Lear Corporation

Chrysler Corporation

Phillip J Hecksel

Omar D Tame

Thomas D Novitsky

Michael T Twomley

Alan Daniel Novrocki

Robert J Sack

Gary C George

Richard A Roth

A bench seat assembly for a passenger vehicle with a structural floor pan for supporting the bench seat, the bench seat including transversely spaced seat risers, fixed rollers mounted on the risers on each side of the bench seat, the rollers being arranged in pairs on each side of the bench seat in fore-and-aft disposition, the structural floor having fore-and-aft roller wells on each lateral side of the bench seat which receive the rollers when the bench seat is installed. A linear latch mechanism includes a user-actuated member that is coupled to a pair of seat latching hooks on each lateral side of the seat assembly adjacent the rearwardly positioned seat rollers. Anchor elements in the roller wells are engaged by a latch member as the rollers enter the roller wells.

Automotive bench seat with fixed rollers and linear floor latch

A vehicle seat support frame includes inboard and outboard support assemblies each having a longitudinal base member providing an upstanding strut supporting an elevated front pivot pin. The base member aft end is formed with a downwardly and rearwardly angled brace having a foot pivotally connected to the lower end of a rear link. The link upper end is pivoted to an aft end of a longitudinal carriage having an elongated side slot receiving the elevated front pivot pin, wherein with the link inclined rearwardly the elevated pin is positioned at a front slot limit. A lower rail, fixed on the carriage, slidably supports an upper track member fixed to a seat cushion frame, for seat assembly adjustment. An easy entry dump arrangement allows a seat back to be pivoted from a normal use position to a forward dump position rotating a track cam plate, thereby unlatching the track members for travel to their full forward position, wherein a cam plate finger contacts a latch am forward end follower to pivot the arm out of latched retention of the rear links. The released links are free to rotate forwardly and slide the carriages on their elevated pins to their rear slot limit positions, whereby the seat cushion travels forwardly along a circular arc, about the link lower pivots, inclining the seat cushion forwardly and downwardly to pass under the instrument panel to its easy entry dump position.

Easy entry seat assembly system

Growing community of inventors

Belleville, MI, United States of America

Phillip J Hecksel