The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 09, 2002
Filed:
Oct. 26, 2000
Ashford A. Galbreath, Jr., Lawrence, KS (US);
Dianna Sabo, Milford, MI (US);
John R. Sims, Dearborn, MI (US);
Stephen Lambrecht, New Hudson, MI (US);
Joel P. Mendel, Bloomfield Hills, MI (US);
Steve Schulte, Novi, MI (US);
Greg Fraley, Farmington Hills, MI (US);
Lear Corporation, Southfield, MI (US);
Abstract
A vehicle seat includes a seat bottom, a seat back pivotally connected with respect to the seat bottom, a seat track and an oscillating damped energy management device secured between the seat back and the seat bottom. The device includes a damper mechanism having a gear assembly coupled to a damper crank on a secondary gear shaft. Rotation of the damper crank causes an oscillating movement of a damper rod coupled to a damper cylinder. The viscosity of the fluid within the damper cylinder can be selected to vary the energy dampening characteristics of the damper mechanism. The damper mechanism may also include a pair of damper cylinders that can oscillate approximately ninety degrees out of phase with respect to each other to more smoothly control the damped energy during low and high impacts.