Itt Corporation

Other

Itt Automotive, Inc.

Richard W Rees

Derek K Gauger

Max O Heesch

A lock apparatus selectively locks and unlocks a rotatable shaft from rotation. A brake disc is formed with opposed lock surfaces. First and second lock rings rotatably mounted on first and second bearing members are alternatingly moved by rotation along spaced projections on the adjacent first and second bearing members into locking engagement with the lock surfaces on the brake disc and away from the brake disc to an unlocked position. An outer member of each of the bearing members is held in a fixed position by engagement with first and second end caps mounted on the brake disc. An inner bearing member is axially movable with respect to the outer bearing member to bring bearings disposed in outer and inner races on the outer and inner bearing members into contact with thrust faces on the outer and inner members as axial force is imposed on the rotatable shaft to enable rotation of the shaft.

Rotatable shaft lock apparatus

A power seat adjuster includes a rotatable drive shaft with first and second axial ends and an intermediate arcuate portion connecting the first and second axial ends. The first and second axial ends are respectively axially connected to a drive motor gear assembly and to a driven lead screw. A horizontal drive block threadingly engaging the lead screw is rotatably and vertically translatingly mounted in an aperture in a lower track for self-alignment of the drive block with respect to the lead screw. A housing rotatably receives the axial connection between one end of the drive shaft and the lead screw. The bearing block is rotatably and translatingly mounted in a bracket fixed to an upper track for self-alignment of the drive shaft with the lead screw. A drive block engages the lead screw and is mounted for rotation and translation in a link. The upper and lower tracks have a guide section and an abutment section which collapse together in a self-cinching action under force loading to resist separation of the upper and lower tracks.

Vehicle power seat adjuster with end driven lead screw actuation

A motor vehicle seat recliner includes an upper member (34) which is supportive of a seat back (22) and a lower member (36) which is supportive of a seat cushion (21) and is carried for longitudinal adjustment within a host vehicle. An adjuster (40) is operative to establish a substantially fixed angular position between the members, the adjuster including a longitudinally disposed drive screw (62) which is restrained from axial displacement in one direction by an abutment surface (56) which is defined by a thrust plate (46) carried by the lower member and a link (130) which is pivotally interconnected to the screw by a traveling member (126) and is also pivotally interconnected to the upper member by a parallel arrangement of a link control bracket (144) and a displaceable lock plate (154), whereby frontal impact imposed moment arm forces will subject the link and screw to substantially pure compressive loading.

Method of making a high strength automotive seat frame

A vehicle seat adjuster includes a pair of spaced upper tracks, each slidably mounted in one of a pair of lower tracks. A seat support arm connected to each upper track slidably extends through a slot formed in each lower track. A rod extends between each pair of track assemblies and releasably engages a notch formed in each support arm and one of a plurality of notches formed in the lower track to releasably lock the upper track in a stationary position relative to the lower track. A bearing conforming to the shape of the upper track is interposed between each upper and lower track. Support members are connected to each lower track to anchor each lower track to a vehicle floor. Cooperating resisting elements are formed in each upper and lower track pair and inter-engage under deforming load of the tracks and bearing to resist separation of the upper track from the lower track.

Manual seat adjuster

A gear reducer includes a first non-rotatable gear. A second transfer gear formed of a resilient material engages the first gear. The second gear is eccentrically driven about the first gear by an eccentric collar mounted in the second gear and coupled to a motor output shaft. The second transfer gear nutatingly engages a rotatable third gear and moves one tooth of the third gear into alignment with one tooth of the first gear for each predetermined amount of rotation of the second transfer gear. A rotatable driven shaft is coupled to and rotated by the third gear. The first and third gears each have a plurality of gear teeth arranged at the same pitch circle diameter; but provided in a different number of teeth on each of the first and third gears to provide a selective reduction between the speed of rotation of the motor output shaft and the speed of rotation of the driven shaft coupled to the third gear.

Gear reducer

A vehicle seat adjuster includes a pair of spaced upper tracks, each slidably mounted in one of a pair of lower tracks. A seat support arm connected to each upper tracks slidably extends through a slot formed in each lower track. A rod extends between each pair of track assemblies and releasably engages a notch formed in each support arm and one of a plurality of notches formed in the lower track to releasably lock the upper track in a stationary position relative to the lower track. A bearing conforming to the shape of the upper track is interposed between each upper and lower track. Support members are connected to each lower track to anchor each lower track to a vehicle floor. Cooperating resisting elements are formed in each upper and lower track pair and inter-engage under deforming load of the tracks and bearing to resist separation of the upper track from the lower track.

Vehicle seat adjuster

High strength automotive seat frame and method

High strength motor vehicle seat recliner

A device for adjusting the relative inclination of two elements, and in particular, the relative inclination of a back member of an automotive seat pivotally connected about a rotational axis to a base member of the seat for movement through a predefined arc is disclosed. The device can include at least an enveloping gear sector for pivotal connection to the base member about an axis generally coaxial with the rotational axis between the back and base members. The gear sector preferably includes plastic concave teeth formed thereon. An enveloping worm is provided for rotatable connection to the base member. The worm preferably is formed of at least one plastic concave worm having at least a single thread. The worm is disposed in double enveloping engagement with the gear sector. A rotatable cam is pivotally connecting the sector gear to the base member. The rotatable cam is pivotal along a predefined arc about an axis of rotation generally coaxial with the rotational axis of the back member. A spring biases the rotatable cam in a rotational direction such that the gear is urged into positive engagement with the worm at any angular position of movement. A drive mechanism is provided for rotating the worm in clockwise and counterclockwise directions. A releasable lock member is also provided for preventing unintentional movement of the worm in either rotational direction.

Double enveloping worm and gear seat recliner

A power seat adjuster includes first and second spaced track assemblies, each formed of an upper track slidably mounted on a lower track anchored to a vehicle floor. A drive block disposed in each upper track rotatably engages a lead screw bi-directionally rotated by a drive transmission coupled to the output shaft of a horizontal drive motor mounted between the track assemblies. A drive block mounting bracket supports each drive block and has a leg extending through an elongated slot in the upper track and an aperture in the lower tracks to a fixed connection to the lower track. A seat support plate is disposed adjacent each upper track and is connected to a seat. A pair of vertical drive motors are each coupled through a lead screw, a rotatable shaft and pivot links to opposite ends of the seat support plates for selectively varying the vertical position of the ends of the seat support plates with respect to the track assemblies.

Power seat adjuster with horizontal slot drive

A hinge pivotally moves a closure panel between two positions to open and close an access opening formed in a structure. The hinge includes a mounting plate connected to the structure. A strap is pivotally connected at a first end to the mounting plate and is fixedly connected at a second end to the closure panel. A clock biasing spring is connected at a first end to the mounting plate and has a second end rotationally and radially movable with respect to the first end. A link is pivotally connected at a first end to the strap at a position spaced from the pivot connection of the first end of the strap to the mounting plate. A second end of the link is pivotally connected to the second end of the spring to transmit biasing force from the spring to the strap and the attached closure panel to effect movement of the closure panel at a controlled rate depending upon the force moment created by the angle between the link and a line extending through the center of the biasing spring and the connection point of the second ends of the link and the spring and/or between the second of the link and the first pivot connection of the strap to the mounting plate.

Closure panel hinge

An automotive seating system including lightweight, high strength extrusions forming the track assemblies. The extrusions are formed with elongated abutment surfaces providing the sole reaction surfaces to resist separation of the track assemblies in the event of a crash. No separate reinforcements are needed.

Extruded automotive seat track

A seat slide structure is provided for supporting a vehicle occupant seat on a vehicle. An elongate channel is provided having a cylindrical guideway and an elongate slot. A generally cylindrical slide tube is coaxially received in the guideway with a planar support coupled to the tube and extending via this slot out through the channel member. Ring bearing means are provided within the channel member between the channel member and the slide tube to locate the slide tube coaxially slidable within the guideway End caps are provided coaxially about each end of the channel member and serve to couple the channel member to the vehicle floor with improved resistance to failure under stress load conditions.

Growing community of inventors

Rochester Hills, MI, United States of America

Richard W Rees