Vehicle seat assembly with position-fixing means
First Claim
1. A vehicle seat assembly comprising, in combination:
- first and second fore-and-aft extending lower track sub-assemblies for mounting to a vehicle generally horizontally and laterally spaced from each other, the first lower track sub-assembly comprising a generally fore-and-aft extending first lower track, and the second lower track assembly comprising a generally fore-and-aft extending second lower track;
a generally fore-and-aft extending first downward flange external of the first and second lower track, having a toothed free edge; and
first and second upper track sub-assemblies carried by the first and second lower track sub-assemblies respectively, the first upper track sub-assembly comprising a first upper track slidingly coupled with the first lower track and an upwardly open, first upper J-hook external of the first upper track and first lower track, and terminating below a bottom-most surface of the first lower track and the second upper track sub-assembly comprising a second upper track slidingly coupled with the second lower track;
wherein the first downward flange is received by the first upper J-hook below the bottom-most surface of the first lower track permitting fore-and-aft travel in a normal operating condition, and limiting vertical dislocation of the first upper track sub-assembly relative the first lower track sub-assembly, the first downward flange and first upper J-hook cooperatively providing dislocation position-fixing means for resisting fore-and-aft movement of the first upper J-hook relative the first downward flange upon upward dislocation of the first upper track sub-assembly relative the first lower track sub-assembly.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A vehicle seat assembly has first and second fore-and-aft extending lower track sub-assemblies for mounting to a vehicle, typically to the floor pan of the passenger compartment of the vehicle. First and second upper track sub-assemblies are carried by the lower track sub-assemblies. More specifically, the upper track sub-assemblies each include a track slidingly coupled with a corresponding lower track. One or both of the upper track sub-assemblies further includes a structurally robust J-hook which receives a downward flange of the corresponding lower track sub-assembly. The overlapping flange and J-hook arrangement limits vertical dislocation of the upper track sub-assembly, and, therefore, also limits vertical dislocation of the vehicle seat, relative the lower track sub-assembly. In the normal condition, the flange and J-hook arrangement permits free fore-and-aft travel. That is, the sliding tracks can be moved relative each other for adjustment of the fore-and-aft position of the vehicle seat. The J-hook and flange further cooperatively provide position-fixing means for resisting fore-and-aft movement. Specifically, during such time as the flange and J-hook engage each other in a dislocation condition, to limit further upward dislocation of the seat, the position-fixing means is operative to also resist fore-and-aft movement of the seat. The position-fixing means in preferred embodiments is substantially structurally more robust than a typical seat adjuster, such as a latching mechanism used to set the fore-and-aft position of a vehicle seat. Thus, both vertical and fore-and-aft position of the seat is controlled against dislocation forces which might otherwise damage the seat assembly.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A vehicle seat assembly comprising, in combination:
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first and second fore-and-aft extending lower track sub-assemblies for mounting to a vehicle generally horizontally and laterally spaced from each other, the first lower track sub-assembly comprising a generally fore-and-aft extending first lower track, and the second lower track assembly comprising a generally fore-and-aft extending second lower track; a generally fore-and-aft extending first downward flange external of the first and second lower track, having a toothed free edge; and first and second upper track sub-assemblies carried by the first and second lower track sub-assemblies respectively, the first upper track sub-assembly comprising a first upper track slidingly coupled with the first lower track and an upwardly open, first upper J-hook external of the first upper track and first lower track, and terminating below a bottom-most surface of the first lower track and the second upper track sub-assembly comprising a second upper track slidingly coupled with the second lower track; wherein the first downward flange is received by the first upper J-hook below the bottom-most surface of the first lower track permitting fore-and-aft travel in a normal operating condition, and limiting vertical dislocation of the first upper track sub-assembly relative the first lower track sub-assembly, the first downward flange and first upper J-hook cooperatively providing dislocation position-fixing means for resisting fore-and-aft movement of the first upper J-hook relative the first downward flange upon upward dislocation of the first upper track sub-assembly relative the first lower track sub-assembly. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A vehicle seat assembly comprising, in combination:
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A) a seat track assembly comprising; first and second fore-and-aft extending lower track sub-assemblies laterally spaced from each other, the first lower track sub-assembly comprising a generally fore-and-aft extending first lower track and a generally fore-and-aft extending first notched flange, and the second lower track sub-assembly comprising a generally fore-and-aft extending second lower track and a generally fore-and-aft extending second notched flange, the first and second lower track sub-assemblies being adapted to a floor pan of a passenger compartment of a vehicle; first and second upper track sub-assemblies carried by the first and second lower track sub-assemblies respectively, the first upper track sub-assembly comprising a first upper track slidingly coupled with the first lower track and an upwardly open first upper J-hook terminating below a bottom-most surface of the front lower track, and the second upper track sub-assembly comprising a second upper track slidingly coupled with the second lower track and an upwardly open second upper J-hook terminating below a bottom-most surface of the second lower track, wherein the first notched flange is received by the first upper J-hook below the bottom-most surface of the first lower track, permitting fore-and-aft travel in a normal operating condition, and limiting vertical dislocation of the first upper first sub-assembly relative the first lower track sub-assembly, the first upper J-hook and first notched flange cooperatively providing dislocation position-fixing means for resisting fore-and-aft travel of the first upper track sub-assembly relative the first lower track sub-assembly upon upward dislocation of the first upper track sub-assembly into a dislocation condition, the dislocation position-fixing means comprising downwardly extending teeth longitudinally spaced along a free edge of the first notched flange below the bottom-most surface of the first lower track, and correspondingly sized and spaced apertures in the first upper J-hook for receiving a plurality of the downwardly extending teeth upon upward dislocation of the first upper track sub-assembly into the dislocation condition, and wherein the second notched flange is received by the second upper J-hook below the bottom-most surface of the second lower track, permitting fore-and-aft travel in a normal operating condition, and limiting vertical dislocation of the second upper track sub-assembly relative the first lower track sub-assembly, the second upper J-hook and second notched flange cooperatively providing second dislocation position-fixing means for resisting fore-and-aft travel of the second upper track sub-assembly relative the second lower track sub-assembly upon upward dislocation of the second upper track sub-assembly into a dislocation condition, the second dislocation position-fixing means comprising downwardly extending teeth longitudinally spaced along a free edge of the second notched flange below the bottom-most surface of the second lower track, and correspondingly sized and spaced apertures in the second upper J-hook for receiving a plurality of the downwardly extending teeth upon upward dislocation of the second upper track sub-assembly into the dislocation condition; B) a seat frame assembly carried by the seat track assembly, comprising a seat cushion frame and a seat back frame interconnected by first and second recliner brackets; and C) a seat belt assembly comprising multiple seat belt attachment fixtures, each of the seat belt attachment fixtures being integrated with the seat frame assembly.
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20. A vehicle seat assembly comprising, in combination:
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first and second fore-and-aft extending lower track sub-assemblies for mounting to a vehicle generally horizontally and laterally spaced from each other, the first lower track sub-assembly comprising a generally fore-and-aft extending first lower track, and the second lower track assembly comprising a generally fore-and-aft extending second lower track; a generally fore-and-aft extending first downward flange external of the first and second lower track; and first and second upper track sub-assemblies carried by the first and second lower track sub-assemblies respectively, the first upper track sub-assembly comprising a first upper track slidingly coupled with the first lower track and an upwardly open, first upper J-hook terminating below a bottom-most surface of the first lower track, and the second upper track sub-assembly comprising a second upper track slidingly coupled with the second lower track, the first upper J-hook being external of the upper tracks and lower tracks and having a fore-and-aft extending series of aperture therein; wherein the first downward flange is received by the first upper J-hook below the bottom-most surface of the first lower track, permitting fore-and-aft travel in a normal operating condition, and limiting vertical dislocation of the first upper track sub-assembly relative the first lower track sub-assembly, the first downward flange and first upper J-hook cooperatively providing dislocation position-fixing means for resisting fore-and-aft movement of the first upper J-hook relative the first downward flange upon upward dislocation of the first upper track sub-assembly relative the first lower track sub-assembly. - View Dependent Claims (21)
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Specification