Chrysler Corporation

Theodore W Tobin

Mark W Crossman

Neal G Stupera

Brian M Beaudet

Mitchell J Clauw

Dennis M Viscome

Dale A Bode

An energy-absorbing plate for absorbing energy from the force of a knee of the driver of a motor vehicle when the driver is thrown forward in response to a frontal impact. The plate has a knee impact zone and is mounted on rigid vehicle support structure in a position placing the impact zone directly in front of the right knee of the driver. The impact zone is connected to an upper wall portion of the plate by a generally horizontal shelf placing the impact zone closer to the right knee and providing additional stiffness for better crashworthiness. The plate has a bead adjacent one side of the impact zone capable of deforming into a shallower channel shape upon impact. The impact zone has a relatively large radius side edge portion capable of rolling with the deformation of the impact zone to improve energy absorption.

Driver knee energy-absorbing plate

A vehicle seat structure is mounted on right and left track assemblies whereby the seat is longitudinally adjustable. A release wire interconnects right and left latch mechanisms such that upon a handle bar unlocking the right mechanism the left mechanism is similarly unlocked in a master-slave manner. An improved release wire attaching arrangement is provided imparting a predetermined twisting torque to the wire that its integral hair-pin end connectors are each resiliently biased into rattle-free positive contact with its associated latch mechanism mounting.

Seat track latch anti-rattle release wire

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Taylor, MI, United States of America

Theodore W Tobin