Tailor welded seat and components

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-8926021-B2
Application number	US-201414253404-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 15, 2014
Priority date	Apr 18, 2007
Publication date	Jan 6, 2015
Grant date	Jan 6, 2015

Abstract

A tailored vehicle seat component 12 having at least two portions with different properties that are joined together, such as by an adhesive or in a welding process (e.g., laser weld). These different properties include thickness, grades, surface finishes, coatings, and the like. The laser tailored welded vehicle seat 12 components may be incorporated into seat back frames 16 , seat track assemblies 26 , recliners 20 , seat base frames 18 , head restraints 88 , cushion pans 132 , and the like, to optimize manufacturing operations, mass, performance quality, and costs.

First claim

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A vehicle seat having a stamped, tailored metal side bracket member for a vehicle seat track assembly, said side bracket member comprising three portions:
a first portion having at least one of a first material grade, first thickness or first material strength;
a second portion having at least one of a second material grade, second thickness or second material strength; and
a middle portion having at least one of a second material grade, second thickness or second material strength;
wherein at least one of said first material grade, first thickness or first material strength is different from at least one of said second material grade, second thickness or second material strength; and
said first portion and said middle portion are joined along at least one respective edge of each other and said middle portion and said second portion are joined along at least one respective edge of each other.

2. The vehicle seat of claim 1 , further including tailored tubes having a first end portion a middle portion and a second end portion;
said first and second end portions each having a greater thickness than said middle portion;
wherein the first end of the tailored tube is coupled to a first side bracket member and the second end is coupled to a second side bracket member.

3. The vehicle seat of claim 1 , wherein said side bracket member middle portion has a material thickness less than the respective thickness of the first portion and the second portion.

4. The vehicle seat of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle track assembly includes an upper track, a lower track;
antifriction devices for facilitating movement of the upper track relative to the lower track;
wherein the upper track includes a first end portion and a second end portion, said first end portion having a first metal thickness and said second end portion having a second metal thickness that provides improved bending performance and track adjustment.

Assignees

• Johnson Controls Tech Co

Inventors

• Sakkinen Daniel J
• Thomas Michael J
• Seibold Kurt A
• Kotre John D
• Kubacki Christopher P
• Harris Mark A

Classifications

• B60N2/682

  Joining means · CPC title

• B60N2/68 Primary

  Seat frames · CPC title

• B60N2/0732

  Attachment of seat frame to the slide, e.g. eyelets · CPC title

• B60N2/286

  forward facing (B60N2/2866 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60N2/0722

  Constructive details · CPC title