Excel Industries, Inc.

Other

Dura Automotive Systems, Gmbh

Ruben Hernandez

Dale E Lyons

Roger L Brock

Christopher George Pasternak

Thomas W Paisley

Joseph John Scordato

Freda M Hernandez

John D Lindman

Otto Volker

A seat track assembly comprises a lower track assembly having a lower track and an upper track assembly slidable over the lower track assembly and having an upper track. An elongate upper bracket and an elongate lower bracket enhance resistance to vertical dislocation. The upper bracket is attached to the upper track and has first and second projections which are positioned on opposite sides of the upper track. The lower bracket is attached to the lower track. The upper bracket can slide free of the lower bracket in a normal operating condition, and the first and second projections of the upper bracket are received by the lower bracket to resist vertical dislocation of the upper track when the upper track assembly is subjected to a vertical dislocation force. The first and second projections are preferably unitary extensions of the upper bracket, and are connected to each other by a connecting segment attached to the upper track. Preferably the upper bracket first and second projections are mirror images of one another so that a vertical dislocation force transmits loading evenly across the brackets. A pair of upper track assemblies can be used with a pair of lower track assemblies, each upper track having an upper bracket as described and each lower track having a corresponding lower bracket.

Seat track assembly with vertical dislocation resistance bracket

A seat track assembly comprises a lower track assembly comprising first and second lower tracks laterally spaced from and aligned generally parallel with one another. Each lower track has a bottom wall and left and right side walls which cooperate with the bottom wall to define a central channel running the length of the lower track. The left and right side walls each have flanges bent over and away from the central channel. An upper track assembly operatively engages the lower track assembly. The upper track assembly comprises first and second upper tracks carried by corresponding first and second lower tracks, allowing the upper track assembly to slide in forward and rearward directions. An elongate upper J-hook is rigidly attached to each upper track, preferably at a top wall of each upper track. An elongate lower J-hook is rigidly attached to each lower track, preferably at a bottom wall of each track. Each upper J-hook slides freely past a corresponding lower J-hook in a normal condition, and each upper J-hook is received by a corresponding lower J-hook to limit vertical dislocation of the upper track assembly from the lower track assembly. The seat track assembly can be used, for example, on a seat anchored to a motor vehicle with spring-biased attachment hooks.

Seat track assembly with enhanced vertical dislocation resistance

A rollerless seat track assembly and a motor vehicle seat having a rollerless seat track assembly is shown having a lower track mounted to a base or floor of a motor vehicle, and a slidable upper track attached to a seat base. The upper track has a top wall and a pair of side walls. The lower track has a pair of flanges positioned adjacent a primary load bearing contact surface. Preferably a low friction coating, such as a PTFE epoxy paint is applied to the primary load bearing contact surface of the lower track, and a preferably elongate glide strip or glide member may be affixed to a lower side of the top wall of the upper track. As the seat track slides back and forth, the glide strip would slide over the low friction coating, minimizing the efforts required to adjust the seat. Lateral stability may be enhanced by lateral stabilization ball bearings running in raceways between the upper and lower tracks. Preferably a swizel stick or retainer having a series of openings sized to receive the ball bearings is positioned in each raceway to maintain proper spacing of the ball bearings. Optionally the raceway may have four contact points with each ball bearing. The tracks may be interlocking, that is, capable of resisting upward dislocation forces.

Seat track assembly

A seat track assembly for a motor vehicle is disclosed, comprising: an upper track sub-assembly having an upper track; a lower track sub-assembly having a lower track and a stop, with the upper track being slidable over the lower track; and a positive engagement inertia latch for resisting axial sliding motion of the upper track sub-assembly relative the lower track sub-assembly in response to acceleration of the gear relative the lower track sub-assembly. The inertia latch preferably comprises a gear being movable between a non-latching position wherein the gear is rotatable in response to axial sliding of the upper track sub-assembly and a latching position wherein in response to a sudden change in velocity the gear engages the stop, locking the upper track sub-assembly with the lower track sub-assembly. The gear can be mounted on an axle. A base is affixed to the lower seat track sub-assembly, having a contoured surface which receives the axle. The stop can comprise an incline, preferably unitary with the base, and the gear can have gear teeth which wedgingly lockingly engage a rack of teeth on the incline. An all-belts-to-seat latch may also be used to resist both axial displacement and vertical dislocation of the upper seat track relative the lower seat track.

Vehicle seat assembly with inertia latch

A vehicle seat assembly has first and second fore-and-aft extending lower track sub-assemblies for mounting to a vehicle, typically to the floor pan of the passenger compartment of the vehicle. First and second upper track sub-assemblies are carried by the lower track sub-assemblies. More specifically, the upper track sub-assemblies each include a track slidingly coupled with a corresponding lower track. One or both of the upper track sub-assemblies further includes a structurally robust J-hook which receives a downward flange of the corresponding lower track sub-assembly. The overlapping flange and J-hook arrangement limits vertical dislocation of the upper track sub-assembly, and, therefore, also limits vertical dislocation of the vehicle seat, relative the lower track sub-assembly. In the normal condition, the flange and J-hook arrangement permits free fore-and-aft travel. That is, the sliding tracks can be moved relative each other for adjustment of the fore-and-aft position of the vehicle seat. The J-hook and flange further cooperatively provide position-fixing means for resisting fore-and-aft movement. Specifically, during such time as the flange and J-hook engage each other in a dislocation condition, to limit further upward dislocation of the seat, the position-fixing means is operative to also resist fore-and-aft movement of the seat. The position-fixing means in preferred embodiments is substantially structurally more robust than a typical seat adjuster, such as a latching mechanism used to set the fore-and-aft position of a vehicle seat. Thus, both vertical and fore-and-aft position of the seat is controlled against dislocation forces which might otherwise damage the seat assembly.

Vehicle seat assembly with position-fixing means

A padded body, that is adapted to be used as a ground pad and as padded tent bottom is folded over a surfboard and secured in closed position. The surfboard is thus effectively protected while being shipped and stored. A tent is adapted to be connected to the tent bottom at the beach, so as to provide a comfortable padded-floor tent for use during the day or night. During shipment of the apparatus, the tent is secured adjacent the skegs of the surfboard.

Combination surfboard-shipping bag, ground pad, and tent

A wall decoration in the shape of a pine tree; including a base made of plywood panels glued one upon another, pine cone scales glued on the front side thereof, and a gold panel applied to the front of this assembly.

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Roscoe, IL, United States of America

Ruben Hernandez