Hoover Universal, Inc.

Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Robert D Elton

Lloyd Walker Rogers, Jr

Les Griswold

Michael Joseph McKale

John Krieger

Robert L Demick

Marc D Hewko

Sandra L Smith

Kurt A Bart

Randy D Hurn

Mark D Hewko

DeWitt R Mulhearn

Paul M Grippo

Steve W Kennel

Mark J Symonik

An adjustable foot support for an automotive vehicle, having at least one adjustable actuating foot pedal movable between forward and rear pedal adjustment positions to accommodate varying leg lengths of various operators, includes a normally stationary foot rest for optionally resting a foot of a vehicle operator during periods of inactivity and foot rest adjusting means for selectively adjusting said foot rest between stationary forward and rear foot rest adjustment positions to position the foot rest in a comfortable position that accommodates the varying leg lengths of various operators. The adjusting means may be a powered linkage and is optionally movable in concert with the adjustment linkage of an associated pedal, such as a brake pedal. The foot rest may include dual portions including a foot supporting surface for resting an inactive foot of an operator and a laterally extending heel supporting surface positioned below the brake pedal for limiting relative travel of a heel and ball of a foot operatively engaging the brake pedal.

Adjustable foot support

An adjustable pedal mechanism for automotive vehicles includes a pivoting presenter arm with a swinging lower end that provides a pivot for a pedal actuating mechanism. A link connecting the actuating pedal with the operated device, such as an accelerator throttle or power control cable, extends essentially parallel to the presenter arm. the link has a length equal to that of the presenter arm so that pivoting of the presenter arm to move the pedal pivot point forward or back causes an equivalent pivoting motion of the link and thereby maintains the pedal attitude constant over a substantial range of adjustment positions. By making the presenter arm of substantial length and limiting its angular adjustment motion on either side of a vertical line, the height of the pedal above the vehicle floor is maintained relatively constant over the total range of adjustment of the pedal position.

Adjustable accelerator pedal

An adjustable pedal mechanism for automotive vehicles includes a pedal lever with a pivot near its center between its ends. An upper end of the lever is connected with a throttle cable that extends through a conduit to an operated device, such as a throttle valve or other power control. A lower end of the lever carries a foot pedal engagable by a driver's foot to operate the pedal. The central pivot is carried in a bracket having a slot or other form of track along which the pivot is movable generally longitudinally of the vehicle. As the pivot is moved rearward along the slot, the pedal is moved closer to the driver. The slot is positioned or configured so that the height of the pedal remains constant or is slightly lowered as the pedal is moved rearward. If the vehicle is provided with an electronic throttle control, or similar device, the upper end of the lever may be omitted and a position controller may be mounted at or adjacent the location of the pivot. In either case, pedal adjustment may be powered by a screw driven by an electric motor through a cable and worm gear drive or other suitable means.

A brake pedal mechanism limits the reaction force applied on a brake pedal lever pivot. The pivot is formed by a slot closed by a tang yieldably connected to a retaining arm of a pivotable release lever. A release arm of the release lever is engagable by an actuating rod of a brake booster when moved beyond the normal travel limit of the rod. In one case, excessive brake pedal force causes the tang to yield and release the brake pedal pivot pin. In another case, excess rearward motion of the actuating rod pivots the release lever, lifting the tang and freeing the pivot pin. In either case, the reaction force on the pivot is maintained below a desired limit.

Brake pedal mechanism

An adjustable pedal mechanism for automotive vehicles utilizes a slave lever pivoted on a conventionally located laterally extending front pivot and actuated by a pedal lever on a parallel rear pivot located behind and below the front pivot. The levers are connected by an adjustable link lying generally parallel with the plane of the front and rear pivots to form a parallelogram linkage with the link side being of variable length to vary the initial angular position of a foot pedal at the lower end of the pedal lever. The slave lever connects with an actuator rod for actuating a vehicle device such as a brake or clutch and is applied by forward motion of the foot pedal acting through the pedal lever and adjustable link to the slave lever which moves the actuator rod. The lowered rearward location of the pedal lever allows a greater variation of the pedal position without excessively raising the pedal height while the parallelogram linkage arrangement maintains pedal actuating travel essentially constant at all locations within the range of adjustment positions. A preferred embodiment includes powered adjustment of a ballscrew for adjusting the link.

Adjustable brake and clutch pedals

A vehicle door latch has a rotatable fork bolt that is latched by a detent in primary or an intermediate secondary latch position. The detent is operated via an intermittent lever that is operated by a transfer lever that is actuated by inside and outside door handles via suitable mechanical linkage. The door latch includes a locking lever that disables the door handles from operating the intermittent lever when it is in the locked position. The door latch also includes a cinching mechanism that automatically engages the fork bolt in the primary latch position when the intermediate secondary latch position is reached. The cinching mechanism shifts out of the way responsive to an unlatching operation to provide a fail-safe feature.

Vehicle door latch with cinching mechanism

A vehicle seat assembly with a structural seat back to accommodate the seat belt loads applied to the seat back by the belt system which is carried by the seat assembly. The seat back includes a reinforced beam along one side of the seat back frame to accommodate these loads with a recliner mechanism along the same side of the seat assembly and engaging the reinforced member to resist forward rotation of the seat back caused by seat belt loads applied thereto. The seat assembly while being reinforced to accommodate the seat belt loads is configured to be as similar to conventional seat assemblies as possible to minimize the need to redesign the non-structural components of the seat assembly. In addition, the seat assembly includes many features found in current production seat assemblies such as a fore and aft adjuster, an adjustable lumbar support, a seat cushion lift and a seat back recliner. While reinforcing the seat structure, care has been taken to efficiently manage the seat belt loads without adding unnecessary structure and weight to the seat assembly.

Vehicle seat assembly with structural seat back to accommodate seat belt

A seat assembly for a passenger car including an integral child seat assembly. The frame of the seat back carries seat belt loading from the child seat restraint system receiving the load directly from the seat belts and transferring a load efficiently to the floor pan and rear shelf of the motor vehicle to provide a short load path requiring a minimal number of components.

Passenger car seat assembly with integral child seat

A vehicle seat assembly with a structural seat back to accommodate the seat belt loads applied to the seat back by a belt system which is carried by the seat assembly. The seat back includes a reinforced beam along one side to accommodate these loads with a recliner mechanism along the same side of the seat assembly coupled to the reinforced member to resist forward rotation of the seat back caused by seat belt loads applied thereto. The seat assembly is configured to be as similar to conventional seat assemblies as possible to minimize the need to redesign the non-structural components of the seat assembly. The seat assembly includes many features found in current production seat assemblies such as a fore and aft adjuster, an adjustable lumbar support, a seat cushion lift mechanism and a seat back recliner. The seat belt loads have been efficiently managed to avoiding adding unnecessary structure and weight.

A vehicle seat assembly with an extendable front panel is provided to increase the effective length of a vehicle seat cushion. The panel is deployed from a stowed position to a forwardly extending position in response to a predetermined deceleration occurring during a front impact collision of the vehicle. By extending the effective length of the seat cushion, a seat occupant will be prevented from falling to the vehicle floor forward of the seat cushion where additional injuries can be incurred.

Vehicle seat assembly with a front panel

A mechanical lumbar support having an adjustment mechanism with a cam for effecting adjustment of the lumbar support member position. The cam is coupled to the lumbar support member through a linkage which enables the cam and actuating knob to be located at the optimum position for reaching and operating by a seat occupant, independent of the location of the lumbar support mechanism.

Seat assembly with lumbar support mechanism

A vehicle seat assembly is disclosed containing an integrated child seat having a child seat cushion and headrest stored within the seat back of the seat assembly. The child seat is deployed by raising the child seat headrest from an upper portion of the seat back and rotating the child seat cushion from the seat back forward to a generally horizontal use position overlying the adult seat cushion. The seat assembly of the present invention includes a floating pivot axis for the child seat cushion to enable the seat cushion attaching hardware to be placed rearward from the face of the seat back to improve adult seating comfort. The buckle for the child seat restraint system is pivotally mounted directly to the child seat cushion enabling a user to easily insert a latch plate of the restraint system into the buckle with one hand freeing the other hand for restraining the child. The child seat further includes a protective flap extending forward from the child seat cushion to protect the upholstery of the adult seat cushion from wear and dirt from the shoes of a child seat occupant.

Vehicle seat assembly with integral child seat

A vehicle seat assembly with a rotating seat back panel having an integral child seat. An interlock is provided between the child seat latches and the latches for the rotating seat back panel to prevent deployment of the child seat when the seat back panel is unlatched and also to prevent unlatching of the seat back panel when the child seat is deployed. This ensures that the child seat can not be used unless the seat back panel is properly latched providing the load path for the child seat shoulder belts from the child seat to the vehicle structure.

Vehicle seat assembly with rotating seat pack panel and integral child

A one piece plastic molded hollow armature is shown for a vehicle seat headrest which is formed with two halves. Each half is formed with a wall having a concave inner surface and corresponding convex outer surface and a peripheral edge. At a linear portion of the edges of each half, the halves are joined together by a flexible web forming a hinge. The two halves are rotated about a flexible web to close the armature upon a headrest support post and are sealed together in the closed position. Afterwhich, a foam padding is molded around the armature through a pour in place molding operation and covered with an upholstery member. A plurality of posts extend from one armature half through apertures in the other half. Once the armature is closed, it is permanently sealed by heat staking the posts to form enlarged rivet heads.

Headrest armature for seats

A door pull for a vehicle door assembly in the form of a rigid strap attached to the door frame and spanning a recess in the door frame. A interior trim panel covers the door pull and an opening in the trim panel adjacent to the door pull provides access for an occupant to reach into the recess behind the door pull to pull the door closed. A door latch release handle can be placed in the recess behind the door pull strap at one end of the recess which is operated by the occupant reaching into the recess and pulling the latch release handle to open the door. No additional trim pieces and attaching hardware are needed to surround the door pull.

Growing community of inventors

Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America

Robert D Elton