Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.

John Fredrik Runske

Todd Muck

Vikas Bhatia

Gregory Todd Donovan

A variable lumbar support assembly for a seatback of a vehicle seat assembly includes a support bracket and a lumbar member. The support bracket has an upper end, an opposite lower end, and a pair of side rails extending between the upper end and the lower end. The support bracket has a curved central portion positioned between the upper and the lower end. The lumbar member is slidingly attached to the pair of side rails of the support bracket. The slidingly attachment of the lumbar member along the pair of slide rails provides both a vertical displacement and a fore and aft displacement of the lumbar member.

Variable lumbar support assembly

The present invention discloses a removable rear seat assembly for use in a motor vehicle having a passenger compartment and a vehicle floor. A seat frame is mounted to the vehicle floor. A release mechanism is provided operatively connecting the seat frame to the vehicle floor as to prevent movement of the seat frame. A release handle is mounted to a rear of the seat frame and is connected to the release mechanism for purposes of activating the release mechanism. The release handle may also be used as a carrying handle allowing for increased maneuverability of the seat frame after removal. The seat frame is removable from the passenger compartment upon a downward pulling and upward rotation of the release handle. This specific movement requirement prevents the inadvertent release of the seat frame from the vehicle floor. The release handle is prevented from an immediate rotation upwards preventing a vehicle occupant from activating the release mechanism by kicking or lifting the release handle. The release handle is freely rotatable downwards to the vehicle floor creating a breakaway feature allowing a vehicle occupant to step on or kick the release handle without activating the release mechanism. These safety features prevent the inadvertent release of the seat frame.

Rear vehicle seat release and carrying handle

A carrier assembly of a seat assembly for use in a motor vehicle allows for the efficient installation of the carrier assembly and several seat assembly accessories. The seat assembly has a seat back, a locking frame and a seat cushion. The carrier assembly includes an elongated base member extending along a longitudinal axis. A pair of outer hinge brackets are attached to the ends of the elongated base member. The seat back is pivotally mounted to the outer hinge brackets about a pivot axis that is spaced apart and parallel to said longitudinal axis of the elongated base member. A pair of floor brackets attached to the ends of the elongated base member secures the elongated base member to the floor of the motor vehicle. The carrier assembly is independent of the locking frame and the seat cushion.

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Howell, MI, United States of America

John Fredrik Runske