Bae Industries, Inc.

Bae Industies, Inc.

Keith Brantley

Tavis Lutzka

David M Grable

Stephen C Bruck

Tyrone R Secord

An inertial latch assembly including a planar shaped sector pivotally mounted between a pair of spaced apart support plates. The sector exhibits a bottom including a central projecting shoulder separating first and second bottom surfaces. An arcuate interior channel in the sector is offset from its pivotal mounting location, a pin extending through a second channel defined in a selected support plate and seating within the arcuate channel so that the pin exerts a bias against the sector during travel along the arcuate interior channel. A pendulum is secured in sandwiching fashion between the support plates and proximate the bottom extending surface of the planar shaped sector, an arcuate edge thereof seating against a selected bottom extending surfaces of the rotatable sector, depending upon a pivoted position established between the sector and the support plates. The pendulum responds to an inertial impact condition by engaging against the underside shoulder of the sector and to prevent rotation of the sector relative to the support plates.

Inertial latch assembly such as incorporated into a rear row pivoting seat bottom including a slotted inertial lock plate with resistive support in both design and upright positions

A multifunctional latch assembly associated with a rear row mounted and removable vehicle seat exhibiting a seat back pivotally secured to a seat bottom. The latch assembly releasably engages the seat bottom to front and rear floor supported strikers and to permit forward rotating seat dump and/or rearward seat removal. A first latch mechanism is mounted to a rear location of a frame associated with the seat bottom and includes a latch plate configured to engage the rear striker. A release lever is secured to a further location of the seat frame and is actuated a degree to permit the seat back to pivotally fold flat against the seat bottom, the release lever is further actuated a second degree to disengage the latch plate from the rear located striker and to permit forward rotation of the seat about the front supported striker. A second latch mechanism is mounted to a selected front location of the seat frame and includes an arcuately configured latch engaging the front striker. The second latch mechanism further includes a spring actuated hook engaging a lockout pin pivotally associated with the arcuately configured latch, upon a selected pivotal displacement of the seat frame relative the front floor supported striker, the seat subsequently being rearwardly displaced to permit removal from the vehicle.

Combination front and rear floor latch assembly for selective forward tumbling and removal of a rear row vehicle seat

A disengage mechanism incorporated into a floor-mounted, forwardly pivotal and removable seat including a bottom and a pivotally associated back. The mechanism includes a handle-operated actuating assembly mounted to an underside of the seat bottom. A seat forward tumble mechanism includes a cable securing to the assembly at a first location and a seat disengage mechanism includes a pair of cables securing to the assembly at a second location. The assembly is actuated in a first selected direction to engage the forward tumble mechanism, the assembly being actuated in a second reverse direction to concurrently engage the forward tumble mechanism as well as the seat disengagement mechanism.

Push/pull disengage mechanism for use with a rear row seat for selective seat tumble or removal from a vehicle

A release latch for use with a vehicle seat. A latch plate is rotatably secured to the seat and engages a floor mounted striker. A cam is rotatably secured to the seat and defines a shoulder biasingly seating against a support surface of the latch plate. A lever actuates the cam away from the support surface. A coil spring extends between the cam and a location of the latch plate offset from its pivot point. Forward pivoting of the seat occurs upon the shoulder separating from the support surface, the coil spring causing the latch plate to further rotate in a disengaging direction relative to the striker and upon the coil spring exceeding an over center portion relative to the pivot point of rotation of the latch plate.

Floor release latch mechanism for a vehicle seat

A combined seat back release and floor release for use with a vehicle seat. The seat back includes a first mechanism for forwardly rotating a seat back relative to a seat bottom. The floor release is actuated by the seat back by virtue of a linearly translatable cable extending therebetween. The cable acts upon a floor release lever, which is rotatably slaved to a pair of cam elements. A latch plate is rotatably secured to the seat and engages a floor mounted striker. Shoulder portions associated with the cams define primary and secondary abutment surfaces acting against the support surface of the latch plate. The lever actuates the cams away from the support surface in response to the actuation of the cable from the seat back mechanism. Forward pivoting of the seat occurs upon the cam shoulders separating from the latch plate support surface, a coil spring causing the latch plate to further rotate in a disengaging direction relative to the striker and upon the coil spring exceeding an over center portion relative to the pivot point of rotation of the latch plate.

Floor release latch mechanism for a vehicle seat interconnected with a secondary release associated with a rotatable seat back

A recliner mechanism for use with a vehicle seat having bottom and a pivotally secured back. A release mechanism is operably engaged to the back and includes an actuating handle extending from the bottom. A plate is secured to the back at a first location and pivotable along with the back about an axis defined at a second location, an arcuate exterior surface defined by the plate exhibiting a recessed detent. A floor release lever is secured to the bottom proximate the plate and is pivotally associated with the release mechanism by a cable extending to a floor latch mechanism associated with the vehicle. A male detent is pivotally secured to the seat bottom in inter-disposed fashion between the floor release lever and the plate. Upon the release mechanism rotating the floor release lever, and the cable causing the seat bottom to disengage from the floor latch mechanism, the male detent is influenced by the release lever in a first direction to seat against the recessed detent location of the plate and to prevent a forwardly pivoted seat back from being rotated in a reverse direction. Upon the seat bottom further being rotated back into engagement with the floor latch mechanism, the male detent is influenced by the release lever in a second direction to permit the seat back to be pivoted in the reverse direction.

Seat recliner mechanism incorporating rotatable seatback slaved to a floor latch release

A seatback recliner mechanism incorporated into a vehicle, the seat including a seat bottom and a pivotally engaged seatback. The recliner mechanism includes a pair of lower supports forming a part of the seat bottom and secured to at least one of first and second sides of the seat bottom. A first gear is fixed between the lower support and at a generally upper end and a pair of upper supports are pivotally secured to the lower supports and include a second rotatable gear meshingly engaged with the first gear. The seatback includes an upper arm pivotally secured to the upper support in coaxial fashion relative to a third rotatable gear meshingly engaged with the second gear. A first lever is operative to pivot the upper support relative the lower support over a specified range of forward incline and rearward recline. A second lever is operative to pivot the upper arm, relative to the upper support, to a substantially forward and horizontal position. A third lever unseats and rotates an intermediate plate, disposed between the upper and lower support plates and operatively engaged to the upper support plates in the released position, to a predetermined and forwardly inclined position.

Seatback recliner mechanism incorporating forward fold flat capability from any forward rearward reclined position

A latch assembly for maintaining a seat back in upright position responsive to inertial loads. Support plates include hinged upwardly extending arms defining a seat back. A latch gear includes a first plurality of exteriorly arrayed teeth. A first cam operates a second pivotal cam so that, upon rotation, the second cam rotates in an opposite direction to move into and out of contact with a pawl. The pawl is pivotally and translatably secured to the support plates and includes additional teeth arrayed opposite to the latch gear teeth and an extending end with an upwardly/arcuate shape. A wedge block defines first and second shoulder supports. In operation, the pawl engages the first support surface of the block. In response to inertial loads, the pawl shifts radially to be engaged upon the second support surface, the pawl teeth being forcibly interengaged with the latch gear teeth.

Growing community of inventors

Utica, MI, United States of America

Keith Brantley