Back to results
US 2017/0291520 A1Published application
Overmolded track for an integrated thigh-extension of a vehicle seat
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsJohnathan Andrew Line, Marcos Silva Kondrad, Carol Casey, Rodney Charles Brinker
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A thigh-extension for a vehicle seat includes a metallic thigh-extension plate, an extension track defined by a low-friction resin overmolded onto the thigh-extension plate and a thigh-extension slider having an integral groove slidably engaged with the extension track to define a plurality of thigh-extension positions.
Claims20
1 A vehicle seat comprising:
- a seat frame;
- a first thigh-extension plate coupled to the seat frame, wherein the first thigh-extension plate includes a first pair of inner and outer extension tracks overmolded onto a portion of the first thigh-extension plate;
- and
- a first thigh-extension slider engaged with the first thigh-extension plate, wherein the first thigh-extension slider defines inner and outer grooves that slidably engage the inner and outer extension tracks, respectively of the first thigh-extension plate to define a plurality of first thigh-extension positions.
1 more element
The vehicle seat of claim 1, further comprising:
- a second thigh-extension plate coupled to the seat frame, wherein the second thigh-extension plate includes a second pair of inner and outer extension tracks overmolded onto a portion of the second thigh-extension plate;
- and
- a second thigh-extension slider engaged with the second thigh-extension plate, wherein the second thigh-extension slider defines inner and outer grooves that slidably engage the second pair of inner and outer extension tracks, respectively of the second thigh-extension plate to define a plurality of second thigh-extension positions, wherein the first thigh-extension plate and first thigh-extension slider define a right thigh extender, and wherein the second thigh-extension plate and second thigh-extension slider define a left thigh extender.
A thigh-extension for a vehicle seat comprising:
- a metallic thigh-extension plate;
- an extension track defined by a low-friction resin overmolded onto the thigh-extension plate;
- and
- a thigh-extension slider having an integral groove slidably engaged with the extension track to define a plurality of thigh-extension positions.
1 more element
A method of forming a thigh-extension for a vehicle seat, the method comprising steps of:
- overmolding a low-friction resin onto a metallic thigh-extension plate to define inner and outer thigh-extension tracks;
- and
- sliding a nylon thigh-extension slider onto the inner and outer thigh-extension tracks, wherein the thigh-extension slider includes inner and outer grooves that slidably engage the inner and outer extension tracks, respectively.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.