt is loaded in tension above a predetermined quantity to attach the detached end of the tensile load carrying member to the frame whereby the load carrying member is loaded in tension and creates in combination with the frame a rigid triangular truss to resist forward rotation of the frame back portion and the gripping means detaching the detached end of the tensile load carrying member at least during angular adjustment of the frame back portion relative to the frame base portion.

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