US 5,507,552 A · Rotatable seat belt buckle mounting bracket for a vehicle seat adjuster with a catcher bracket buckle brace

Abstract

A track assembly for a vehicle includes an upper track slidably mounted in a lower track. A seat belt buckle mounting bracket is attached to the upper track and connects a fixed seat belt to the upper track. The seat belt buckle mounting bracket includes first and second angularly disposed legs, with the first leg attached to the upper track and the second leg attached to a fixed seat belt buckle. The attachment structure mounts the seat belt buckle mounting bracket in a first, normal operating position in which the second leg of the bracket extends upward from a side wall of the upper track. The attachment structure permits the seat belt buckle mounting bracket to rotate from the first position under a force applied through the fixed seat belt to a second position in which the second leg of the bracket is substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis of the upper track to place the first and second legs of the bracket in tension with the applied force. The second position provides a strong geometry position for the seat belt buckle mounting bracket. The attachment structure also includes a catcher strap connecting the seat belt buckle mounting bracket and upper track to the rear torsion bar or tube to increase the ultimate load before failure, and to transfer the load in a manner so that the load is shared between the buckle bracket and the rear torsion bar for subsequent transmission to the rear riser.

Claims20

Dependent claims

In an adjustable track assembly supporting a seat of a vehicle from a floor pan of the vehicle, the track assembly including an inboard lower track and an outboard lower track adapted to be anchored to the floor pan of the vehicle in a stationary manner, an inboard upper track and an outboard upper track adapted to support the seat, the inboard and outboard upper tracks movably mounted with respect to the inboard and outboard lower tracks, means for selectively, reciprocally, adjusting each upper track with fore and aft movement relative to the corresponding stationary lower track, at least one torsion member connected between the inboard and outboard upper tracks, a seat belt buckle and seat belt buckle attachment means for attaching the seat belt buckle to the upper track, the seat belt buckle attachment means comprising:

catcher bracket means connected between the upper track and the torsion member for transferring at least a portion of a high load force through the seat belt buckle and the upper track to the torsion member.

In an adjustable track assembly supporting a seat of a vehicle from a floor pan of the vehicle, the track assembly including a lower track adapted to be anchored to the floor pan of the vehicle in a stationary manner, an upper track adapted to support the seat, the upper track movably mounted with respect to the lower track, means for selectively, reciprocally, adjusting the upper track with fore and aft movement relative to the stationary lower track, at least one torsion member connected to the upper track, a seat belt buckle and seat belt buckle attachment means for attaching the seat belt buckle to the upper track, the seat belt buckle attachment means comprising:

catcher bracket means connected between the upper track and the torsion member for transferring at least a portion of a high load force through the seat belt buckle to the torsion member;
an attachment member having first and second angularly disposed legs, the second leg adapted to be connected to said seat belt buckle;
and
means for fixedly attaching the catcher bracket means and the first leg of the attachment member to the upper track in a fixed, normal operating position and for allowing rotation of the attachment member with respect to the means for fixedly attaching to a second position relative to the upper track in response to a predetermined force applied to the attachment member through the seat belt buckle, wherein the first and second legs of the attachment member are placed in tension when in the second position.

1 more element

A seat belt buckle load transferring apparatus for a seat in a vehicle having a floor pan, said seat having an upper track moveable longitudinally with respect to a lower track, at least one torsion member connected to the upper track and a seat belt buckle, the seat belt buckle load transferring apparatus comprising:

an attachment member having first and second angularly disposed legs, the second leg adapted to be attached to the seat belt buckle;
means for fixedly attaching the first leg to the upper track of the seat in a fixed, normal operating position and for allowing rotation of the attachment member with respect to the means for fixedly attaching to a second position relative to the upper track in response to a predetermined force applied to the attachment member through the seat belt buckle, wherein the first and second legs of the attachment member are placed in tension when in the second position;
and
catcher bracket means connected between the upper track and the torsion member by the means for fixedly attaching, said catcher bracket means for transferring at least a portion of a high load force through the attachment member and the upper track to the torsion member.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Rotatable seat belt buckle mounting bracket for a vehicle seat adjuster with a catcher bracket buckle brace

Life of this patent

Rotatable seat belt buckle mounting bracket for a vehicle seat adjuster with a catcher bracket buckle brace

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20