Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Mladen Humer

David Charles Viano

Richard J Neely

Hans J Borlinghaus

Michael G Orlowsky

David P Kolena

Richard W Rees

Mark A Oleszko

Neil G Goodbred

Paul A Glinski

Robert Scott Crane

Kenneth A Gassman

Steven J Cooper

A vehicle seat is providing including a seat bottom frame; a generally U-shaped seat back frame with an upper cross member with legs pivotally mounted with respect to the seat bottom frame, the seat back cross member being generally at least approximately 470 millimeters along a line generally parallel to the torso of a seated occupant from an H point of the seated occupant, and the cross member being concavely bowed if under approximately 525 millimeters from the H point of the seated occupant; and a deformable lower cross member having ends fixably connected to the seat back legs being concavely bowed, the cross member having a major dimension oriented generally parallel to the torso of the seated occupant, the lower cross member having an upper and a lower end, the lower cross member upper end being vertically above the H point of a seated occupant when the seat back frame is positioned in a normal seating position and where in a rear crash situation, the lower cross member deforms to pivot its lower end further away from the seat back frame legs than its top end to capture the seated occupant's pelvic region between the lower cross member and the bottom frame.

Vehicle seat with perimeter frame and pelvic catcher

A vehicle seat and headrest arrangement is provided including a seat bun frame having fore and aft ends, a seatback frame joined to the bun frame adjacent the aft end of the bun frame, and a headrest pivotally attached with the seatback frame along a pivotal axis generally perpendicular to the fore and aft direction whereby, upon a rear vehicle impact, the headrest moves in a forward direction toward the head of a vehicle seat occupant.

Vehicle pivotal headrest

A recliner arrangement for a vehicle seat is provided which, in a preferred embodiment, includes a seat cushion unit, a seat backrest unit pivotally connected to the seat cushion unit, a linear recliner for selectively adjusting the pivotal location of the backrest unit, and an energy absorber interposed between the linear recliner and the seat backrest unit, the energy absorber being operative upon a predetermined magnitude of force exerted thereon.

Seat bellows energy absorber

The present invention provides an apparatus and method of utilization thereof of an anti-ratchet vehicle seat adjuster slide. A preferred embodiment provides an adjuster slide having an upper channel connected with the seat slidably mounted on a lower channel connected with the vehicle. The adjuster slide also has a latch pivotally connected with the upper channel having a range of pivotal movement independent of a lift bar which is also pivotally connected with the upper channel. To allow adjustment of the seat the lift bar is controlled by the operator and pulled upwards causing the latch to pivot upwards also and release from the lower channel. The latch also is provided with a tab having a curvilinear surface of engagement with the notches of the lower channel. The curvilinear surface of the latch tab allows the latch to have a generally constant cam angle of engagement with the notch of the lower channel regardless of the angular orientation of the latch when the tab is in engagement with one of the notches. The above action causes the tab is seek insertion into the latch and not to be pushed out of the latch due to the poor cam angle presentation.

Apparatus and method of anti-ratcheting vehicle seat adjuster slide

The present invention provides an apparatus and method of utilization thereof of a seat adjuster with a vertical height adjustment mechanism. The seat adjuster has a vertically fixed support. Pivotally mounted to the support is an interior threaded sleeve. Projecting through the sleeve is a rod connected with the seat with threads of an opposite hand of the sleeve. Interposed between the rod and the sleeve is a knob which is threadably engaged with both the sleeve and the rod. Rotation of the knob causes the knob to have relative motion with respect to the sleeve and the rod to have relative motion with the sleeve to set the elevation of the seat. The present inventive vehicle seat adjuster is particularly useful in tri-mount vehicle type seating.

Vertical seat adjuster apparatus and method

An easy entry seat adjuster mechanism for a seat assembly having a seat cushion unit and a pivotal back rest and which functions to allow the seat cushion unit to be adjustably positioned along a track and which functions to allow the seat to be shifted forwardly in response to tilting movement of the seat back to permit easy entry into the rear seat and then to automatically return the seat to its previously adjusted position upon return of the back rest to its upright position and shifting the seat rearwardly. The seat adjuster mechanism has a memory means, including a stationary rack and toothed gear operatively associated with a lock lever on the seat adjuster for effecting the automatic repositioning of the seat to its previously adjusted position.

Growing community of inventors

East Detroit, MI, United States of America

Mladen Humer