Abstract: An assembly for adjusting the angular position of a seat back member (18) relative to a seat cushion member (12) having an anchor shaft (34) supported by a bracket (36) that is attached to the seat cushion member (12) and supports a pawl plate (32) transmitting forces thereto from a rod (24) when in a latched position. The anchor shaft (34) extends through the slot (42) to prevent longitudinal movement of the pawl plate (32) while allowing the pawl plate (32) to rotate about an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis (A) of the rod (24). A pair of guide plates (44) guide the pawl plate (32) to move in an arc transversely into and out of engagement with the rod (24) between the latched and unlatched positions. An actuator pin (56) extends laterally from the pawl plate (32) and a lever (58) is supported on an axle (60), which is supported for rotation by the housing (38).

Abstract: A recliner assembly allows adjustment of the seat back relative to the seat cushion between a plurality of reclined seating positions and further allows the seat back to move from a seating position to a fowardly folded-flat position and back to the original seating position. The recliner assembly comprises a seat back bracket rotatably assembled to a seat cushion bracket. The seat back bracket is fixedly attached to the seat back. The cushion bracket is fixedly attached to the seat cushion. The recliner assembly further includes a disc recliner having an outer disc rotatably assembled to and releasably lockingly engaged with an inner disc. The inner disc is fixedly attached to the seat cushion bracket. A shaft rotatably journalized to the outer and inner discs is moveable from an unreleased position to a released position, whereby the outer disc is released from locking engagement with the inner disc. A latch link having first and second ends is pivotally mounted at its first end to the outer disc.

Abstract: A recliner assembly for an automotive seat has a seat cushion and a seat back pivotally mounted to the seat cushion. The recliner assembly includes a housing and a cover plate encapsulating the housing. The cover plate has an outer ring with a plurality of teeth. Three pawls are mounted within the housing. The pawls each have a toothed surface and are moveable between a locked position and an unlocked position. With the pawls in the locked position, the toothed surfaces engage the teeth of the cover plate to secure the seat back relative to the seat cushion. With the pawls in the unlocked position, the toothed surfaces are spaced from the teeth of the cover plate to allow movement of the seat back relative to the seat cushion. Three pivot protrusions extend from the housing for providing a pivot point for each of the pawls. Three guide protrusions similarly extend from the housing for guiding each of the pawls between the engaged and disengaged positions.

Abstract: A recliner assembly for hingedly connecting a seat back and a seat cushion. The recliner assembly has a base plate mounted to the seat cushion, an arm mounted to the seat back and a locking mechanism for locking the seat back in one of a range of seat back positions and selectively releasing the seat back for adjustment of the seat back relative to the seat cushion and dumping the seat forwardly providing access rearward of the seat cushion. The base plate has a circular cavity with an inner circumference lined with teeth. The arm is mounted to the seat back and pivotally engages the base plate for sliding relative movement thereto for forward and rearward pivotal movement of the seat back. The arm has a circular cavity with an inner circumference lined with teeth and is coaxially mounted in a face to face manner with the circular cavity of the base plate. The locking mechanism has a plurality of pawl, a camming member and an actuator.

Abstract: A vehicle seat assembly comprising a seat back assembly pivotally coupled to a seat cushion assembly by a recliner assembly and pivotal between a plurality of reclined positions. The recliner assembly including a fixed plate secured to the seat cushion assembly and a seat back arm member secured to and movable with the seat back assembly. A locking mechanism including a pawl member and a locking control arm are coupled between the fixed plate and the seat back arm member and moveable between a locked position retaining the seat back cushion in a desired reclined position and an unlocked position allowing movement of the seat back cushion to any of the desired reclined positions. A seat back release member interconnects with each of the pawl member and the locking control arm to simultaneously move the locking mechanisms between the locked and unlocked position via a common pivot pin.

Abstract: A linear recliner assembly for use with a vehicle seat assembly. The vehicle seat assembly has a seat cushion and a seat back pivotally mounted to the seat cushion for forward and rearward reclining movement. The linear recliner assembly has a housing mounted to the seat cushion. An actuating rod is pivotally connected to the seat back at a first end thereof and slidably mounted with the housing at an opposite end thereof. The actuating rod is biased to urge the seat back to the forward reclining movement. A pivotally mounted pawl is biased into pivotal engagement with the actuating rod. A rotatable camming member engages the pawl in a camming relationship so as to move the pawl between a releasably engaged position engaging the actuating rod preventing reclining movement and a released position disengaging the actuating rod mechanism allowing reclining movement.

Abstract: A preferred embodiment seat adjuster according to the present invention has a first link which is pivotally connected typically along its rearward end to the vehicle floor. A powered gear is connected to the first link and is meshed with a sector gear which is connected to the forward end of the vehicle seat adjuster. The sector gear is also connected to the vehicle floor. Slidably mounted to the first link is a second link having a sector gear connected to its rearward end. The vehicle seat (or frame) is pivotally connected along its forward end to the second link and the vehicle seat has a powered gear which in meshed with the rearward sector gear of the second link. Longitudinal movement of the seat is provided by a worm gear rotatably connected to the second link and meshed with a rack connected with the first link. Elevation of forward end of the vehicle is accomplished by the powered gear rotatably connected with the first link and meshed with the sector gear connected with the vehicle floor.

Abstract: A belt clamping guide loop includes a frame mounted on the vehicle body and a bracket mounted for limited vertical movement relative the frame. A belt deflecting loop is carried by the frame. A spring acts between the frame and the bracket to establish a normal position of the bracket and yields in response to the imposition of an occupant restraint load on the belt to permit movement of the bracket. A first clamping jaws is fixedly mounted on the frame below the guide loop and a second clamping jaw is movably mounted on the frame in spaced relation from the first clamping jaw to define a belt passage therebetween. A toggle linkage acts between the bracket and the second clamping jaw to forcibly move the second clamping jaw into belt clamping proximity with the first clamping jaw in response to the downward movement of the bracket.

Abstract: A belt reel journaled on the retractor frame carries a ratchet plate having teeth including a front face and a back face. A pawl mounted on the frame is movable from a normal disengaged position to a position engaging either the unwinding facing front side of a tooth or engaging with the winding facing side of a tooth. A normally stationary clutch member is connected to the pawl by a cam and is selectively rotated in response to a sensed condition so that the cam moves the pawl to engage the unwinding facing side of a tooth to lock the reel against belt unwinding rotation. A manual operating handle is provided to rotate the clutch member independent of occurrence of the sensed condition so that the pawl is moved into engagement with the winding face side of a ratchet tooth to block belt winding reel rotation by a reel windup spring and hold the belt at a tension free slackened length about the seat occupant.

Abstract: A seat belt buckle includes a housing having a pivotally mounted detent movable between a latched position in which a latch tab on the detent is inserted into an aperture in a latch plate and an unlatched position permitting latch plate entry and exit from the buckle. The detent is biased to the unlatched position by a detent spring. A keeper is slidably movable on the housing between an extended position overlying the detent to block detent movement to the unlatched position by inertia forces and a retracted position permitting detent movement to the unlatched position. An end depress pushbutton is slidably mounted on the housing for extension by a spring and retraction by the seat occupant depressing the pushbutton. Pushbutton retraction retracts the keeper from blocking the detent so the detent spring moves the detent to the unlatched position.

Abstract: The invention provides an inertia locking seat belt retractor for winding a shoulder belt having one end mounted on the vehicle door so that door movement moves the belt between stowed and restraining positions. The retractor has a winding prevention mechanism including a pawl and ratchet operable by a prior known control means to selectively lock the retractor against belt winding to hold the belt extended at a set slackened length with respect to the occupant. The improvement is comprised of a cam member which is rotatably mounted and has a cam surface which blocks movement of the pawl to the locked condition irrespective of the control means. The cam member also has a notch which allows the pawl to move to the locked condition with the ratchet. The cam member is coupled to the reel by a reduction gear set which causes the cam member to revolve less than one revolution during a plurality of reel revolutions upon movement of the belt between the fully wound and fully unwound conditions.

Abstract: According to the invention a spring wound seat belt reel has a plurality of pawls which are movable between radially extended and radially retracted positions. A clutch acts between the reel and the pawls to retain the pawls at their respectively attained extended or retracted positions. The pawls move to their extended positions when the clutch is overcome by centrifugal force acting upon the pawls during winding rotation of the reel at a velocity normally induced by the winding spring. The clutch retains the pawls in their retracted positions when the occupant feeds the belt slowly into the retractor to retard the reel rotation to a velocity less than the velocity normally induced by the winding spring. A latch bar is pivotally mounted on the housing and has a latch face adapted for engagement by one of the extended pawls to prevent further belt winding and thereby relieve the taut condition of the belt about the occupant.

Abstract: A seat belt retractor housing is mounted on a vehicle body structural member by integral load-bearing tangs struck from the housing frame for insertion through aligned apertures of the structural member. The apertures are defined by load-bearing walls which may be reinforced by a reinforcement plate having aligned load-bearing walls. A nonload-bearing positioning means such as a self-tapping screw acts between the retractor housing and the structural member to maintain the load-bearing tangs of the retractor housing in proximity with the load-bearing walls of the structural member for load-transmitting engagement therewith when the seat belt load is transmitted to the housing by lockup of a retractor reel. Accordingly, the retractor is anchored against movement relative the structural member independently of the load-bearing capacity provided by the self-tapping screw or like positioning means.

Abstract: A seat belt mounting member such as a retractor frame or an apertured plate has an elongated slot extending generally in the direction of imposition of occupant restraint load and a load bearing wall at the end of the slot. A fastener extends through the slot and attaches the mounting member on a vehicle body structural member. A means such as coined tabs or a frangible glass disc is located in the slot in interposition between the fastener and the load bearing wall to define a normal position of the mounting member relative the fastener wherein the load bearing wall is spaced from the fastener.

Abstract: A vehicle seat has a frame mounted on the vehicle floor by a fore and aft seat adjusting mechanism. A reel is rotatably mounted on the seat frame. A flexible element has one end attached to the reel and the other end attached to the vehicle floor. A windup spring acts on the reel to wind and unwind the flexible element during longitudinal fore and aft adjusting movement of the seat frame and maintains the flexible element in a taut condition irrespective of the selected adjusted position. A pawl is pivotally movable into engagement of the reel to block unwinding rotation thereof. A seat belt strap is attached to the pawl so that loads imposed on the belt during occupant restraint actuate the pawl to the blocking condition whereby the flexible element is held at its then existing length to anchor the seat frame against movement relative the vehicle floor.

Abstract: A seat belt retractor has a belt reel with a restraint belt attached thereto and biased in the belt winding direction of rotation by a windup spring. A detent mechanism comprised of a pawl and ratchet normally permits belt winding reel rotation by the windup spring and is movable to a detenting position wherein the pawl engages the ratchet to hold the belt in a nontensioned restraining position about the occupant. A control mechanism comprised of a control disc and a blocking disc operate the pawl between the detenting and undetenting positions in response to rotation of the discs through less than one revolution between one limit at which rotation in the unwinding direction is stopped and another limit at which rotation in the winding direction is stopped. The pawl coacts with the discs to define the limits of rotation.

Abstract: A seat belt retractor according to the invention has a conventional inertia locking mechanism which permits the occupant to lean forwardly in the seat by unwinding belt from a reel which is biased in the winding direction by a winding spring. In accordance with the specific embodiment described, a winding prevention mechanism includes a ratchet connected to the reel and a pawl movably mounted on the housing for movement to a detenting position engaging the ratchet to block belt winding reel rotation and thereby hold the belt extended at a slackened condition about the occupant.

Abstract: A seat belt retractor has a belt reel mounted for rotation relative a frame and a spring which biases the reel in the belt winding direction of rotation. A pawl is selectively movable between a disabled position and a position wherein the pawl engages the reel to lock the reel against belt unwinding rotation. A feeler arm on the pawl extends into engagement with the belt wound on the reel to hold the pawl in the disabled position when the belt is substantially fully wound on the reel and then permit movement of the pawl from the disabled position as the belt is unwound from the reel. An automatic locking mechanism includes a control disc which is frictionally clutched to the reel for limited rotation therewith and has an abutment for controlling movement of the pawl by moving to a blocking position in alignment with the pawl upon belt unwinding reel rotation so as to block movement of the pawl into engagement with the reel.

Abstract: A recliner assembly allows adjustment of the seat back relative to the seat cushion between a plurality of reclined seating positions and further allows the seat back to move from a seating position to a fowardly folded-flat position and back to the original seating position. The recliner assembly comprises a seat back bracket rotatably assembled to a seat cushion bracket. The seat back bracket is fixedly attached to the seat back. The cushion bracket is fixedly attached to the seat cushion. The recliner assembly further includes a disc recliner having an outer disc rotatably assembled to and releasably lockingly engaged with an inner disc. The inner disc is fixedly attached to the seat cushion bracket. A shaft rotatably journalized to the outer and inner discs is moveable from an unreleased position to a released position, whereby the outer disc is released from locking engagement with the inner disc. A latch link having first and second ends is pivotally mounted at its first end to the outer disc.