Atwood Industries, Inc.

Allen D Dove

Roger L Brock

Ronald E Ethington

Jack R Tappainer

Billy L Larson

The latch of a seat adjuster is pivotally mounted on a latch mounting bracket which, in turn, is secured rigidly to the upper track of the seat adjuster. The latch mounting bracket is formed with a weakened area in proximity to the pivot for the latch. In the event of a frontal crash, the weakened area deforms to enable the mounting bracket to move forwardly relative to the latch and clamp the latch in its latched position, thereby preventing the latch from pivoting to its unlatched position. A second bracket underlies the latch mounting bracket and coacts with the other latching elements to force the latching tooth of the latch to fail in shear rather than by bending. An anchor for a seat belt may be carried by the second bracket.

Seat adjuster with improved crash resistance

A track assembly of a vehicle seat adjuster includes an upper track secured to the seat and adjustable back and forth along a lower track which is anchored to the vehicle floor pan. Friction between the tracks is reduced by load-bearing rollers located between the tracks at the center thereof and by spherical balls located between the tracks along the sides thereof. The rollers travel independently of the balls to prevent possible binding of the rollers, the balls along each side of the track being held in fixed longitudinally spaced relation by a strip-like retainer. The balls are positioned at the lower corners of the upper track and, if the vehicle is involved in a severe frontal crash, the balls cause portions of the upper track to be forcibly pinched between portions of the lower track so as to effect interlocking of the tracks and thereby reduce the danger of the upper track moving forwardly relative to and separating vertically from the lower track under the influence of seat belt loads imposed on the upper track.

Growing community of inventors

Roscoe, IL, United States of America

Allen D Dove