Loop latch release for power long rail assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11679694-B2
Application number	US-201917415136-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 17, 2019
Priority date	Dec 17, 2018
Publication date	Jun 20, 2023
Grant date	Jun 20, 2023

Abstract

A power long rail assembly is attached to a vehicle floor for repositioning vehicle seats in a vehicle between a plurality of seating positions. The power long rail assembly includes a fixed long rail and a power rail drive assembly configured to travel along the fixed long rail. The power rail drive assembly has an upper channel having a driving wheel configured to frictionally and/or meshingly engage with the fixed long rail, a fore/aft motor operatively coupled to the driving wheel, a latch assembly for locking the upper channel to the fixed long rail, and a latch release mechanism having a latch motor operatively coupled to a release plunger for automatically unlocking the latch assembly from the fixed long rail, and a fore/aft button operatively coupled to the fore/aft motor and to the latch motor to selectively activate the fore/aft motor and the latch motor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A power long rail assembly for transposing a vehicle seat within a vehicle, the power long rail assembly comprising:
a fixed long rail;
a power rail drive assembly including an elongated upper channel configured to be transposed along said fixed long rail in a fore direction and an opposite aft direction;
a latch operatively coupled to said upper channel of said power rail drive assembly and including a release trigger configured to reposition said latch between a locked position and an unlocked position, said latch being spring-biased towards said locked position, wherein when said latch is in said locked position, said power rail drive assembly is interlocked with said fixed long rail preventing movement of said power rail drive assembly, and when said latch is in said unlocked position, said power rail drive assembly is transposable along said fixed long rail; and
a latch release mechanism operatively coupled with said latch, said latch release mechanism including a latch motor, an actuator cam, and a release plunger, said latch motor having a first drive shaft operatively coupled to said release plunger and configured to move said release plunger between a retracted position and an extended position, said actuator cam having a control slot and an axis of rotation and with said actuator cam being rotationally coupled to said first drive shaft, said control slot including a first cam section and a second cam section, said first cam section and said second cam section being spaced apart along said control slot, and said release plunger including a main body and a pin projecting an angle from said main body, said pin operatively coupled to said control slot such that said pin frictionally engages with said first cam section when said release plunger is in said retracted position and said pin frictionally engages with said second cam section when said release plunger is in said extended position;
wherein when said release plunger is in said retracted position, activating said latch motor to rotate said first drive shaft in a shaft first rotational direction routes said actuator cam about said axis of rotation such that said pin frictionally engages with said second cam section and extends said release plunger, and when said release plunger is in said extended position, activating said latch motor to rotate said first drive shaft in a shaft second rotational direction rotates said actuator cam about said axis of rotation such that said pin frictionally engages with said first cam section and retracts said release plunger, wherein said shaft first rotational directional is opposite said shaft second rotational direction; and
wherein when said release plunger is in said extended position, said release plunger frictionally engages with said release trigger and actuates said latch and moves said latch from said locked position to said unlocked position, and when said release plunger is in said retracted position, said release plunger is spaced apart from said release trigger such that said latch automatically locks with said fixed long rail.

2. The power long rail assembly as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said power rail drive assembly comprises:
a fore-aft motor having an output shaft operatively coupled to a driving wheel, said driving wheel rotationally coupled to said upper channel and operatively coupled to said fixed long rail;
wherein activating said fore-aft motor to rotate said output shaft in a fore-aft motor first rotational direction rotates said driving wheel in a wheel first rotational direction transposing said power rail drive assembly along said fixed long rail in said fore direction, and activating said fore-aft motor to rotate said output shaft in a fore-aft motor second rotational direction rotates said driving wheel in a wheel second rotational direction transposing said power rail drive assembly along said fixed long rail in said aft direction, said fore-aft motor first rotational direction being opposite said fore-aft motor second rotational direction, and said wheel first rotational direction being opposite said wheel second rotational direction.

3. The power long rail assembly as set forth in claim 2 , wherein at least a portion of said first cam section has a positive pressure angle with respect to said pin when said pin is frictionally engaged with said first cam section.

4. The power long rail assembly as set forth in claim 3 , wherein at least a portion of said second cam section has a negative pressure angle with respect to said pin when said pin is frictionally engaged with said second cam section.

5. The power long rail assembly as set forth in claim 4 , wherein:
said first drive shaft is fixedly coupled to a worm;
a worm gear is fixedly coupled to said actuator cam and aligned with said axis of rotation of said actuator cam, said worm gear being meshingly engaged with said worm; and
wherein rotating said first drive shaft rotates said worm and said worm gear such that said actuator cam rotates about said axis of rotation.

6. The power long rail assembly as set forth in claim 5 , wherein:
said latch release mechanism includes an outer housing with said actuator cam rotationally coupled to said outer housing;
said outer housing including a passageway aligned with said release trigger; and
said release plunger extending through said passageway.

7. The power long rail assembly as set forth in claim 6 , wherein:
said passageway includes a passageway opening and a lip extending at least partially around said passageway opening; and
wherein said lip retains alignment of said release plunger with said release trigger as said actuator cam is rotated about said axis of rotation.

8. The power long rail assembly as set forth in claim 7 , wherein:
said latch includes a loop configured to frictionally and/or meshingly engage with said fixed long rail when said latch is in said locked position; and
wherein when said release plunger is in said extended position, said release plunger frictionally engages said release trigger and repositions said loop from said locked position to said unlocked position with said loop spaced apart from said fixed long rail.

9. The power long rail assembly as set forth in claim 8 , wherein
said power long rail assembly including a fore/aft button operatively coupled to said latch motor, said fore/aft button comprising one or more of an electrical switch and/or a software selectable input; and
wherein said fore/aft button transitioning from a deactivated position to an activated position activates said latch motor to rotate said first drive shaft in said shaft first rotational direction, rotating said actuator cam such that said pin disengages from said first cam section and frictionally engages with said second cam section.

10. The power long rail assembly as set forth in claim 9 , wherein said latch motor is deactivated after said pin frictionally engages said second cam section in a first predetermined position.

11. The power long rail assembly as set forth in claim 10 , wherein said fore/aft button transitioning from said activated position to said deactivated position activates said latch motor to rotate said first drive shaft in said shaft second rotational direction, rotating said actuator cam such that said pin disengages from said second cam section and frictionally engages with said first cam section.

12. The power long rail assembly as set forth in claim 11 , wherein said latch motor is deactivated after said pin frictionally engages said first cam section in a second predetermined position.

13. The power long rail assembly as set forth in claim 12 , wherein said fore

Assignees

• Magna Seating Inc
• Zhao Kai
• Nacy Michael D
• Marini Detjon
• Vetere Ii Louis
• Dioum Cheikh

Inventors

• Zhao Kai
• Nacy Michael D
• Marini Detjon
• Vetere Ii Louis
• Dioum Cheikh

Classifications

• B60N2/0818

  inside the rail · CPC title

• B60N2/0232

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B60N2/0875

  in a vertical direction · CPC title

• B60N2/0705 Primary

  omega-shaped · CPC title

• B60N2/0881 Primary

  Activation of the latches by the control mechanism · CPC title