Track system with a support member

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12253156-B2
Application number	US-202418442649-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 15, 2024
Priority date	Feb 21, 2020
Publication date	Mar 18, 2025
Grant date	Mar 18, 2025

Abstract

A track system may include a track assembly and a support assembly. A track assembly may include a toothed portion. The support assembly may include a support member removable from and adjustably connected to the track assembly. The toothed portion may include a plurality of track teeth. The support member may include an adjuster pinion. The adjuster pinion may include a plurality of pinion teeth configured to engage the plurality of track teeth. The adjuster pinion may be adjustable to an engaged position in which the adjuster pinion and the toothed portion are engaged with one another. The adjuster pinion may be adjustable to a disengaged position in which the adjuster pinion and the toothed portion are not engaged with one another.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A track system, comprising:
a track assembly including a toothed portion; and
a support assembly removable from and adjustably connected to the track assembly, the support assembly comprising an adjuster assembly;
wherein the adjuster assembly comprises teeth configured to engage the toothed portion of the track assembly and disengage the toothed portion in a disengaged position,
wherein the adjuster assembly is moveable in a transverse direction towards one of an aligned disengaged position or an unaligned disengaged position when the adjuster assembly is in the disengaged position,
wherein, in the aligned disengaged position, the adjuster assembly is aligned in a vertical direction with the toothed portion, and in the unaligned disengaged position, the adjuster assembly is vertically unaligned with the toothed portion, and
wherein the transverse direction is orthogonal to a longitudinal axis of the track assembly and the vertical direction.

2. The track system of claim 1 , wherein:
the adjuster assembly is rotatable about an adjuster axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the track assembly, and
the adjuster axis is located vertically spaced from the track assembly.

3. The track system of claim 1 , wherein the adjuster assembly is adjustable to an engaged position in which the adjuster assembly and the toothed portion are engaged with one another, and
wherein the adjuster assembly is adjustable to the disengaged position for removing the support assembly from the track assembly and in which the adjuster assembly and the toothed portion are not engaged with one another.

4. The track system of claim 3 , wherein the support assembly further comprises an adjuster projection that defines an adjuster axis.

5. The track system of claim 4 , wherein the adjuster assembly is rotatable about the adjuster axis between the aligned disengaged position and the unaligned disengaged position.

6. The track system of claim 1 , wherein:
the adjuster assembly further comprises an adjuster pinion comprising the teeth, and the adjuster pinion is configured to engage the toothed portion of the track assembly.

7. The track system of claim 6 , wherein the adjuster pinion is adjustable to an engaged position in which the adjuster pinion and the toothed portion are engaged with one another, and
wherein the adjuster pinion is adjustable to the aligned disengaged position and the unaligned disengaged position in which the adjuster pinion and the toothed portion are not engaged with one another.

8. The track system of claim 7 , wherein:
in the aligned disengaged position, the adjuster assembly is partially aligned in the vertical direction with the toothed portion, and
in the unaligned disengaged position, the adjuster assembly is offset in the transverse direction from the toothed portion.

9. The track system of claim 7 , wherein removal of the support assembly from the track assembly is restricted via the adjuster pinion when the adjuster pinion is in either of the engaged position and the aligned disengaged position.

10. The track system of claim 7 , wherein:
the support assembly further comprises an actuation shaft and an actuation body,
the actuation shaft is operatively connected to the actuation body such that the actuation body is rotatable via rotation of the actuation shaft, and
the actuation body is configured to adjust the adjuster assembly in the vertical direction toward the engaged position and toward the aligned disengaged position.

11. The track system of claim 10 , wherein:
the support assembly further comprises a slider operatively connected to a lever such that the slider is movable in a longitudinal direction of the track assembly via actuation of the lever,
the adjuster assembly further comprises a tab that is engaged with the slider, and
in the aligned disengaged position, the adjuster assembly is adjustable in the transverse direction to move the adjuster assembly toward the unaligned disengaged position via moving the slider in a longitudinal direction to cause the tab to engage a guide surface of the slider.

12. The track system of claim 10 , wherein:
in the aligned disengaged position, the adjuster pinion and the toothed portion are at least partially aligned with one another relative to the vertical direction, and
in the unaligned disengaged position, the adjuster pinion and the toothed portion are not aligned vertically.

13. The track system of claim 12 , wherein:
the adjuster pinion is adjustable in the vertical direction to engage with and disengage from the toothed portion,
in the aligned disengaged position, the adjuster pinion is adjustable in the transverse direction to move out of vertical alignment with the toothed portion to the unaligned disengaged position, and
in the unaligned disengaged position, the adjuster pinion does not restrict vertical removal of the support assembly from the track assembly.

14. The track system of claim 10 , wherein, in the aligned disengaged position, the adjuster pinion is adjustable in the transverse direction, via moving the slider farther in the longitudinal direction, to move out of vertical alignment with the toothed portion.

15. The track system of claim 6 , wherein:
the track assembly includes an inner track and an outer track, and
the toothed portion is disposed on an underside of the inner track.

16. The track system of claim 15 , wherein:
the toothed portion from the inner track extends substantially downward in the vertical direction, and
the adjuster pinion is biased upward in the vertical direction into engagement with the toothed portion.

17. The track system of claim 1 , wherein:
the support assembly further comprises a slider movable in a longitudinal direction,
the adjuster assembly further comprises an adjuster pinion,
the adjuster assembly further comprises a tab engaged with the slider, and
in an engaged position, the adjuster pinion is adjustable in the vertical direction to disengage the toothed portion and move the adjuster pinion to the disengaged position via moving the slider in the longitudinal direction to cause the tab to engage a ramped portion of the slider.

18. The track system of claim 17 , wherein the disengaged position includes:
the aligned disengaged position in which the adjuster pinion is in vertical alignment with the toothed portion, and
the unaligned disengage position in which the adjuster pinion is vertically unaligned with the toothed portion.

19. The track system of claim 1 , wherein the adjuster assembly is moveable upward in the vertical direction towards an engaged position and wherein the adjuster assembly is moveable downward in the vertical direction towards the aligned disengaged position.

Assignees

• Lear Corp

Inventors

• Moulin Antoine

Classifications

• H01R2201/26

  for vehicles · CPC title

• H01R39/64

  Devices for uninterrupted current collection · CPC title

• H01R33/94

  Holders formed as intermediate parts for linking a counter-part to a coupling part · CPC title

• H01R33/92

  Holders formed as intermediate parts for distributing energy in parallel through two or more counterparts at least one of which is attached to apparatus to be held · CPC title

• H01R33/02

  Single-pole devices, e.g. holder for supporting one end of a tubular incandescent or neon lamp · CPC title