Dura Automotive Systems, Gmbh

Tom Owen Mathey

Christopher George Pasternak

Michael D Kobrehel

Mark R Truman

Stanley D Pacolt

An infinitely adjustable seat track assembly is provided with a lower track assembly and an upper track assembly releasably slidable on the lower track assembly. The lower track assembly comprises at least one lower track, and a wrap spring wrapped around a rod and aligned with the lower track. The upper track assembly has at least one upper track which can slide in forward and rearward directions over the lower track. A lever is mounted on the upper track assembly. The lever is pivotable from a latching position where the wrap spring wraps tightly around the rod, to an unlatching position where the lever urges the wrap spring to partially unwrap around the rod, thereby permitting the wrap spring to slide along the rod. An engagement mechanism operatively engages the wrap spring so that when the lever is in the latching position the upper track is secured to the lower track, and when the lever is in the unlatching position the wrap spring travels with the upper track over the rod in response to the upper track sliding over the lower track. Preferably the rod is secured to the lower track and the wrap spring is free of the upper and lower tracks. An easy entry feature can be attached to the lever so that dumping a seat back to a full down position moves the lever to the unlatching position, allowing the upper track or track to be slid to a full forward position.

Infinitely adjustable seat track assembly

An easy entry seat track assembly with full memory comprises a lower track assembly and an upper track assembly, releasably slidable on the lower track assembly. A master latch assembly in a latching position releasably secures the upper track assembly to the lower track assembly at an initial position. A rod is affixed to the lower track assembly, preferably on a lower track, and a memory register comprising a wrap spring is positioned around the rod. A memory actuation mechanism moves the memory register from a normal condition to a memory position and disengages the master latch, allowing the upper track assembly to slide over the lower track assembly to a free position. Return of the upper track assembly to the initial position returns the master latch to reengage the lower track assembly, and then returns the memory register to the normal condition. The memory actuation mechanism can comprise a cam lever rotatable from a first position where the memory register is in the normal condition, to an operating position where the memory register is in the memory position and the cam lever urges the master latch into the unlatching position. The memory register stays in the memory position and the master latch stays in the unlatching position until the upper track assembly returns from the free position to the initial position. A latch mechanism such as a latch plate or latch-lock lever may be used to hold the cam lever in the operating position while the upper track is in a free position.

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Rockton, IL, United States of America

Tom Owen Mathey