Lear Corporation

Byron Matthews

Mark A Farquhar

Kirk P Koenig

A vehicle seat assembly with integrated safety restraint belts includes a bottom frame and a backrest frame. The backrest frame is pivotally connected to the bottom frame by first and second pivot elements. The first and second pivot elements may include motor driven actuator screws for remotely controlling the pivoted position of the backrest frame under power. The bottom frame includes first and second side rails for mounting to the floor panel and permitting forward-rearward sliding adjustment of the seat position. The first and second side rails each have cuff at their rearward ends to rigidify the first and second side rails so that they can better withstand elevated forces occurring during instances of sudden deceleration. The integrated safety restraint belt includes a shoulder strap segment connected to the upper end of the backrest frame, above the first pivot element, and a lap strap segment. A spool, mounted to the bottom frame, plays out and reels in strap material from a concealed segment interposed between the spool and the shoulder strap segment. The concealed segment of the safety restraint belt is hidden within a hollow stile of the backrest frame. A guide is mounted within the hollow stile, for controlling the concealed segment within the hollow passage during movement of the safety restraint belt to help prevent binding or misalignment when the backrest frame is articulated. An anti-rotation stop plate is formed as part of the bottom frame and positioned to abut a nose portion of the first pivot element in the event of severe loading and deformation resulting from sudden deceleration. In this manner, the anti-rotation stop plate restrains unwanted deformation of the first pivot element relative to the bottom frame.

Growing community of inventors

Grand Blanc, MI, United States of America

Byron Matthews