Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

The Firestone Tire & Rubber Company

Ray V Crawford

Robert J Rumpf

Regis V Pilarski

A tilting seat back is mounted on a vehicle by a first hinge member which is pivoted to a second vehicle mounted hinge member. The first hinge member includes a plurality of teeth and a pawl mounted on the second hinge member is engageable with each of the teeth. The first hinge member holds the pawl in the path of one tooth when the seat back is in the upright position for engagement of the tooth with the pawl upon inertia actuated movement of the seat back to a tilted position. The pawl is released and positioned adjacent the rotative path of the other teeth for inertia actuated movement into engagement with the other teeth when the seat back is in a partially tilted position.

Hinge and latch arrangement for vehicle seats

A seat position control mechanism includes an actuating member secured to a tilting seat back and operatively connectable to an actuating member by a pawl and ratchet mechanism in order to displace the seat forwardly to an easy enter position upon forward tilting movement of the seat back. A cam and follower arrangement releases a latch for the track mechanism upon coupling of the operating and actuating members. The seat back may be moved rearwardly to an inclined position without actuation of the seat position control mechanism.

Seat position control mechanism

A motor vehicle folding seat and seat occupant restraint arrangement comprising a folding seat having a seat back hinged to a seat bottom which in turn is hinged to the vehicle floor whereby the seat is foldable in an upright position to provide increased storage area and wherein the seat occupant restraint includes a load-carrying member of relatively short length which is secured to the underneath side of the seat bottom and is releasably securable to the vehicle floor to both maintain the seat in its normal position and also transmit loads for seat belt restraint systems which are either anchored at both ends to the load-carrying member or are anchored at one end to the load-carrying member and at the other end directly to the vehicle floor whereby the seat bottom frame is not subjected to any force resulting from loads applied by an occupant to any of the restraint systems and whereby the floor is left unobstructed when the seat is folded in its stored position.

Growing community of inventors

Warren, MI, United States of America

Ray V Crawford