Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Bodies – Seats with body modifications
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-04
2001-11-06
Gordon, Stephen T. (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Bodies
Seats with body modifications
C296S065030
Reexamination Certificate
active
06312037
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to an assembly for mounting a seat within a vehicle. More particularly, this invention relates to a locking mechanism that provides a releasable mount for a vehicle seat.
Seat track arrangements for mounting seats within vehicles are generally well known. The seat track assemblies provide for a vehicle seat to be adjusted in forward and rearward direction. To provide the adjustment, a first seat track is typically movable relative to a second seat track. The second seat track is a stationary track that is securely fastened to the vehicle floor.
It is common to mount the seat track arrangements directly to the vehicle floor by threaded fasteners such as nuts and bolts. The bolts are commonly mounted at each end of the seat tracks to extend through the seat track and the vehicle floor where it is threaded into the nut. This provides a secure mounting arrangement that assures that the seat track assembly and thus the vehicle seat are securely fastened to the vehicle.
Although the mounting of the seat track with threaded fasteners provides a secure attachment of the seat to the vehicle, it is rather time consuming to attach each fastener in an assembly environment. Further, access to the fasteners may be limited and particular assembly operations must be sequenced to assure that access to the fasteners is readily available.
Another matter of general concern with the mounting of the seat track is the emergency removal after an accident, or later maintenance that requires removal of the seat. The seat is typically originally installed prior to installation of the instrument panel and other interior components. This allows for easy access to the fasteners. However, during a later repair that requires removal of the seat, it is relatively difficult to gain access to the fasteners.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a seat mounting assembly that provides effective retention of the seat to the vehicle, yet allows improved attachment and removal of the seat.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One embodiment of the present invention provides a seat mount that is preferably attached to a stationary seat track. The seat mount includes a support foot having a rotatable mounting pin that is preferably of an L-shape. A stop is fixedly mounted to the pin to retain a biasing member such as a spring between the stop and the support foot.
In use, the support foot is located on the vehicle floor member and the pin is moved downward through a slot in the vehicle floor member. While the pin is being pressed in the downward direction against the force of the biasing member, the pin is rotated within the support foot. The pin is then released such that the biasing member moves the pin upward into a receipt member. The support foot and the seat are thereby removably attached to the vehicle floor member.
Another embodiment of the seat mount includes a pin having an engagement surface. The pin is passable through the vehicle floor member an into a substantially cup-shaped receipt member. To retain the pin in the receipt member, a spring biased locking member engages an engagement surface on the pin.
In use, the locking member is retracted against the force of the biasing member by a removable tool or the like. The pin can then be installed or removed from the receipt member without the necessity of threaded fasteners.
The receipt member is preferably mounted such that the receipt member can move or “float” relative to the vehicle floor member prior to receiving the pin. By allowing the receipt member to “float” relative to the vehicle floor member during receipt of the pin, various tolerance variations between the seat and the vehicle floor member are accommodated.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4927201 (1990-05-01), Froutzis
patent: 5697727 (1997-12-01), Harry
patent: 6145173 (2000-11-01), Suzuki et al.
Clark Nathan Allen
Clifford Christopher
Collins Gregory D.
Garrido Pascal E.
Pogodzinski Jack P.
Dura Global Technologies
Gordon Stephen T.
Kiczek C. R.
Morrow Jason
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