Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Bodies – Seats with body modifications
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-15
2001-07-03
Pedder, Dennis H. (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Bodies
Seats with body modifications
C248S222110, C248S429000, C248S503100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06254163
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a vehicle seat track attachment assembly including a fixation spring to facilitate quick attachment of a seat track to a vehicle floor pan.
BACKGROUND ART
Typically, a vehicle seat assembly includes a track section which is generally U-shaped and configured to receive a sliding portion of the seat assembly to facilitate fore and aft adjustment of the seat assembly on a vehicle floor pan. The seat track section is typically bolted to an aperture in the vehicle floor pan. This bolting operation requires the manufacturing and alignment of corresponding holes in the seat track and floor pan. The assembly process may sometimes be difficult because access for installation of a bolt on the track section may be restricted by the configuration of the seat assembly and its underside components, such as drive motors, etc. This limited access also adversely affects servicing of the seat track assembly.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide an improved method and apparatus for securing a seat track assembly to a vehicle floor pan in which tolerance for location of holes is relaxed, and problems associated with limited access are minimized.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
The present invention overcomes the above-referenced shortcomings of prior art seat track assemblies by providing a seat track attachment assembly which includes a fixation spring engageable with a head of an attachment bolt for removably securing a seat track to a vehicle floor pan.
More specifically, the present invention provides a seat track attachment assembly for attachment to an aperture in a vehicle floor pan, including a seat track having an opening therein and an attachment bolt extending through the floor pan aperture and the seat track opening. The bolt has a shaft and a head with a head width narrower than the opening. A fixation spring engaging the seat track is positioned around the shaft and abuts the head to secure the seat track to the floor pan.
In a preferred embodiment, the fixation spring includes a protruding portion extending through a hole in a first side wall of the seat track, and opposing legs extending through a hole formed in a second side wall of the seat track. This configuration allows the spring to be pre-attached to the seat track before the spring is engaged with the attachment bolt.
The invention also contemplates a method of attaching a seat track to an aperture in a vehicle floor pan, wherein the seat track has an opening therein. The method includes the steps of: a) securing a fixation spring to the seat track in alignment with the opening; b) positioning the seat track on the floor pan with the seat track opening in alignment with the floor pan aperture; and c) attaching an attachment bolt through the floor pan aperture and seat track opening and engaging a head of the attachment bolt with the fixation spring to secure the seat track to the floor pan.
Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide an attachment assembly which provides quick attachment and detachment of a seat track to a vehicle floor pan with limited access thereto.
Another object of the invention is to provide an improved seat track attachment assembly which eases hole location tolerance requirements and eases assembly of the seat track to the floor pan.
The above objects and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention are readily apparent from the following detailed description of the best mode for carrying out the invention when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.
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Brooks & Kushman P.C.
Lear Corporation
Pedder Dennis H.
LandOfFree
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