Closure fasteners – Bolts – Swinging
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-12
2001-04-10
Browne, Lynne H. (Department: 3627)
Closure fasteners
Bolts
Swinging
C292S011000, C296S065030, C248S503100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06213525
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND ART
1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a lever action floor latch actuation mechanism. In particular, this invention relates to a lever action floor latch actuation mechanism having a floor striker cinching mechanism.
2. Background of Invention
The floor latch release handles of some removable bench seats for vehicles have been found to be bulky and obtrusive by the user. The handle may be bulky for strength and robustness due to relatively high efforts required to engage and disengage the floor latches. Further, the handle is usually located in a visible area so that the user has easy access to it. However, the handles often protrude into the cargo and/or comfort areas of the vehicle. Some latch handles may have somewhat poor ergonomics due to the motion required by the mechanism. Cost constraints may drive the need for simplicity of design at the sacrifice of improved ergonomics.
Current seating technology for removable seats often utilize a device known throughout the industry as an “anti-rattle” latch. This device is intended to be the wedge component of the latching system which includes the non-contacting structural latch. The anti-rattle latch engages and contacts a floor striker which is usually a horizontally mounted pin. The structural latch engages but usually does not contact the floor striker.
The purpose of the anti-rattle latch is to grip onto the vehicle floor striker with sufficient force to securely fasten the seat. One problem that occurs with the anti-rattle latch is that the effort to disengage the latch from the floor striker can be relatively high because of its wedging action. Another problem that can occur with the anti-rattle latch is that it sometimes does not hold the seat securely to the floor striker upon reinstallation because sufficient wedging has not occurred, sometimes due to dimensional tolerance variation. In other cases, grooves are required in the floor striker to aid the anti-rattle latch in preventing lateral movement across the floor striker during dynamic conditions of the vehicle.
Cost usually is not a significant factor for an anti-rattle latch or other similar mechanism types. Some type of device is required to hold the seat securely to the vehicle floor strikers.
The disadvantages of the prior art may be overcome by providing a floor latch release handle which improves as many of the conditions as stated in the problem.
It is desirable to provide a handle which when the handle is in the latched position, would minimally invade the cargo and/or comfort areas, yet would be easily visible and accessible.
It is desirable to provide a handle having improved ergonomics wherein the balance of the handle shape and improved mechanical advantage provide reduced efforts to optimize ergonomics.
It is desirable to provide a latch mechanism which grips tightly to the floor strikers with a relatively high force, compensates for dimensional variability and contains an optimally high friction coefficient member would provide an improved method of securing the seat.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a lever action floor latch actuation mechanism for removably securing a seat to a pair of front and rear strikers on the floor of a vehicle. The mechanism comprises a riser having a forward leg and a rearward leg for supporting the seat above the vehicle floor. A front latch is pivotally coupled to the forward leg for releasably securing the seat to the front strikers and a rear latch is pivotally coupled to the rearward leg for releasably securing the seat to the rear striker. A link has a first end pivotally connected to the front latch and a second end pivotally connected to the rear latch. An actuation member is operatively connected to the link for simultaneously moving each of the front and rear latches between a latched position for engaging the strikers and an unlatched position for disengaging the strikers. The actuation member includes a handle pivotally coupled to the riser for pivoting the actuation member between a first position with the latches in the latched position and a second position with the latches in the unlatched position, a pinion coupled between the handle and the link for moving the latches between the latched and unlatched positions in response to pivotal movement of the handle between the first and second positions, and a lock operatively connected between the handle and the pinion for locking the actuation member in each of the first and second positions.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a latch for removably securing a seat to a striker on the floor of a vehicle. The latch comprises a cinch cam for pivotally connecting the latch to the seat and providing pivotal movement of the latch between a latched position for engaging the striker and an unlatched position for disengaging the striker. The cinch cam has a generally cylindrical outer surface terminating at a generally flattened cam surface. A spacer plate is adapted to be fixedly secured between the latch and the seat. The spacer plate has an aperture for rotatably receiving said cinch cam there through. The aperture has a generally circular section and a tangential slot. A flexible plate is seated in the tangential slot wherein the cylindrical surface of the cinch cam engages and flexes the plate when the latch is pivoted to the latched position providing a biasing force of the latch engaging the striker and the flattened surface releases the flex in the plate when the latch is pivoted to the unlatched position disengaging the striker.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1213651 (1917-01-01), Johns
patent: 1946714 (1934-02-01), Shafer
patent: 4773693 (1988-09-01), Premji et al.
patent: 4836597 (1989-06-01), Izumida
patent: 4865377 (1989-09-01), Musser et al.
patent: 4962955 (1990-10-01), Ferrara et al.
patent: 5372398 (1994-12-01), Aneiros et al.
patent: 5547242 (1996-08-01), Dukatz et al.
patent: 5562322 (1996-10-01), Christoffel
patent: 5662368 (1997-09-01), Ito et al.
patent: 5671965 (1997-09-01), O'Connor
patent: 5765894 (1998-06-01), Okazaki et al.
patent: 2092659 (1982-08-01), None
Browne Lynne H.
Howard & Howard
Magna Interior Systems Inc.
Walsh John B.
LandOfFree
Lever action floor latch actuation mechanism with cinching... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Lever action floor latch actuation mechanism with cinching..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Lever action floor latch actuation mechanism with cinching... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2454772