Drive nut and screw for seat adjuster
AssigneeDura Global Technologies, Inc.
InventorPascal E. Garrido
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle seat linkage assembly includes a rod. The linkage has a first link with an aperture and a second link adjacent but spaced from the first link and having a slot. Additionally, a drive nut is adjacent the rod. The drive nut has a body portion, one end, another end and an aperture engaging the rod. The one end is inserted into the slot and the another end is inserted into the aperture. When the nut is disposed into the slot and aperture, the nut is rotated to engage the slot and the aperture so that the nut cannot be disengaged from the first link and the second link.
Claims12
A vehicle seat linkage assembly including a threaded rod defining a longitudinal axis, the linkage assembly comprising, in combination:
- a first link having a portion forming an enclosed aperture;
- a second link adjacent but spaced away from the first link, the second link having a portion forming a slot, the slot having a circular portion, the circular portion and
- the enclosed aperture defining a lateral axis extending between the first link and the second link;
- and
- a drive nut threadably engaging the rod, the drive nut having a body portion and a pair of projections with each projection extending oppositely from the body portion, the drive nut and rod being movable to insert one of the pair of projections into the slot and to position the end of the another projection adjacent but spaced away from the aperture and with a portion of one of the pair of projections disposed in the slot, the another of the pair of projections is moved laterally relative to the slot to insert the another of the pair of projections into the aperture and lock the drive nut in the first link.
A seat adjuster having first and second frame members adapted to move relative to one another to adjust the position of the first frame member relative to the second frame member, the adjuster comprising, in combination:
- a first link attached to the frame, the first link having portions forming an aperture;
- a second link attached to the first frame in spaced apart relationship to the first link, the second link having a portion forming a slot, the first link and the second link are in alignment with each other and defining an alignment axis and a laterally extending axis that is normal to the alignment axis, the laterally extending axis is between the first link and the second link, the first link and the second link are spaced apart by the first width;
- a drive nut adjacent the second link, the drive nut having one end, another end and a portion extending between the one end and the another end, the portion defining a longitudinal axis, the portion of the drive nut having a second width, the drive nut further having a pair of projections with each projection extending oppositely from the portion, one of the pair of projections extends laterally from the portion by a third width, the second width of the drive nut and the third width of one of the pair of projections is less than the first width, the longitudinal axis of the drive nut is positioned offset relative to the laterally extending axis to move one of the pair of projections into the slot and along the laterally extending axis to dispose the other of the pair of projections into the aperture in the first link while the one of the pair of projections is disposed in the slot, so that after the drive nut is disposed in both the slot and the aperture, the nut is rotated to prevent the one end of the drive nut from disengaging the slot.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.