Abstract: A seat assembly includes a seat cushion extending laterally between spaced apart side members. The seat cushion includes a front cross member extending between the side members. Front legs are pivotally assembled at one end to the front cross member for pivotal movement of the seat cushion relative to the front leg between a seating position and a forwardly dumped positions. A rod is connected at a first end to a spaced side member and at a second end to the front leg. The seat cushion is automatically laterally displaced relative to the front legs in response to pivotal movement of the seat cushion relative to the front legs due to changes in the effective length of the rod.

Abstract: A recliner assembly is disclosed for providing selective pivotal adjustment of a seat back relative to a seat cushion. The recliner assembly includes a fixed plate fixedly secured to the seat cushion and a mobile plate fixedly secured to the seat back. The mobile plate is fixedly secured to the fixed plate. The mobile plate includes an annular rim having a plurality of teeth. A pawl is slidably supported between the fixed and mobile plates for movement in and out of locking engagement with the plurality of teeth. A cam is fixedly secured to a shaft rotatably journaled through an aperture formed in the mobile plate. The aperture is oversized relative to the shaft to allow the shaft and the cam to float radially relative to the pawl to help prevent binding of the pawl during movement in and out of locking engagement with the plurality of teeth.

Abstract: A seat assembly for supporting an occupant above a floor of an automotive vehicle includes a seat cushion extending laterally between spaced apart side members. The seat cushion includes a front cross member extending between the side members. Inboard and outboard front legs are each pivotally assembled at one end to the front cross member for pivotal movement of the seat cushion relative to the front legs between a seating position and forwardly dumped positions. A boss protrudes outwardly from the front cross member for pivotal movement therewith relative to the front legs. A guide flange is fixedly secured to one of the front legs and has a cam surface cammingly engagable with the boss for automatically laterally displacing the seat cushion in response to pivotal movement of the seat cushion relative to the front legs between the seating and forwardly dumped positions.

Abstract: A seat assembly for supporting an occupant above a floor of an automotive vehicle including a cushion and a riser coupled between the floor of the vehicle and the seat cushion for allowing manual lateral displacement of the seat cushion within the vehicle between a plurality of lateral positions. The seat cushion is pivotally coupled to front legs for movement between a seating position and a forwardly dumped position. The front legs are interconnected to a foot bracket. The foot bracket includes a hook portion slidably engaged with a rod fixedly secured to the floor of the vehicle for manual movement of the seat cushion between the plurality of lateral positions. A cinching hook is pivotally coupled to the foot bracket for movement between locked and unlocked positions. In the locked position, the cinching hook clamps the rod between the hook portion and the cinching hook for resisting lateral displacement of the seat cushion along the rod.

Abstract: A seat assembly is disclosed for use in a motor vehicle. The seat assembly includes a seat cushion. The seat cushion is operatively connected to the motor vehicle. The seat cushion supports an occupant on the seat assembly. A seat back is pivotally coupled to the seat cushion. The seat back is movable between a generally upright seating position and a forwardly folded dumped position. The forwardly folded dump position has the seat back positioned against the seat cushion. A shoulder belt tower is fixedly secured to the seat back and supports a shoulder belt. The tower includes a tower base and a tower extension. The tower extension slidingly engages the tower base. A positioning device is coupled between the tower base and the tower extension.

Abstract: A recliner mechanism for an automotive vehicle seat for allowing pivotal adjustment of a seat back (12) relative to a seat cushion (14) between a plurality of reclined seating positions and a forwardly stowed position. The recliner mechanism includes a seat back (12) bracket pivotally coupled to a seat cushion bracket. The seat back (12) bracket and seat cushion (14) bracket are each fixedly secured to the seat back (12) and seat cushion (14), respectively. A sector of teeth is formed in the seat back bracket. A pawl (40) having a rack of teeth lockably engageable with the sector of teeth is slidably engaged with the seat cushion bracket (30) for movement between a locked position with the rack of teeth engaged with the sector of teeth and an unlocked position with the rack of teeth disengaged with the sector of teeth.

Abstract: A seat assembly for use in an automotive vehicle comprises a seat cushion and a seat hack pivotally connected to the seat cushion by a recliner mechanism for providing pivotal movement of the seat back between a plurality of reclined seating positions and a forwardly folded position against the seat cushion. A front link supports the scat cushion above the floor of the vehicle in the seating position and lowers the seat cushion to a flat position with the seat back in the folded position. A rear floor latch releasably secures the seat cushion to the floor of the vehicle in the seating position and unlocks the seat cushion and the seat back for pivotal movement about the front link from the seating position to an upright tilted position with each of the seat cushion and the seat back extending generally upright from the floor of the vehicle.

Abstract: A seat assembly comprising a seat cushion, a seat back and a recliner assembly operatively interconnecting the seat back to the seat cushion. The recliner assembly allows pivotal adjustment of the seat back relative to the seat cushion between one of a plurality of reclined seating positions and a stowed position. The recliner assembly is selectively moveable between locked and unlocked states. An input shaft is operatively assembled to the recliner assembly for switching the recliner assembly between the locked and unlocked states. The seat assembly further comprising a mechanism externally engagable with the input shaft of the recliner assembly for adjusting the angular position of the seat back in one of the reclined seating positions and for maintaining the input shaft in the unlocked position while the seat back is pivoted from one of the reclined seating positions to the stowed position.

Abstract: A seat assembly having a seat back (11), a generally horizontal seat cushion (14), and a recliner mechanism (20) allowing for pivotal adjustment of the seat back about a first pivot axis (21) relative to the seat cushion and displacement of the first pivot axis about a second pivot axis (22) between forward and rearward positions. With the first pivot axis (21) in the forward position, the seat back is adjustable about the first pivot axis (21) between a plurality of reclined seating positions. With the first pivot axis in the rearward position, the seat back is adjustable about the first pivot axis between one of the reclined seating positions and a stowed position generally aligned against the seat cushion. The seat cushion is pivotally adjustable about a four bar linkage (17, 18) between a seating position and a stowed position.

Abstract: A seat track assembly for adjusting a seat assembly of an automotive vehicle comprising a lower track having a first plurality of apertures, an upper track slidably mounted to the lower track and having a second plurality of apertures. A latch assembly is fixedly mounted to the upper track. The latch assembly includes a plurality of locking fingers projecting through the apertures in the upper track and adapted to be received in at least one of the apertures in the lower track. An actuator moves the fingers between a locked condition engaged with at least one of the apertures in the lower track and an unlocked condition spaced from each of the apertures in the lower track and a biasing member biases the fingers to the locked condition regardless of a relative position between the upper and lower tracks.

Abstract: A seat assembly for use in an automotive vehicle comprises a seat cushion and a seat hack pivotally connected to the seat cushion by a recliner mechanism for providing pivotal movement of the seat back between a plurality of reclined seating positions and a forwardly folded position against the seat cushion. A front link supports the scat cushion above the floor of the vehicle in the seating position and lowers the seat cushion to a flat position with the seat back in the folded position. A rear floor latch releasably secures the seat cushion to the floor of the vehicle in the seating position and unlocks the seat cushion and the seat back for pivotal movement about the front link from the seating position to an upright tilted position with each of the seat cushion and the seat back extending generally upright from the floor of the vehicle.

Abstract: A seat assembly (14) for use in an automotive vehicle and pivotal between a seating position and a fold and tumbled position. The seat assembly (14) includes a seat cushion (18) and a seat back (20) pivotally connected to the seat cushion for pivotal movement between an upright seating position and a folded position. The seat assembly includes a locking latch (46) supported by the seat cushion and pivotal between a latched position for releasably latching the seat assembly (14) to the floor (16) of the vehicle and an unlatched position for releasing the seat assembly to allow the seat assembly to pivot from the seating position to the tumbled position. The seat assembly further includes a blocking member (70) coupled between the seat back (20) and the locking latch (46) and operable in a first blocking position for engaging the seat back and preventing the locking latch from releasing from releasing from the latched position when the seat back is in the upright seating position.

Abstract: A recliner mechanism for an automotive vehicle seat for allowing pivotal adjustment of a seat back (12) relative to a seat cushion (14) between a plurality of reclined seating positions and a forwardly stowed position. The recliner mechanism includes a seat back (12) bracket pivotally coupled to a seat cushion bracket. The seat back (12) bracket and seat cushion (14) bracket are each fixedly secured to the seat back (12) and seat cushion (14), respectively. A sector of teeth is formed in the seat back bracket. A pawl (40) having a rack of teeth lockably engageable with the sector of teeth is slidably engaged with the seat cushion bracket (30) for movement between a locked position with the rack of teeth engaged with the sector of teeth and an unlocked position with the rack of teeth disengaged with the sector of teeth.

Abstract: A seat assembly comprising a seat cushion, a seat back and a recliner assembly operatively interconnecting the seat back to the seat cushion. The recliner assembly allows pivotal adjustment of the seat back relative to the seat cushion between one of a plurality of reclined seating positions and a stowed position. The recliner assembly is selectively moveable between locked and unlocked states. An input shaft is operatively assembled to the recliner assembly for switching the recliner assembly between the locked and unlocked states. The seat assembly further comprising a mechanism externally engagable with the input shaft of the recliner assembly for adjusting the angular position of the seat back in one of the reclined seating positions and for maintaining the input shaft in the unlocked position while the seat back is pivoted from one of the reclined seating positions to the stowed position.

Abstract: A multi-positionable and reversible seat assembly (10) for use in an automotive vehicle includes a seat cushion (12) and a seat back operatively connected to the seat cushion. The seat cushion (12) and seat back (14) are supported above the floor of the vehicle by a pair of seat risers. The seat cushion (12) includes a front portion and an opposite rear portion and the seat back (14) includes an upper portion and a lower portion positioned adjacent the seat cushion. The seat assembly (10) is positionable between a plurality of upright and flat bed positions. The seat assembly (10) includes a pair of links for positioning the seat assembly (10) between a forward facing or rearward facing and upright seating position. The links also position the seat in a first or second flat, bed, position with the seat back extending horizontally from either the front portion or the rear portion of the seat cushion (12).

Abstract: A seat assembly having a seat back (11), a generally horizontal seat cushion (14), and a recliner mechanism (20) allowing for pivotal adjustment of the seat back about a first pivot axis (21) relative to the seat cushion and displacement of the first pivot axis about a second pivot axis (22) between forward and rearward positions. With the first pivot axis (21) in the forward position, the seat back is adjustable about the first pivot axis (21) between a plurality of reclined seating positions. With the first pivot axis in the rearward position, the seat back is adjustable about the first pivot axis between one of the reclined seating positions and a stowed position generally aligned against the seat cushion. The seat cushion is pivotally adjustable about a four bar linkage (17, 18) between a seating position and a stowed position.

Abstract: A seat assembly for an automotive vehicle comprising a main support frame adapted to secure the seat assembly to the floor of the vehicle. A seat cushion is rotatably journaled to the main support frame for rotation between a seating position and a fold flat position rotated generally 180 degrees about the frame. A seat back is pivotally coupled to the main support frame for rotation between a generally upright seating position to a fold flat position aligned generally flush with the seat cushion in the fold flat position. A lower track is fixedly secured to the main support frame and an upper track is fixedly secured to the seat back and slidably secured to the lower track. An automatic fold mechanism is operatively coupled between the upper track and the seat cushion for automatically rotating the seat cushion between the seating position and the fold flat position in response to fore and aft sliding movement of the upper track along the lower track.

Abstract: An automotive seat assembly (10) has a seat cushion and a seat back pivotally mounted to the seat cushion. The seat assembly includes a seat track mechanism having a lower track member (18) and an upper track member (20) supported by the lower track member (18) for movement between forward and rearward positions. An incremental locking mechanism is mounted between the upper and lower track members (18) for locking the track members in a desired position and for unlocking the track members to allow the upper track member (20) to move between the forward and rearward positions. A slide actuator is disposed adjacent the 30 locking mechanism and is moveable to an engaged position for disengaging the locking mechanism 46 and moving the upper track member (20) to a forward dump position.

Abstract: A manual adjustment mechanism for adjusting the relative position of a component in a vehicle including a control device for actuating the mechanism. The manual adjustment mechanism includes an input shaft coupled to the control device and an output shaft operatively coupled to the input shaft. A support bracket axially supports the input shaft and the output shaft. A drum shaped housing having a cylindrical inner surface is fixedly secured to the support bracket and rotatably received the input shaft. A coupler is mounted to the input shaft and rotatably disposed within the housing. The coupler includes a pair of spaced apart tube walls planar with and spaced from the inner surface of the housing and a pair of circumferentially opposite tabs projecting between the tube walls. A coiled spring is disposed between the housing and the coupler and compressed against the inner surface of the housing.

Abstract: A multi-positionable and reversible seat assembly (10) for use in an automotive vehicle includes a seat cushion (12) and a seat back operatively connected to the seat cushion. The seat cushion (12) and seat back (14) are supported above the floor of the vehicle by a pair of seat risers. The seat cushion (12) includes a front portion and an opposite rear portion and the seat back (14) includes an upper portion and a lower portion positioned adjacent the seat cushion. The seat assembly (10) is positionable between a plurality of upright and flat bed positions. The seat assembly (10) includes a pair of links for positioning the seat assembly (10) between a forward facing or rearward facing and upright seating position. The links also position the seat in a first or second flat, bed, position with the seat back extending horizontally from either the front portion or the rear portion of the seat cushion (12).