Patents by Inventor Tavis S. Lutzka

Tavis S. Lutzka has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7270375
    Abstract: A disengage mechanism incorporated into a floor-mounted, forwardly pivotal and removable seat including a bottom and a pivotally associated back. The mechanism includes a handle-operated actuating assembly mounted to an underside of the seat bottom. A seat forward tumble mechanism includes a cable securing to the assembly at a first location and a seat disengage mechanism includes a pair of cables securing to the assembly at a second location. The assembly is actuated in a first selected direction to engage the forward tumble mechanism, the assembly being actuated in a second reverse direction to concurrently engage the forward tumble mechanism as well as the seat disengagement mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: BAE Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Tavis S. Lutzka, Keith Brantley
  • Patent number: 7222907
    Abstract: A release latch for use with a vehicle seat. A latch plate is rotatably secured to the seat and engages a floor mounted striker. A cam is rotatably secured to the seat and defines a shoulder biasingly seating against a support surface of the latch plate. A lever actuates the cam away from the support surface. A coil spring extends between the cam and a location of the latch plate offset from its pivot point. Forward pivoting of the seat occurs upon the shoulder separating from the support surface, the coil spring causing the latch plate to further rotate in a disengaging direction relative to the striker and upon the coil spring exceeding an over center portion relative to the pivot point of rotation of the latch plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2007
    Assignee: BAE Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Tavis S. Lutzka, Keith Brantley
  • Patent number: 7198316
    Abstract: A combined seat back release and floor release for use with a vehicle seat. The seat back includes a first mechanism for forwardly rotating a seat back relative to a seat bottom. The floor release is actuated by the seat back by virtue of a linearly translatable cable extending therebetween. The cable acts upon a floor release lever, which is rotatably slaved to a pair of cam elements. A latch plate is rotatably secured to the seat and engages a floor mounted striker. Shoulder portions associated with the cams define primary and secondary abutment surfaces acting against the support surface of the latch plate. The lever actuates the cams away from the support surface in response to the actuation of the cable from the seat back mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2007
    Assignee: BAE Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Tavis S. Lutzka, Keith Brantley
  • Patent number: 6994391
    Abstract: A release mechanism for use with a latch associated with a vehicle seat pivotally secured to a vehicle floor. A three-dimensional housing encloses an actuator mounted in axially translatable fashion upon the vehicle floor. A coil spring secures at a first end to an interior location of the housing, a second end of the spring engages the actuator in a selected biasing direction. A lever pivotally secures to a bracket extending from an underside location of the vehicle seat, an extending end of the lever engaging the actuator through the housing, a torsion spring biasing the lever in a given pivoting direction relative to the mounting bracket. A cable extends between the lever and the vehicle latch and, upon the actuator translating in a selected direction, the lever is caused to pivot and the cable to translate in order to disengage the latch and to permit pivoting of the seat relative to the vehicle floor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2006
    Assignee: Bae Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Tavis S. Lutzka, Stanley D. Pacolt