Seat track assembly having load absorption features

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9751431-B2
Application number	US-201514730815-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 4, 2015
Priority date	Jun 23, 2014
Publication date	Sep 5, 2017
Grant date	Sep 5, 2017

Abstract

A seat track assembly may include a lower seat track having a pair of opposing outer rails and an upper seat track having a pair of opposing inner rails. The inner rails of the upper seat track may cooperate with the outer rails of the lower seat track to support the upper seat track for movement on the lower seat track. A support member may be provided between the lower seat track and the upper seat track. The support member may include a portion that extends in a vertical direction between the lower seat track and the upper seat track to restrict vertical movement of the upper seat track relative to the lower seat track. The support member may also include a portion that extends in a lateral direction between the inner rails of the upper seat track to restrict the inner rails from deforming inwardly toward one another.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A seat track assembly comprising:
a lower seat track having a pair of opposing outer rails;
an upper seat track having a pair of opposing inner rails, wherein the inner rails of the upper seat track cooperate with the outer rails of the lower seat track to support the upper seat track for movement on the lower seat track; and
a support member provided between the lower seat track and the upper seat track, wherein the support member includes a first U-shaped portion including a plurality of longitudinally-extending walls and the support member includes a second U-shaped portion including a plurality of laterally-extending walls.

2. The seat track assembly of claim 1 , wherein the support member is secured to the upper seat track, and the plurality of laterally-extending walls includes a first wall extending in a vertical direction from the upper seat track toward the lower seat track.

3. The seat track assembly of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of laterally-extending walls includes a second wall extending in a horizontal direction from the first wall, and a third wall extending in a vertical direction from the second wall toward the upper seat track assembly.

4. The seat track assembly of claim 2 , further including a skid member that is provided on the lower seat track, wherein the skid member is located between the second wall of the support member and the lower seat track.

5. The seat track assembly of claim 4 , wherein a maximum height of the support member plus a maximum height of the skid member is substantially equal to a vertical distance between a lower base portion of the lower seat track and an upper base portion of the upper seat track.

6. The seat track assembly of claim 4 , wherein the skid member is secured to the lower seat track, and the skid member includes at least one side wall extending at an oblique angle relative to a vertical direction toward the upper seat track.

7. The seat track assembly of claim 4 , wherein the skid member includes a U-shaped cross-section with a pair of side walls that are laterally spaced apart from one another.

8. The seat track assembly of claim 4 , wherein the skid member extends along a longitudinal length of the lower seat track and a length of the skid member generally corresponds to a length of travel of the upper seat track relative to the lower seat track.

9. The seat track assembly of claim 4 , wherein the skid member includes a U-shaped cross-section.

10. The seat track assembly of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of longitudinally-extending walls includes a pair of laterally spaced apart side walls extending along a longitudinal length of the upper seat track.

11. The seat track assembly of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of longitudinally-extending walls is disposed substantially parallel to a respective wall of the upper seat track.

12. The seat track assembly of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of longitudinally-extending side walls include two substantially vertical walls and a substantially horizontal wall and the plurality of laterally-extending walls include two substantially vertical walls and a substantially horizontal wall.

13. A vehicle seat assembly comprising:
a seat bottom;
a seat back supported on the seat bottom; and
a seat track assembly supporting the seat bottom, the seat track assembly comprising:
a lower seat track having a pair of opposing outer rails;
an upper seat track having a pair of opposing inner rails, wherein the inner rails of the upper seat track cooperate with the outer rails of the lower seat track via bearing elements to support the upper seat track for movement on the lower seat track; and
a support member provided between the lower seat track and the upper seat track, wherein the support member includes a first U-shaped portion including a plurality of longitudinally-extending walls and the support member includes a second U-shaped portion including a plurality of laterally-extending walls.

14. The seat assembly of claim 13 , further including a skid member that is provided on the lower seat track, and the skid member is located between the support member and the lower seat track.

15. The seat assembly of claim 14 , wherein a maximum height of the support member plus a maximum height of the skid member is substantially equal to a vertical distance between a lower base portion of the lower seat track and an upper base portion of the upper seat track.

16. The seat assembly of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of longitudinally-extending walls includes a first wall, a second wall, and a third wall; the first wall and the second wall extend vertically downward from the third wall, and the third wall is parallel to and secured to an upper base portion of the upper seat track.

17. The seat assembly of claim 13 , wherein a portion of the support member has a lateral width that is substantially equal to a lateral distance between the inner rails of the upper seat track.

18. The seat track assembly of claim 13 , wherein the first U-shaped portion is disposed substantially perpendicularly to the second U-shaped portion, the first U-shaped portion opens downward, and the second U-shaped portion opens upward.

19. The seat track assembly of claim of claim 1 , including a second support member provided between the lower seat track and the upper seat track, wherein the second support member includes a first U-shaped portion including a plurality of longitudinally-extending walls and the support member includes a second U-shaped portion including a plurality of laterally-extending walls; and the second support member is disposed at or about an opposite end of the upper seat track.

20. The seat track assembly of claim 1 , comprising a skid member provided on the lower seat track and disposed entirely below the support member.

Assignees

• Lear Corp

Inventors

• Walter Klaus
• Wojatzki Michael
• Cziomer Alfred
• Laumeier Marc

Classifications

• B60N2/0715

  C or U-shaped · CPC title

• B60N2/0705 Primary

  omega-shaped · CPC title

• B60N2/073

  Reinforcement members preventing slide dislocation · CPC title