Vehicle seat assembly with position-fixing means

Abstract

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.