Vehicle seat interlock
First Claim
1. A seat interlock mechanism for retaining a seat of a vehicle to a seat base during a sudden deceleration of the vehicle, the seat being adjustable forwardly and rearwardly along a track assembly positioned along opposite sides of the seat, each track assembly having an upper and lower track section, said interlock mechanism being positionable along at least one side of the seat and comprising:
- a mounting member extending laterally outwardly from at least one side of the upper section of the track assembly of the seat, said mounting member comprising a deformable, elongated member extending laterally across the seat and being mountable at each end to the upper track section of a respective one of the track assemblies;
a first channel member positionable at the seat base and at least partially along the lower track section of the respective one of the track assemblies;
an interlock bracket positioned at said mounting member, said interlock bracket including a second channel member extending downwardly therefrom, said second channel member being positioned along said first channel member and at least initially spaced therefrom; and
a seat belt mount positioned at one of an end of said mounting member and said interlock bracket, such that said interlock bracket is movable to engage said second channel member with said first channel member in response to deformation of said mounting member by a seat belt force at said seat belt mount which is sufficient to deform said mounting member.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A vehicle seat interlock mechanism includes a U-shaped channel member extending along a lower track of a seat and an interlock bracket mounted to a deformable mounting member at an upper track of the seat. The interlock bracket includes a seat belt anchor and a U-shaped channel at a lower end of the bracket. The interlock bracket is movable upwardly and forwardly in response to a seat belt force sufficient to deform the mounting member of the interlock bracket, whereby the two interlock channels engage to limit movement of the seat relative to the floor of the vehicle. The interlock bracket may include a portion extending forwardly over a gear box of a power drive system for the seat, such that the bracket is movable to compress the gear box to further retain the gear mechanism to a rack along the track assembly of the seat.
65 Citations
37 Claims
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1. A seat interlock mechanism for retaining a seat of a vehicle to a seat base during a sudden deceleration of the vehicle, the seat being adjustable forwardly and rearwardly along a track assembly positioned along opposite sides of the seat, each track assembly having an upper and lower track section, said interlock mechanism being positionable along at least one side of the seat and comprising:
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a mounting member extending laterally outwardly from at least one side of the upper section of the track assembly of the seat, said mounting member comprising a deformable, elongated member extending laterally across the seat and being mountable at each end to the upper track section of a respective one of the track assemblies;
a first channel member positionable at the seat base and at least partially along the lower track section of the respective one of the track assemblies;
an interlock bracket positioned at said mounting member, said interlock bracket including a second channel member extending downwardly therefrom, said second channel member being positioned along said first channel member and at least initially spaced therefrom; and
a seat belt mount positioned at one of an end of said mounting member and said interlock bracket, such that said interlock bracket is movable to engage said second channel member with said first channel member in response to deformation of said mounting member by a seat belt force at said seat belt mount which is sufficient to deform said mounting member. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 12, 36)
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5. A seat interlock mechanism for retaining a seat of a vehicle to a seat base during a sudden deceleration of the vehicle, the seat being adjustable forwardly and rearwardly along a track assembly, the track assembly having an upper and lower track section, said interlock mechanism being positionable along at least one side of the seat and comprising:
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a mounting member extending laterally outwardly from at least one side of the upper section of the track assembly of the seat;
a first channel member positionable at the seat base and at least partially along the lower section of the track assembly;
an interlock bracket positionable at said mounting member, said interlock bracket including a second channel member extending downwardly therefrom, said second channel member being positioned along said first channel member and at least initially spaced therefrom; and
a seat belt mount positioned at one of said mounting member and said interlock bracket, such that said interlock bracket is movable to engage said second channel member with said first channel member in response to a seat belt force at said seat belt mount which is sufficient to deform at least one of said mounting member and said interlock bracket, wherein said interlock bracket comprises a pair of opposite panels interconnected at least partially along an upper edge thereof, a first panel being secured at least partially along the upper section of the track assembly, while a second panel is positioned laterally outwardly therefrom, said first and second panels receiving said mounting member therethrough. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7)
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11. A seat interlock mechanism for retaining a seat of a vehicle to a seat base during a sudden deceleration of the vehicle, the seat being adjustable forwardly and rearwardly along a track assembly, the track assembly having an upper and lower track section, said interlock mechanism being positionable along at least one side of the seat and comprising:
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a mounting member extending laterally outwardly from at least one side of the upper section of the track assembly of the seat;
a first channel member positionable at the seat base and at least partially along the lower section of the track assembly;
an interlock bracket positionable at said mounting member, said interlock bracket including a second channel member extending downwardly therefrom, said second channel member being positioned along said first channel member and at least initially spaced therefrom, wherein said second channel comprises a plurality of raised portions therealong which are engagable with corresponding notches along said first channel, said first and second channels interconnecting to substantially limit relative forward movement therebetween when said first and second channels are engaged; and
a seat belt mount positioned at one of said mounting member and said interlock bracket, such that said interlock bracket is movable to engage said second channel member with said first channel member in response to a seat belt force at said seat belt mount which is sufficient to deform at least one of said mounting member and said interlock bracket.
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13. A seat for a vehicle, the vehicle having a floor, said seat comprising:
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a seat base securable to the floor of the vehicle;
a track assembly comprising an upper track and a lower track and being positioned along opposite sides of said seat, said lower track being secured along said seat base;
a seat support mounted at said upper track;
a mounting member extending laterally across said seat and outwardly from said upper track, said mounting member comprising a deformable, elongated member mounted at each end to said upper track of said track assembly along a respective side of said seat;
a seat interlock mechanism comprising a first channel positioned along said lower track and an interlock bracket mounted at said upper track and said mounting member, said interlock bracket including a second channel which is aligned with and at least initially spaced from said first channel; and
a seat belt mount positioned at one of said interlock bracket and said mounting member, said interlock bracket being operable to engage said second channel with said first channel in response to deformation of said mounting member by a seat belt force at said seat belt mount which is sufficient to deform said mounting member. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 20, 22)
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16. A seat for a vehicle, the vehicle having a floor, said seat comprising:
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a seat base securable to the floor of the vehicle;
a track assembly comprising an upper track and a lower track, said lower track being secured along said seat base;
a seat support mounted at said upper track;
a mounting member extending laterally outwardly from said upper track;
a seat interlock mechanism comprising a first channel positioned along said lower track and an interlock bracket mounted at said upper track and said mounting member, said interlock bracket including a second channel which is aligned with and at least initially spaced from said first channel; and
a seat belt mount positioned at one of said interlock bracket and said mounting member, said interlock bracket being operable to engage said second channel with said first channel in response to a seat belt force at said seat belt mount which is sufficient to deform at least one of said mounting member and said interlock bracket, wherein said interlock bracket comprises a first panel and a second panel connected at least partially along an upper edge thereof, said first panel being secured to said upper track and said second panel being laterally outwardly positioned from said first panel, said first and second panel receiving said mounting member therethrough. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
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21. A seat for a vehicle, the vehicle having a floor, said seat comprising:
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a seat base securable to the floor of the vehicle;
a track assembly comprising an upper track and a lower track, said lower track being secured along said seat base, said seat comprising a powered adjustable seat, said upper track being adjusted forwardly and rearwardly relative to said lower track via a powered seat mechanism;
a seat support mounted at said upper track;
a mounting member extending laterally outwardly from said upper track;
a seat interlock mechanism comprising a first channel positioned along said lower track and an interlock bracket mounted at said upper track and said mounting member, said interlock bracket including a second channel which is aligned with and at least initially spaced from said first channel; and
a seat belt mount positioned at one of said interlock bracket and said mounting member, said interlock bracket being operable to engage said second channel with said first channel in response to a seat belt force at said seat belt mount which is sufficient to deform at least one of said mounting member and said interlock bracket, wherein said interlock bracket includes a locking arm which functions to compress a portion of said powered seat mechanism in response to deformation of said mounting member to substantially limit relative movement of said track assembly relative to said portion of said powered seat mechanism.
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23. A powered seat for a vehicle having a floor, said powered seat comprising:
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a seat base securable to the floor of the vehicle;
a track assembly comprising an upper track and a lower track, said lower track being secured along said seat base, said upper track being movable along said lower track;
an elongated torsion tube extending laterally across the seat, at least one end of said torsion tube extending laterally outwardly from said upper track;
a seat support mounted to said torsion tube;
a powered drive mechanism which is operable to move said upper track forwardly and rearwardly with respect to said lower track;
a seat interlock mechanism comprising a first channel positioned along said lower track and an interlock bracket mounted at said upper track and at least one end of said torsion tube, said interlock bracket comprising first and second plates connected along an upper edge thereof, said second plate being positioned laterally outwardly from said first plate and including a second channel extending downwardly therefrom, said second channel being aligned with and at least initially spaced from said first channel; and
a seat belt mount positioned at one of said interlock bracket and said end of said torsion tube, said interlock bracket being operable to engage said second channel with said first channel in response to a seat belt force at said seat belt mount which is sufficient to deform said torsion tube. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26)
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27. A powered seat for a vehicle having a floor, said powered seat comprising:
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a seat base securable to the floor of the vehicle;
a track assembly comprising an upper track and a lower track, said lower track being secured along said seat base, said upper track being movable along said lower track;
an elongated torsion tube extending laterally across the seat, at least one end of said torsion tube extending laterally outwardly from said upper track;
a seat support mounted to said torsion tube;
a powered drive mechanism which is operable to move said upper track forwardly and rearwardly with respect to said lower track;
a seat interlock mechanism comprising a first channel positioned along said lower track and an interlock bracket mounted at said upper track and at least one end of said torsion tube, said interlock bracket comprising first and second plates connected along an upper edge thereof, said second plate being positioned laterally outwardly from said first plate and including a second channel extending downwardly therefrom, said second channel being aligned with and at least initially spaced from said first channel; and
a seat belt mount positioned at one of said interlock bracket and said end of said torsion tube, said interlock bracket being operable to engage said second channel with said first channel in response to a seat belt force at said seat belt mount which is sufficient to deform at least one of said torsion tube and said interlock bracket, wherein said first and second channels of said interlock mechanism comprise corresponding teeth at least partially therealong, such that forward movement of said upper track relative to said lower track is substantially limited by engagement of said teeth of said first and second channels. - View Dependent Claims (28)
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29. An interlock mechanism for substantially limiting forward movement of a seat of a vehicle in response to a seat belt force being exerted at the seat during a sudden deceleration of the vehicle, the vehicle seat being mounted at a track assembly, and having a drive mechanism which is operable to rotatably actuate at least one gear member at a rack extending along the track assembly for adjusting the seat forwardly and rearwardly along the track assembly, said interlock mechanism comprising:
an interlock bracket mounted at the track assembly, the seat belt being anchored at said interlock bracket, an engaging portion of said interlock bracket extending therefrom and at least initially being positioned adjacent to the gear member at the track assembly, said engaging portion being operable to engage and compress the gear member to retain engagement of the gear member to the rack to substantially limit forward movement of the seat in response to a seat belt force sufficient to move at least a portion of said interlock bracket. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A seat interlock mechanism for retaining a seat of a vehicle to a seat base during a sudden deceleration of the vehicle, the seat being adjustable forwardly and rearwardly along a track assembly, the track assembly having an upper and lower track section, said interlock mechanism being positionable along at least one side of the seat and comprising:
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a mounting member extending laterally outwardly from at least one side of the upper section of the track assembly of the seat;
a first channel member positionable at the seat base and at least partially along the lower section of the track assembly;
an interlock bracket positionable at said mounting member, said interlock bracket including a second channel member extending downwardly therefrom, said second channel member being positioned along said first channel member and at least initially spaced therefrom, wherein said first channel member comprises a plurality of semi-shear indentations therealong which are engagable with at least one raised portion at said second channel member, said first and second channels interconnecting to substantially limit relative forward movement therebetween when said first and second channels are engaged; and
a seat belt mount positioned at one of said mounting member and said interlock bracket, such that said interlock bracket is movable to engage said second channel member with said first channel member in response to a seat belt force at said seat belt mount which is sufficient to deform at least one of said mounting member and said interlock bracket.
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37. A seat for a vehicle, the vehicle having a floor, said seat comprising:
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a seat base securable to the floor of the vehicle;
a track assembly comprising an upper track and a lower track, said lower track being secured along said seat base;
a seat support mounted at said upper track;
a mounting member extending laterally outwardly from said upper track;
a seat interlock mechanism comprising a first channel positioned along said lower track and an interlock bracket mounted at said upper track and said mounting member, said interlock bracket including a second channel which is aligned with and at least initially spaced from said first channel, wherein said first channel comprises a plurality of semi-shear indentations therealong which are engagable with at least one raised portion at said second channel; and
a seat belt mount positioned at one of said interlock bracket and said mounting member, said interlock bracket being operable to engage said second channel with said first channel in response to a seat belt force at said seat belt mount which is sufficient to deform at least one of said mounting member and said interlock bracket, said first and second channels being operable to non-slidably engage one another in response to the seat belt force.
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Specification