Lear Siegler, Inc.

Randal T Murphy

Robert W Costin

Emmett R Bales

A seat assembly (10) comprising a seat portion (12) and back rest (14) supported on a seat frame (30) with a thigh support (26) movably supported forward of the seat portion (12). The thigh support (26) includes a support portion (42) extending from the seat frame (30) and a bolster (28) supported by the support portion (42). A spring arrangement (44) resiliently interconnects the support portion (42) and the bolster (26) for allowing movement of the entire bolster (26) relative to the support portion (42); for this purpose a pair of leaf springs (46) support the bolster portion (26) in a cantilevered fashion from the support portion (42) and are disposed adjacent each end of the bolster (28). A pair of slideways (52) and corresponding slide members (54) are secured to the frame structure, allowing the bolster (28) to extend between a fully extended to a fully retracted position.

Seat assembly having adjustable thigh support

A seat back recliner having seat back and cushion arms connected to each other about a pivotal axis for adjustable movement. Plate-like ends of the arms are pivotally connected to each other with a locking ring therebetween fixed to the seat back arm encircling the pivotal axis. Locking teeth of the ring extend inwardly and are arranged in an arcuate shape about the pivotal axis to be engaged by a toothed end of a locking dog that is slidable between the plate ends and between spaced guides on the seat cushion arm end. A spring biased actuator and cam normally position the dog in a locking position where its toothed end engages the ring teeth to prevent pivoting of the seat back arm. A blocking pin on the dog and a blocking surface on the seat back arm cooperate to prevent engagement of the dog and the ring during pivoting of the seat back arm to the easy-enter position. The blocking surface of the seat back arm end is preferably provided by an arcuate slot through which the blocking pin on the dog extends, and the blocking pin on the dog is preferably located adjacent the toothed dog end.

Seat back recliner

A latch mechanism for a vehicle seat whose seat back and seat cushion components are fixedly mounted on a seat base that is suspended on a sub-base for oscillating forward and rearward movement with respect to the vehicle so as to isolate the seat occupant from longitudinal vehicle vibrations. The latch mechanism includes a keeper fixedly mounted on the sub-base and having forwardly and rearwardly facing latch surfaces. A latch member of the latch mechanism is pivotally mounted on the seat base and is movable between latching and nonlatching positions with respect to the keeper. The latch member has forwardly and rearwardly facing latch surfaces in the latching position that respectively engage the rearwardly and forwardly facing latch surfaces of the keeper to hold the seat against the oscillating movement in a rattle-free manner when a seat occupant desires a fixed seating position such as when vehicle controls must be manipulated during parking and backing operations. An overcenter spring selectively and alternately biases the latch member to either its latching or nonlatching positions and the engagement of the latch surfaces on the keeper and the latch member provides a stop that limits the latch member movement under the bias of the spring while in the latching position.

Growing community of inventors

Morristown, TN, United States of America

Randal T Murphy