Seat assembly with integrated seat cushion and seat track frame

The seat assembly for a motor vehicle having a seat cushion with front and rear ends and lateral sides and a seat back extending upwardly at the rear end of said seat cushion, said seat assembly comprising:

• a seat track frame for mounting said seat assembly to a motor vehicle, said seat track frame including means for moving said seat assembly fore and aft relative to said motor vehicle and said seat track frame having fore and aft extending rails adjacent the lateral sides of said seat cushion;
• a seat back frame mounted to said seat track frame and extending upwardly therefrom;
• a generally U-shaped seat cushion frame having a front and rear including laterally spaced side members with front and rear ends and a front cross member extending laterally between and connected to the front ends of said side members to laterally restrain said side members at said front ends, said side members being laterally unreinforced at said rear ends, said seat cushion frame being mounted to said fore and aft extending rails of said seat track frame by connection of said side members to said seat track frame whereby said seat track frame laterally reinforces said side members at the rear ends thereof;
• and
• a flexible suspension extending laterally between said side members rearwardly of said front cross member, said flexible suspension supporting a vertical occupant load and transferring said occupant load to said side members with both a vertical force component directed downwardly and lateral force components directed inwardly, a portion of the lateral force being transferred to said front cross member as a compressive load in said front cross member and the remainder of said lateral force being transferred from said side members to said seat track frame rails.